Homemade Potato Soup - It's Soup Time!!!

The weather finally cooled off this afternoon. It actually snowed on the peaks today. I absolutely love cool and cold weather. Don't get me wrong, I also appreciate when the long Winter is over, but it is still my favorite time of the year despite it's hardships.

I tried to capture the color of the aspens, but it has dried up so much in the last month that the colors will not be as bold as usual. It is brighter than the picture reflects. 

I tried to usher in cooler weather by making soup earlier in the month, but it was not the same as eating it on a cold day and the hot weather prevailed anyway. For weeks now it was suppose to be cooler, but it just stayed hot despite the forecast. It started out 10 degrees hotter today than it was suppose to be. I was really disappointed this morning when I saw that the temperature had already gone past the forecast again. 

Then the storm blew in and and everything changed. The temperature dropped 24* and all was well. It was soup time...

I decided on potato soup for dinner...

 

I peeled the potatoes and...

I boiled the peelings for a few minutes, so I could give them to the chickens. Chickens cannot eat raw potato peels, they are poisonous.

I added chopped onions and...

I added the onion scraps to the soup scrap bag that I keep in the freezer...

I put the potatoes and onions in a pot and added water...

I boiled them until they were tender...

I drained the potato mixture and mashed about half with a potato masher...

I added milk, salt pepper and onion powder...

I added a mixture of cheeses...

I reduced the mixture on low heat until the desired consistency was reached. We like our potato soup to be hearty. 

I grow scallions in the kitchen window along with celery leaves to add flavor to our food...

I chopped up some scallions and...

I cooked some turkey bacon...

To use for soup toppings...

It turned out just perfect and...

Number One had it with crackers on the side...

This is a crowd pleaser and can be made in short order. It is an economical meal that is satisfying and can be served as a side dish or as an entrée. The ingredients can easily be changed or added to to reflect your own taste.

Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith