(Full disclosure: I was not as prepared for the photos on the preparation for this meal as I should have been...therefore we have a mix of phone and slr camera pics. I apologize and will work to do better! Maybe...on a great 'got-it-together day!)

Yesterday was our first family Soup-er Sunday get-together. If you will recall my post HERE (the one where I admitted I may have freaked out at my son's impromptu request to gather!)– we decided a few weeks ago that we all live too close to each other to not get together more often. So, every other week we will be having a soup day over at our house.

I decided soup would be a good meal because you can make a ton, the left overs are great and, for the most part, soup is relatively quick and easy to make for a larger group.

For our first week I thought Potato Sausage and Leek soup would be great. Here in the desert we actually hit what feels like Fall this week. That might not mean much too many, but here when the temps get to a high of 70 and lows are in the low-50s…well…that’s a chill in the air for us! My Potato soup is the perfect way to kick off Fall weather (most of us are crossing our fingers this weather lingers for a while since we were over 90 on Halloween!). I also served Stove Pipe Bread…I learned how to make this from my pastor’s wife back when I was 17! It is amazingly yummy and super easy.

Potato Sausage Leek Soup

Ingredients:

1 large carton Chicken Broth
7-8 medium to large potatoes, cubed (I don’t peel them…it adds flavor!)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups Milk (whole or 2%)
1 chub Sausage, fried and crumbled (I sometimes use spicy for an extra kick)
6 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Leeks, sliced about an inch into the green (float sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water before adding them to the soup, this will allow the dirt and grit to fall to the bottom of the bowl – much easier than trying to wash all of that out by hand.)
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed

Combine all ingredients with the exception of the Velveeta. Allow to cook at a medium heat until vegetables are tender (about 30-45 minutes). Add Velveeta and allow to melt, combining well. Serves 6. I usually increase my potato count to 8-10 and add another carton of chicken broth if I’m serving my family – then we have leftovers. This recipe is super easy and very customizable to your taste and amount to make…winging it is the name of the game for this one!

Stove Pipe Bread

I think this bread got its name from the fact that it is prepared in coffee cans, which resemble stove pipes? I’m not certain, but that is the story I’m going with.

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups Flour
1 pkg. Yeast
½ cup Milk
½ cup Oil
1 tsp. Salt
½ cup Water
¼ cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 One Pound Coffee Cans (with lids), emptied and cleaned

Butter the inside of the 2 coffee cans well.

Combine the dry yeast and 1 ½ cups flour in a medium mixing bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, oil, salt and sugar. Heat until barely war, (should be unnoticed when dropped on the wrist…think of checking a baby bottle!). Once the correct temperature has been reach, add this to the yeast mixture. Using a slow speed, mix/blend together until smooth. Add in eggs and mix until blended. Gradually add 1 cup of the flour and blend well. By hand, stir in the last cup of flour.

Pour half of the dough into each coffee can. Cover with the plastic lids, place in a warm area (I set mine on my oven that was on low heat - 170 degrees - and covered with 2 kitchen towels), and allow to rise until the dough almost touches the lids.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, remove the lids and place cans on a baking sheet. Allow to bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the cans and serving.

No joke, I could eat a whole loaf of this when it is fresh out of the oven and warm with butter!