CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP 

4 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup flour 
48 oz. chicken broth 
1 pint light cream
2 or 3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (all depends on how much you want in it and how big they are).
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in large pot.
2. Add flour mixing well.
3. Cook for 3-4 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
4. Add broth slowly too mix the broth and butter flour mixture together, then add the cream mixing well.
5. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and stir in chicken and remaining seasonings.
7. Adjust seasonings to taste.
8. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes to warm the chicken.

Tips and tricks
1. Perfect soup for leftover chicken or turkey. 
2. You can also use canned chicken as a last resort, I’m not crazy about it myself.
3. Want a little more too it, add some finely diced onions and celery.
4. Add some cooked rice or small pasta (orzo works good)
5. This is a good simple soup that takes all of about 20 minutes to make, start to finish and can be used as is or dressed up depending on what you want.

Christmas pudding

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Marinating Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 20 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Serves 8 - 10 1lb /450g dried mixed fruit (use golden raisins/sultanas* , raisins, currants)
1 oz /25 g mixed candied peel, finely chopped
1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped Grated zest and juice
½ large orange and
½ lemon
4 tbsp brandy, plus a little extra for soaking at the end
2 oz /55 g self-raising flour, sifted
1 level tsp ground mixed spice
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 oz /110 g shredded suet, beef or vegetarian
4oz /110g soft, dark brown sugar
4 oz /110 g white fresh bread crumbs
1 oz /25 g whole shelled almonds, roughly chopped
2 large, fresh eggs

Preparation:
Lightly butter a 2½ pint/1.4 litre pudding basin.

Place the dried fruits, candied peel, apple, orange and lemon juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the brandy and stir well. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to marinate for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
Stir together the flour, mixed spice and cinnamon in a very large mixing bowl. Add the suet, sugar, lemon and orange zest, bread crumbs, nuts and stir again until all the ingredients are well mixed. Finally add the marinaded dried fruits and stir again.
Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl then stir quickly into the dry ingredients. The mixture should have a fairly soft consistency.
Now is the time to gather the family for Christmas Pudding tradition of taking turns in stirring, making a wish and adding a few coins.
Spoon the mixture in to the greased pudding basin, gently pressing the mixture down with the back of a spoon. Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment, then a layer of aluminum foil and tie securely with string.
Place the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water and steam the pudding for 7 hours. Make sure you check the water level frequently so it never boils dry. The pudding should be a deep brown color when cooked. The pudding is not a light cake but instead is a dark, sticky and dense sponge.
Remove the pudding from the steamer, cool completely. Remove the paper, prick the pudding with a skewer and pour in a little extra brandy. Cover with fresh greaseproof paper and retie with string. Store in a cool dry place until Christmas day. Note: The pudding cannot be eaten immediately, it really does need to be stored and rested then reheated on Christmas Day. Eating the pudding immediately after cooking will cause it to collapse and the flavours will not have had time to mature.
On Christmas day reheat the pudding by steaming again for about an hour. Serve with Brandy or Rum Sauce, Brandy Butter or Custard.