Think Fall

As we endure one of the hottest and most humid summers on record, take a moment to visualize pleasant days ahead. Close your eyes and think about fall...one of my favorite times of year.

...a brisk wind blowing..chilly but not so chilly you need a fur-lined parka...
...the ever so slight smell of wood-burning fireplaces curling in your nose...
...the sound of leaves crunching underfoot and blowing in the breeze...
...warm bowls of stew, soup, and chowder waiting on you at dinner time...

Well, while we are the subject of chowder, I must share with you my all-time favorite and super easy chowder recipe. I am making it today. Yes, I realize it is 102 degrees outside with a heat index of 129 degrees and 99% humidity. That is all well and good, but this chowder is soooo good that you'll want to crank the AC down to 59, put on a sweater, and bundle up on the couch with a warm bowl between your knees, baby. And if you just can't wrap your mind around a toasty vessel of chowder right now, print the recipe out for cooler days.

It even has a fancy name: "Seafood Bisque"

I love the word bisque and it's unique spelling and elegant connotation.

or you could call it  "Frozen Shrimp Dump Soup" but I prefer the prior.

To this day my husband thinks I slave all day to make this chowder and he dreams about it with a capital D... so here's hoping he doesn't read this blog post and discover my deception.

You will need:
2 cans of cream style corn
2 cans of potato soup
1 can of cream of celery
1 block of cream cheese
1 stick of butter (da real stuff)
1 package of frozen seafood (I use frozen shrimp, but crawdad tails or crab meat will do nicely)
1 pint of half & half (Lawd a mercy!)
cayenne pepper for seasoning
a crockpot
a large spoon for stirring
a small spoon for sampling...often

Directions:
1. Melt the cream cheese block and stick 'o butter on high in the crockpot. Stir.
2. Add everything else, stir. Sample and decide how much "fire" you want and add cayenne pepper accordingly.
3. Cook for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low or however long you want to cook it, suits me just fine.

When you get done, it looks like this:

But don't eat this everyday in the fall, or you will look like this:

Best wishes and pass the gravy,

Nesha