Mmm... Garlic!

Often referred to as 'Nature's Antibiotic', garlic is recorded being used for medicinal purposes even back while the Egyptian pyramids were being built. Medical studies have found that garlic can be used to help prevent and treat colds, it's full of antioxidants that combat free radicals (which are nasty little particles that are naturally found in the body and also get absorbed into the body through food and environmental toxins, then group together to cause a number of illnesses, including cancer), prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It also has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti fungal properties. And you thought it was just for seasoning, right? Just another one of God's wonderful and perfect foods he has given.
So, the past week we've been feeling quite under the weather. We've really been battling a nasty cold that's passing through the house. Garlic has been a staple this week and has helped us so much that I had to pass on the information to you. We've put garlic in our baked potatoes, on toast with butter, and into pizza and spaghetti sauces. Any little bit helps. But this recipe I'm about to share is about the yummiest meal we've had this week and within 20 minutes of eating it we were feeling some relief. It's a little time consuming, but it's really worth it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Cream of Garlic Soup

2 garlic bulbs (This is the whole head of the garlic plant, not just a piece which is a clove.), peeled
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch or 4 tablespoons flour

Put all of your garlic and your melted butter into the blender and puree it for a minute or two. It doesn't have to be perfect. When you're finished put this garlic paste into a 2qt, or larger, pot over medium heat. This is going to toast your paste and really bring out the flavor. When the paste starts to brown add your chicken broth. Simmer this for 30 minutes, then add your milk, potatoes, and cream. Simmer this for another 30 minutes. When it's finished, add half of this mixture to your blender and blend for a few minutes. This will puree your potatoes and will whip up your whipping cream to give you a nice thick soup. It's important to mix your soup in smaller batches because it really fluffs up. WARNING!!! If you have the time to let your soup cool down a little bit before you do this, then it's wise to do so. Otherwise your blender fills with steam after you put the lid on and when you start the blender you will probably get splashed with scalding soup. I take that risk to have my soup as quickly as possible :). You can throw a towel over the top and that will help, but make sure you keep your hand on the lid. After the initial start up everything will be fine. So once everything is blended, put it all back into the pot, add your salt and pepper and cornstarch, and bring it back up to a simmer. Once this is reached, you're done. It will be so thick and, well, I think Serenity said is best... "Nummay, nummay, nummay!"