This was my sofa table year before last. I'm not sure what I did last year, but it was probably pretty much the same. I love the colors and scents of fall. I love to transform my house every year. I am one of those people who don't decorate for Christmas until the weekend after Thanksgiving because I can't bear to put my fall decorations away. Of course, my Christmas tree stays up until at least the second week of January too for the same reason.
I have this fabulous "shelf/ledge" above my front door that is perfect for decorating. This is what I love to see at Fall. After Thanksgiving, this particular year, it was replaced by my extensive snowman collection. However, last year, I put up some of these adorable trees with twinkle lights, red glass mosaic cone trees with gold stars on top and pictures of my girls from the Christmas holidays years past and present. Oh, wait...
Yeah, it's the end of August and this is what it looks like STILL!! I've been a little busy this year and I'm not allowed on the ladder when I'm here without another adult. No, I'm not on probation or anything, I just fall...a lot. Add to that the fact that I am quite frightened of heights and, well, there are still Christmas pictures on my ledge.
ANYWHOO......I thought I would post a few quick tips and tricks on how I plan to keep my sanity during the lunch time this fall/winter. I intend to make some soups and the like. I have found a few recipes on Pinterest that I will post links to on here and you can try them along with me.
MOM'S POTATO SOUP
The first soup I will be making is my Mother's Potato Soup. It is very simple, very inexpensive and very filling. It has a few very simple ingredients...potatoes, milk, water, onions, salt and pepper. A bag of potatoes can make a TON of soup, so what I will be doing is making a large batch and freezing it in quart size freezer bags. When it is time to eat lunch or a quick dinner with the girls (they don't eat soup) I can grab one of my freezer bags and toss it into the microwave. I can even toss a couple of them into a pan on the stove and make multiple servings for me and hubby to enjoy. There is no trick or special secret to Mom's soup. You peel and dice the potatoes and onion and boil them together with some salt and pepper. Once they are done, you drain off most of the water and use a hand held potato masher to break up some of the potatoes giving you a better texture. Then add some milk and mash it around until you get the consistency that YOU like. BUT, here's the kicker...When you are done with all of that and you have it frozen in great little individual servings, when you reheat it, you can "doctor" it up however you like. Add some cheddar cheese, add some velveeta while it is reheating and it will join the soup. Add some sour cream and chives to the top when you are ready to eat it. Add some cheddar cheese and bacon. Add some cheddar cheese and broccoli. The possibilities are endless and since you made the original soup yourself, you are saving LOTS of money on individual meals over the cold months. Personally, my favorite thing to do is add a handful of saltines and a tall, cold glass of milk.
MOM'S CHILI (kinda)
Are you sensing a pattern here? See, my mother didn't actually TEACH me how to cook, but I spent enough time in the kitchen that I knew what was going on and when I did learn to cook, I went back to the things I loved as a child. Now if my mother ever reads this blog (which I don't think she does, but hey), she would be the first to say that I HATED chili as a kid growing up. But, the thing is, I didn't hate the chili, I hated the beans in the chili. So I make my chili without beans. Mom makes hers with beans and once you unfreeze your little portions, you can make yours however you like. Here's mine (with a little help from my mom and my friend Robbie)... 1lb of ground beef (or if you are freezing, then double everything), 1 packet of McCormick's chili seasoning (yes, I am a brand snob...sometimes), 1 small can of tomato sauce (keep the can, you will use it for water), 1 can of diced tomatoes (if you like a lot of "zip" in your chili, use Ro-Tel, but I am allergic to chiles so I don't use them in anything). Brown and drain the ground beef, add your seasoning according to the package directions and then add the rest of your ingredients. I like to add some salt, pepper and onion powder to mine. Then add the rest of your ingredients. After you let it simmer for a bit, take your tomato sauce can, fill with water and add that too. Again, freeze these in individual quart size bags and keep them in your freezer to take the chill off the winter months. Add a bag to a pot of rice or freshly cooked elbow macaroni (my favorite) for a hearty winter meal in minutes. Add a bag to a package of melted Velveeta cheese for a super yummy dip at the next game night party. Zap a bag and add to hot dogs for a great homemade chili dog in minutes. Again, use your imagination and have fun.
Here's my apology/disclaimer...it's still August, so I haven't actually done any of these yet. But towards the end of September I will and I promise I will post pictures then. In the meantime, here are some others I plan on trying...
This is Bacon Cheeseburger Soup. I AM going to try this. This is the picture I copied from Pinterest and here is the recipe on the pin...Crock pot Bacon Cheeseburger Soup! 1 lb ground beef browned, 2 lb velveeta, 2 lb shreadded hash browns, 6-10 cooked bacon strips crumbled, 30 oz. Chicken broth.
I am on a search for the orignal blogger/recipe from this pin, but this was as far as I got. If I find it, I WILL post. I believe in credit being given where it is due. I also plan to make mine without the bacon (hubby doesn't eat bacon) and make my bacon when we eat it. I bet this would freeze well too.
http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/30-minute/easy-recipes-in-a-bowl/
THAT looks amazing!!!!
And ONE more (for now)...
http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/2011/11/crock-pot-cream-cheese-chicken-chile.html
Now again, I have to leave out the beans (for my own personal sanity) and swap out regular diced tomatoes for Ro-Tel (for my own personal well being), but I intend to try this one as well!!!
For now...I'm just gonna keep marking off the days till fall is here! :)
UPDATE: I opened my FB tonight and found THIS message from my mother... "FYI I read every one of your diva diary blogs. So don't put anything you don't want me to know. Loved the soup one. ♥ ya!" Gotta love her!!! :)
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