Hearty Potato Soup
This soup is truly amazing and perfect for chilly weather. Make it often and revel in its tasty glory.
What you’ll need:
(Makes 10 servings)
- 6 cups chopped and cubed potatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 tbs. margarine
- 2 tsp. parsley flakes
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 cups hot hot water
- 3 cups milk divided (set 1/4 aside)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Combine first 6 ingredients in a dutch oven.
Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water
Bring to a boil over medium flame; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 min. or until veggies are tender.
Dissolve flour in 1/4 cup of the milk; stir into soup.
Add remaining milk. Cook over medium flame until it thickens. About 25. min.
Once it’s done cooking on the stove top pour in your bowl and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. EAT UP! and hide the rest or else your thieving roommates will eat it.
The Essentials: Part 1
Do you have something that you MUST have at your place no matter what? I do too. These items get me through the everyday and I have been thankful to have them on hand.
In my fridge:
- Apples & Peanut butter: It’s a quick healthy snack that gives me energy while I’m studying.
- Crescent Rolls: I use these for a ton of things. One being an awesomely easy and quick pizza pocket recipe.
*Tip: fold them into squares rather than triangles. - Yogurt: Great for smoothies, a quick snack, healthy and DELICIOUSLY cheap.
- Sweet Tea: It’s an addiction, and I’m never going to quit it! All Southern homes need a pitcher or two of this delicious drink.
- Milk: I love cereal and cooking and milk always has a place in my fridge.
- Broccoli: Delicious and fantastic to dip in mashed potatoes.
- Butter: Who doesn’t love butter?
In my pantry:
- Cheerios: I hate sugary cereal and cheerios tastes great morning, noon, or night.
- Powdered sugar: I use it for icing and as a garnish.
- Sweet Peas: They’re my favorite veggie next to broccoli.
- Potatoes: This is seriously one of the most healthy, versatile, and delicious foods mother nature every invented. I promise to share some delicious recipes (including a to die for potato soup that will warm you up on the coldest nights)
- Betty Crocker Warm Delights: This is a splurge item, but it’s just so darn good and quick!
- Honey: It’s great for cooking, tea, acne, biscuits and allergies. Beneficial and natural.
In my room:
- Tissues: Great for a good cry while watching Lifetime movies or when allergy season hits.
*Tip: Take a spoonful of honey or mix it in with tea a couple times a day to help relieve allergies. - Candles: I love to let these babies burn. They make my room smell fresh despite my cats’ best efforts.
- A comfy blanket: Who needs an explanation for that? Blankets are awesome.
What do you have to have in your fridge, pantry, and room??
The nightmare of picking classes
When I went to college orientation I was so excited to finally begin my college career. Then came the time at the end of the session to register for classes. I hadn’t listened to a word the presenters had said. (I was busy making new friends)
My student aid told me to sign up for whatever I wanted. BIG MISTAKE. I signed up for a bunch of classes I had no business taking. So, after a couple of days I consulted a friend who went to the same school and he helped pick the right ones. YAY!
But most of you will not know anyone older, wiser and let’s face it caring enough to tell you what classes to take. So, I’m here to tell you to meet with an adviser. That’s what they’re there for!
I had already decided my major, (and have stuck with it! yay me!) so my adviser new which pre-reqs I needed in order to get the ball rolling on my path to a degree.
However, if you’re undeclared, take your general education courses and give yourself some time to think about what you want to do with your life (or just the next four years 😉 ).
Tip: Take your English, math, philosophy, and science classes first.
So you’ve got loud roommates
Don’t we all? And chances are you’ve probably been on the giving side of that relationship too. My solution: earplugs.
Now, I just moved in with my roommates and I haven’t quite worked up the courage to tell them to keep it down. So, for now I stuff my ears at night and sleep in peace. Mine are comfortable and easy to sleep with. They also drown out the sound of my neighbors dogs BONUS!
I understand that my roommates are on a different schedule than me and when they’re getting home, I’m usually going to bed. So I let them have their couple hours of TV enjoyment. Sometimes if they leave the room I’ll go and turn the volume down in secret. *chuckles*
Sleep well, and if you decide to approach your roommates about noise issues do it nicely…or else they might just use your toothbrush to clean the toilet.
Organization is your friend
Whether your fed up with not being able to find your shoes in the morning or you just can’t seem to remember where your keys are…I promise that keeping all that STUFF organized will make you feel at ease. And making that organization cheap and CUTE doesn’t hurt either. When I’m looking for inspiration to organize all my thangs I often turn to other blogs, Pinterest or my own ingenuity (I know! crazy right).
I’ve tried quite a few organization methods, and the ones that work best for me are color coding and categories.
I keep all my clothes (in the world’s tiniest closet) in order of type (starting with strapless and moving towards short sleeve). I feel like this method has helped me not only keep my sanity when I wake up at 7:00 a.m. and realize I don’t know what to wear and I have to be at work in 30 min.! But it also helps me match things up. I know where my white shirts are, I know where my black pants are. ahhhhhhh.
Now I’m a crazy fashionista, and one on a tiny tiny tiny budget. So, when I’m filling my color coded closet with goodies I turn to Ross, Forever 21, TJ Maxx, Plato’s Closet, and Papaya. These stores have great clothes at affordable prices, in fact if I’m being super thrifty with my money for the week I can afford to pick a new top or two each week. Did I mention I have a clothes addiction?
Now go organize that closet until it looks like the rainbow! You’ll thank me later.
P.S. When you get home at night…LEAVE YOUR KEYS IN YOUR PURSE…you will never lose them again. ( in the fridge, under the bed, inside the dryer, in your jacket pocket that you left in the bathroom at the bar last night…)
How to mix black and brown in an outfit tastefully
Here’s a simple outfit that works for work, school, and going out at night. It mixes black and brown by using a leopard print scarf. And I put all together on a small budget…thanks mainly to Plato’s Closet!
Colorful sweater ( I chose purple because I lurve that color!) (Plato’s Closet)
Black vest (Plato’s closet)
White spaghetti strap shirt (Plato’s closet)
Leopard print scraf (Plato’s closet)
Black skinny jeggings (Ross)
Brown boots. (Mine are Steve Madden, got them for a steal at $40 at Ross)
Now go rock those awesome fall outfits!
The Cheesy Life
So, I’m busy. You’re busy. None of us have enough time to do the things we enjoy the most.
One of my passions is food, among others. And one of my go to recipes for a quick and easy single serve meal is the classic baked mac ‘n’ cheese.
My recipe is cheap, easy and can be cooked in about 30 min.
What you’ll need:
3 tsp. butter
1 tsp. flour
1/3 cup of milk (or more depending on how creamy you want it)
5 slices of American cheese
As much Parmesan cheese as you want to top it off.
- Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Put a small pot of water on the boil.
- Once that water starts to boil a coup of your favorite pasta. I currently have the classic elbow variety.
- Let that pasta boil until it’s good and tender. About 8 min.
- Drain the pasta.
- Now in that same pot, add 3 tsp. of butter (or margarine) I use the latter.
- Wait for it to melt.
- Add 1 tsp. of flour. Stir it into the butter until well mixed.
- Add 1/3 cup of milk. Stir your mixture together until it boils.
- Add 5 slices of American cheese. Stir until melted.
- Add your drained pasta to the cheesy sauce.
- Pour your mac into a single serve bake safe dish.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
- Put in oven and cook for 8 min.
- Voila! Awesome mac ‘n’ cheese.
I love this baked mac ‘n’ cheese. And if you don’t like it baked, stop at step 12!
I make this almost every single week. The clean up is minimal and it tastes delicious. It stores well, and IF I have leftovers I take it to work the next day. Tonight it all got gobbled up.
The AffordaBelle 