the best potato soup you'll ever have

Hi there folks! In an effort to avoid studying, and while I am waiting til 10am so I can buy Big Gig tix to see Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance, I am posting the promised recipe and book review. 

*** This soup is one of my favorite meals ever, and my husband is the best at making it. We originally found a recipe similar to this years ago, but have since tweaked it to make it our own. You will enjoy it --- I promise :) 

Creamy Potato and Green Chili Soup

Ingredients: {we ALWAYS double this recipe so we can enjoy leftovers!!!}

4 medium potatoes

1/2 lb green chilis, frozen and chopped

1 medium onion

2 tbsp butter

1 can cream of mushroom soup

16 ounces chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper {omit if you don't want spice, or if you like it spicy like us, double the amount!}

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Cube potatoes into 1 inch squares and place in a 4-quart pot. Slice onion and pour in chicken broth and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for about 30 minutes.

*** don't be concerned if your potatoes stick to the bottom a bit. Whether they are peeled or not, some will stick. While it's best to stir a little bit here and there, you do NOT want to scrape the burned part off the bottom of the pan while the soup is cooking. Just leave that layer be, otherwise you will get burned flavor in your soup.

Add the remaining ingredients except for 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of flour. Mix the remaining milk and flour; pour into soup mixture and simmer for another 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese {and crumbled bacon if you'd like!} and serve with crackers, bread, or cornbread.

Makes 4 servings.

If you make this, let me know! I hope you like it :) We had a rainy/gray day here last week and it was perfect for that day!

On to the book review...

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

It is 1937 in Shanghai, China, and two sisters, Pearl and May, seem to have it all. Riches, beauty, fashion, fun, boys... until their father reveals to them that he has lost all his money {and their savings} gambling. In a deal with a local gang, he has sold them as brides to some men from Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the war between China and Japan begins, and they find themselves torn between staying in a war-ridden country and heading to an unknown country to fulfill their duty of the arranged marriages. The trials these two face are numerous and insanely difficult. But through it all, they have each other.

This book addresses issues like the effects war has on people and a country, discrimination, social and family heirarchies, secrets meant to protect loved ones, and the roles fate and destiny have in our lives. 

It's a good and intriguing read. If you have a sister, the intense bond the two main characters share will remind you of the competitive yet loving relationships you most likely share with your sister. 

Aaaand Lisa See just released her follow-up to this book! So I am really looking forward to that :) And for those of you who are counting, that was book #8 for me for 2011. My goal is 12 books this year :) I'm thankful I got 8 finished before I started school! Because who knows when I'll get the chance to read my final 4!!!

Have you read any good books lately?

Cheers :)