About a year ago I had the pleasure of meeting Gina, the blogger behind Skinny Taste, during the POM Wonderful Harvest Tour in California.
(Gina is standing to the right of me in the above photo.)
Gina is a master at revamping recipes and making them healthier. Her blog is full of delicious recipes and gorgeous photos of food that only looks indulgent.
Back in February when she first posted the recipe for her baked potato soup, I printed it out and added it to my recipe binder.
The dreary weather in Ocala this evening simply called for warm, savory food and I pulled out the recipe, figuring that baked potato soup would be the perfect rainy day dinner.
I only made one change to Gina’s recipe, substituting plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
I love how Gina’s recipe called for a lot of cauliflower in addition to potatoes in the soup. I honestly couldn’t even taste the pureed cauliflower but liked knowing that the vegetable added a nutritious punch to the soup.
Ryan was quite a fan of this meal as well, especially the bacon on top!
Another thing I liked about this recipe? It was ready in no time.
I always feel like homemade soups take forever to make because they have to simmer on the stovetop for such a long time, but this one was done within 30 minutes.
Dessert
Dessert tonight was also pretty darn special.
Check out this little gem that Ryan spotted at the grocery store yesterday.
One pint. Two spoons. That’s how we roll.
We were basically fighting each other for the bites that were saturated with the graham cracker swirl. So delicious!
It’s Monday night and that means it’s time for The Sing Off. I feel like Ryan and I are the only two people watching this show right now. Are there any other Sing Off fans out there? I miss discussing shows with you guys!
Oh! Random fun reality t.v. show fact: Ryan’s mom met with a personal trainer at her gym a few weeks ago and the girl was about to leave to be on the next season of The Bachelor! Crazy, huh?
Question of the Evening
- Do you know/have you ever met someone who was/is on a reality television show?
Do you guys remember Mallory from The Real World Paris? The girl who loved on Ace? She was a year older than me and went to my high school, though we never hung out or anything. I just remember her being really tall and thinking that she had really pretty hair. I’m so cool.
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That soup looks SUPER yumm!!!
I sometimes watch the sing off because I know one of the singers in the group :Vocal Point. They are awesome!
That ice cream sounds deeelish….I love pumpkin!!
Ummm…..yummmm! I had no idea Ben & Jerry’s had a pumpkin cheesecake flavored ice cream. I must try it!
definitely catch the replay of the sing-off on oxygen when i’m at the gym. Mallory and Ace were my favorites! Actually just realized she was modeling in the latest Boden catalog – had seen her in J. Crew and A&F before, but not there. Felt really weird to see her modeling as a “Mom” – was college really that long ago? 🙁
yes, THAT’s where i saw Mallory – the Boden catalog 🙂
LOL – she also models for Chaps, I’ve seen her in Kohls ads frequently. It is weird to see her in “mom” clothes, isn’t it?
That potato soup looks great!
Do you watch The Real World? There was a girl on the DC season who went to HS with me. She was a little.. uhh much.
mmmmm that ice cream! bronne from the real world cancun went to college with me and was involved with my friend!
I’m totally watching The Sing Off and was SO SAD when Kinfolk 9 got sent.
Isn’t Mallory a big time model now?
I love the Sing Off! And I’m loving those yellow dresses.
I’m gonna have to find some of that ice cream. 🙂
I remember Mallory from the Real World Paris! I thought she was cool, too. She is now a model and I see her in the Kohls ads all the time, I think she models for the Chaps brand specifically.
That Melinda chick from another season of the Real World is from the Milwaukee area. I briefly dated this guy who was a radio station DJ and one summer later when working for the same radio station, I saw him making out with this nasty blond, in public… it was Melinda! That girl has no class.
ahhh i’m not surprised!
Must try that soup recipe! I’ve been looking for a healthy baked potato soup recipe lately.
My reality tv claim-to-fame: I’m the yearbook adviser for the high I work at, and my book publishing rep is the mom of Bob Guiney from the first (I think) season of The Bachelor!
I need to find that pumpkin cheesecake ice cream! I know a guy that was on the last season of The Sing Off. He was lead singer of the Street Corner Symphony group! I only watched last season because of him, so I’m not watching the current season.
oh my guava pumpkin cheesecake ice cream??? Yum-o! I do like the sing-off, it would be what I would watch but I rarely watch tv these days. GREAT show though.
I am watching The Sing Off! And you’re right, I feel like no one else is watching this awesome show. So we can chat about it if you like!! I actually just posted a blog post tonight about how devastated I was when they kicked off Kinfolk 9. So wrong!!
really?? i don’t know why, but i wasn’t a big fan of kinfolk 9. i don’t know what it was about them, but i just wasn’t feelin’ their style i guess. :/ who is your favorite?
Oh yeah, I really really liked them. Sad to see them go. I love Delilah too, their rendition of Grenade was ridiculous! I also really liked Afro Blue’s version of American Boy. I haven’t watched last night’s episode yet, so I can’t remember many groups from the second group of 6. But I know I had some favorites there too.
Hey Julie!
I love the Sing-Off and am totally watching! To go along with the question you asked…Remember last week when Kinfolk 9 was voted off? Well, the main guy, Moi, used to sing at my church in Riverside, CA! What are the odds, right?!
whoa. that ice cream looks ridiculous (in the best way possible)
i never did watch the real world, so i don’t know any of the people on it. she has a pretty cool name though! ;P
Haha “you’re so tall with pretty hair”…sounds like something I would say!! Juh-hesus 😉 I have met Joe from Beauty and the Geek (I forget which season, he was a biochemist I believe…), Tara from the Bachelor Rome (a friend of mine’s cousin), another girl I did Miss Illinois with, Kaitlin, did the Bachelor (Jake’s season!), and I also met VivaLaBam, well sort of, at a concert back in 2009. Random celebs, yes.
OMG, pumpkin cheesecake ice cream! I need to go get some. My boyfriend lives in Ohio and they have the best ice cream chain called graters. Graters has a pumpkin spice ice cream which is to die for!
I agree I love Gina’s blog, she has some fabulous recipes. They are delicious and always turn out wonderful!
That ice cream sounds so good! I had no clue it existed.
I do remember Mallory–cool fact! I was obsessed with the Real World when I was in high school and college. I even remember Puck from RW SF.
I’ve known three girls who were on the Bachelor. Weird and totally random I know. One I worked with right out of college, one went to high school with me and was in my grade and the other was my sister’s sorority sister and a good friend of one of my best friends.
This past spring, I got contacted from the casting directors from the Biggest Loser randomly, wanting me to audition to be a trainer on the show. I knew I probably had no shot but it was fun going through the interviewing process and really flattering they even found me somehow and contacted me! Unfortunately, Anna Kournikova got the job! There is no way I can compete against her!!! 🙂
oh my gosh!!! that’s amazing!
OMG! There are so mary awesome groups on the Sing Off this season. We fight over TV time in our household lol but it’s one shos everyone enjoys. I was also sad to see Kinfolk9 go. I thoughg Moi was awesome!
Alli Travis, one of the girls on the last season of the Bachelor and the first to leave on Bachelor Pad, went to Miami University with me and dated my neighbor’s brother (who was also a student at Miami). Also, Ali F. who got engaged to Roberto is friends with my college friend because they met in San Diego (where they both live). Ali was actually just at her wedding! Not that any of that is a direct relation to me but it still kinda applies to what you asked 🙂
I went to high school and graduated the same year as Vienna from The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad. I only remember hanging out with her once. I didn’t really now her too well.
I actually just saw The Sing Off tonight while I was at the gym…I thought it was really good! They are all so talented. I really loved the group of older guys who sang Bruno Mars as well as the group of college kids. It’s so refreshing to watch people who have real talent and really love what they do.
Okay so this is going to sound super lame but I was on a reality TV show. It was called “Dance Your Ass Off”on Oxygen and I was a professional dancer partnered with a contestant who was there to lose weight. We won the show.
BUT the funny story is that at the time I was living in LA and I was doing a little acting and hosting on the side. One day, I went to my hosting class and the person sitting next to me was none other than the Tiara wearing princess-turned-attorney Erica Rose from “The Bachelor” and now “Bachelor Pad.” She had the same voice and everything (not a gimmick). But she was really nice and was very flattered when I told her that she was my husbands favorite Bachelor contestant of all time. lol
ps the ice cream looks bomb.
that’s so cool!!! congrats, hilary!
I LOVE THE SING OFF!! I feel like Ben Folds is one of the few people on singing shows that actually knows what he’s talking about
totally agree! he’s a great judge.
Hey….that’s how I found your blog….that photo! So glad I did!
I’ve met several people from American Idol’s early seasons, most notably Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. 🙂
pumpkin cheesecake b + j’s?! how have i never heard of this! yum. soup looks delish 🙂
Ashley from the Bachelorette went to my college, we had some mutual friends. She flipped out at my friend for talking to her boyfriend at a party once. Another Ashely that was on Survivor Redeption Island went to my college as well. Also, Adam from the most recent Real World (who got kicked off) is from my area.
That soup looks absolutely delicious! i bookmarked it 🙂
Ahhh! I must search for that ice cream!!! I am also keeping my eyes peeled for their new “Schweddy Balls” flavor, of SNL fame…not sure if it is out yet or not!
I had a really bad breakup about two years ago, and unbeknownst to me, a couple people nominated me to be on The Bachelor, haha! One girl told me that she did, but I didn’t think anything of it…until I got a call one day from an LA number while I was in the movie theatre watching Black Swan. I listened to the message when I got out, and it was production calling to see if I was interested in being on the next season (this coming season)!!! I thought about calling back for a few weeks, but couldn’t muster up the nerve to. Who knows if it would’ve turned into anything, I am sure they have numerous rounds of interviews and such. Plus, I met an amazing guy around that time, and we are still together. HE actually dated Steph from Survivor for a bit, she is from Philly as well and lived in his neighborhood. And now she is married to a Philly pitcher! Craziness.
that is so crazy! but it sounds like you found a good guy and i’m sure it’s much nicer not to have to deal with the drama from the show.
I went to high school with a girl who was on Survivor a few years ago, Michelle Yi. She was two years younger than I am, but we were in orchestra together.
I actually went to school with one of the guys in the deltones on the sing off:) we lived in the dorm together freshman year. I went to all of his shows. I can’t wait to pick up some of that Ben and Jerrys
OMG to the ice cream! I love pumpkin ice cream & that sounds like Ben & Jerry’s took it to the next level 😀
I loved the first season of Sing Off a couple of years ago, but I’m just not enjoying this season (or the last one). I am, however, loving X Factor 🙂
Oh.em.gee! I want that ice cream!
Just when I made the decision to give up ice cream for a while… Oh well! I’m off to search for Pumpkin Cheesecake at my local grocers. 😉
Love love love the sing-off! I’m watching right now. I thought the Dartmouth guys did so well!
You’re not the only one watching The Sing-Off, Julie! Two of my good friends from high school are on it this season (one in the Deltones, one in the Yellowjackets), so I’m enjoying it, too!
That soup looks SO good and I’m not surprised about the pureed cauliflower…I tend to replace a bit of the potatoes when making ‘mashed potatoes’ with cauliflower and the end result is still creamy as ever!
That baked potato soup looks absolutely delicious! I was just talking with Josh about how we’re craving potatoes. This might be tomorrows dinner! 😀 Thanks!
Ella from the last season of The Bachelor and The Bachelor Pad lives in my home town. Her son was in my 3rd grade class last year so I saw/talked to her almost daily.
how neat! she seemed like a very genuine person on the bachelor pad.
That soup looks awesome! I’ll have to try it out some time!
And to answer your question, I once dated a guy whose sister was on Survivor (we were dating when she was on it, and when it happened she couldn’t tell anyone she was on it until afterward, we all just thought she was traveling/on vacation for a while after she graduated law school and took the bar). Totally random!
I am so jealous of your B&J’s ice cream! We barely have any pumpkin things in London, Uk 🙁 I am missing out!
Ohh the soup looks and sounds pretty good!
I will totally need to make this soup. It looks amazing!! Definitely perfect rainy day weather 🙂 That so cool that she was going to be on the bachelor! At least I think so haha.
First of all, I need to find that ice cream!! And do you remember the girl from Real World Phili that had red hair and a boob job? And she was into that guy with the blonde curly hair? Anyways, she went to Florida law school and one day I was working out at the gym at UF and I saw her and I was like, “I know that girl and I don’t like her … but I can’t figure out HOW I know her or why I don’t like her!” It finally dawned on me that I didn’t know her personally … I just didn’t like her on the Real World! 😛
That soup looks delicious!!!!! So does the ice cream! 😀
Yummy yummy yum!!!! 🙂 BTW, Who’s that girl on the left who got cut off in the pic? Just curious. lol
A couple weekends ago we went to a bar in Chicago and one of our bartenders was the girl that won the 1st Rock of Love. One of the guys we were with had dated her for a little bit I guess! I thought that was cool.
When I was like 16 (wow 11 years ago!), I was obsessed with Real World. I was set on the fact that I was going to apply to be on the show and it would be amazing! lol I never did apply. I’m quiet about my personal life for the most part I don’t think I could broadcast everything on TV.
That soup looks delicious! 🙂
There was a show on MTV called Maui Fever. My friend deals with managing some reality stars. He brought him out for my birthday. Let me tell you, I felt like a celebrity that night. Apparently, a ton of people watched the show and knew who he was. I had no clue. We ended up getting free drinks and we were treated like royalty 🙂
About 5 years ago I worked at a call center for an American cell phone company (I’m Canadian) and I ended up talking to one of the winners of America’s Next Top Model! Eva Pigford I think her name was. I helped her fix her cell phone 🙂 That’s my big brush with fame. I do also live in an area in Canada where Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have a cottage and vacation with their families. My husband has actually met them as he did landscaping work for them. He also met Steve Martin and Martin Short as apparently they all have cottages in the same area and hang out together haha Also Shania Twain has a cottage around here and has bought furniture from my friends parents furniture store. Sadly I have not met any of these people lol
I love Skinnytaste website!! Delicious, healthy recipes.