Carrot-Ginger Cream Soup and Pumpkin Tea

A very bad idea....

Making cookies the other day might not have been the wisest decision. For one, I cannot stop eating them. Therefore, I haven't really had much of an appetite for lunch or dinner. And the second reason is because I dumbly placed the plate of cookies in the middle of the dining room table. When I wasn't looking, my toddler climbed onto the table and started shoveling as many cookies into her mouth as quickly as possible. I would like to add that this happened right before nap time, so nap time didn't occur until many hours later after she finished running and screaming all over the house. Now that she's napping, I decided to relax, blog and have some Twining's Chai Pumpkin Spice Tea. Have you tried it yet? It's the best tea I've ever had..... in my life. And I drink a lot of tea. My mom brought it back from vacation and I've been drinking it ever since. 

The Cookbook....

Even though I didn't have much of an appetite today, I went ahead and made some soup. The cookbook I used today??

M-I-C-K-E-Y
M-O-U-S-E

Yep, I'm using a Disney Mickey Mouse cookbook. :) It's a collection of recipes from Disney's resorts and theme parks. I went with the Carrot-Ginger Cream Soup served at Victoria & Albert's at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It was very yummy and mild. If you don't care for strong flavors, this is the way to go. The recipe below is the full amount, but I cut this in half. Next time, I will increase the amount of ginger to a little under 1/4, or, if you are making the full amount a little under 1/2. Even though this seems like a goofy Mickey Mouse book, it actually contains a lot of very impressive recipes.

Here are a few examples of the main dishes: 

Coq au Vin du Beaujolais, Pollo a las Rajas, Honey Sesame Chicken, Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons, Bourbon Steak Marinade, Berbere Braised Lamb Shank and Lemon Grass Risotto....

Here are some of the desserts: 

Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Cookie Mousse and Chocolate Souffle....

That's right, this mouse can cook.

Chop up the veggies.

Saute and add chicken stock (or veggie stock).

Puree and serve!

Carrot-Ginger Cream Soup Recipe:

Brandon, P. (2004). Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs, p. 43.
Serving Size = 10 Servings (2 quarts)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Pinch of dried basil, crumbled
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley (Skipped because I'm out)
• 1/4 cup of diced celery
• 1 cup diced onion
• 10 carrots, diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup sliced ginger (I grated it and next time I might increase to a little under 1/2 cup)
• 2 quarts heavy cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Heat the butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat until smoking (I didn't wait until smoking). Add the basil, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies are tender (mine took a little longer).
2. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock. Add the ginger and bring back to a boil. Add the heavy cream and turn down to low, to create a simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring from time to time. The soup should thicken (do not boil).
3. Add salt and pepper, taste and then remove the bay leaf and pour the mixture into a blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (I skipped) and serve.

Linking to: Cookbook Sundays, Potluck Sundays, Homemaker Monday.