My Confidence is Restored! Thanks Mom

Figuring out what to cook for dinner, and then cooking it, is a big stress for me. My mom is a wonderful cook, and taught us from a young age how to cook. My dad's pancakes, and biscuits and gravy would be the hit of any breakfast restaurant. My brother, Ben, is quite the gourmet, and tweaks recipes until they are perfection. Holly is the master at bread and roll making, Natali bakes sweets better than most pastry chefs, Whitney makes really good curry, and Bryan makes really chocolatey chocolate chip pancakes. I don't think there is anything that I am known for. There are 4 or 5 dishes I cook often, that aren't too bad, but Jake is starting to get sick of them, amd actually asked me to stop making some of them.

Back to the story. . . . Potato Cheese Soup. It's a pretty basic meal, really easy to make, with only a few ingredients, but really yummy. We grew up eating this soup, and Jake's mom makes it quite often as well. I have made this on and off throughout our marriage, and it has ranged from terrible, to just okay. The last time I made it, it was so bad I had to throw the whole pan down the sink. I vowed to never make it again! Much to my surprise, Jake asked for this infamous soup for dinner tonight. I like when he tells me what to make, then I don't have to guess what he wants. But, anything but this, please!! However, he was quite adamant, and got the kids excited about it, so I called my mother, and asked her the trick to the delightful creaminess I always fail to achieve. She gave me a few pointers, and I gave it a whirl. I stirred and stirred, left it on a lower heat setting, seasoned, and tasted, and it actually turned out wonderful! One of the best meals I have made in a while. Jake wanted it paired with grilled cheese sandwiches, which made for way too much cheese, so he got full really fast. I just ate it with a Caesar Salad, and I am feeling very satisfied. My confidence in this simple dish is restored. Thanks for the help, Mom!!