If it's Leap Day, then I must be trying something new in the crock pot!

Loaded (not baked) Potato Soup, to be exact. I went to Trader Joe's to pick up potatoes and to get a little guidance on how best to prepare it, having never made it before, and not wanting to follow a Martha Stewart (or any other published) recipe. I wanted to Try Something New. I had insufficient time for this to be edible by the time Stephen got home, oh well. He walked in, stating that he assumed it wasn't ready, and fended for himself. Yay!

Here's my pictorial "recipe":

three slices of bacon, "cubed"

crock pot on high to cook that bacon!

small bag (1.5 lbs) of baby red
potatoes, rinsed and drained

cut in half and then sixths seems to be
the right size; no idea if this theory will hold

about a pound of two sharp cheeses

sliced "thinly"

and then subsequently "cubed"

for easier melting, of course! 

one "spoonful" each of fresh (prepared)
garlic and horseradish, per our tastes

there's the garlic

plus the horseradish

probably better to add broth and milk
AFTER the potatoes and cheese
(to avoid "splashback"), but I did
my liquids first. My Bad.

a good stir, and the garlic and horseradish float to the surface

spooning in potatoes (to avoid splash)

spooning in cheeses (to avoid splash)

ya gotta add your "herbs and spices",
amiright? ;)

a "thick" layer of seasoning

stirred occasionally

I think I'll turn it down to low and let it cook overnight, or maybe I'll turn it off just before bedtime so I can refrigerate it and then set it back to low in the morning. About an hour before I'd like to begin consuming it, I'll add frozen broccoli. I may or may not decide to thaw the broccoli enough to "cube" it. I don't ever buy fresh broccoli; I know that we'll never eat it before it goes bad. We keep a good variety of frozen veggies in stock for that reason. Anything that works well in a salad, though, we'll buy fresh. Stephen is a salad eater; I'm a fan of soups (year-round). We'll see how this one works out; even he is planning to help me consume it!

Any new recipes you're dying to share? Please share (if you've got your own blog, then just share the link)!