Because, Really, I Love Me Some Sugar Cookies

We're having our neighbors over for the Superbowl, just like we did last year. Only the Bears aren't playing this year. Nor are any other teams we care about. But still...any excuse to hang out with people you enjoy and eat yummy food are good enough reasons to throw a party!

Yesterday, for whatever reason, I was really in the mood to cook. And that's exactly what I did...all day long. Cody and I made valentine sugar cookies (because what Superbowl party doesn't just scream valentine cookies?), and I made a nice pasta dinner (a new copycat Olive Garden recipe I wanted to try). I'm happy to report it was very good! And you can tell me what you think of our cookies:

Here's my assistant:

Have I ever told you I own a Kitchen Aid, and that it's turned me into some sort of chef I hardly recognize? I LOVE this thing!
And this is what Caden did while we were slaving away in the kitchen:

Hope you all are having a great day. Go Giants! Or Patriots!

All I Want for Christmas....

After an hour of reassuring, a few tears, and lots of wiggling, Cody finally lost his tooth last night! He's very proud of himself and woke to find $1.50 in quarters, a new toothbrush, and some new toothpaste. He's very proud of this milestone.

Mommy, on the other hand, got a bit teary that this was in fact the first tooth that came in when he was a baby. My little guy is growing up so fast!

In other news, this is what I made for breakfast this morning. I thought it would go over well with the "fam," and I'm happy to report I was right.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Snowed In!

Hello from snowy Chicagoland. It's cold, windy, drifty, and a perfect day to stay IN. I just went out to shovel (figured I had better before it's impossible for hubby to get into the driveway). ***Side note: An hour later, I'm finally sitting down to finish this post, and it's like I NEVER even shoveled. I think I shoveled at least six inches and it's STILL coming down!!!*** I was going to make a soup tonight, but instead I have frozen pizzas in the oven. I'm too tired to cook! But in honor of today's SNOW DAY, here's a favorite recipe to tide you over until next time. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Potato Soup

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups diced onions

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup butter (I never said this was low-fat!)

2 tsp. salt (optional)

1/4 tsp. pepper

12 oz. can evaporated milk

3 Tbsp. fresh or dried parsley

8 oz. cheddar or colby cheese, shredded

crumbled bacon (if desired)

Combine all ingredients except milk, parsely, and cheese in slow cooker.

Cover. Cook on high 7-8 hours, or until veggies are tender.

Stir in milk and parsley

Stir in cheese until it melts, and add bacon as a garnish.

ENJOY!!!!

I am so proud of myself!

Cooking used to intimidate me. I often find myself reverting back to the "comfort zone" when it comes to meal planning. "Just use the old stand-bys" is my motto.

But I decided to break out of the box and make something new. So I made a hearty chicken pot pie. No, the crust is not homemade (*gasp!*), but it was really yummy and the kids even liked it. I am posting the recipe, just in case you dare to add something new to your meal repertoire! It was quick and easy and a real crowd pleaser.

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed chicken broth

1 3/4 c. water, divided

4 medium carrots, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups quartered medium mushrooms

(*Note: I don't like mushrooms, so I substituted celery and extra carrots and potatoes to make up the two cups)

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 c. frozen peas

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 refrigerated unbaked pie crust (for 9-inch pie)

2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used canned chicken for ease)

Combine broth, 1 c. water, carrots, and potatoes in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Saute until softened, about five minutes. Stir into broth mixture and add peas. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup flour into the flour until smooth (in separate bowl). Whisk into vegetable mixture. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste (I also added some parsely, marjoram, and a little garlic salt and pepper to add flavor). Spread out piecrust on floured surface. Measure and roll, if necessary, to fit 1 inch larger than the top of the pie dish. Stir chicken into vegetable mixture and transfer to the baking dish. Place crust over filling; trim and flute edge. Cut a scalloped round from the center with a cookie cutter. Bake until filling is bubbly and crust is browned, about 20 minutes.

(I also lined the pie plate with the other half of the piecrust, since it came with two in the box. I like pot pies to have crust on the bottom and top.)

ENJOY!!!