Soup's on!

If you are anything like me, when the temperature starts falling, I'm in the mood for soup. Something warm to put in your tummy on a cool, crisp day.  Inexpensive to make, easy to throw together and simple enough even for the "Queen of Can't cook" to get it right. 

I knew the temp would be falling some this week. This morning, when I woke up, the first thing I noticed was my husband had the furnace going. Mmm, soup weather!! I set my plan into motion....I had the recipe, the ingredients and was prepared (for once) come supper time.  Normally I am scrambling around at the last minute trying to throw something together that resembles a meal.  Today, I was Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker.......I was more of a Paula Dean (I have her sl-ang ac-cent). ;)

Today's soup: Baked Potato Soup                    

My entire family raved about it!  My 19 month old son and I were arguing who got the next bite....since I was feeding him from his bowl, while I was trying to eat from mine too.  Neither one of us wanted to stop.  Ultimately, he won out......ya know how us moms are, big push overs ;).  We barely had any leftovers but my kids were begging me to keep it.  Seriously? They wanted me to keep the leftovers? MY cooking? Yippie! :D

Ok, since I am not a great cook, it must be the soup.  I'm big enough to admit it.  It's changed the way we see Potato Soup a.k.a. Tater Soup, round these hills. I've found my new favorite!

BAKED POTATO SOUP:


12 slices of bacon (I bought a 15 slice pkg. of precooked and microwaved it to get some of the fat out)
2/3 c. butter (I used 1/3 cup)
2/3 c flour
7 c. milk
4 large baked potatoes, baked and cubed (I just cut as many as I thought my family would eat...more than 4...and I didn't see the word 'baked' just threw mine in the pot & let them slow cook til they got done....oops!)
4 green onions (Didn't use all of these either)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream 
1 tsp. salt (hahahaha! riiiiiiight! give me the shaker baby!)
1/2 tsp. pepper
(Hmm...okay....I'm noticing a pattern......mayyyyyybe this is why I stink at cooking?  I can't follow a recipe.  BUT, this one is a winner any way!!)


Place bacon in large, deep pot, cook and drain - crumble and set aside. In same pot, melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix until cheese is melted.

A tribute to my grandparents...

Call me sappy.....I guess I am........been thinking about what matters the most to me lately.

I can't tell you how much I miss them, there aren't any words to describe it.  They were like a second set of parents to me.  We grew up living side-by-side, next door neighbors.  One of us kids were always with Mamaw & Papaw.  I even lived with them for awhile. I remember trailing behind papaw so many times when he would get a call to be the 'Piersontown vet'.  I was fascinated with all the knowledge he had for animals.  They had a farm and we had the run of it.  I remember my brother & I hiding in that very old, very leaning barn that was full of square hay bales and I am positive, full of snakes too!  I remember climbing as high as we could on those hay bales & jumping off.  Chasing the chickens and having the roosters chase us back...I'm sure Bub remembers that better than I do. Digging through cow patties with sticks to find the biggest night crawlers to take fishing (yeah....there is NO WAY I would let my kids do what I did!!!!)  Catching crawdads in the creek with Mamaws freshly washed canning jars she had out on a wooden post behind the wash house.  Digging through their memories that lay scattered all over that old wash house.  Running into the basement cellar on hot summer days to grab some taters for supper. Going 'trading' with them every Sunday, after church, to the Jay-C store.  It was a treat for me, papaw would always let me pick something out.  I was so close to them.  I have so many wonderful memories with my grandparents. They showed love all the time and they told about their love all the time.  I could bear my heart to them and not be afraid of what they thought, because they were always there for me.  I close my eyes and see Papaw sitting in his lawn chair, outside under the big shade tree.  He would wave at every vehicle driving up & down the road, he was up on the hill but they knew he was sitting there, because they would turn towards him and wave back.  Mamaw would be sitting there in the swing, swaying back & forth.  We would sit out there with them, soaking it all up, but not realizing how precious those times would be to us when we got older.  I'd give anything and everything possible to sit under that shade tree with them again, passing my children back & forth to them, letting them hold them.  Letting my children get to know these people who I loved and cared for so much.  I remember with each of my children, the very day I had them, I would look up towards Heaven & talk to Papaw and introduce him to his newest great-grand baby.  I thank God that Tinsley & Hunter got to meet and remember Mamaw.  I'm waiting for that day, when we all get to Heaven - what a day of rejoicing that will be.  I won't have to reminisce & tell stories because we'll be living it then.