HOME MADE with LOVE

So I was searching for a Baked Potato Soup recipe today and could not find one that I liked. . . I ventured out and made it all up on my own!!!  The true test was feeding it to my picky family and guess what????  They all gobbled it up and LOVED it!!  Probably because I added LOVE!!  Here is the recipe. 1 Box Chicken Broth 2 1/2 Cups Half and Half (reserve 1/2 cup) 8-10 Red Potatoes, cubed with skin on 2 1/2 Cups Shredded Colby Cheese (I actually just used 5 handfuls of cheese, but for the sake of measurements it equals about 2 1/2 cups) 1 small onion diced up 4 slices of American cheese 4 carrots sliced up 1/2 cup sour cream Ham diced up or bacon crumbled up (as much as you want) 4 tablespoons Corn Starch mixed up good with remaining 1/2 cup half and half Salt to your liking Pepper to your liking Garlic to your liking LOVE Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot.  Have a whisk and a wooden spoon ready.  You will need to whisk away any...

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons Flour 2 Pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes 6 Medium Carrots, peeled and sliced 6 Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed 1/2 large White Onion, peeled and chopped 2 cups water 1 cup Merlot 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 1/2 cup Soy Sauce 1 can of Tomato Soup 1 Tbls. Cornstarch Salt and Pepper to taste 1 cup frozen peas (to be added the last 15 minutes of cook time) 1.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Meanwhile place beef pieces in to Ziploc bag with flour and coat WELL.  Sear beef on all sides and transfer to Crock Pot. 1.  Add remaining ingredients to the Crock Pot.  Stir WELL to combine.  Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours or High for 4-6 hours.  I prefer the 10 hours.