Resolutions

Well, I tried to keep it super simple last year...

let's see...still focusing on the first two...always working on the second two and I completely failed the last one. BUT I did blog more regularly than the previous year.

So this year:

• Continue to get healthy and lose weight
• Expand the Kelly household (a baby would be great...but moving would technically count too!)
• Focus on my family and being the best wife and mother I can be

Good riddens to 2008 and HELLO 2009!!!

I can finally see my floor!

I love going home to see family and spend the holidays...not necessarily because its GI town- but because its where I was born and raised and it holds a certain sentimental place for me.

I also love coming home to Lincoln...wasn't quite sure when we first moved here, but now I wouldn't truly want to live anywhere else!

Christmas was superb this year! The only downer was not seeing my brother's and their families...in some ways it just didn't feel like Christmas with out the traditional argumentative chatter! :)

I made some super yummy cheese soup for Christmas Eve and it was a great evening with my mom and grandparents. My mom gave a me a super awesome gift- a bunch of old photographs. Like pictures of when I was a baby, and some even before I was around. And when I say a bunch- I mean like 150+...I quit counting after that. I love them and will treasure them forever!





Christmas was spent at the Kelly house with grandparents and cousins...such a great family! We really had a lot of fun! We were spoiled with wonderfully awesome gifts there as well! The cousins even went out on the frozen lake...a test of courage if you will.



After stopping few other places, we finally made it back to Lincoln...and then UGH! we had to unpack! Seriously - we could not make it through our dining room for two days...and I still have a suitcase that has yet to be unpacked...maybe today.

The girls are super excited about going shopping with some gift cards they received and really want to use their rock polisher and drill...so the week off is filling up quickly with activities!



Here's the Cheese/Wild Rice Soup Recipe I used:


Wild Rice and Potato Cheese Soup

1 box Reese's wild rice 1/2 -3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 small yellow onion chopped finely
1/2 lb bacon chopped up into bite size pieces
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) cream of potato soup (diluted with one can of liquid: 1/2 milk and 1/2 water)
1 qt milk
2 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

Cook rice according to the box (45- 60 minutes). Cook onion and bacon in a pan until bacon is crispy. Place onion and bacon mixture on paper towels to soak up the excess grease. Place potato soup and liquid in a large pot. Stir until smooth. Add bacon and onion. Add drained cooked rice and cheese. Cook on low-med until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Happy Birthday GMA!

John's gma turned 93 last Friday. To celebrate we played Bingo!! Nancy had suggested it might be fun to play Bingo with gma and some of her friends- complete with fun little prizes. So Sunday afternoon- the girls and I braved the frozen tundra and headed off to see gma. We stopped on the way to get prizes- the girls had so much fun picking things out...such thoughtful little sweeties we have!

It was so much fun! Gma lives at a small assisted living facility- so she went around inviting her friends/neighbors to the Bingo party. All the ladies were great- the girls had a blast and it was so much fun getting to know the ladies  and friends gma shares her days with. By the end of the 'party' - I had learned some Bingo lingo...which I found out is really really important if you are playing with serious Bingo lovers! :)

Gma and Kwynnie are little bummed that they aren't winning...who knew Bingo could be so serious!?  :)

No worries though... we played so many games- by the time we were done everyone had won at least twice!

Christmas Memories...Part 4

Chili and Cheese Soup...

Christmas eve is all about the chili and cheese soup. It started out with just chili- for as far back as I can remember. Then when I was about 11 or 12 a lady from church made this amazing cheese soup for a pot luck...she kindly gave us the recipe and we have been serving and savoring it ever since!

For a few years in there we also had cheese frenchies (super YUM)...but it just didn't catch on. So we are strictly chili and cheese soup people come Christmas Eve. This year I'm making the cheese soup (trying a new recipe)...and I super excited about showing off my soup tureen! wa-hoo!


Here's the traditional cheese soup recipe (actually their just guidelines- add or subtract whatever your tastes dictate!)

4-6 med russet potatoes (washed and cubed...you can skin them- but we leave it on)
2 cans of corn; drained
2 cans of green beans; drained
2 cans of carrots; drained
**I usually add 1-2 cups of frozen cauliflower ( thawed and chopped up super small...gives the soup some thickness and its healthy!)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 block of velveeta

peas, broccoli, ham or bacon are other possible additions.

Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain just enough of the potato water so that the water level is 1 inch above the potatoes. Add the chicken bouillon cubes, stir until infused. Then add all the veggies and the cream of chicken soup. Stir. Cube the velveeta and start by adding 1/4 of the block. Simmer pot over med- low heat. Once cheese is melted- add another 1/4. Repeat until the cheese soup has your desired 'cheesiness'. We usually use about 3/4 of a block...but depends on how much water you left in the pot...

If cheese gets to thick- you can always add chicken stock to thin it out!

Servings: make a whole heck of alot!