By Sheri Hopkins,
Lifestyle Contributor

Hello everyone! Glad the freezing temps are gone. I’m more of a hot-weather person than cold, but I try not to complain about the weather. We get what the good Lord gives us. Most of ya’ll know I’m an animal lover, and in Dr. Doolittle fashion, they all love me. I always talk to dogs and I talk to the neighbor’s cat.

I was in Hot Springs one weekend and there was a dog in the back seat of a vehicle so I started talking to him and his owner. A lady rolls the window up while I’m talking to him like I’m some crazy lady. I always talk to JR, my chihuahua, and tell him he’s momma’s kid and how sweet he is. That all being said, I’ve encountered two species that don’t like me. A turkey and my friend Lisa Favela’s chihuahua, Daisy. I went over to Lisa’s to take her something one day and they hollered come in and that crazy Daisy bit me on the foot. I had a horrible bruise and now I won’t dare go in unless that dog is put up in another room. She hates me, she barks the whole time I’m there. They have a Boston terrier, Dax. He loves me. Climbs all over me and sits on my lap. The turkey that hated me belonged to Travis and Betty Clay. They lived out on Highway 96 across from James Fork Church. We used to go out there and fish in their pond and visit with them. The turkey was always fine with me. One weekend Travis and Betty were going to Texas for a few days so they told us to come out and fish if we wanted to while they were gone. So me and my brother, Larry, and probably his boys decided to go fishing one evening. We go to the gate and that crazy turkey will not let us near it. We tried and tried. It chased me like a guard dog, guarding that gate. I was so scared of that turkey and needless to say we didn’t get in the gate and didn’t get to go fishing. If Travis and Betty were there he would let us go in but we found out the hard way if they were gone it was a no-go. We sure had some fun times at their place with Renee and Quade. The good ole days. So to this day, I’m scared of turkeys. If you need a good guard dog just get a turkey it will run people off your property quicker than any dog can. Gobbling the whole time. This week’s recipe is crock pot potato soup.

POTATO SOUP
1 30 oz. bag of frozen hash brown potatoes (the southern style)
2 14 oz. cans of chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
Optional toppings: shredded cheese, bacon, sliced green onions

In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, chicken broth, soup, onion, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. The potatoes will start to fall apart when ready. Add the cream cheese and cook 30 more minutes or until the cream cheese is melted. Stir occasionally, until combined. Add the toppings of your choice. The soup is thick and creamy. You can also add more broth or milk if you want to thin it.