Creme Brûlée

Adapted from Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients:

1 extra large egg

4 extra large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tbl for each serving

3 cups heavy cream 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 tbl orange juice (pulp free)

A little less than 1/4 tsp orange extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, mix egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in small saucepan. With mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla, orange juice and orange extract to mixture. Pour into 6 to 8 ounce ramekins until almost full. (You can also use a larger ramekin to just make one large serving). 

Place ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35-40 mins until the custards are set when gently shaken. (Large one takes about 1 hour and 20 mins). Remove the ramekins from the water bath, cool to room temperature and refrigerate until firm. 

To serve, spread 1 tbls sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and hear with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temp for a min until the carmelized sugar hardens. 

Potato and corn chowder

So, I realized that I need to do more crockpot meals because by the end of the day I'm burnt out. I randomly found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it out. I did make a few changes according to what I had on hand and it was still delicious! (http://www.mamalovesfood.com/2011/10/corn-and-potato-chowder-recipe-for.html?m=1, this is where I got the recipe from, sorry it's an ugly link. I'm on my phone because if I don't post it someone will get after me...Bobbie...)

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed, skins left on cut into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes.
1 yellow onion diced (mine happened to be a very large one)
5 cloves garlic smashed and minced
2-3 cups frozen corn (or whatever looks good to you)
4 cups water
4 bouillon cubes
1 can chicken broth
1/2-3/4 pound of bacon cooked and diced
Salt, pepper, seasoning salt
2 cups milk (I used non fat with no problem)

Put potatoes, onion, garlic, and corn and bacon in crockpot. Add water, bouillon, and chicken broth. I threw in a few shakes of seasoning salt and quite a bit of pepper. Cook on high for 6-8ish hours.
When potatoes are nice and soft and tender you can either use an immersion blender, take some soup and put it in a blender, or I just used my potato masher and mashed up one side to help thicken it. Pour in milk and stir well. Let cook on high for another 15-20 minutes or until heated through. That's it! Super easy and super delicious especially on cold snowy days like today.