Souptacular Crockpotalooza: Potato Soup

Potato soup is one of my favorites- I like to make a big pot and eat it for lunch all week. This is my very own recipe, put together after much trial and error. I've also published it on RecipeZaar, so it's possible that you may have seen it there.

Amy's Potato Soup:

Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons margarine
3 chicken bouillon cubes (I use bouillon paste when possible, about 2-3 TBSP)
3 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons cilantro
3 cups water

Place all of the above ingredients into the crockpot, cook on low all day.

About an hour before serving time, add in either:

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup flour

OR, as I more often do, add in about a cup of whatever kind of milk you have on hand and a sprinkle of instant potato flakes.

Garnish with:
shredded cheese or French-fried onions or croutons

Enjoy!

Back to the menu planning...

I know I haven't been here on my cooking blog too much lately... my apologies! Since September 19, when my five year-old was diagnosed with Type I diabetes, our meals have been kind of thrown together, trying to balance her carbohydrate needs with everything else we have going on that day. This week, though, I'm starting to feel more confident and ready to jump back into menu planning. Here goes...

TUESDAY: *new recipe* Deep Dish Sausage Pizza and salad

WEDNESDAY: our favorite crockpot BBQ ribs, corn

THURSDAY: *new recipe* Beef Stew in the crockpot

FRIDAY: Chicken Hurry, steamed broccoli, rice

* If you're not familiar with Type I/ Juvenile Diabetes, it's in many ways treated the opposite of Type II, which is much more common. (Our doctor says that only 1% of children will develop Type I Diabetes.) Type II is often diet-controlled and in some cases medication can prompt the body to produce insulin as needed. My daughter has Type I, which means that her body produces no insulin at all. There are no limitations on what my daughter eats, but, every carb must be counted, she has to eat at certain times of day, and she must receive insulin injections 4-5 times daily for the rest of her life.

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Spaghetti Sauce: FIF Sauce Edition

Well, true to my pattern lately, I'm a day late for the Favorite Ingredient Friday: Sauces Edition. Oh well, I'll share my spaghetti sauce recipe anyway! ;) This is a recipe that has evolved over time in my kitchen, geared to not be too garlic-y for my DH, and also not have too much meat for me. (I actually prefer meatless sauces, but DH has to have meat in his.)

Amy's Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

1 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1 large onion, chopped and cooked with the beef
2 small cans sliced mushrooms
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 (14 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dried Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon Garlic Pepper
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and simmer on low all day.

This sauce works great with any kind of pasta you have on hand.

Soup's On ~ Recipe Swap

Life as Mom did a recipe swap yesterday for soup recipes. I'm a day late, but I'm sharing one anyway because I love soups. I love a lot of different kinds- potato, french onion, and broccoli cheddar are some of my favorites. Here's one I make regularly- I've shared this recipe before, but, it's one that we all love and I think it's worth sharing again! :)

Amy's I-Don't-Feel-Like-Cooking Version of Tortilla Soup:

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can diced tomatoes/ chili peppers (AKA:Rotel- but I buy the store brand)
• 1/2 cup salsa (guess-timated amount)~
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• several shakes of dried cilantro
• two shakes of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 large can precooked, chopped chicken or turkey

Put that all together in a crockpot and let it simmer on low for a couple of hours. I usually do this around lunchtime and serve it for supper, so it probably cooks around 3-4 hours. Top it with shredded cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips.... yum!

Check out Life as Mom for more great soup recipes!