Low-Fat Potato Soup

I found a recipe for Low-fat Potato Soup. You know- I just had to mess with it. And guess what- it worked. And I measured ALMOST everything! Yay me! (You do know however, I never measure spices and herbs- I just don't see the point.)

4-5 medium potatoes, smal diced
2 cans of chicken broth
Fresh Chives, chopped
1/2 cup of white wine (I used an open chablis)
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic (I have to measure this- we're at the bottom of the jar.)
Paprika
Salt, Pepper, paprika, dill
1% milk (What I didn't measure- but I think it's to taste really. It was probably 3 cups.)


Finely dice the potatoes and cook in large pot with chicken broth, spices, garlic, and wine until tender. Now you can either keep the potatoes whole, mash some, or mash all. I have a feeling the amount of milk you use is dependent on if you mash up the potatoes- I left them whole and it was amazing. Now add the milk and make sure your burner is on low so the milk doesn't scald. (If you're feeling crazy- throw in some shredded cheddar here- it's allowed, really.) Heat until warm but don't boil and don't over heat! Serve with some extra chives on top.

And see the pretty Fiestaware I got from my mother-in-law for Christmas?

Breath of Heaven

This was a hard Christmas, but I have to remember I'm not the first mother to have a tough Christmas, but I have to remember I'm not the first mother to have one- and I won't be the last. And I have the breath of heaven to hold me together.

On a side note, I really feel that the this is the most beautiful Christmas song ever...

How Time Errodes Everything

Now seriously, I look back 69 years ago (not that I was born) and think about the men and women who rallied around our country when attacked.  The years that followed plunged our entire country into hardships.  Families were torn apart, women had to assume new roles in the workplace- not for personal fulfilment or money (although I'm sure many did need the money) but to keep our country going, producing food and goods and a stable economy.  Everyone's life was touched that day by an attack on a base in Hawaii.

Look at us today.  Not to many years ago we were attacked, out of the blue, and for a time we rallied together.  But then it got too hard.  Public sentiment shifted to blame our leader and question the policies of retaliation and war.  Days go by where we don't think about our men and women serving.  We certainly don't sit down and knit socks for the boys overseas.  In fact, we aren't even allowed to say anything disparaging about the people who are prisoners of war.  They should be given the same rights as those fighting to protect ours.  We forget to put our flag out. 

Sixty nine years ago, we, as a country, put everything on hold to defend the best country in the world.  We were outraged that Japan bombed us.  We didn't couch it as "Japanese extremists".  Yes we screwed up royal by interning our Americans of Japanese descent.  But how many of them put up with it because they wanted to prove they were good Americans?  Now if our government doesn't provide us with a job, health care, food, income, etc... we're pissed.  Those men and women who were taken from their homes and businesses and interred had a right to complain. 

Sixty nine years ago we were a country who knew that there was something worse than death. 

St. Nicholas Night

It's St. Nicholas night and a very cozy little home in rural Ohio. My minions have put out their plates, because that's what we do. In fact they were allowed to use my very very new Fiestaware (in Scarlet). Actually Sparrow looked at me when I said they could use it and said, "You mean I get to touch it?" Hey- I only have two settings at this moment in time! What do you do? Do you celebrate? Set out shoes? What?

In other news, I'm not that nice of a mom since I sent Del to bed because she was making the Steelers lose.

Having a bad day?

Try this...

step 1: go to google translator


step 2: set direction of translation from German to German

step 3: copy paste this into box:

pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk

step 4: translate, and hit listen

edit* try this one too

bgg bschk bgg pv bgg bschk bgg zk bgg bschk bgg pv bgg bschk bgg zk bgg bschk bgg pv bgg bschk