Monday's Menu: Outback Potato Soup

This soup was very good and so easy to make. Great flavor and perfect for the cold days ahead.

Here's the recipe:
*One 30 oz bag of shredded hashbrowns
*Three, 14 oz cans of chicken broth
*One can Cream of Chicken soup
*1/2 cup copped onion
*1/4 tsp ground pepper
*One package cream cheese (Not the fat free kind.  It doesn't melt.)
In crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT cream cheese.  Cook 6-8 hours on LOW heat.
About an hour before serving, drop in the cream cheese and let it melt completely.
Serve with grated cheese, bacon bits, sour cream...etc.
I made a skillet of cornbread to go with ours.

Definitely a keeper for the recipe book!

~~~~~

This past weekend, some of the ladies from church ventured up the mountain to Mrs. Ava's house near Boone.

We had a good, relaxing time.  Most of the ladies went shopping Saturday morning, but three of us stayed at the house and did nothing.  Absoutely nothing.  Just sat and talked and had a good time doing it.

I'm thankful for the church family I have in my life and for the friends that I have made there.  They are a terrific group of ladies and a blessing. 

My sweet husband and I have been facing a giant lately, that only God knows about.  It's been a difficult past couple of months, and I really needed this get away to just let go of things.  It really could not have come at a better time.  I've been sick this week and, although I probably should have stayed home and taken it easy, I'm glad I got to go on this trip and share some laughs with good friends.  God is good to give us what we need through good friends and great fellowship, and lots of laughs!  After all, laughter IS the best medicine, right?

Here's a few pics from our trip... 

This picture below is for my friend "S's" son.  When he heard we saw deer up there, he really wanted to be there with us.  So, "E", this one's for you...  :D

Here's another one, "E." 

This little sweetie was perfectly content to lay down right in front of us and stayed there for a very long time.  We kept coming out to look at her and she was perfectly content to keep resting.

OK, "E," look at the picture below carefully.  There's a deer in there for you too.  Can you find it??

~~~~~

We had a family reunion after church yesterday.  It's always good to see those we don't get to see that often and catch up on things over the last year.

I made another recipe I found on Pinterest.  And Hannah made some cookies I found on Pinterest also.  I'll post those recipes later.  They were very good.  Especially those cookies.  Pumpkin spice!  YUM!  I'll probably make a batch of those for Thanksgiving at my Aunt's house.

After the reunion we had our church kid's fall festival.  As always, it was total chaos and fun for the kiddies.  And then we had an amazing service Sunday night.  Love it when the Lord shows up and just sits down in the meeting. 

And that was my weekend.  :)