Potato and Corn Bacon Chowder

Being a Stay At Home Mom has allowed me to hone my cooking skills. No offense Mom, but, I really didn't learn too much about cooking growing up. Sure Mom showed me how to measure and how to follow a recipe, but cooking really has been a learning process with me. I am lucky in the fact that Hubby is generally great at everything and that includes cooking and baking and sewing. He can mend rings around me. So, in the process of learning to cook, hubby has really been patient and has given some helpful tips.

What is amazing is that even though hubby is the better cook, I have taken up the cooking reigns around our home. I guess that comes with being "Suzie Homemaker." A title I have come to love and hate. Anyway per the suggestion of hubby many moons ago, I turned to allrecipies.com in order to find some new stuff to cook. I guess hubby was just tired of the three things my Mom taught me to cook: Spaghetti, beef stroganoff, and pot roast. So my Potato Bacon Chowder is actually a recipe I improved upon one day while staying at my Mom's. My Dad had asked me to make something for dinner, so I made a shrimp Mac n Cheese and the following Chowder both inspired by allrecipies, but I think improved upon by me. What really makes the following so good, is the addition of the cream corn (a result of not having an item the recipe originally called for.)

Potato and Corn Bacon Chowder

2-3 cups of peeled, cubed potatoes (any kind)
1-2 cups of water
8 bacon strips
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup carrot peeled and chopped
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of ckn soup
1 can of cream corn
1 cup milk (approx. I just pour the milk into the emptied cream of ckn soup can for measure)
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 tbsp minced parsley (optional)

1. In a large soup pot, cook the potatoes in the water. (use enough to just cover, then add about
1/2 a cup more).

2. Meanwhile cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp; remove to paper towels to drain. In same
skillet, saute onion, celery, and carrot in the drippings until tender, drain.

3. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the undrained potatoes. Stir in the soup, corn, milk,
sour cream, salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat to simmer until the soup reaches a
consistancy you like. (I love to simmer this down to a nice thick chowder, where the
potatoes are really creamy. Usually at least 2 hours. But you can even cook for about 30 min
and then enjoy).

4. Crumble in half the bacon and stir into the soup along w/ the parsley if so desired. Sprinkle
the rest of the bacon over the top of each bowl.