Cheesy Corn Chowder

This is a kid-friendly favorite that always gets gobbled up by even the pickiest eaters I've encountered. It is perfect for a chilly fall or winter day. Something about the combination of potatoes and a creamy cheese soup is cozy and comforting. You can make this dish vegetarian by omitting the bacon pieces and using water flavored with instant chicken bouillon granules.

• 1 lbs. potatoes (approx. 3-4), peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Tiny sprinkle cayenne pepper (optional)
• Dash of black pepper
• 3 cups milk
• 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen whole kernel corn
• 3 Tbsp bacon pieces, crumbled (you can use store purchased real bacon pieces if you don't want to cook and crumble some up yourself)
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup mild or medium cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a large saucepan, combine potatoes, broth, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

2. Bring broth to boiling and then reduce heat. Cover and let potatoes simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the milk, corn, and bacon pieces.

4. Pour remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour into a resealable air-tight plastic container. Place lid firmly on container, and shake to combine. Conversely, you could mix these two together in a bowl with a wisk... I just think shaking them together is more fun!

5. Add about 1/4 cup of hot broth to flour and milk, stirring as you add it.

6. Slowly pour flour and milk mixture into potato and broth mixture, stirring constantly so flour doesn't clump.

7. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

8. Cook one additional minute, stirring gently occasionally.

9. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Pomegranate Guacamole

Much to my husbands chagrin, guacamole is one of my favorite snacks. I will eat just about any kind of "guac," but this one is a particular favorite.

This recipe is a little different because it incorporates the tangy sweetness of pomegranate seeds to compliment the creamy richness of the avocados. This is so good, I could eat a whole bowl by myself... in about 10 minutes.

• 2 large, ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• The arils (seeds) of one pomegranate (click here to find out an easy way to get the arils out of a pomegranate)
• 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mash avocados in a large bowl with a fork.

2. Mix lemon juice into mashed avocado.

3. Add 1/3 cup pomegranate arils, cucmber, green onions, and cilantro.

4. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Scoop guacamole into a serving bowl and top with the remaining pomegranate seeds as a garnish.

6. Serve with tortilla chips.

No-Bake Cookies

Okay, okay! I know what you're thinking. Another cookie recipe?! Really, Brittney? Well... what can I say? I warned you I had a chronic sweet tooth! As long as we are on the subject, I thought I would share a recipe that is great when you don't have the time to bake dozens of cookies, but want something sweet to eat.

These little babies aren't really cookies in the traditional sense, but they are easy, fast, and tasty! Trust me, I know my sweets! ^_^

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick of butter
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 cups oats

1. In a large sauce pan, heat milk, sugar, and butter to a boil.

2. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.

3. Once peanut butter is incorporated, add cocoa powder and oats. Stir until all the oats are evenly coated.

4. Drop rounded tablespoons onto waxed paper (I use my handy dandy scoop).

5. Allow to cool and set. Enjoy!

See! I told you they were fast and easy!

Sumptuous Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup

The first time I ever had French onion soup was my senior year in high school. My now husband was my boyfriend at the time and had secretly made a romantic, 5 course meal for me. After a fresh green salad, he brought out piping hot, homemade French onion soup.

I was a bit apprehensive, I mean, it's a soup that tastes like onion, for heavens sake! One bite, however, confirmed that not only was it a soup made from onions, it was a delicious soup made from onions!

This isn't the recipe that my husband used that night, but it is fabulously tasty and is a snap to make! Even though this is a slow-cooker recipe, it can be ready in as little as four hours (which is fast for a slow-cooker). The onions come out so tender and the broth is so flavorful, you'll have to have a second helping!

• 5 small onions, thinly sliced (be sure to use white or yellow onions, not red onions for this recipe)
• 2 cans (14 oz) beef broth (I mush prefer to use a low sodium variety so I can control the amount of salt that goes into my soup)
• 2 cans (10 oz) beef consomme
• 1/2 water
• 1 packet of dry onion soup mix
• 8-10 slices French bread, cut about 1 inch thick
• 1 cup grated Gruyere (if you can't find Gruyere cheese, you can substitute it with Provolone, which has a fairly similar flavor)

1. In a slow-cooker, stir together broth, consomme, water, and soup mix. Mix until combined.

2. Add onions to broth mixture. Give a quick stir to coat onions.

3. Cook on HIGH setting for 4 hours or LOW setting for 8 hours.

4. Portion soup into oven safe bowls. Place a slice of French bread on top of each bowl and sprinkle bread with shredded cheese.

5. Put soup bowls under the broiler in the oven until cheese is melted, about 30-60 seconds.

6. Serve warm.

NOTE: If you don't have oven safe bowls or don't want to be transporting soup to and from the oven (with my episodes of clumsiness, this is often a recipe for steaming hot disaster), you can place the bread slices on a cookie sheet, top with cheese, broil, and then move a slice to each bowl of soup once cheese is melted.