Um, Um, Good!

Okay, you asked for my recipes I served today, and here they are. Sadly, although I brought my camera to class, I forgot to take photos. You'll have to make these yourself to see how they look. Look fast though--they'll disappear before you know it!

BAKED POTATO SOUP

2 large baking potatoes (about 8 ounces each)

6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion (3)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups milk

1-1/4 cups shredded (diced) American cheese (5 ounces)

4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush; pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool. Cut each potato lengthwise. Scoop out white portion of each potato. Break up any large pieces of potato. Discard potato skins. (Or eat them filled with yummy stuff. Your choice. They just aren't needed for the soup.)

In a large saucepan cook 3 tablespoons of the green onion in butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add the potato and 1 cup of the cheese; stir until cheese melts.

Top each serving with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons green onion, and the bacon. (NOTE: Since I was serving this in a crockpot as a "serve yourself" food, I just put it all in at the same time and didn't mess around with "toppings.")

Makes 5 to 6 servings (5-1/2 cups)

APPLE CAKE

2 c. white granulated sugar

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

4 c. peeled, diced apples

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. baking soda

Mix together in bowl the sugar, oil, eggs, and apples; blend well. Add flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix well again. (Batter will seem dry and hard to mix–this is the way it should be.) Transfer mix to greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, warm or cold. Yum!