Fall is here

I absolutely love the changing of the seasons. Lately here in Louisville fall has come upon us quickly. The leaves are turning and some have already fallen off the trees. There is also a distinct chill in the air. I could actually see my breath this morning when I took Paisley outside.

This changing of the seasons has given me the urge to bake pumpkin pies and enjoy a steaming bowl of soup next to a roaring fire. Ahh, I love fall. Next week is Jon's Fall Break which means a week of no school and three days off work just to enjoy time together. I can hardly wait. Hopefully I'll have a chance to take some nice fall pictures during that time so I'll make sure to post them...I haven't done a very good job keeping up with the picture taking. Anyway here is one of Jon's favorite soups I make. We substitute bacon for ham since Jon is slightly obsessed with the tasty breakfast meat. It definitely feels like a good fall meal so enjoy!

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

Submitted by: ELLIE11 Rated: 5 out of 5 by 1799 members

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Ready In: 45 Minutes Yields: 8 servings

"This is a delicious recipe for ham and potato soup that a friend gave to me. It is very easy and the great thing about it is that you can add additional ingredients, more ham, potatoes, etc and it still turns out great."

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 1/3 cup diced celery 1/3 cup finely chopped onion 3/4 cup diced cooked ham

3 1/4 cups water 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper,

or to taste 5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2.	In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3.	Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

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Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/2/2008