I'm Back!!!!

Soooo it has been forever since my last post.  I have been running around like a crazy person down here!  I have been studying like a mad woman, had a birthday, had family portraits taken (good Lord I need to invest in airbrush makeup), enrolled Little Man into karate and got ACCEPTED into nursing school!  WHOOP!  WHOOP!  So, as you see, no rest for the weary!  Ooh, I forgot to mention it has FINALLY started to cool off here in South Texas.  Although, we hit a record of 90 degrees on my birthday, which is November 11th.  Crazy, right?  As I celebrated breaking out a couple of long sleeve tops, I decided we had waited long enough to start making "cold weather" food.  So, what better dish to kick off the cooler weather than Creamy Potato Soup. Thank you baby Jesus for potato soup!  I probably could eat this at least once a week.  Along with cooler weather comes the beginning of holiday events. Being that it is close to Thanksgiving, Little Man's pre-K class had their Thanksgiving feast last Thursday.  Since I obviously have plenty of time on my hands, I signed us up for dessert.  I didn't want to do a pie, so I decided to do something a little more creative.  I got the idea to create sugar cone cornucopias from Pinterest.  So, I will show that below as well!  So, I guess I should correct myself and say "Thank you baby Jesus for potato soup and Pinterest!!!  Let's talk potato soup first.  I have worked this recipe over and tweaked it to my taste.  I hope you find it as comforting as I do!

Creamy Potato Soup

4 cups cubed potatoes (red)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup celery (I use the frawns/leaves at the top of the stalk too)
64 oz. chicken stock (I use 32 oz. low sodium & 32 oz. regular)
Pepper to taste
1 Tbs. seasoned salt
1 Tbs. dry parsley
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
2 cups half & half
shredded cheese (4-6 oz)

In a dutch oven, combine first 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 mins or until veggies are tender.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add flout to make a roux.

Once at a boil, add cream. Add mixture to dutch oven. Add cheese and simmer for 20 more mins. I let mine simmer for the first 20 mins then put it on low and let it simmer for a few more hours.

Tada!!!

For the cornucopias, I got the idea from the blog Makelifedelicious.  These are super simple and create a really cute presentation.  When we took them in last week, the Principal stopped us and took a pic of our little creations.  Needless to say, they were a huge hit!

Sugar Cone Cornucopias:

 

To start, in a deep saucepan, bring 2" of water to a boil.  Place a steamer on top.  Drop a few cones in at a time (otherwise they will steam faster than you can reform them).  Cover and let it sit for a minute or until the cones become pliable.

 

 

Take one cone out a time.  With a wooden spoon, curl the tip of the cone around the spoon and let cool for a few seconds until it holds its form.  You also may have to reshape the top of the cone back into a circle.  Place on a cookie sheet to cool.

 

 

Once you have made all your cornucopias and they have cooled, fill them with chocolate candies (like M&M's) or a candy mix.  To wrap them up, cut a piece of plastic wrap and then secure with ribbon of your choice.  Told you it was easy!