For you, FPM- Funeral Potatoes

Now, before my Utah friends get all uppity about their own secret family recipes, let me say this. I did not grow up here, I do not consider myself a native and I cannot claim any Pioneer ancestry. I am the Pioneer of my family! I joined the LDS church when I was 19 and made the long trek West 3 years later. Okay, we trekked in a Honda Civic with air conditioning, but you see what I'm saying, right? So this is the recipe that *I* use (honestly, not very often) and like. Feel free to add your own in the comments below. Some of my friends have been opening their blogs up this week for "Ask A Mormon" Week. Open and honest discussion, a little bit of humor and a safe place to ask all of those things that you don't know about us Crazy Mormons. Hop over HERE to ask, hop over HERE to see who is about to be inducted in to the Funeral Potato Lovers of America, and please, go make a batch of Funeral Potatoes just for me. According to a friend of mine, you can only eat these with ham, a jello salad and Lion House rolls. Don't tell on me, I like 'em with pork chops and corn, and I am not fond of jello salad, especially if it is green and/or includes carrots. I told you, NOT FROM AROUND HERE! Oh, by the way, do not make these or even read the recipe out loud if you're on a diet.

Funeral Potatoes
1 large (32 oz) bag of frozen shredded hash browns
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter, melted
1 pint of sour cream
1/2 c. very finely chopped onions (gotta hide them from the kids)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. crushed L*ys plain potato chips-you can try another kind but they won't be as good!
handful of bacon bits (optional but tasty- FP purists would never use them)
Mix all ingredients except the chips and bacon bits in a large bowl, pour into a 9x13 pan, sprinkle the chips and bacon on top and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Leaving Home

I just realized what is bothering me so much about moving. We're losing our "family history." People here know us, but they also KNEW us. Our babies were their babies and theirs are ours. We've all laughed and cried together through every stage of childhood. We've seen them learn to drive, graduate, go to college and get married. We've even welcomed a "grandbaby" or two! We've sent some on missions, we've sent some to Kindergarten, we've waved as they left on first dates or learned to ride a Big Bike. We carpool, we hang out, we laugh and cry and pray for each other. We've had late-night calls for humidifiers or urgent requests to pick up a child who needs stitches. We get invited to each other's family events and people there know who we are. The kids know whose house has the freezer full of Otter Pops, where to stash the scooters when they're having an airsoft war, whose Mom has the cool band-aids or which friend has the biggest dress-up box. We know who we could call for anything, anytime. We Moms know when to just drop off a pizza and a Coke or who will pick up an extra gallon of milk at Costco. The Dads know who to call when they need help fixing a sink or someone to bring the bait. We've seen each other through hard times and rejoiced together over victories. I have "my girls" and they have my back. We are BFFEAE (ask Goose). A house is just a place to sleep, it's the people around you who make a place "home." Today, I don't want to go!

Our New Playground

Well, almost. Still have to iron out a few pesky details like selling a house, buying a house, packing up all of our belongings and moving clear across the country. Piddly stuff. Remember, this picture was taken in January. I was using my old camera that broke two pictures later. The colors are real and yes, the beach was that beautiful. And did I mention JANUARY? We *heart* South Florida, especially when we came home to what I can only hope was a malfunctioning thermometer, because it said 5. As in one more than 4. I think it's still broken because today it only showed me 21 and that's supposed to be a "warming trend." However, I have never found an alligator, python or giant bug in my yard or home so Utah has its perks too.