Not really. I basically chop up some potatoes fairly fine and cook in reduced sodium/fat free chicken broth & water - with onion, garlic and other spices I throw in. I will cook this for awhile so potatoes get kind of mushy - it helps to thicken the broth. Then I'll chop up some more potatoes <a little larger> and cook until they are done. I will add some finely shredded cheese slowly so it melts. Then I'll add some fat free half & half and bacon bits. Then I'll put a little more cheese and some bacon bits in the bowl when served.

We had homemade potato, cheese, and bacon soup this weekend...

does chili count as soup?

Okie, I bet that's great!! Do you hunt your own elk or buy it?

Since we are talking cooking here...

Yesterday I was making a prime rib and had it spice rubbed overnight then I encrusted it with salt and it was happyily roasting away at 450 for the first 25 mintues, when some of the drippings were hitting the pyrex roasting dish I decided to add a little water to the bottom of the pan.....bad idea! The freaking hot roasting pan EXPLODED all inside the over when I added in the ice cold tap water!!! There were 10 million pieces of glass everywhere and I had to throw away the whole prome rib because we couldnt tell if there were teeny tiny glass shards in it or not!!!!!!!

I'm going to buy a really nice METAL roasting pan ans stay away from glass from now on!!

Oh, and on top of that I lost my camera somewhere in the snow the day before...

BnS, that's too bad (on both accounts). Sur La Table makes a wonderful roasting pan that I absolutely love. If you're a serious cook then get a good pan to do the job right.

What was the dry rub you used?

And, darling, why ever would you add cold water to a hot glass pan?? It's a bummer, though.

It's from a good friend, the taxidermist. My husband has never shot an elk, but it appears that we will have a stuffed bobcat in the house soon. Uh.... Yeah.. uh...how nice Dear!

stuffed animals make great Christmas and birthday gifts, any occasion really....

sorry BnS, maybe you shouldn't have added some crazy rowdies as friends over the holiday....bad karma and all.....

I guess I wasn't thinking BB.

I've wanted a nice raosting pan forever but most of the ones I run across aren't made to last, they scratch or get bent easily and I haven't had an extra $$ to buy one that I really want. But I think that's going to change now since the glass one exploded. I'll check out the Sur La Table that you recommend. Thanks for the advice, the right tool for the right job makes all the differnce!

I used fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, lots of pepper and olive oil, oh and there were slivers of garlic inserted all over the roast. ::mouth waters::

^^^^ closet rowdy

BnS, a heavy weight stainless steel one will work for ever. I have had mine for over 20 yrs.

That's what I'm in the market for Deek, I want it to still be in my cupboard when I die. Well used of course. Me and the roasting pan!

I'm quite fond of my kitchen tool, pots and pans and such, but I haven't committed to being buried/cremated with any of them. You're serious about this roasting pan, aren't you BnS?

Is that how you refer to whatchamacallit?

Well, not THAT serious!! I'm at the point in my life where I don't want anymore cheap junk that just needs to be replaced in a year or two, I want to buy it once and have it do the job well and last.

I have a really yummy & easy beef and barley soup recipe I want to share if I can remember to bring it. I don't store anything in my brain, too many regulations taking up space there.

Yeah, the pasta machine, Kitchen Aid mixer, my new roasting oven, food processor, blenders, Microplane, I really enjoy the new electric knife, and all the other toys that make cooking a joy.

none of y'all must have any counter space!!!

I got a blender for xmas.

my kitchen tools are the cookie jar, the candy jar, the tea jar, the coffee jar, the bread basket, the cracker barrel, and the snack bar....

So, frozen margaritas today?

BnS. bad bad bad, for you, the roast and the people expecting the roast. I invested in a metal roasting pan by calphelon (sp) with a nice rack to lift out the roast. Comes in a couple sizes. Works well and I take care of it so I expect to be buried with it. Roasts come out nice, good gravy drippings to increase your chances of a heart attack, what more can you ask for??

Pale, I wouldn't count Chili as a soup but I would take it over soup on a cold day any day of the year. I actually had some good chili this weekend.

<<<----pink sparkly hearts to cook.

roasted my pork and sauerkraut. I have a nice heavy-duty aluminum roasting pan with a rack that I've had since soon after we got married. Good as ever.

^^^^^^^^^^^^ and that is saying a lot, this is the equivalent of a lifetime at least!!!