Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I love loaded potato recipes...skins, baked potato, mashed, soup..yum! I've seen a lot of loaded potato soup recipes floating around Pinterest (I've pinned quite a few!) and I decided to try one yesterday because it was cold and gray and dreary and I had all the stuff on hand.

I halved the recipe because they said it made a LOT of soup. It did make a good amount, plenty for us.

Bonus: it's a slow cooker soup!

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs russet potatoes. I peeled them.

Half of a yellow onion

Garlic (I used already minced from a jar)

32 oz chicken stock

8 oz cream cheese

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheddar, bacon pieces and green onion to top with. I used the real bacon pieces you can buy in the bag...NOT crispy bacon bits!

In the crock pot, mix diced potatoes, chicken stock and garlic. The original recipe calls for tastefully simple garlic garlic, but I used about 4 tsp of garlic (half a teaspoon is about 1 clove, I could have put more, depends on your taste) I set it on high for about 5 hours. (7-8 hours on low) once the time was up I mashed the potatoes a bit and then ladled the soup into my blender and pureed it with the brick of cream cheese.

 I poured it into bowls and topped it with all the  yummy toppings I mentioned...and oh my goodness! So good! We each had a bowl with some leftover for lunch! It's one of my new favorite dinners! Seriously so good and easy!  Check out the original pin here.

I'm already thinking of ways to switch it up! I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we did! 

Goodbye 2013!

So here we are in the final hours of 2013, and I'm looking forward to 2014. This year has NOT been an easy one for me. It has probably been the worst actually. It got off to a rough start and then Pants had his accident and post concussion syndrome. That was a scary time and he was out of work for a couple months. When I thought things were looking up, I lost my Toby cat. I've lost close friends, and my grandmother passed away. It has been hard, but there have also been good things. My GirlBaby turned one! My silly Goose turned 6! Pants threw me an amazing surprise party on my birthday. We had an unforgettable trip to Disney. I met my newest niece for the first time, and while tested by the struggles of the year, Pants and I came out on top. Our relationship is going strong and is better than ever. I'm proud of my little family. That being said.....this girl is ready for 2014.

We've had a lot of eye openers this year, so for 2014 I'm not making resolutions. I'm going to say I love you a lot. I want to laugh a lot. I want to play with my girls, see them learn. I'm giving second chances assuming they are deserved. I am going to be happy and take care of my family and do what I do! I'm hoping to get readers for the blog and I'm adding new items to etsy and doing a couple giveaways. Yay...C'mon 2014!!!!

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas...(printable!)

It's hard to believe that it's almost Christmas once again! I've gotten just about all of my shopping done, I have a couple small things to make, and a few gifts to wrap and I'm done! I'm enjoying the Christmas music, the baking and relaxing in the evenings by the tree and the fireplace.....it's good stuff.

That being said, I've been thinking a lot about this year. It's been a hard one. Possibly the hardest...I think it's making me appreciate Christmas and the season even more this year. I've decided to savor it. Do what makes me happy. I'm baking, and singing and decorating and wrapping gifts, I'm reading this amazing Night Before Christmas book to the girls each night, soaking up all the Christmas shows, and enjoying crafts....and one of the things I did in my down time was play around with making some chalkboard printables. I have more to add, but get this one here.

Chocolate Chunk Brownie Cookies

I have been all about cookies lately, and these cookies...oh these cookies... For somebody who occasionally likes a cookie...these were hard to resist! They are made with brownie mix..and chocolate chunks...and oh my! For a soft chocolate chip cookie, try this recipe.

Try them.... Like today... So good!



Here goes:


Ingredients:



1 package (18 To 21 Oz. Box) Fudge Brownie Mix
1-¼ cup All-purpose Flour
¼ cups Packed Brown Sugar
2 whole Eggs
½ cups Butter, Melted And Cooled
2 Tablespoons Water, Or More As Needed
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chunks**


*I used semi sweet because I was sharing these and some people just don't understand my love of dark chocolate!*

1. Whisk together brownie mix, flour, and sugar.
2.Using a heavy spoon, stir in the eggs one at a time, followed by butter and 2 tablespoons water. If the batter appears like there is too much flour, add 1 more tablespoon of water. Batter will be very thick.
3. Fold in chocolate chunks
4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Grease a cookie sheet.
7. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on the cookie sheet. You want pretty thick cookies here to get the brownie feel, about 3 inches apart. Press down slightly. Don’t flatten completely. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, allow to cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

One word...amazing!

The mouse and the cookie...Pudding Mix Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

So remember the cookies I told you about? I was hoping to share the recipe before we went to Disney, but it was our anniversary, Goose was sick, and GirlBaby was throwing up...lucky me caught a hellish stomach bug, and couldn't move let alone blog, or pack! Ugh! However, we made it, and had a fabulous time at Disney (that is a different post, but soooo fun!) We are back, and here is the recipe I promised!

1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3.4 oz package vanilla instant pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and sugar. Add pudding mix and vanilla. Beat in one egg at a time. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Slowly combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon onto baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes!

They have a good flavor, but the texture....oh how soft and chewy! I shared them with my parents and they really enjoyed them...not to mention our house gobbled them up! Try them! Let me know what you think!

If you give a mouse a cookie?

Wow! We've been busy! We are going to Disney soon and Goose and I are super excited. Pants is excited but not nearly on the same level, and the baby has no idea-ha! Just wait until she is there though... *insert slightly ridiculous little kid grin* So..I've been focusing on planning our trip (or attempting to plan, how do I know what the days will bring and if kids will be tired out for dinner reservations?) I am also making shirts for the littles. :)

I've been working on Etsy and trying to sort out insurance (Pants switched jobs and our pediatrician doesn't take our new health insurance, but I was able to work it all out-yay!)   I have  also been on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have tried a ton, and had one I thought was *the one!* but then, I saw a new recipe that I was compelled to try and man, oh man..it is a toss up. I will have the recipe and reviews posted in a few days, and you can decide for yourself!

Until then...

The kitten.

Recently, on a trip to Florida (July) we decided to adopt a kitten. I was still a mess after losing my Toby Cat, and I didn't really want a cat. Then, I met this cat...he looked a lot like Toby did when I saw him for the first time so I had to ask about him. I found out he was born on my birthday, and his name was Keith...(Toby Keith inspired Toby's name). Well, we adopted him for Goose and GirlBaby. The girls love him, and he loves them!

We had a hard time deciding on a name...I wanted to name him Feeny. (Yes, I love Boy Meets World) but it didn't seem to fit. Then we thought Desi..(Desi Armaz...Ricky Ricardo) but it just didn't click for me..but the baby would point and exclaim Kitty!! She did this one day and it reminded me of the movie Monsters Inc, so we ended up naming him Sullivan after the  James P. Sullivan character.

So here he is, meet our new kitty Sullivan. He has been with us a month and a half and so far so good!