A few winter recipes...

The most helpful thing people did for me when I had Moo was bring me meals for weeks after he was born. Absolutely incredible. It was so nice not to have to spend any energy thinking about or making dinner, and we loved having people come to our home on a regular basis. However, after six weeks of not cooking, this home chef was ready to get back to creating! So, I've been cooking lots lately. Well, I've been crockpotting. (Not a word, you say? Oh, but it is.) And does the period go inside or outside the parentheses? This English teacher forgets the rule, and it's okay, right, because I have three more weeks before I return to the world of grammatical correctness. I digress.

Back to the recipes. Here are a few I've made recently that are oh-so-easy AND oh-so-delicious. Love that combo, don't you?

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo (Cooking Light)
My two cents: this dish is delicious (so delicious that I made it two weekends in a row), but it's even better with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top.


Herb Biscuits (Real Simple)
My two cents: this recipe calls for a ridiculous amount of butter. Just embrace that fact because the result is mouth-wateringly wonderful. Ever had Bojangles biscuits? It's like that with herbs. Yum! Next time, though, I think I'll try it with half the butter and see what happens. Also, this made 14 rolls for me instead of 12. Will definitely make these again!

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice (myrecipes.com)
My two cents: this recipe will make you want to lick the air in your house all day because every room will smell like cajun deliciousness. Also, I halved the red pepper, which gave it just the right amount of kick. My theory: you can always add more kick, but you can't usually take the kick out once it's in. 


Crockpot Creamy Potato Soup (compliments of my dear friend, Sarah)

5-7 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1 can cream of chicken soup

Chicken broth (about 32 oz--you could use vegetable broth instead if you wanted)

1 carrot, diced (I added a little more)

1 celery stalk, diced (I added a little more)

1/2 onion, diced

salt & pepper to taste (I omitted salt and put about a teaspoon of fresh ground pepper in)

1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese, cut into chunks (I used fat free, but any kind is fine)

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Bacon bits (optional)

Combine all ingredients except cream cheese in crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. During the last hour, add the cream cheese. Also, smash some of the potatoes on the side of the pot, making the soup thicker (I used an immersion blender instead so that it was lightly pureed, which I like, leaving a few potato chunks--also a great way to sneak in veggies because you can't really see the chunks of carrots and celery once it's pureed). Serve after cream cheese is melted. Top with cheese & bacon. 

Makes 8 servings

I vouch for the yumminess of all four of these recipes; they're the kind of meals that make you actually look forward to leftovers! Enjoy!