Zupas Roasted Red Pepper Soup

from the kitchen of Amberly

2 tbsp. butter
2 cups diced onion
¾ cup diced celery
1 ½ tbsp. diced garlic
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
7 cups vegetable/Chicken stock
1-28oz. can roasted red peppers or 2-16oz Cans
2 tsp. dry basil
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 large or two small cans of fire roasted tomatoes
1 tbls crushed red pepper flakes
1-3 Tbls of sugar-Depending on how you like it

Method:
1. Start by melting 2 tbsp. of butter in a medium sized soup pot.
2. When melted add diced onion, celery, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Sautee vegetables for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.
3. Add the Stock, and roasted red peppers into the soup pot and bring to a simmer.
4. Use a hand blender and blend until the soup has a smooth texture, add sugar
5. Then add cream and a bay leaf and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. pick out the bay leaf to finish

Dinner in a Pumpkin2

from the kitchen of Amberly

1 small to medium sized pumpkin
1 onion chopped
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 1/2-2 lbs ground beef
1 can of mushrooms drained, or 1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced
1 can of cream of cream of chicken
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
1 8oz can of sliced water chestnuts drained

Clean out pumpkin well and draw a face on it with a marker.
preheat oven to 350 degrees.
brown meat and onions, drain.
add soy sauce and brown sugar and mushrooms and soup.
simmer for 10 min stirring occasionally.
add cooked rice and water chestnuts.
Put mixture into cleaned pumpkin.
Place pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until inside of pumkin is tender.
remember...use a CLEANED OUT pumpkin and discard insides :)
Makes a great Halloween meal!