Crockpot Cheesy Potato Soup

I love my crockpot. It's definitely one of my most favorite kitchen appliances. When I first discovered "crocking" I felt like a sucker for not having done it sooner. There are few feelings greater than having dinner ready in the morning and not having to worry about it for the rest of the day. One of my family's favorites is cheesy potato soup.

Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes, diced
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 chicken bullion cubes
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 12oz can evaporated milk

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except cheese and milk in crock pot. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Add the cheese and milk and cook on low for another hour.

Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds

Butternut squash is one of my son's favorite foods. I was cutting one up today and I remembered my husband saying that the seeds were edible like pumpkin seeds. I am usually in a hurry when making his baby food and this time I wasn't and I decided to save the seeds. I set them aside in a bowl until I was done. After a good rinsing and picking off all the squash goo, I placed them in a bowl and added one tablespoon of olive oil and a bit of salt and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Put them in the oven at 275˚F for 30 minutes. They make a great snack and they are packed full of good stuff. They would be great for taking camping or on hikes. You can read the nutrition facts for yourself here.

My final verdict is that they are seriously tasty. I'd recommend these if you like salty crunchy snacks like I do. Better than chips, in my opinion! Enjoy!

Tips from the Box #1

Every once in a while I have a discovery immediately followed by "why have I been making things harder on myself?"

 Figuring out babies and all the "baby stuff" that comes along with them is a daunting task. One of the many things I had overlooked before my son was born was a laundry basket for the nursery. We were keeping his dirty clothes in a pile on the floor and eventually started using an old laundry bag hung on the door. At the time I was doing laundry probably about every other day because, well, babies are messy. The worst part of laundry was trying to find all those little socks. Sometimes they were stuck inside sleeves or pant legs. Sometimes they just completely vanished. We eventually got a standing laundry basket and it came with a lingerie bag. It sat on top of his dresser for the longest time before...*epiphany*

Homemade White Bread

I didn't intend for the first post to be about bread. This blog won't be so literal. It's just that in the past week, I've baked two loaves and thought it would be a good topic since it's what I am currently doing. I received a highly coveted Kitchen Aid stand mixer for Christmas from my husband. Since then, I've been baking a lot more. It's just easier. I used to make bread a lot before my son was born and I did ALL the mixing by hand. Oh the pain. But I believe these experiences are what give us a greater appreciation for things like stand mixers with dough hooks.

I can't take credit for the original recipe, which I found here. It makes a nice light white bread with a very crispy crust. It's great for sandwiches, toast, mopping up soups and stews, or smothered in butter or preserves. You can either check out the original recipe or follow mine below. I only made a few small alterations.

Ingredients:
2 packets of active dry yeast, I use the rapid rise
1 Tbsp unrefined sugar such as Sugar in the Raw or Woodstock
2 cups water
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
6 cups bread flour, I use King Arthur unbleached
1 Tbsp salt

Directions (same as original):

1. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the milk, the butter or margarine, 4 cups of the flour and the salt; stir until well combined. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
5. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
6. Mist loaves with water and bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and the bottom of a loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

I haven't yet found a wheat bread recipe that I am 100% happy with but when I do I'll be sure to share. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.