Happy Birthday To Luka!

Luka turns 4 today. I sure wish dogs could live a lot longer then they do. I am always a little sad around his birthday because there are precious few in a dog's life. We couldn't have asked for a better, kinder or more loving dog then Luka.

Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe

I am a huge soup fan and make it at least a few times a week. I usually make the healthy soup with all the veggies and broth, but I have another favorite that is so good I had to share. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Jamie's Cheesy Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS
5 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons steak seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups shredded four-cheese blend

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, combine potatoes, carrot, celery, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Once tender, stir in milk.

In a small bowl, combine melted margarine, flour, steak seasoning and pepper. Stir into soup, increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Ava's Big Girl Bed

Last weekend we changed Ava's bed from a crib to a toddler bed. Everything had been going really well until today. She was over tired and refused to take a nap. After a lot of screaming and door opening, we finally let her take her nap on the couch. She fell asleep in about 1 minute. Whew, I'm exhausted just from all the commotion! Now, she is sleeping here next to me and I'm finding the most quiet thing I can do which is update this blog. She looks so sweet and peaceful when she is sleeping. How does she turn into the crazy child with way too much energy in just a few minutes after she wakes up? I think she is going stir crazy staying inside the house right now, too. Man, I hate winter. Only another 4 months until we can play outside again.

Gardening

I really love this whole gardening thing. I can not believe that we are in mid October and I am still eating out of the garden! This weekend we ate all kinds of things out of the garden when Linda and Steve came to visit. We had tomatoes, onions, green peppers and lettuce. I just made soup this morning and the only thing I put in that I had to buy was chicken and potatoes. I added, from my OWN garden, parsley, chives, onions, tomatoes, kohlrabi, green peppers, rutabaga, basil, and thyme. WOW. Can you believe it? IT IS OCTOBER! I can't wait to design and even bigger and better garden next year. I can see how this is really, really addicting! Anyone have any tips they want to share or new ideas on what I should or should not grow next year?

Horizon Hobby

Yeah, I work where these are made. Awesome!