Loaded “Baked Potato” Soup

Fall has hit the Midwest.  I had to bust out my flannel Christmas tree pants last night.  That’s how cold it got.  Please don’t call those crazy folks at “What Not to Wear” on me.  I will never give up the Christmas tree pants.

My dear friend, Amanda, is visiting from Reno this week.  We had her over for supper the other night…

I never know what to make when we have people over.  I’m a horrible host.  Oh yeah, I don’t cook either. Minor detail. Luckily Nate is a good chef and he whipped us up a delicious supper. 

What’d he make?  Loaded "baked potato" soup!  One of my favorites!

The recipe is originally from Kraft but Nate has doctored it a bit.

Loaded “Baked Potato” Soup

• Southern Style Hash browns (1 bag)
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 3 cups milk
• 12 pieces of bacon (we go with the easy microwave kind)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 green onion (diced)

Combine broth, milk, and green onion in stock pot.  Once hot, add hash browns.  Cook hash browns until mushy (technical term).  Mash with potato masher (one of my favorite utensils..after the whisk).  Add bacon.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add cheese.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add flour to thicken to desired consistency.  Enjoy!

We like to eat it with Rhodes frozen bread.  Mmmmm, carbs.

We forgot to photograph this until after supper so excuse the mess.  It is one of the most delicious things you will eat. I promise.  Can you go wrong with cheese and bacon?  I didn’t think so.

This soup is Michelle and Amanda approved. 

What’s your favorite soup recipe?  What’s your go-to dish when you have guests over?  Do share!

Bedroom Furniture for the Parental Units

On Tuesday I shared with you some changes that we helped my parents make to their bedroom.

Part of those changes include some furniture painting.  It’s been awhile since I completed a furniture make-over.  I missed it.  I find painting furniture therapeutic which is weird because I hate painting.  I’m a complicated human being.

First up, the dresser…

My mom purchased it from a co-worker for $25.  The dresser was made by a family member of the co-worker.  It was in great condition but you can see some knots in the wood.  I filled them in with a little Elmer’s wood filler and sanded them smooth.  Mom wanted a punch of color so we went with Sherwin Williams Coral Reef.  We used their ProClassic Interior Enamel.  This was the first time I used this type of paint for furniture and I really like it.  It self-leveled and covered well.  The knots disappeared!

I wasn’t sure about the knobs at first.  Mom loved them.  They are growing on me.  I would probably replace them with a glass knobs but only because I like to make things difficult.  This dresser ended up fitting in well with the cottage theme Mom had in mind.

Next up was the nightstands.  I pre-warned Mom that it would be difficult to find a pair of matching nightstands.  Finding anything that resembled a nightstand was difficult in middle-of-nowhere Iowa.  We did end up with these two nightstands that we were purchased from two different antique stores…

They were close enough in height and similar looking.  We went for it.  The one on the right had obviously seen some better days but we weren’t scared.  A little sanding, primer, and paint and we had these beauties…

I love a good furniture make-over!  Especially when I don’t have to pay for it.

Have you painted any furniture lately or do you think painting wood is a crime?  What’s your favorite type of paint to use on furniture?  On a random note, tell me what you’re reading so Mom and I can stock our nightstands with good reading material!

Linking up to: Primitive and Proper

Roomspiration Blog Hop

Today you should head on over to A View Along The Way.  Kelly is hosting a link-up of living rooms as part of the Roomspiration Blog Hop and Link Party.  Kelly is hilarious and who couldn’t use a little more room inspiration?….but first take a quick glance at our living room. 

Our living room is one of my favorite rooms in our house and yet it gets very little blog love.  I think that’s because I haven’t changed anything in this room since I started blogging.  This post may be a slight repeat for those of you who were early readers.  Ok, just my mom. Nevermind.

Room info

• Wall color: Macademia  by Sherwin Williams
• Furniture: Ethan Allen Retreat sofa, love seat, and chair
• Shelves: JCPenney Leaning Shelf
• Coffee table and end table: American Furniture
• Rug: Pottery Barn rug bought at Tuesday Morning for over half off (BONUS!)
• Accessories on shelves: thrift stores, Gordman's, gifts, TJMaxx, Marshall's
• Dog: breeder from northern Iowa

We have someday plan to install built-ins.  I think we will leave this to the professionals (say what?) but you just never know.  I want cabinets on the bottom and shelves on the top.  Something fancy.  We also want to make the mantle more substantial.  I also wish I knew how to decorate a mantle with a tv above it.  It baffles me.

Is this room perfectly designed? No.  The furniture is matchy-matchy and the rug is probably a little too small but the furniture is super comfy and I love the rug. Comfort and love are more important than design “rules”.  Don’t you think?

Be sure to head on over to View Along the Way.  Let me know if you linked up so I check out your living room so this isn’t a creepy one way street. Actually don’t worry about being creepy.  I’m totally that person that looks into houses at night but I do it for non-creepy reasons.  I’m checking out paint colors and furniture…not naked people.  Although I did see naked people once.  I did stop for peeping after that viewing but I’m back at it again now.  True story.  Welcome new readers. Good-bye new readers.

**I’m also horribly behind on blogging.  I try super hard to comment back if someone comments here but I’m about two weeks behind on that…and I have about 5309 unread things in my Google Reader.  I will catch up. Pesky day job.**