Snowfall

It snowed today, makes it feel like home. I've always loved the smell of the air when the snow is coming. All ove town Christmas decorations are popping up, but I look around the house and you'd hardly know the holiday was creeping up on us. Maybe I'm in denial, maybe it won't be so sad if I don't embrace it, maybe I can get all my gifts made if I pretend I have a little more time. By now we would have hiked out and chopped down a tree and the thought of digging the artificial one from the basement leaves me hollow inside. Soon my kids will force me to play along and in the end I'm sure it will be good for me. It'll be our first truly alone Christmas in ever. Maybe it's time to explore some new traditions...

On the other hand snowy weather means soup. There is little more comforting than a bowl of steaming soup. I had a craving for potato soup. It's different every time I make it, but I love it. I found this batch was picture worthy.

Note the bacon bits. I'm not a huge bacon fan, at least not on it's own. The boys love it and the man I married would happily eat a whole pound for breakfast. I tend to prefer sausage as a breakfast meat. All that aside I needed bacon on my potato soup, so I cooked it up. I used the grease to cook the onions, celery, and garlic for the soup and then I had an aha moment. Now I realise it's not a new idea, I'm not a genius, just sometimes things occur to me and I go "doh why didn't you think of that sooner." So my great idea SAVE THE GREASE. I hear this is common in the south. This is not something I recall from being a kid, but why haven't I been doing this all along?! Bacon is expensive and so much of it ends up in a puddle in the bottom of your pan. I usually bake my bacon to avoid the stovetop mess, but I still end up with a sheet o' grease afterwards. Well, now I have a happy jar o' grease to add flavor to my cooking. I tend to eat fairly healthy, but I enjoy real foods; butter, lard, and now bacon grease! Yummo!