back to normal.

our lives. after a very ruff year, we are back to normal. how i love our 9-5 lives. i think mostly, i love being able to come home, cook and have dinner together. for so long, we just didn't have that. i really missed it. even on days Jay is super tired and don't have much to say, were together...at the table...eating a meal that I cooked. i even have my laundry on a cycle again. as much as i used to loathe laundry, now i enjoy it. perhaps i am loosing my mind.

today is a major couch day. we as Tennesseans were sadly disappointed, when the winter snow storm, the first in years, left us, leaving only a slushy mess and maybe an inch of snow. i was ready to play. we hadn't played since probably 2002, when we got about 4+ inches. its when we lived in our lake house in my home town. christy, one of my bf's, came over and we played outside for hours, on our homemade sleds. i still have hope that this winter will bring a huge storm.

i got my pampered chef packet in the mail yesterday. i am looking forward to this. my first show, is late February. this will be hosted by my leader, to show me the "what to do's". i'm not shy, but am nervous about getting up in front of strangers, in their kitchens. i know after the first or second show, i will be great. i love cooking. i totally love awesome cooking stuff. this is ideal for me. and it will be good for me.

speaking of cooking, i finally joined weight watchers this past Tuesday. i am proud of myself! i have done perfect on plan this week. this is my 2nd time on WW and i hope i do as well as i did the first time around. my mom and i are doing it together, and as much as we talk - its great motivation! she has lost sixteen [16] pounds in about five-weeks. our offices closed early yesterday, due to the threat of inclement weather and i thought soup would be perfect. i whipped up a simple WW friendly potato soup, recipe courtesy of my mom's leader, and it was delicious, only 2 points per cup, and that's a lot of soup! [i'll post recipe at end of this blog]

i think i might venture out in what snow we do have, even if i only throw one snow ball, on the walk to get the mail. silly Tennessee weather.

to good to be true potato soup


1 pack dry onion soup mix
1 pack original country gravy mix (2 cup size)
1 28-oz back shredded hashbrown potatoes
3 cans chicken broth
1 cup warm water

Mix dry soup mix with warm water. Combine all ingredients and cook 30-min, over medium heat. Salt & Pepper to taste.

Makes 10 servings

2 WW points per cup.