The Right Perspective

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Decorating Help Needed!

Alrighty faithful readers (is there more than one?) of my blog...here is the opportunity you've been waiting for.  I need decorating help.  I've picked a paint color that I've linked below, to paint the walls.  It's a nice blue/grey color and I've already used it in my master bathroom.  Now I'm ready to paint the master bedroom the same color.  I need a new bedding set and I've narrowed it down to the following three (couldn't get the picture of the JCP set to show up in the post). 

Which would you choose?  The carpet in the room is a light sandy beige color and the furniture is oak.  If I ever change the furniture it will be a darker color, but I don't see that happening right now.  The trim and doors are painted a light cream.

Any and all opinions are welcome!








Sherwin Williams Aleutian

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Easter 2012

I know it's horribly late, but here are some pictures of the kiddos from Easter weekend.  They're obviously in no particular order because Blogger is trying to make me insane by changing everything up.  Anyhow, here they are!

Easter morning.

 
Dying Easter eggs...doesn't Ethan just look ornery?

 
Hunting for hidden eggs.

 
Swinging at the park on Good Friday.
Thing 1 and Thing 2
Big Easter ham.

Flying a kite.



After watching Emily fly her kite, Ethan thought he needed to try, so Daddy held the kite up high and away and gave the handle to Ethan and then said, "When I say go, starting running."  Well, Daddy said "go" and Ethan took off running....right after he threw the kite string on the ground!  He did eventually get it right.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Potato, Bacon and Cheese Soup...From Scratch!

I've been doing a bit more cooking these days and in doing so, stumbled upon a new favorite...Potato, Bacon and Cheese soup. We used to enjoy the occasional meal at Max and Erma's, where I (a self-professed non-soup-lover) decided that I loved their potato-bacon-and-cheese soup. And then one day...they were closed forever with no warning. Which of course, meant bye-bye new favorite soup!
And so, after a long winter of wishing that Max and Erma's would suddenly reopen, I decided to take matters into my own hands. And I think I succeeded! Oh yes, I definitely found a winner.
How can this possibly be bad when it starts with bacon?

Is there anything that smells much better than bacon, onions and celery browning? YUM!



And here is the finished product. It is pretty much perfect. Not healthy and not a thin soup, it's more like a very hearty stew, but if you're craving warm creamy potato soup, this will hit the spot.

4 ounces bacon, cut in 1/4" pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut in 1/4" dice
1-1/2 ribs celery, cut in 1/4" dice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth (one box of the pre-made broth)
3 cups peeled, 1/2-inch potato cubes (about 2 medium baking potatoes)
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt, optional
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
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Place a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add diced bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until bacon is brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
Immediately add onions and celery and saute until soft and tender, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add flour to vegetables. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add chicken broth and potato cubes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add half-and-half, ground black pepper and salt and simmer for 5 minutes more. Stir in grated cheese until thoroughly melted. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Hope you enjoy!