Skiing and a soup recipe
Two great things that go great together: skiing and soup.
Yesterday was the first day of the season on the slopes. We got up early yesterday and Chris made cheddar cheese omelets with salsa. Yum. Then we put on our gear, loaded up the truck, and hit the road. Headed over to Keystone in Summit County, parked in the free lot, and trekked to the slopes. I'll be glad when they have more lifts open than just at the one base area, because we walked and walked and walked. My legs were wiped before we hit the snow.
Since it was sparse coverage, we took the old skis and while Chris was wishing he had his Supersports, we were glad to have the old ones when we went down one blue that was bumped up and had some less than perfect coverage.
We each had one fall -- mine on an icy spot (we don't get a lot of ice out here, but we've had 50 degree days lately and when it warms up like that then refreezes over night, you get ice *sigh*), Chris's fall was in some powder on the side when he was attempting to show off. Show off to whom, I'm not sure since I really could care less. ;-)
We did two runs, then took a break. My left foot was bothering me and I didn't know if it was that my boot was too loose, too tight, or if it was from the walking. So we hit the Summit House up top for a bathroom break and a short rest. Chris bought a Gatorade for $5.29. I thought I was going to faint at the price. We drank that then refilled the bottle with water (which is always made available for free thank goodness). We'd both stuffed a couple mini candy bars in our pockets before we left the house so we had those for a little sugar fix. I took off my boot, stretched and rubbed my foot, slipped back in and readjusted my buckles and was fine the rest of the day.
Back to the slopes for two more runs and then I was done. The knees were a little tired and I just didn't want to push it on my first day out. For those used to east coast skiing, the trails out here are longer. A run at Keystone is about 3-4 times the length of many of the runs at Snowshoe. So you ride up on the lift and it's a long trip back down to the bottom.
Plus, the fourth run we did was a bump run and that's a lot of work for me. These were mostly pretty small (it's early and there's not enough snow for them to be carved out real sharply) so I managed, but it was slow going and lots of flexing and turning. But I made it fine. No falls there, which is saying a lot. After that run, I let Chris go off on his own and waited at the base.
He did two more runs and then decided that was enough for one day. While I waited for him I saw that my Denver radio station (that I listen to online) had a booth set up. I went over and registered for a drawing for a video ipod and I scored a free t-shirt and a sticker. The girl also gave me one of their listener cards when I mentioned that I'd signed up online but hadn't received my card yet. She was really cool. I probably won't win, but that's okay I got a t-shirt and sticker. I'm so easy to please.
Hit Murphy's pub on the way home for a late lunch/early dinner. Had Thai wings and a chicken sandwich with mushrooms, bacon, and swiss. OMG I was so hungry. We ate breakfast at 7:30 then skied all day and it was 3:30 before we ate anything other than a couple mini candy bars. But it was worth the wait. So good.
Got home last night around 6pm and I was ready to go to sleep. Seriously. I skimmed through LJ and was about to fall asleep when Chris said he was going to watch a movie in the living room if I wanted to join him. It kept me awake, but I think that was more to do with working on my afghan than the movie. If you get to see BloodRayne do yourself a favor and don't. The only redeeming thing about the movie was Michelle Rodriguez in tight pants with a sword. The movie was horrible.
Today we're watching football (my poor Pats *weeps*) and I just made a pot of soup. It's a Pepper Jack Chicken soup. We had a soup like this last week down in Winter Park and I really liked it and wanted to try it. So I thought about the soup we had and came up with a semi-plan. Then I looked around online and found this recipe that I modified. So here's my version:
1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed (I used boneless thighs, but you can use whatever)
1-2 cups diced bell pepper (I had about 2 c. of yellow bell, but you can use less and whichever type you like)
1 cup diced onion
1 clove chopped garlic
2 - 14 oz. cans chicken broth
1 can of corn, drained
4 1/2 oz. can of green chilis, drained as best you can
10 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
8 oz. sour cream
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. cilantro
olive oil
1. Cook the chicken however you like. I cubed and cooked in olive oil in a skillet, but you could boil a chicken and then shred it if you prefer.
2. Put 1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet (more or less depending on how much peppers and onions you have). Add in garlic then onions, peppers, and green chilis and cook until onions are transparent. (I usually let the garlic cook a bit first and get into the oil before adding the veggies. I let the onions and peppers cook a bit before adding the chilis too, since they don't the same amount of cooking.)
3. Dump the chicken , broth, corn, and spices in a stock pot and mix together. Turn heat on low. Add garlic, onions, peppers, and chilis.
4. Whisk in the sour cream then add the shredded cheese a few handfuls at a time, mixing thoroughly. Let simmer, stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted. Then serve when you're ready.
I like to let soups simmer for a while and with the can of corn, you'll want to give time for the corn to cook. But you could certainly make this in the evening and have for dinner. It doesn't need to sit all day to be enjoyable. This is not as thick as some cheese soups. It's more in between a broth soup and a cheese soup. So if it seems thinner than your beloved broccoli cheese, it's supposed to be. If it's too thin for your liking add a little flour to thicken it.
Note: We haven't actually eaten this yet. It's simmering now. I have tasted it, however, and it was good. After we eat, I'll update this if there's any suggestions/comments/whatever.
Yesterday was the first day of the season on the slopes. We got up early yesterday and Chris made cheddar cheese omelets with salsa. Yum. Then we put on our gear, loaded up the truck, and hit the road. Headed over to Keystone in Summit County, parked in the free lot, and trekked to the slopes. I'll be glad when they have more lifts open than just at the one base area, because we walked and walked and walked. My legs were wiped before we hit the snow.
Since it was sparse coverage, we took the old skis and while Chris was wishing he had his Supersports, we were glad to have the old ones when we went down one blue that was bumped up and had some less than perfect coverage.
We each had one fall -- mine on an icy spot (we don't get a lot of ice out here, but we've had 50 degree days lately and when it warms up like that then refreezes over night, you get ice *sigh*), Chris's fall was in some powder on the side when he was attempting to show off. Show off to whom, I'm not sure since I really could care less. ;-)
We did two runs, then took a break. My left foot was bothering me and I didn't know if it was that my boot was too loose, too tight, or if it was from the walking. So we hit the Summit House up top for a bathroom break and a short rest. Chris bought a Gatorade for $5.29. I thought I was going to faint at the price. We drank that then refilled the bottle with water (which is always made available for free thank goodness). We'd both stuffed a couple mini candy bars in our pockets before we left the house so we had those for a little sugar fix. I took off my boot, stretched and rubbed my foot, slipped back in and readjusted my buckles and was fine the rest of the day.
Back to the slopes for two more runs and then I was done. The knees were a little tired and I just didn't want to push it on my first day out. For those used to east coast skiing, the trails out here are longer. A run at Keystone is about 3-4 times the length of many of the runs at Snowshoe. So you ride up on the lift and it's a long trip back down to the bottom.
Plus, the fourth run we did was a bump run and that's a lot of work for me. These were mostly pretty small (it's early and there's not enough snow for them to be carved out real sharply) so I managed, but it was slow going and lots of flexing and turning. But I made it fine. No falls there, which is saying a lot. After that run, I let Chris go off on his own and waited at the base.
He did two more runs and then decided that was enough for one day. While I waited for him I saw that my Denver radio station (that I listen to online) had a booth set up. I went over and registered for a drawing for a video ipod and I scored a free t-shirt and a sticker. The girl also gave me one of their listener cards when I mentioned that I'd signed up online but hadn't received my card yet. She was really cool. I probably won't win, but that's okay I got a t-shirt and sticker. I'm so easy to please.
Hit Murphy's pub on the way home for a late lunch/early dinner. Had Thai wings and a chicken sandwich with mushrooms, bacon, and swiss. OMG I was so hungry. We ate breakfast at 7:30 then skied all day and it was 3:30 before we ate anything other than a couple mini candy bars. But it was worth the wait. So good.
Got home last night around 6pm and I was ready to go to sleep. Seriously. I skimmed through LJ and was about to fall asleep when Chris said he was going to watch a movie in the living room if I wanted to join him. It kept me awake, but I think that was more to do with working on my afghan than the movie. If you get to see BloodRayne do yourself a favor and don't. The only redeeming thing about the movie was Michelle Rodriguez in tight pants with a sword. The movie was horrible.
Today we're watching football (my poor Pats *weeps*) and I just made a pot of soup. It's a Pepper Jack Chicken soup. We had a soup like this last week down in Winter Park and I really liked it and wanted to try it. So I thought about the soup we had and came up with a semi-plan. Then I looked around online and found this recipe that I modified. So here's my version:
1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed (I used boneless thighs, but you can use whatever)
1-2 cups diced bell pepper (I had about 2 c. of yellow bell, but you can use less and whichever type you like)
1 cup diced onion
1 clove chopped garlic
2 - 14 oz. cans chicken broth
1 can of corn, drained
4 1/2 oz. can of green chilis, drained as best you can
10 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
8 oz. sour cream
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. cilantro
olive oil
1. Cook the chicken however you like. I cubed and cooked in olive oil in a skillet, but you could boil a chicken and then shred it if you prefer.
2. Put 1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet (more or less depending on how much peppers and onions you have). Add in garlic then onions, peppers, and green chilis and cook until onions are transparent. (I usually let the garlic cook a bit first and get into the oil before adding the veggies. I let the onions and peppers cook a bit before adding the chilis too, since they don't the same amount of cooking.)
3. Dump the chicken , broth, corn, and spices in a stock pot and mix together. Turn heat on low. Add garlic, onions, peppers, and chilis.
4. Whisk in the sour cream then add the shredded cheese a few handfuls at a time, mixing thoroughly. Let simmer, stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted. Then serve when you're ready.
I like to let soups simmer for a while and with the can of corn, you'll want to give time for the corn to cook. But you could certainly make this in the evening and have for dinner. It doesn't need to sit all day to be enjoyable. This is not as thick as some cheese soups. It's more in between a broth soup and a cheese soup. So if it seems thinner than your beloved broccoli cheese, it's supposed to be. If it's too thin for your liking add a little flour to thicken it.
Note: We haven't actually eaten this yet. It's simmering now. I have tasted it, however, and it was good. After we eat, I'll update this if there's any suggestions/comments/whatever.