Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I cannot remember where I found this recipe, but I tried it for the first time last week and I loved it! Hubby's reaction? He took one bite and his exact words were "Oh my God."

....So I'd say it's worth a shot ;)


Recipe:

• 4 diced large red potatoes
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 diced ham steak
• bacon bits (we fried our own and chopped it up)

Toss this all into your slow cooker, mix it up and set it on low all day (I think I let it cook for around 8 hours - just make sure the potatoes are soft and it's ready to go)

About 30 minutes before you eat, add:

• 1.5 cups milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• as much shredded cheese as you'd like

**The only thing I would change about this recipe is to add some diced onions. I did end up adding in some onion powder which definitely improved the flavor but I think the actual onions would be really nice! You could saute them and add in with the dairy at the end!

You can also add sour cream and cheese on top of your portion to eat!

Overall, it was absolutely delicious and I definitely recommend it. We will be making it for sure in the not-too-distant future.

Enjoy!

Noodle and Sausage Skillet meal!

This is one of my favorite meals to make. It’s yummy, it’s a bit of a comfort food and it’s easy to make – not to mention it has veggies which is always a plus ;)

You will need:
• Smoked Sausage (I use Polska Kielbasa)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups (one package) of frozen broccoli/ cauliflower/ carrot mix – we use the ones in cheese sauce
• About 2 cups uncooked Rotoni – we use the veggie noodles by Barilla
• 1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¾ cup water
• Marjoram
• Black Pepper
- We also use seasoned salt, salt, oregano, garlic and a bit of paprika to season it.

You’ll want to sauté the onions and sausage (cut into small disks) in butter or oil until the onions are soft, then add everything else to it. You bring the whole mixture to a boil and then take it down to simmer with a lid on and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are cooked. Then enjoy! It’s so delicious! Hope you enjoy! And happy weekend!

<3

Grandma's Banana Milkshake

One thing I vividly remember while I was growing up is the occasions when my grandmother would make us banana milkshakes. We used to get those little ice cream cups from Schwanns, and if she had a few extra ripe bananas on hand, she'd throw them all together and it was the most delicious thing ever!

For Two:

1 cup milk

2 scoops vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt)*

2 ripe bananas

Blend it until smooth and enjoy!

*You can use any type of ice cream - strawberry is great! Also if you, like me, have to resort to sneaky measures to get veggies in your little one, it's very easy to blend in some frozen veggies (or fresh veggies as well).

Enjoy! And happy weekend! :)

Yummy dinner recipe!

The other night we made fried Cod and sauteed Asparagus and it was DELICIOUS! So, we thought we'd share :)

Fried Cod:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 Large egg
• 4 6 -ounce cod or other white-fleshed fish fillets
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cracker meal or crushed saltine crackers
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt
• Grapeseed Oil for frying

Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl, add the cod and set aside to soak. Mix the flour, cracker meal, cayenne pepper and salt in a bowl or on a plate.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the milk mixture and dredge in the flour mixture, turning to coat. Fry in the hot oil until golden, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain; season with salt and pepper. 

Asparagus:

Rinse the asparagus, trim the ends. Cut into pieces or keep whole. Heat oil in frying pan and then add asparagus. Once they are mostly cooked, add salt and lemon pepper and continue sauteing until you have some slightly charred pieces.

Yummy banana bread recipe and Happy Easter Weekend!

Andrew helped me make banana bread last night and it's always SO yummy! I've only tried this recipe twice but so far I'm really loving it.

(P.S. I'm sure you can add nuts of some kind but as Andrew has a bad peanut allergy, we just don't put in any kind)

• 2-3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup of sugar 
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan.
• In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. Stir in the melted butter.
• Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract and then mix in the flour.
• Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.*I also take a stick of butter and coat the top of the loaf right after it comes out of the oven*
• Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Remove the banana bread from the pan. Slice and serve. 

Well, I hope y'all have a wonderful Easter weekend! Our plans are to find an Easter Bunny somewhere, get some stuff done around the house, go to church, and have a big yummy lunch at Granny's place!

Hope you get to spend lots of wonderful time with your loved ones and stay safe!

TTFN! <3