Lauren Gaskill Inspires

Country Potato Soup

January 14, 2014 • Leave a Comment

There is a rule among food bloggers.

And it’s simple: make sure your pictures look pretty.

Though I usually abide by the unwritten codes of food-photography conduct, a messy photo just seemed fitting for this potato soup recipe. Maybe I should have photoshopped the stringy cheese and splashes of potato on the side of the bowl…but I didn’t. Because potato soup should never be about appearance. It’s all about the taste.

All I can say is — yum! There are hardly any ingredients to this soup, but don’t let that fool you; it is full of flavor and super rich. Special thanks to this recipe’s creator, Lee Miller, a woman whom I deeply respect. Over the last few years, we’ve developed a tradition of cooking together whenever I’m back home in Elkhart, Ind. What a joy these kinds of traditions are!

Usually I’m the one who comes up with the recipes, but I’m so glad Lee shared this with me the last time I was with her family. It is a real treat!

Country Potato Soup

Author: Lee Miller | Serves: 8

Ingredients
8 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup onions, diced
3 cups water and 3 chicken-flavored bouillon cubes (or chicken stock)
2 cups milk
2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream
2 tablespoons flour (heaping)

Instructions
1. Combine the first three ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and then cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are cooking, mix together the milk, sour cream and flour in a large bowl.

2. When the potatoes are done cooking, mash with a potato masher until your desired consistency. Reduce the heat to low and gradually add in the milk mixture. Stir until thickened. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

3. Serve in bowls and top with crumbled bacon, ground pepper and shredded cheese.

Butternut Squash Sage Biscuits

December 30, 2013 • Leave a Comment

When I tweak an old or develop a new recipe, there’s always a risk involved.

Did I put too much of something in? Am I leaving something out? What would happen if I tried this…? These are the questions that run through my mind. The inspiration for these biscuits came from Farm Girl Gourmet. The difference between hers and mine come down to the squash.

I love butternut squash. Roasted, boiled, mashed or pureed, I could eat it any way. Putting more squash into the biscuit dough was a risk (they could have turned out overly soggy), but it ended up giving the biscuits a very moist texture—different from the traditional dry biscuit. In this case, taking a risk paid off.

I also used mashed butternut squash as a substitute for butternut squash puree, because I wanted chunks of squash in the savory dough.

Making Spirits Bright

November 25, 2013 • Leave a Comment

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and Christmas already on many of our minds (Anybody else break out the Michael Bublé Let It Snow album yet?) Thursday marks the beginning of a season of giving. In an ideal world, this season would be a 24/7 way of life, but a lot of us need that turkey and some mistletoe to remind us why giving is important.

Whether it’s time, love, grace, joy, peace, inspiration, assistance, guidance, resources—we all are in need of these freely given gifts. Even the tiniest sacrifice has the potential to create positive and significant ripple effects. A gift makes spirits bright.

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I were reminded of the importance of giving time by helping Minnetrista, a local cultural center, decorate for the winter season. At 10 a.m., few volunteers were showing up, but one-by-one, a solid group formed within the hour.

For three hours we hammered snowflakes into the wall, stringed skates with blue ribbon, decked out trees and enjoyed some pretty delicious food. Nobody asked any of us to be there, but by simply offering our time, we were able to create something beautiful for the community. It was also a joy to see how everyone used their unique gifts to fulfill specific needs for the project.

Wonderful things happen when we make ourselves available and use our talents for the benefits of others.

When we give unselfishly, we make a difference…and no matter how big or small that difference is, I guarantee you that it does not occur in vain. Life is enriched when we choose to give freely and offer ourselves for the sake of something greater.

Whole Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

November 19, 2013 • Leave a Comment

College graduation is less than a month away. Whoa.

What am I doing with my last days of college freedom? Aside from the obvious tasks—like going to class, doing homework, studying, etc.—I’ve decided to make more time for the things I enjoy in life. Whether it’s baking, swimming, singing, talking with friends, reading or catching a good laugh, I’m trying to finish the semester right by allowing myself to do the things I love.

I have the rest of my life to work. This is a phrase others have told me multiple times throughout the workaholic phases of my college career; but it’s just now starting to hit home. Read More

Pumpkin Oat Bread + Harvest Applesauce

October 23, 2013 • Leave a Comment

To prepare for moving to Minnesota in January, I’ve started stocking up on warm winter wear. Boots, sweaters, mittens, thermals, thick scarfs, wool leggings… let’s just say, with all I need, I’ve never been more thankful for a buy one get one free sale.

I know sales are gimmicks—that most things are overpriced to begin with—but I’m a bargain hunter at heart, and finding a good deal feels good. So over fall break, my mother and I scoured Northern Indiana for the best sales. Let me tell you, it was worth the extra driving around. (Northern Indiana ladies, check out Flourish Boutique in Granger for beautiful, quality clothing at an affordable price!)

“Never settle for something when you can look at other places,” mom always says. And she’s right; sometimes the best things in life take time and require lots of patience. Like this Harvest Applesauce recipe, which slowly cooks for 10 hours in order to reach perfection. You’ll want to eat it when the smell fills up your house after one hour, but you’ll just have to wait.

Seeing Ourselves As We Are In Christ

October 14, 2013 • Leave a Comment

For my senior honors thesis at Ball State University, I am writing a women’s devotional book. I began this project hoping that thousands of women would benefit from the stories and words that line the pages. What I didn’t anticipate however, but have found along the way, is that God is changing my heart as I delve deeper into this project.

Trail 2 at Clifty Falls State Park in Madison, Indiana

Yesterday, after my boyfriend and my annual camping trip, I sat down to write chapter four of the book, “What is Beauty.” For 10 minutes, I sat in frustration, unsure where to start. As a woman who has struggled with self-perceived beauty, there is so much I could say…

When the words wouldn’t come I took a break by uploading camping pictures. As the thumbnails flashed one-by-one across my computer screen, I felt a jolt of inspiration. I remembered the joy I felt walking through canyons and riverbeds, breathing in the sights and sounds of trickling waterfalls and basking in the calming embrace of fall’s sunshine. I’d never been so captivated by beauty.

Nature doesn’t try to be showy or beautiful—it just is. The magnificence of God’s creation doesn’t have to be realized, because it’s all around us and can’t be denied.

We, too, are beautiful as we are, and our Father longs for us to see ourselves the way He sees us. I’m always captivated by Psalm 139 where it talks about God loving us for all that we are:

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Country Potato Soup