Comfort Food

So once again it is a rainy, dreary day today. And quite chilly, I might add. I suppose some part of me will always feel a bit homesick, but today I was feeling particularly that way. I don't know if it's the weather or what, but I was in desperate need of some comfort food. Growing up, I could count on a multitude of things, one of them being a home cooked meal just about every day of the week. With 5 kids in the family, we seldom ate out. From a financial standpoint, it obviously makes sense to eat at home. And now that I have kids of my own, I realize it's not only a financial decision. It's a strategic move to try and keep your sanity. I was reminded of that today when I took my 2 kids to Cici's for lunch. Seriously, why do I keep doing that to myself? What's that definition of insanity.....doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Mmmhmmmm.....insane person on this laptop here, y'all. So to combat those Northern Blues I whipped up a recipe of mine that I haven't made in a while. It's a recipe that has came about from trial and (not much) error, but rather refining a host of different recipes until I came up with one that I love and all 4 of us will actually eat. BINGO.




So here is what you will need for Fiesta Potato Soup:

8 potatoes, cubed (or one large bag of frozen Hashbrown potatoes if you're in a hurry)
1 box chicken stock
1 packet Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Seasoning
1 large onion, chopped

Cook above ingredients in a large soup pot over medium heat for 1-2 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

30 minutes before serving, add:

1 pint half and half
12 oz evaporated milk
1 can cream of celery
1 can cream of mushroom

Top with:
Cheddar cheese
Croutons

And this is what you will devour! :)

I even served dinner in the soup bowls I grew up with...I was feeling much better by the time dinner was done. My family and I like this soup because it not only is very filling, but it has a bit of a kick to it. Tonight my 4 year old asked if he could eat this soup everyday, forever. Thanks for the complement, son.