Potato Soup in the Crockpot

8 potatoes peeled and chopped

1 med. white onion chopped

2 carrots, chopped small

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 can (2 C.) chicken broth

2 TBL. dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp.salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1 C. milk

1/2 C. Flour

green onions, chopped
bacon, fried and chopped
grated cheddar cheese

**Put all ingredients down to pepper into crock pot. Add water to within 1 inch of the top of the crock pot. Cook on high for 8 hrs. 1 hour before serving, put milk into container w/lid. Put flour in milk, and shake. Stir in milk/flour mixture into soup. Serve soup topped with green onions, bacon, and cheese as desired.

This is a very easy soup (I'm all about the easy). It is VERY good and my kids love it. Then of course my kids fight over who gets the last piece of broccoli, and eat artichokes. However, this is a good soup for kids because there's nothing "weird" in it, everything is chopped and diced small, and it's creamy. Also, you can serve it in a bread bowl like chowder and they think that's really cool.

Ladies...Start Your Ovens

Well, Summer is turning into Fall (my favorite time of year). Time for brisk, blustery days, warm sweaters, crunchy,crackling leaves under your feet, and the smell of yummy comfort food being cooked or baked. Oh my, I feel my thighs and butt getting bigger already. Did I just go up one pant size? Oh well, I love comfort food. While it cooks, it fills the house with it's luscious aroma and the oven warms the kitchen. It's wonderful to be nice and cozy inside your home while something delicious is baking in the oven.

This is a side dish recipe I got from my sister-in-law, who got it from a friend while she lived in Fort Benning, Ga. It is very good. In addition, it is pretty simple and you don't need exact measurements. It all depends on how much cheese and bacon you like on your potatoes. Yes, I know, I just said cheese, bacon, and potatoes in the same sentence so you know you are liking this recipe already (I haven't even mentioned the ranch dressing yet). Oh yeah, they are TOTALLY low fat. If you believe that last sentence I have what my husband in another life George Strait would say "ocean front property in Arizona".

I don't know what the official name for this recipe is so I am going to call them

Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

Ingredients

2lbs potatoes (you can use any kind, but red work the best)

1 ranch packet

1 C. mayo

1 C. milk

1 bag real bacon crumbles or you can cook your own bacon

4-6 C. Colby-Jack Cheese shredded

**Cube potatoes and boil until fork can pierce but potatoes are still firm. While potatoes are boiling mix ranch packet, mayo, and milk. Drain potatoes and put back into pot. Pour half ranch dressing onto potatoes, half of the bacon crumbles, half the cheese, mix well. Spray Pam in a 13X9 inch pan, then put potato mixture in pan. Pour remaining ranch dressing, cheese, and bacon on top of potatoes. Place into a 375 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes until bubbly.

Enjoy!

LadyDi