~Loaded Potato Soup~

The weekend is here!!! What a wonderful day for "Soup" this is soooo good. I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm off to the market to get my potato's to make this scrumptious soup and salad. BonAppetit

Ingredients:

1 lb. baking potatoes (about 2), cubed

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk

3 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

1 green onion sliced, divided

1/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

Directions:

MICROWAVE potatoes in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min., stirring after 2-1/2 min. Stir in broth and milk. Microwave 10 min., stirring after 5 min. Carefully crush potatoes with potato masher.

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. each bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup.

SERVE topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.

Enjoy,
Sandy

Change your thoughts, Change your life!

~Have a Great Day~
Sandy

~Candy Bar Wrappers~

I wanted to share with you a beautiful website, full of beautiful creative ideas." Crafty This and That" They have also given you some really beautiful vintage candy bar wrappers. Go on over and visit, I'm sure you will be inspired. I just love the candy wrappers.

~Easy Window Treatments~

~Reuse old curtains~
These are so pretty, and it allows for the sun to still shine through....

Don't toss out curtains you love if they don't fit your new windows or need to be replaced. Instead, cut and sew them into panel-style window shades with rod pockets. Tension rods hold the shades in place and make them easy to change or remove. This trick also works to make outdated curtain fabrics look trendy again.

bhg

~Frugal Cottage Ideas~

1. Simple window treatments ensure ample light. Any lightweight cotton fabric will do. Find tab-top panels for less than $20 at Target or Bed Bath & Beyond. Or simply hem all raw fabric-by-the-yard edges and use clip-style curtain rings over rods for an easy project.

2. Slipcovers reflect the easy-living attitude that's crucial to cottage style. Sewn from affordable canvas, these slipcovers easily slip off and into the wash.


3. Colorful vases look charming with or without flowers. Select flowers that might grow in the cottage garden, such as hydrangeas, roses, and daisies, and fill the vase to overflowing. Try your local farmers' market for bouquets that offer the perfect combination of color and abundance.

Affordable Accents



4. Vintage fabrics might seem pricey, but consider their design punch. A curtain panel should yield enough fabric for three 20-inch-square pillows. Shop for damaged or stained pieces that can be cut to make a pillow top; add new coordinating fabric on the back.

5. Beaded board creates cottage style faster than any other element. Wood paneling called Ply-Bead from Georgia Pacific looks like beaded board, but it's really a 4x8-foot sheet paneling with tongue-and-groove edges. At about $19 a sheet, it offers a lower-cost option than traditional beaded board at $8 for a piece 8 inches wide and 8 feet long.

6. Hardwood floors offer warm wood tones and an easy-care surface that looks good with soft fabrics and subdued color schemes. Leave the floors bare in summer and add rugs in winter. For an affordable large rug, buy several small rugs and stitch them together.
bhg 08

~The most common way people give up their power
is by thinking they don't have any~.

~ Alice Walker ~

~Barefoot Contessa~

~Brownie Pudding~ ina garten

This is so incredibly chocolatey, gooey and yummy. bon appetit !

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup good cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
• 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

~Girlfriends~

Girlfriends Forever is about the joys of sharing everything with a good friend: recipes; style, decorating, and wardrobe tips; memories; and party ideas. Susan Branch, in her appealing, personal style, tells of her life with her friends, from her exhilarating experience of meeting the Beatles to her Tuesday Girls get-togethers, and offers tips on the art of the home. Sprinkled throughout are her thoughts on food and love, all highlighted by quotes and fresh, vivid watercolours. The recipes have a winning combination of snappy taste and healthy, low-fat ingredients, and contain complete nutritional information.

~The Perfect Cottage Entrance~

This is the Perfect Entrance. It is so cozy and inviting. This picture also reminds me that spring is just around the corner. I can't wait to bring out my terracotta and start planting the beautiful geraniums.