Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I don't like pie.

No seriously, I really don't.

Pie crust is not appetizing to me at all, it is just too dry and taste like a glob of flour to me.  I'm sure I fall into the minority here... I also don't like brownies, it taste like stale cake and I LOVE CAKE so put a pan of brownies in front of me and I turn up my nose and want nothing to do with them.  Okay, now I know I'm definitely a minority on the brownie comment but it's true.

I know.... I'm weird and proud of it.

When I came across this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup, it caught my attention, pot pie filling MINUS the nasty crust, in a soup form?!  Whoa, now we're talking.  It is hearty, filling, warming and super duper good.
Not a whole lot can top a good bowl of soup in the late stages of winter.  Touché?

I'm attaching the link at the bottom of this post because there is actually a pot pie biscuit that goes with this recipe if crust is your thing.

Enjoy!

• SOUP:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup cubed peeled potatoes
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup frozen petite peas
• 1 cup frozen corn

Directions

• For soup, in a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, onion, celery and carrots; cook and stir for 5-7 minutes or until onion is tender.
• Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended; gradually whisk in broth. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients; heat through.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chicken-Potpie-Soup

Puppers In The Snow

Charley loves snow.  But she especially loves FRESH snow and I get a kick out of watching her.  I pulled out my pics from last year during her very first snow and compared them to this year's first snow.  First thing you may notice is that she was about 10ish lbs in last year photos and she now weighs a whooping 71 lbs!  But she's still very much a puppy, plays hard/sleeps hard!  And oh man, a BIG puppy at that!

CHARLEY 2011:

Too scared to go down the stairs!

What am I suppose to do?! 

Oh ya... I got this figured out now, yeee haaa!

So what's underneath this snow anyways?!

So nice of Dad to clear a path for me!

 CHARLEY 2012:

This coat really flatters my bigger figure 

Like I said... ALL PUPPY!  

Nose Dive!

Aaron and Charley playing in the snow 

Thanks Dad for clearing a path for me but it's much more fun to pounce thru it!

I played hard, I worked up a poop, now let me in so I can nap 

Cancun It Is!

After the holidays are long gone and the days are dreary and cold... I start to get the vacation itch.  We love to travel; our travels have become some of our fondest memories so we try to travel as much as we are able to.  Aaron and I went on a cruise in the Caribbean last spring and loved that time of year because it made last summer feel extra long so this year we decided let's do something similar again.

But where?!  The Bahamas are amazing but wanted somewhere we had never been.  Mexico was a destination that intrigued me.  Cancun, Los Cabos, Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, and Cozumel were our narrowed down list.  Tulum really caught my eye, beautiful in pictures, but felt like the accommodation options weren't as appealing.  What is unappealing to most about Cancun is what makes it appealing to us, it's commercialized.  I feel Cancun is going to feel safe; we know it's a tourist trap, but we actually find that appealing to recognize restaurants and hotel chains in a foreign country.  I feel Tulum has the most stunning beaches upon my research but Cancun comes in a close enough second that we decided Cancun it is!

Tulum, Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen are all within an hour away from Cancun and considered taking a day excursion to visit these but Aaron reminded me that I always overbook our vacations and we tend to have a better time when it is unplanned and more 'go with the flow', which is hard for a planner like me!  So at this time, we've decided we are going to stay put in Cancun during our stay and don't really have much planned other than soaking up the sun on the beach.  We purposely avoided spring break, surrounded by drunk crazy college students is not our idea of relaxation, call me OLD!

We had initial concerns about Mexico's safety.  But have read that the Mayan Riviera and Yucatan Peninsula is a very safe area.  The parts of Mexico that have been deemed unsafe and are known for drug lords are many miles away from here.  One website used the analogy would you cancel your vacation to St. Louis if there was a murder in New York?  Of course not.  Upon research, I felt a lot more comfortable moving forward with this destination.

Our hotel is beachfront, swim up bar, infinity pool, multiple restaurants, spa, etc.  4 nights/5 days, YIPPY SKIPPY!  Excited for the memories we will make while there, Aaron and I have a blast during our travels.  Super excited to spend 24/7 with the hubby!

With swimsuit season literally months away now, we gotta get down to business!  Diet and exercise regimen is in full force, yuck that part not so fun and I'm already failing at it, seriously why can't I just crave lettuce!?!  Here are some online pics of Cancun, Mexico!  I'll be letting you know how it goes when the time comes!