Recipe for Ham and Potato Soup

 

If you are like me, you are tired of all the big meals - potatoes, ham, turkey, chicken, beef - that we all love to eat at Christmas time.  Changing up the menu for some hearty, home-made soup is a lovely way to use up left overs and still have a nourishing meal.  This soup is one of my go-to’s because we love ham at our house.  The soup is filled with goodness the next day!  Enjoy the recipe and drop a comment to tell me how it turned out for you and your family.  

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup 

Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 25 Min Ready In: 5 Min 8 Servings

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 

1/3 cup diced celery 

1/3 cup finely chopped onion 

3/4 cup diced cooked ham 

3 1/4 cups water 

2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules 

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 

1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste 

5 tablespoons butter 

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 cups milk 

Directions 

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.  

Many blessings,

Judy

Does Karma Take Too Long?

 

I saw this poster, and thought,

“That is the problem we have today, everyone would rather fight than try to work things out.  I think that it is a product of impatience, and ego, and training.  We have learned through history that the one with the bigger stick seems to win.  So, that is what we focus on – winning.  Winning is really a form of losing when the solution only solves the problem for one person or group.  If you win, you have failed, as a leader, because not everyone is happy.  While I agree that there are some folks that you will probably never satisfy, the majority are happy and look for solutions to what keeps them from doing their job, or from living their life in peace and with ease.”

Perhaps I am wrong in my thoughts. Perhaps this poster has it right.  Perhaps we should defend ourselves, and do what is in our power to prevail over others with our own thoughts and values.  

What are your thoughts?

Blessings

Judy

Angels Say That There Is Beauty In Every Day!

 

It is not very often that a day is really awful.  

Here is a start to your list.

1. Smile. 
2. Connect with nature. 
3. Surround yourself with positive people in person or online. 
4. Do something you’ve always enjoyed. 
5. Do something you’ve never done before but have always wanted to try. 
6. Learn something new. 
7. Smell something that makes you happy: a mandarin, your lover’s perfume, chocolate, you decide. 
8. Reward yourself for your good habits. 
9. Eat something that makes you happy, but not too much if it’s fattening. 
10. Spend time with a good friend. 
11. Touch something that makes you happy: a cat, velvet, the bark of a tree? Take time to notice. 
12. Don’t worry now, worry later. 
13. Say, or sing, something that makes you happy. 
14. Challenge yourself, I dare you. 
15. Look at something that makes you happy. 
16. Stop procrastinating, do something. 
17. Take a small step towards your goal. 
18. Congratulate yourself. 
19. Tell someone you love them. 
20. Do a good deed.

Now – you can finish it.  If you need help, check out the rest of the list at http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/101-ways-to-feel-happy-on-a-daily-basis.html.

Many Blessings This Day,

Judy