Hearty Potato Soup

At my house we love Potato Soup. A few months ago I gave you a sneak peek at it in my post What's for Dinner

As I atempt to get this blog on the road my hope is to have a regular segment called WHAT'S FOR DINNER. Today I am going to share with you my sectert to the best Hearty Potato Soup. I know lots of people put sour cream in theirs, but that is not my magical trick.

Here we go.

Cut up your potatoes. However much you need for your family. I'm going to guess 2-3 lbs. But sorry, I didn't really measure anything. But I guess it is time to give you the secret (at least I hope it is a secret, that would be cool if you never knew this and I'm enriching your life by telling you!!)
Cut up your potatoes into medium size pieces and cook them in WHOLE MILK. Put enough milk in your pot to cover the potatoes. Add about 1 tsp of salt. (little flecks are because I use sea salt, I don't like pepper, so add pepper if you like)



As soon as you get those going get you a cookie sheet, the kind with a lip. I use my Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan. Just as a side not here, this is probably my favorite Pampered Chef product. I had one for 12-15 years and broke it a few weeks ago. I was in morning for several days, I couldn't bring myself to throwing it away for way to long. When my hubby said something to me about it I decided it was time.
So this picture is the very first time I have used my new one, I figured it was the perfect way to begin seasoning it. (my other one was black)



I probably could have squeezed a few more in there, but that was enough for me. Stick that in a 450 degree oven and forget about it! (at least for a while).

Then chop up a medium onion and 2-3 garlic cloves and saute in butter.



till it looks like this:



Now make sure that you keep a close eye on the potatoes and stir regularly because they can boil over some or worse, the milk sticks to the bottom and yuck, you have to transfer everything to another pot careful to not scrape the nasty bottom, and that means more dishes to wash... Not that I would know this from experience.

Soon your potatoes will be soft and your bacon will look like this:



Now, take a few potatoes, not many if you don't want your soup too thick and mash them with your potato masher.
Return to the soup and mix well. Add onions.
Grate sharp cheddar cheese, cut up bacon and serve on a cold winter day!

Enjoy!

Pick Me! Pick ME!

I feel so many times like a little girl. The little girl lined up on the playground wanting so bad to be picked by my favorite girls, so bad to be cool, and wanted, to be on their team. "Pick me, Pick Me, don't you like me?"; I'm the little student with my had way up in the air that wants to stand out and be admired by the teacher because I know the answer. "Pick Me, Pick Me, I'm smart". I am like the little girl that tries out for the cheer leading squad, "Pick Me, Pick Me, I can do it, I can look good, pretty and jump high". As we get older the feeling doesn't go away. "Pick Me, Pick Me", for the scholarship; "Pick Me, Pick Me" for the job; "Pick Me, Pick Me" for the promotion. "Pick Me, Pick Me, I am a good friend".

A few Sundays ago at our church we had a little baby shower for a gal at our church that had just had her 4th baby. We had a very simple pot luck after church. I was part of the group of gals that planned this shower and since it was simple we didn't do a whole lot for it. On Saturday I decided to take it a step further and make it a little more special by being crafty and creative. I made a super cute banner with the baby's name on it. I was bummed though because I forgot my camara. Trust me, it was adorable.


I made a cute diaper cake where I was able to display some of my lovely fabric flowers,





and I made these SUPER CUTE booties cup cakes.






Needless to say, I got lots of oooohs and ahhhhs. Honestly it was a LOT of work. It took my entire Saturday to get all of these things prepared to make this shower special for my friend. I had a blast doing it though. I felt so creative and lovely and special myself.

When I got back home Sunday afternoon, my husband asked me how it went, and then asked me something very curious. He said: "Did you win?" I said: "Win what? What are you talking about?" Then it hit me.

Is that what we are all about? Are we just in this big competition of life? Is it truly the game of life in which we continually are begging: "Pick Me, Pick Me"

Can you picture Moses going about his business praying to God, "Pick me, pick me"?   Gideon never begged God to pick him, as a matter of fact, he was one excuse after the other. And who can forget poor Jonah who ran in the opposite direction when God picked him. He ended up in the belly of a giant fish!

These men were picked for a grand job, one that I would have hesitated about as well. These were jobs that were hard, risky and dangerous, to say the least.

So fast forward thousands of years and  I find myself sitting at the table with my girlfriends and Jesus. In our hearts we feel the same words that James and John were saying in Mark 10: "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." Do you hear that? "Pick me, pick me". We run ourselves silly trying to obtain a "place" with our friends, and even with God, but heaven forbid us to be asked to do the "hard thing", THEN we choose to answer, oh, I can't because I studder (as Moses did) or we say we are the least of our family (as Gideon did) or we simply run to the nearest port (really, the farthest).

Oh, we are so silly!! But honestly I really don't know where I'm going with this post. But I'm going to post it anyway.

For one, my insecurities have kept me from posting it for weeks, and I just know that I will not be picked. This is something that each of us has to face. Why is it that we do the things we do? And if we don't get "picked", would we have done them anyway?
The other reason is because what my husband asked me hit a nerve. I didn't like that he aked me this because it was a truth that we just don't want to face. I ask myself all of the time. What are my motives anyway? Lets just face it!

So there you go.
A few weeks ago made some fabric leaves that are just so adorable! I'm dying to take a picture and post them. Yet, I'm going to refrain. I will just continue to smile and find great satisfaction each time I pass by them. Even though no one will get to "pick" them. I will enjoy the thought of having to figure out how to make them and having to pick out matching fabrics to make them SOOOO look good. I will love the thought that I was creative and I made something beautiful. Just because.

"Pick me, pick me" we still yell.

Perhaps I should start yelling "I pick you, I pick you".

A Bouquet of Fabric Flowers

Just because I can't stay away from flowers!

As I was surfing along blog land I stumbled upon this beautiful project that I just couldn't pass up. I had seen a bouquet of flowers before but nothing like this! I looseley followed her tutorial, and as you can see I still have the leaves to make. But I was so excited about them that I just had to share them with the small world that may show the least bit of interest in what I do :)


My version of a bouquet of Fabric Flowers:




couldn't resist playing with the pictures a tad bit

OK, I'm going to say it.

Here it goes. I'm reading Harry Potter, my 11 year old is reading Harry Potter and we both LOVE it. I finally decided to "cave" in. My husband very reluctantly gave us the green flag ( long story, not the point today) and I began to read the first book aloud to him. After about 3 days he gave up on me (well you know, I do have other things in life I have to take care of, I can't spend every waking moment reading to him) and decided to move it along faster. By the time he got to book 3 I was still on 1! Now that I have finished book 4 he is mid way through book 7! He gets antsy because we don't get to watch the movies till I have finished the book. Anyway, I was going to wait, but now that I am more than half way through the series I feel like I can give a pretty accurate opinion on where I stand on the matter.

Harry Potter has grown up under miserable circumstances. As far as he is concerned he is a NOBODY! And then one day he is told what his TRUE heritage is, who he really is and who's he really is.

A friend of mine insists that the book is filled with biblical themes and that Harry Potter is a Christ like figure. I think this has something to do with the end of the series, which I'm bummed that I found out about. I know to some it may be a stretch and a little far fetched, but truth be told, we find biblical themes in all kinds of literature throughout history, not just in literature but we see it in the movies all of the time. The fantasy world has a way of presenting reality and truth in a creative and engaging way. The way I see it, you can choose to read or watch anything for  pure entertainment or you can take it a step further and see if there is any hidden truth or lesson to be found in the subject matter. I think it is human nature for all to be in search of truth, and since truth is truth, weather you are a believer in Christ or not, the search is on. I find it facinating that those who do not find truth in THE TRUTH (Christ) are sometimes so close to the truth because God has put eternity in our hearts and that is where we all want to be headed. Anyway, back to the Christ figure. I have not finished the series yet, therefore my perception of Harry is a little different than that of my friend. First of all, as I mentioned before, the fact that Harry at the beginning of the series comes to find out who he is, who he really is. Harry also discovers that he has unbelievable gift that he could have never even dreamed of having. I think we are the same in so many ways. We tend to think that we have gotten cheated in life and that we are a NOBODY, yet hopefully like Harry we have the privilege of finding out who we really are, but most importantly who's we are and with that, the realization that we have an unbelievable power that has been given to us, a gift, a powerful gift. And like Harry we spend our lives trying to figure out how it all works, what our roll is in this grand battle. Our eyes are opened to the truth that there is this raging war going on, one that to so many is not evident, yet without necessarily wanting to , we are caught in the middle of it and it is up to us to continue to wage war against evil, not just for our own sake, but for those around us as well.

So tell me something. What difference is there say between The Sith and lord Voldemort? Or for that matter between The White Which and lord Voldemort? Aren't they all representing the same thing? And doesn't Harry have a similar task that Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy had? Just as Luke Skywalker in fighting against the "dark side" or, dare I say Frodo and Sam in the fight against the Dark Lord Sauron.
What difference is there between going to Hogwarts and learning how to be a which and being an apprentice of Jedi master so they could be a Jedi themselves? What difference is there in the magic in Harry Potter and "the force" in Star Wars? Call me naive, but I see no difference. I see the age old fight of good vs. evil and I see those who are strong and valiant enough to not bow down, but fight the good fight. Those that think they are a nobody and find that they are someone after all, someone that will fight against what is wrong and evil no matter what the cost.

Let me change course here for a moment because I just can't talk about Harry Potter without thinking of the most wonderful display of friendship that we see in the relationship between Harry, Ron and Hermione. We should all be so fortunate to have friends like those two! We all need a Hermione in our life that has all the answers even if she can sometimes be a little obsessive, obnoxious and a "know it all". We all need a cheerleader like Ron, who even if he does struggle with playing second fiddle will never leave or betray his best friend. I love Ron.
Let me also mention the fact that I also am a huge fan of Dumbledore. As with most books that are turned into movies, one who has read the book can only be disappointed in the interpretation given by Hollywood.
Although I'm sure that the movies are really good, I of course have been one that has been so disappointed. Besides the fact that they have to cut major parts of the book and change others to make it all fit, what upsets me the most is the interpretation of Dumbledor. My feeling of the kind of man he is, is nothing like the Dumbledore I see in the movie. He seems so stern and serious, almost mean. But he is the kindest most loving of them all. If I had to give him a label at all, he is somewhat of a God figure. The guy loves his students and spends his time looking out for them. He is wise, kind, gracious and takes such pleasure in seeing his students succeed. I love it when the author mentions the "twinkle in his eyes", it just says so much. He is trustworthy, trusting, always willing to give a second chance or the benefit of the doubt. A great man he is indeed Hagrid.

Honestly, I just don't see what the big deal is. I think that too many people have had such a knee jerk reaction to a piece of very well written literature that they haven't even read. (that is what I did). If nothing else it is a very entertaining, fabulous story that will have you awake late at night because you can't put the book down. Harry Potter isn't about witchcraft, Harry Potter is about the very basic age old subject of good vs. evil. And what are you (the chosen one, Peter, Frodo, Luke Skywalker, Harry) going to do about it taking into consideration the tools that you have, (a light saber and the force, magic and a sword, or a wand). It ain't easy, people are going to be mean and trip you at every corner (Rabadash, the White Which, Sauron and the orks, General Grievous, and Darth Mal, Malfoy, Voldemort) but you will also always have those who will stick by you no matter what (Aravis, Edward and Lucy, Sam, R2-D2, C3PO, Ron and Hermione). In the end, truth and good will prevail, because in the REAL battle we know that is what we are promised. THAT is what we know to be TRUTH.

I say, if you have watched Star Wars, read the Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings, you most certainly can read the Harry Potter series. I just finished reading my favorite book of all times The Horse and His Boy to my son Elijah, and I was reminded at the end of the fact that Aslan himself put a SPELL on Rabadash and turned him into an ASS. (yep, that is what the book says)!

What's for dinner?

We all wonder what the gal next door is cooking tonight. If not out of plain curiosity, it's because we are dieing for some good ideas. I used to LOVE to cook. Cooking was my "thing". My mom was a fantastic cook and she passed that love on to us kids. All four of us like to cook and we do it well. However, I must tell you that as the years in the kitchen have worn down on me, my love for cooking has greatly decreased. For one, I have a very picky child that has managed to ZAP every ounce of joy out of it every single night for the past 4 or so years. I tire of the complaining and the stress of feeding my family every night. Also, I have managed to get a job since then and I have many other hobbies that are begging for my attention, energy and time. Cereal anyone?
Every once and a while I do enjoy blocking my son's comments and try to make a real special meal for dinner, one that my husband and my other son will marvel at and sing praises to me about.
At our household we cover the whole gamete, from, yumm I will have a glass of Chardonnay with that:






all the way to, "who is picking up the pizza?" "Any Miller Light left in the fridge?"




There are some meals that I will only fix in the winter. Such as the fanciest of potato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.







There are other dishes that look disgusting, but actually taste good. Like this "Hot Chicken Salad"





One of my two other favorites are HAMBURGERS!! These have carmalized onions, bacon and swiss cheese.
I know, these just look so greasy and therefore sinful, to just add a little insult to injury, fry some sweet potatoes to go with it.





Our other favorite are QUESADILLAS. Even the "picky one" loves these two last diches, well, minus the onions and other "yucky" stuff.








Well, I guess that is enough for now. Since I haven't written in months and I really didn't want to get away from blogging I finished up this draft to get my momentum going. Be back soon with more food and hopefully more to craft and chat about.

This time I laughed

Mike and I were laying in bed last night, me complaining about how fat I am and he trying his best to tell me how lovely and beautiful I am, and how much he loves me! I said: "Mike, I'm stuffed, and I just looked in the mirror and I look like I'm 8 or 9 months pregnant!"
Mike answers: "Nah, I'd say no more than 5"

Flowers and Swords

A while back I posted an entry: Why I'm not the Stereotype. My intention was to post another entry explaining why I actually am. Today I will not go into such detail, because, as evidenced by my prolonged absence, I have been incredibly busy. Part time job, family, part time job, groceries to buy, clothes to wash, meals to fix, cereal to pull out of the cupboard...

But this morning I am giggling so much because you almost can't get more sterotypical than this.

Let me just back up a tad bit and let you know that my son Isaac a couple of weeks ago went to Williamsburg and Jamestown on a school trip. Being the typical male he is, when asked about his trip all I could get out of him was: "It was fun". I also found out that he had spilled coffee on his shorts, ripped a pair of other shorts, lost his wallet (only $10 plus his Starbucks gift card with probaby $10 worth left on it), and was chaffed most of the time because it was so HOT.
Other than that, I guess he did NOTHING. But slowly little at a time he has seeped some information, one thing I learned is that he saw a, well I'm not sure what he saw, all I know is that he decided he wanted to forge a real sword. He is determined to have a sword. As my male companions due most of the time, they plan and conspire and get to work as soon as Mike has time. So I go outside to check on them and this is what I find:
















In the meantime, do you know what I've been working on? Flowers, yes of course. I have made quite a few in the past weeks and have a small order to fill today. So here is what I do on a Saturday morning:

































Flowers and swords. Yep, that is what I call a typical day at my house...
Stereotype.