YUMMY Soup

This recipe was SOOO good! I got so many people asking for it that I decided to make a blog post about it and give the recipe-I should have taken a pic!

mac+cheese soup

10 slices thick-cut bacon

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 14 oz. can vegetable broth

3 cups whole milk

1 Tbl. good-quality chili powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dry mustard

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups dried elbow macaroni, cooked

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon, crumble, set aside

2.Add a little oil to the pan if needed, then add the onion. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onion is soft and lightly browned, about another 5 minutes

4. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Then add the milk, chili powder, pepper, and mustard

5. Return the soup to a simmer while stirring occasionally. Cook for 3 minutes. Add cheese and bacon and continue cooking and stirring until well blended, about 4 minutes. Add the macaroni and return to simmer. Remove from heat and serve with parsley garnish.

It was DE-LISH

Things I LOVE and am GRATEFUL for

1. My hubby-duh, he's amazing

2. Books-I just got done reading A Thousand Splendid Suns and truly loved it, right before that I read The Kite Runner and right before that Mockingjay, all very good books, currently reading: These is my Words, CANT get enough of books!

3. My family-don't worry this is in no particular order..hahahha

4. My friends-I wish I could see them all more!

5. My job-even though it can get a little boring or tedious at times, there's always an adventure here and there to keep me going-gotta love projects

6. Food-wow, does that sound like a fatty of me or what?! BUT i do love good food, that's why I really want to check out this El Salvadorian place on Center, this Peruvian place by the mall, and this French Bakery off of State, oh and learning new recipes is always wonderful

7. Traveling (see, I told you this wasn't in any particular order, if it was..this would be close to number one ;) Yes, I'm a fanatic, My goal is to go to every country in the world-HA yeah right, who does that? BUT I definitely have travel dreams to go to many other countries I haven't been to yet..I know my husband is rolling his eyes as he reads this, but yes, seeing places I've never seen before and are interesting to me, truly fascinates me. Estoy super animada para Disneyland and Texas!!

8.Learning-I'm very thankful I got my education, but I truly love learning new things. I try to listen to NPR every day so I can listen in on all the appealing things they talk about, I also try to catch up on MSN and YAHOO to see what the latest news story is. I would love to take night classes on random things but that's not really in the cards right now

9. The Gospel-ok this one would definitely be close to number 1, obvio, but I'm sincerely grateful and deep down happy because I have the true gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and I reap from the blessings of living it everyday. Conference this weekend! Everyone should watch!

10. Blogging, aka blarging, as Robert would put it, I truly believe every single one of my friends should have a blog, honestly, why shouldn't they have a blog??

11. Being in good shape-As much as I'm not in good shape right now, I remember when I was and I truly miss it, I need to get off my fanny and go to the gym more often-don't worry-I plan to go right after I leave this post. I read an article on Drew Carey and how he lost 75 pounds or something, he looks like a new person! Working out is something I'm def. a fan of.

12. Movies-OK so I love movies, more like..I love to see movies, I usually don't like seeing a movie more than once unless its something amazingly entertaining like "Hitch" with charmer Michael Weston or "It's a Wonderful Life"-my fav, but viewing a good movie for the first time is always something to splendor...which reminds me, we're seeing the Facebook Movie on Friday and I am excited! I truly think this movie will do really well since ALMOST everyone can relate to it, no?

13. Music-gets me goin, what can I say?Especially hip hop or anything with a good beat, oh and I do miss my calling as a relief society pianist, it allowed me to have a keyboard ;-0

14. GAMES! So fun and I love collecting them! Very much a game oriented fam

15. I can go on, but I won't..but whatev, if I think of anything else, I'll just add it, gotta

LOVE LIFE :)

YAY for PATTY

Wow, it has been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long since I blogged, what is my prob bob? I dunno..all I know is that it is definitely that time and I know all of you are SO excited, ha, all 5 of you that read this blog, but anyway.... SO, I dedicate this blog to Patty, AKA Natty, AKA Natalie Crabb Lalone. She is pretty much like my sister, SO my parents and I went out to her graduation back in July. This was also a BIG deal for Patty because she was the first to graduate in her immediate family (well..her other immediate family) I didn't have a camera since the camera we own was in PA so I had to rely on other peeps to take pics (which by the way-I've definitely learned to hate doing because you never get the pics back OR you end up getting them months later and it doesn't fit into sequence with your blogging but whatev) She graduated in general studies from BYU-Idaho and so my rents and I took a little trippy trip up to Idaho so that we could celebrate with her and her hubber and her sonner. It was also fab times because I got to see mi hermano Rhetty poo as well! What a great bro.

One thing I do have to say that I thought was quite annoying was that we weren't aloud to clap or scream when Patty walked across the stage!! What up with that? I know they are trying to keep the spirit strong there on campus and I do fully agree that having the spirit on campus is very important, BUT I also believe that during a joyous celebration such as: a graduation, I believe people should be more than welcome to scream and yell when you're loved one crosses the stage! I hope I'm not struck with a lightening bolt now that I've said that, but I just think that occasion is too happy to sit down and be quite instead of voicing your enthusiasm for the person graduating. Anyway, GO PATTY, I just LOVE America because we find any way possible to celebrate (especially Mormons) which having fun is my specialty :)

Um...why do I have a double chin here? Earth to Crystal-Go to the gym

My mom has an obsession with this pic because she thinks she ALWAYS takes bad pics and this one is good but whatev, she looks good in all of em, don't believe her

Natty and the rents

Rhett looks SO excited to be in this pic

OK I posted this pic because I think its hilar that my mom always wants to get pictures of the speakers even if she doesn't remember their names or what they talked about at graduations..(hence..the speaker in the background)

Natty brought Hyrum up on stage and I'm preeeetty sure that guy next to her doesn't apprec.

Why am I biting my lip? Natty is soo animada

And..why are my eyes closed? Natty just wanted to show her camptodactyly, it is a medical condition..a very serious and contagious one in fact..