Cheesy Potato Soup [and an update]

Hi friends!  I was going to wish you a happy Friday, but then I realized that it’s only Thursday.  Don’t you hate when that happens?  Saturdays are particularly hard days for me because I wake up early in a panic thinking my alarm didn’t go off in time for me to get ready for work, only to realize a minute later that it isn’t a work day.  Does this happen to anyone else?  Please tell me it does; I want to feel normal.

For those of you who have been following me for a little while, you’ve probably noticed two things in the past few or so months.  One–I haven’t been posting as often as I used to.  Two–many of the recipes I’ve been posting are not desserts.

Here’s my reason for both of those: I am 17 weeks pregnant.  I wanted to share the exciting news with you earlier, believe me, but I had a miscarriage at seven weeks back in September, and I told a few people.  Not that it was bad that I did, but when I had the miscarriage, I then had to call those people I told and relive the heartache all over again.  So, this time, I made sure this little one was going to stay.  And between the morning sickness which lasted morning and night (with a few hours of relief in the middle of the day–something I hadn’t experienced in my first pregnancy) for almost 4 months straight, and being tired from working and taking care of a toddler, baking was low on my priority list.

I’ve been craving fresh fruit, which is great, (with Matthew, I craved root beer floats and fried foods), but plain fruit doesn’t make for any good recipes and posts.  I am now just starting to feel better and most food is appealing, (minus anything from the sea), which is good for you, because I’ll be back into the swing of things very soon.  All that to say, please bear with me as I am going through another transition–baby number two.  You mean a lot to me and I honestly do think about you often.  My husband frequently asks, “Are you going to bake something soon and put it on the blog?”  (He secretly likes the desserts and has been going through withdrawals for a while.  Sorry honey!)

Onto other news; I made a really good potato soup.  You should try it.  It takes all of 30 minutes to make and it is unbelievably delicious.  I know it’s not really soup season, but there are those times when you want to make some comfort food, and this certainly hits the spot.  The Northwest, where I live, is slowly waking up to summer, and, well, many of us are still eating soups.  We’re weird, I know.  I hope to have some cupcakes up this weekend or early next week for you, so if healthy potato soup isn’t your thing, than hang on a little longer.  Have a great weekend! xoxo

Cheesy Potato Soup

printable recipe

4 T unsalted butter

4 c chicken broth (2 15-oz cans)

5 c cubed Yukon gold potatoes

1 t dried basil

¼ t salt

Pinch of ground black pepper

¼ c flour

1 ½ c milk (NOT non-fat)

8 oz. Colby Jack cheese (or sharp cheddar)

Sliced avocado, for garnish

In a large pot, melt the 1 T butter over medium-high heat.  Add broth, potatoes, basil, salt, and pepper.  When mixture comes to a boil, simmer for 20 minutes.

When there are about 10 minutes left, in a smaller saucepan, melt the remaining 3 T butter over medium heat.  Stir in the flour, until all is incorporated and there are no traces of flour.  Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the cheese and whisk until the cheese is fully melted.

Turn off the heat and slowly pour the cheese mixture into the potato mixture.  Gently stir before transferring to bowls.  Top with a few avocado slices.