Soup Battle, Part 1 - Cream of Mushroom Soup

Photo and recipe courtesy of Chungah at DamnDelicious
http://damndelicious.net/2014/05/10/cream-mushroom-soup/

There have been a handful of soups that Elizabeth and I have very different opinions on making... and we keep vetoing each other when these specific soups come up. However, we had a very busy weekend last weekend and then nothing to do on Sunday and sister came up with the suggestion that I make a soup she doesn't want to eat, and she make a soup that I don't want to eat, and then we make everyone try both.

She HATES mushrooms. I do not understand this because I will eat mushrooms on almost anything. I used to eat the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup from the can when I was in college. And my sweet husband will always throw a packet of mushrooms on the grill when he is making chicken or burgers.

So I was excited to make this soup and Elizabeth was decidedly UN-Excited.

This was super easy to make, and smelled so good. My only issue is that I could NOT get it to thicken. I made the cornstarch and water mixture three different times and it still would not thicken. But honestly, I liked it soupy. I ate it for lunch three days and then froze the rest in 10oz containers for recipes later.

Also, Colby HATES mushrooms too. I wanted him to give it a chance, so I didn't tell him what kind it was, and gave him a blind taste test. That went well. NOT.

Scoring:

Marty: I give it a 6.5... it does need to be a little thicker, but the flavor is good.
Elizabeth: 3. GAG.
Colby: Blind- I give it a 5. It tastes weird. / Reveal the Soup - GROSS!! A TWO!! I give it a TWO!!!
Me: 7 - Yummy! I am the best cook ever!

Soup Battle, Part 2 - Buffalo Chicken Soup

Photo and recipe from Susan at:

http://doughmesstic.com/2015/02/05/buffalo-chicken-souplow-carb/

Buffalo Chicken Soup was Elizabeth's choice for Soup Battle. She loves all kinds of Buffalo Chicken, and is obsessed with Blue Cheese Dressing.

I have never been a fan of wings, buffalo chicken, blue cheese or anything related to such. However, I have tried to make things that the kids like over the years, even if I wasn't a fan.

About three years ago, I made Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sliders... I ate one, wasn't impressed. Kids loved them. That night, the worst stomach virus ever hit me. I was so sick. I won't go into detail, but it was SO NOT GOOD. The smell of buffalo chicken was EVERYWHERE. In my house, in my nose, in my brain.

So as soon as Elizabeth started making this soup, and the smell started permeating the house,  I started having flashbacks. My stomach was staging a revolt against the soup immediately.

Another thing... this soup calls for a rotisserie chicken. Super easy, right?

Confession: I have never de-boned a chicken. Cooked nor raw. I sent my mother a photo and was all, "GUESS WHAT I AM DOING??" Like I was running the NYC marathon or developing cancer vaccines or something.

I have always had a weird thing about food with bones. It just grosses me out. If Marty had known this from the beginning, it is safe to say he would not have married me. As I don't do boney food, I never made it for the kids either. One of the Famous Family Stories is the time my aunt gave 3 year old Elizabeth a chicken leg and she tried to eat it like a corn dog, from the top... and then says, "I can't eat this chicken, it has a STICK in it." From then on when someone asked if she wanted chicken, she would ask, "Is it the stick kind?" Even NOW, she will tell me that she went to a sleepover or out to eat and "Mom, they gave me stick chicken.." THE HORROR.

Yeah. Marty is ashamed. Horrified and ashamed.

Anyway, so I did a total hatchet job on the chicken. I probably threw out more than I kept because I was trying to make sure there were no veins, or weird spots, or anything too close to the bone...

It occurs to me that maybe I don't need a food blog... I am not quite Alton Brown... LMAO!!!

Once it was all said and done, I was prepared to gag at the soup. And I didn't. It wasn't bad. I ate more than my allotted two bites. Not much more, but more.

Scoring:

Marty: 6.5 - Pretty good!! I actually like this more than I expected
Natalie: 6 - I do not hate it.
Colby: 8 - I really like this soup! I like that it is spicy! (he ate two bowls.)
Elizabeth: 8 - I am the best cook ever!