SNOW, SOUP & "STORMI DAY!"

THE UNTHINKABLE IS HAPPENING! We are expecting snow in Southeast Texas. Okay, maybe this isn't necessarily "unthinkable", considering it's happened the last few years, but tonight & tomorrow morning it is supposed to be snowing, with a change of 1-3 INCHES of SNOW! This may not seem like much to you, but when you live THIS far South, it's nothing short of miraculous. Another miraculous situation is my current one today.. J is off of work today, and him & Cash are spending a "BOY'S DAY" together. Keyword: BOY. That means, no girls allowed. That means, without Mama. I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about this at first, but it's actually been the most relaxing day I've had in quite a while. I slept late, got a pedicure, and relaxed at home watching MY shows rather than never ending reruns of Berenstein Bears & Barney. So far, I've watched Moulin Rouge & endless Murder She Wrote episodes..(this would be near impossible with my boys here) and I've had a mint julep face mask on for the last twenty minutes. Again, impossible with them here. J laughs at it, and Cash thinks his Mama is a monster. Here's a couple of things that have made my day the most relaxing I've had in the last 2 years! (Aside from a quiet house without wrestling boys, of course!)

QUEEN HELENE MINT JULEP MASK:

 

This is the BEST cheap home facial mask I've ever used. I'm obsessed with it; not for skincare reasons but for RELAXATION reasons. I would NEVER recommend using this as your skincare regimen, but it's nice to use it every once in a while to chill out. All of the ingredients are natural and the mint extract soothes your skin. When you wash it off of your face, it feels cleaner than ever & your pores shrink down to nothing. Did I mention the $4 price tag?! Oh yeah.. that too.. Or the fact that they spell "Mask" the fancy schmancy way; "MASQUE" on the bottle? Again, no big deal ;) CHA-CHING!

 

BATH & BODY WORKS SHEA & VANILLA INFUSED SOCKS

These were a stocking stuffer from my honey, and I'll have to admit.. he really hit all the Stormi check-points with this one! Comfiest socks in the world? Check. Hot Pink? Check. Infused with Shea & Vanilla? Check. Softer feet? Check. $3 DOLLA? Holla!

 

DOUBLE STUFFED OREOS:

 

Am I really admitting this one? This has been my only meal for the day, along with a super sized Fiji Water as a chaser to "diminish some of the calories." I forgot how good the double stuffed ones were.. O. M. G. PURE BLISS! It saves the hassle of having to break one back off of each regular oreo and put the two together.. Did ya'll used to do that?!?! Yeah, me either.. :/

Although it's warm & cozy inside, it's 28 degrees outside! In dedication to this freezing whether, I'd like to offer a couple of recipes that help me survive this cold weather!

 

BEST BAKED POTATO SOUP:

NEED:

- 2 potatoes

- 3 tablespoons butter

- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 4 cups chicken stock

- 2 cups water

- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes (I used plain instant Butter potatoes)

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup half-and-half

- 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

- S&P

- Tony's Chachere's Creole Seasoning

- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

- 8 ounces bacon - cooked and crumbled

- 2 green onions, chopped (optional)

 

STEPS:1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake potatoes for 1 hour, or until done. Set aside to cool.

2. Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook 5 minutes to make a roux. Pour in chicken stock and water. Add cornstarch and mashed potato flakes. Season with salt, pepper, and creole seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Remove the skin from the cooled potatoes, and discard. Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, and stir into soup, along with half of the cheese (1/2 cup), half-and-half, and Cream of Mushroom soup. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick. Spoon into bowls, and garnish with shredded cheese, bacon and chopped green onion. I ate mine with croutons too, and the added crunch was a good contrast! Love, love!

 

KAHLUA HOT CHOCOLATE COCKTAIL:

NEED:

- 5 oz dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

- 2 cups WHOLE milk

- 2 cups half & half

- 1/2 tbsp. sugar

- 1 tbsp. Hershey's Cocoa Powder

- 1/2 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 cup Kahlua

- 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

- Grated chocolate, for garnish

STEPS:

1. Heat the chocolate, milk and half and half cream over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, stirring until the chocolate has melted.

2. Whisk until the mixture is hot and frothy.

3. Add in sugar if desired & cocoa powder.

4. Add in the Kahlua and vanilla; continue to whisk until the mixture is hot.

5. Remove from heat.

6. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream. Garnish with shaved chocolate

Enjoy!!!

Hope ya'll are staying warm! & Happy Chinese New Year! I was reminded today by J's sweet cousin on the "Chinese side." I have NO idea what is involved in this holiday, but ANY holiday is a good one in my book; ESPECIALLY one that lasts two whole weeks! I'll be back ASAP with a video of the Cheerleaders & a longer, SNOW PICTURES, and a much more "eventful" blog post.. In the meantime, here's a picture of my little monkey on this exact day last year!

He's changed soo much.. Let it snow, let it snow, LET IT SNOW!