Weekend Company #11 {Guest Blogger Mandie}

December is here!!!!! And there are only 22 more shopping days until Christmas!! I know there are some of you reading that number and thinking "I have so much to do"!!! Others are probably trying to stay in denial as long as possible b/c you have so much to do, and would rather ignore it. Lol I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on what I still need to do, what I already have done, and when I need to make sure it all comes together. But then again, if you ask me tomorrow, that might all change!! If you are heading out to the mall today, I appreciate you taking a few minutes to stop by EMM and see who we have visiting this week. I think the name of  today's guest blog is one of the cutest ever....

Adorable, right?? Plus I so admire her love of family--something I understand very well!! Grab a cup of hot cocoa, put on some Christmas music and join Mandie and I for some Weekend Company!

Hello everyone and Krista! Thanks so much for having me as a guest at Everyday Mom's Meals! My name is Mandie and I live in Arkansas! I lived alone for almost 10 years, but my household has been growing. The past 4 years have brought my sweetheart Sam, My Dad Jerry, and my neice Meghan (thank God for her because I was outnumbered by men)! Since we plan on our family growing even more, we are fixing up the house and moving to the country very soon! I cook a lot and want to eat more natural foods, so we are going to start a small farm and raise our own animals and garden! I can't wait! We had backyard animals when I was younger (geese, ducks, chickens, turkeys, etc....) and I loved it. My Dad lived on a farm when he was younger and we've always wanted to have one together. I started my blog, Farm Diva  to share our experience with everyone. I'm 29 and have had my own garden for about 5 years. I also LOVE to cook and trying new recipes! I LOVE to get all dolled up on occasion and have a large collection of high heels, but I also like to get dirty and play in the dirt. I am also in LOVE with music and always have something playing in the house. My favorite is Johnny Cash and I have a large collection of Johnny t-shirts! BUT, My biggest passion is my family. I LOVE them and am always hanging out here at home with them! 
 
The inspiration for this blog post is my Mom, Jeannie. She was my best friend in the world!! I think about her everyday and all the wonderful memories we made together. She was a goofball and put her family before anything else, just like me! Truly one of a kind! One of the best memories I have of her is cooking in the kitchen. I recently had a cold and all I could think about was this soup. One thing about southern girls is that we LOVE our comfort food!!! My mom always made this soup for me when I was sick. She called it Cheese Soup, but other places where I've seen similar soups call it Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Bacon, Potatoes, Cheese, Onions, what more could you want in a creamy feel-good soup? Since we have some big guys in our family (my brothers are 6'10"!), she always cooked huge amounts of food. I'm addicted to cheese, so this is one of my favorite soups!!! This recipe will make approximately 20 bowls of soup. So, If you want less soup, half the recipe! This recipe is easy and anyone can cook it!


Mom's Cheese Soup
 
Here's what you will need:

A block (2.5 lbs) of velveeta cheese (you can also use any other kind of cheese that melts well)

Two packages (2 lbs.) of bacon

5 lbs of potatoes

3-4 large onions

1 cup Milk

3 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Chives or Parsley (optional)
Stock Pot (preferably granite instead of aluminum)
Frying Pan

Cooking Instructions: 
 
Peel the potatoes and cut them up into small cubes. Peel and chop the onions. Put the onions and potatoes in a large pot and add water. The water should be at least two inches above the potatoes and onions. Boil the onions and potatoes on high until tender.
While the potatoes and onions cook, cut the bacon up into 1 inch peices and fry it in a frying pan. Fry it to the the desired crispness. When the potatoes and onions are done, add cooked bacon. Turn the burner to a very low heat and add cheese (cut up into small peices). Stir constantly until cheese melts. Immediately mix up corn starch and milk in a bowl with a fork. Make sure there aren't any lumps.
Pour mixture into the soup and stir some more. (Stir, Stir, Stir!!) Turn burner off as soon as you add corn starch and milk. Add salt and pepper (to taste). 
Stir some more! If after 5 minutes the soup isn't thick enough, you can add more corn starch and milk. Sometimes I garnish the soup with parsley or chives (optional). 
Since this recipe makes tons of soup, I always put it in ziploc bowls and toss it in the freezer. It always reheats perfectly!!!

I hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as I've enjoyed being here on EMM today!!
 

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