Carolyn Westbrook: Turkey and Dressing Soup

With all of the cold and wet weather upon us, it makes me crave some warm and delicious comfort food like soup. I began looking through the fridge wondering what I was going to do with the leftover turkey and dressing.  I thought that I might use the leftover turkey in a hearty soup, so here it is:

1- clove of garlic minced
1- small onion diced
Chopped leftover Turkey
1-2 Chicken breasts diced (Depending on how much leftover turkey...I only had about a cup, so I added the chicken to the soup.)
2- large carrots finely chopped
2 TBSP.- Olive Oil
2- stalks of celery finely chopped
1/2 cup-1 cup of leftover dressing
1 cup of leftover green beans- (optional)
4 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of cream
1/2 teaspoon each- Rosemary, Thyme, Sage
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Add olive oil to saucepan on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, onion and celery to the pot and stir. Add diced chicken breasts and spices, and a 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Saute in chicken broth, stirring as needed, until tender. Add in leftover turkey and the remainder of the chicken broth with the milk and cream. Simmer on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add in the leftover green beans. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Ladle into a bowl. I put a dollop of jellied cranberries on top of mine, but that is completely optional. The whole family loved this and a great way to get rid of the leftovers in a delicious way. Bon Appetite!

Carolyn Westbrook: Christmas in the Country

I probably should have titled this post...a passion for plaid. I do love traditional holiday decorating. Who am I kidding, I love every kind of decorating, so Christmas is the best time of year, where you can sprinkle gobs of glitter and snow, string twinkling lights everywhere, and hang icicles from your tree. I am still in love with a beautiful traditional plaid. We decked the halls, the walls, the banister, the mantles, the exterior, the interior, in fact every room in the house. A mantel bedecked in pine, twinkle lights, gorgeous plaid ribbons and a lovely Ironstone pot with a live planting of paper white flowers...and that smell permeates the room. We have done photography in our book, Carolyn Westbrook: Through the French Door, that shows the photos of our Christmas tree and these beautiful little classic books, that have wonderful red leather bindings. They are exquisite.We always wait until the days before Christmas to hang the stockings. Everyone has a stocking including Teddy, Bella, Rascal, Foxy, Coco, and of course our fat cat Milo. Milo follows me everywhere, like one of the dogs and twists around my feet if I stop for even a second wanting to be scratched on the belly. I think he thinks he is a dog.

There is nothing quite like the season of Christmas and who doesn't love the thought of Christmas in the country. Fresh cut cedar strung and red berries strung about the porches outside. Tonight the air was crisp and the stars were shining like diamonds in the sky. I was stopped in my tracks at the beauty of them as I looked up and thought about the real reason for the season...a baby that was born in manger, while the stars shown in the sky. Here's hoping that everyone spreads the love and joy of the Holiday Season.
                                     Merry Christmas!