potato soup

one of my favorite soups is potato.  it's something my mom cooked when i was a kid, and it's good for cold evenings.  granted, it's not quite cold out (it was 65°F outside today), but it's supposed to cool down into the lower 40s tonight.  and i wanted soup.  so soup is what i made!

i should be set with leftovers for about 3 or 4 days.

ingredients:
- about 2 pounds russet potatoes
- about 1/4 pound carrots (i used baby carrots because they were in my fridge)
- celery seed (about 1/2 tsp)
- 1 big cube of chicken bouillon (mom's recipe calls for 3-4 cubes, but i do try to limit salt)
- garlic powder
- cayenne pepper (this is not per mom's recipe...but i decided to see how it worked)
- one 12 oz can of evaporated milk
- 1/4 stick margarine
- pepper

preparation:
peel and cube the potatoes, and add them to a reasonably sized pot.  chop the carrots into pieces approximately the same size as the potatoes and toss them in, as well.  add water until the potatoes/carrots are covered and move freely when stirred.  add the bouillon, celery seed, garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp or so), and cayenne pepper (just a few shakes as an experiment in heat).  bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer (stirring occasionally).

i'm not particularly quick when it comes to the peeling and chopping (and other general prep work), so it took me about 30-45 minutes to get to the point of simmering.

simmer the soup for about an hour (or until the potatoes are tender).  pour in the evaporated milk.  important note: shake the can well!  if you don't, the solids will settle and leave a sludge in the bottom of the can.  yes, i found this out the hard way...but fortunately, that lesson was not learned today.  at the same time, add the margarine and pepper.  stir until warm (but do not let the mixture boil).  serve and enjoy!

verdict:
i think i may have been on the verge of adding too much cayenne.  it wasn't quite overpoweringly spicy, but my bowl of soup did clear my sinuses.  if i decide to keep the cayenne next time, maybe i'll stick with only the two shakes.  also, since i avoided using baking potatoes this time, the cubes of potato did not fall completely to mush.  i am well pleased.