Working on the 101 list — Creamy Potato Soup

Since it's Lent, it's back to meatless Fridays. So, I gobbled up tons of recipes, but the trouble was MANY potato soup recipes call for chicken broth or chicken bullion. I've heard both ways on whether or not they're OK during Lent, so I figured better safe than sorry, right? So I just took portions of many recipes and made my own. The recipe below is how I'm going to make it next time (I learned a LOT during this test time).


This is an original recipe, folks!

Ingredients:
1 can condensed cream of celery soup (plus 1 can of milk to mix in)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (plus 1 can of milk to mix in)
1 head of cauliflower
6 mediu potatoes
6 celery stalks
1 medium onion
3 Tbsp butter
1 pkg (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp cheese myself)
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Start by scrubbing and cutting potatoes into bite-sized cubes. Fill pot with water & a pinch of salt, boil potato bits.

2. Cut cauliflower, steam. Once it's steamed, puree (in a blender works well). You might want to add a little water here to help it puree.

3. Chop celery and onion. In a large pot, saute onion and celery in the butter. Once soft, stir in cream of celery and cream of mushroom soup + milk. warm, but do not bring to a boil.

4. Once the potatoes are softened, drain water, slightly mash potatoes.

5. Add pureed cauliflower and slightly mashed potatoes to the large pot, stir together.

6. Let cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

7. Stir in bag of shredded cheese.

8. Serve, garnish with additional cheese, if desired.

Ok, some of you might think "what the heck is cauliflower doing in the soup" ... well, I don't get enough veggies, and since they don't add taste, I figured what the heck??? :-)

I also have to give a BIG shout out to Erik. When I was making this soup last night, I didn't cook the potatoes separately, and the soup was a bit scorched ... it wasn't bad, but there's also a LOT of it ... so there's plenty more soup to be eating.

Of course, here's the list of the new recipes I've tried so far:
Dec. 21 — Peanut Butter Pancakes
Dec. 31 — Calzones
Jan. 9 — Braised Brussell Sprouts + Pork Chops with a creamy herbed sauce
Jan. 14 — Black Bean Burritos
Jan. 18 — Hot Chocolate Mix
Jan. 29 — Ham and Bean Soup
Feb. 1 — Macaroni Salad
Feb. 14 — Focaccia Bread
Feb. 17 — Honey Glazed Chicken

RIP Rocky Mountain News

I sit here with a blank mind as tear after salty tear runs down my face.

When I first heard that the Rocky Mountain News CLOSED, I thought I heard wrong. Is it for REAL? Seriously? Like, the Final Edition. Obituary Time.

There's just such a strange sense of emptiness when I think about this ... in fact, it's difficult to wrap my mind around this.

Ok, given the economic climate, it's not shocking to hear of a business closing. And let's face it people, a newspaper (despite duties to the community) is, after all, a business.

But .... I guess I think of small-town, po-dunk newspapers closing down. And that's not shocking. But here's the rub: In the last decade alone, this paper was awarded FOUR Pulitzer Prizes. FOUR.

This is an award-winning newspaper.

I still remember the photos produced by staff photographers after the Columbine shootings.

And it's closing.

Oh, did I mention it's almost 150 years old?

How is this possible?

But it is.

Oh, and not to neglect sports ... according to a story on the former paper's Web site, this week, the sports section was named one of the 10 best in the country.

I'm ill.

Let's take a video break .... it's about 20 minutes, so if you wanna watch, get comfy.


Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

But ... I think this is sweet. It's a site called IwantMyRocky.com.

There are so many reasons things fall apart. But one thing I found interesting was some of the reporters commented people are getting their news from blogs, not necessarily going to a news source. REALLY? Seriously peeps?

But I guess I shouldn't be shocked. I've lived with people who don't know the difference between a column on the editorial page and a news story. And readers ... we'd get calls in the newsroom from people looking for a "story" in the paper .... after I went through all the local and wire stories, I dug through the editorial page. Still no luck. Know what they were talking about? AN ADVERTISEMENT!!!!!!! *sigh* But do people really not know the difference between an unbiased source that has to verify sources and is accountable?

Think about it.

Newspapers are chronicles of history. If Denver were a one-paper town, who would be around to document history? Who would keep local officials accountable?

Sad.

And other papers, such as the Tucson Citizen, a paper that's been around 138 years could close, too?

To think, just 7 months ago, I was a reporter. I'd spent my entire high school and college career training to be a photojournalist and even learning to write "just in case." ... this field is one I've put so many years and such effort into ... and it's shriveling up.

I can't imagine how people who have been doing this for decades upon decades must feel.

And ... while I hated being known as "there's the newspaper lady" .... I very much WAS "the photographer" or "the reporter." It became an integral part of who I was and am. And I left willingly .... how would it be if I was told my newspaper became the news. Ugh.

Mike LIttwin so pointedly writes:

"The guys in suits - and I say that as someone who doesn't own one - don't understand what it means to be in a newsroom, or if they once did, they forgot.

They're businessmen, who talk in terms of quarters. We talk in terms of stories. The Rocky lived. It breathed. It told stories that annoyed and ones that thrilled. I love both.

I signed up - and stayed signed up - because there isn't a job where you could possibly have more fun."

Ok, I think that column sums it up best. I have to say it is a more accurate description of my thoughts than I've expressed here in my ramblings. To read it all, CLICK HERE



On a positive note, strawberries and grapes were on sale tonight at the supermarket.

Pumping Iron

I've been working on my 101 list. Lately, I've been lifting weights a few times a week. Yay! Trying to prevent osteoporosis with item #97 - Lift weights 2x week for 3 months. One month down, 2 to go!

Other items I'm getting close on:

18 - read 1 book/month for a year. Just 2 months to go!
45 - 1 recipe/week for 3 months
77 - donate sessions to auctions
79 - editorial site up and running
93 - finish re-finishing the wooden chest

There are 23 items down, MANY to go before October....

After Communion?

A few weeks ago, Erik asked me why some people hang around a few minutes after Mass and pray, while others scamper out of church. Good question! We talked about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and hence his presence in US after we receive him.


"So .... what do you pray at that time?" he asked.

GOOD QUESTION.

I think it's different for all of us. And admittedly, it's VERY personal. But he was wondering, so I shared ... but I know we have some Catholic blog readers, and if you're willing to share, I'd be interested to know. Maybe I can even improve my own prayers! (it's Lent, after all!) :-)

In fairness, I'll share what I do. I have to admit, it feels juvenille. So I'm a little shy, but here goes.

I learned this in 5th grade, and it just kind of stuck. I've been doing it ever since.

ALTAR.

A-adore. Tell God you adore/honor him.
L-love. Tell Him how much you love/appreciate him.
T-thank. Thank Him for the blessings in your life.
A-ask. If you need help or guidance, ask for help.
R-resolve. Make a commitment to better yourself in some way.

I also throw in some other favorite prayers, but that's my drill.

If you're willing to share, I'd LOVE to hear what you have to say! I think it's important to point out that prayer is extremely personal and different for everyone. If you're comfortable sharing, please do so with a comment!

Thanks.

Esse + Snow

This is an old video of the Boog, but here it is:



I need to figure out how to make higher resolution videos, because this is pretty low res right out of the camera. I also was duped by my camera ... it automatically flips when I move from horizontal to vertical, so I thought it would do so ... looks like it didn't. Oops. Oh well.

Pancake Day!

If your favorite four letters are F-R-E-E, today is a day for you! It's National Pancake Day!

Free pancakes at IHOP. CLICK HERE for details.

Last year, there was an impromptu field trip with newsroom employees to go to IHOP and eat short stacks. It was fantastic! That's one of the things I certainly miss about working with multiple co-workers — the spontaneous things we come up with during the course of the day. Or just creative ways to get away from the office for an hour. :-)

Third world countries ...

Last week, I was watching the Duggars go to El Salvador. The photos from this post are from my trip to Africa. And for being in a third world country, I didn't see NEARLY the trash that I did in Niger. Maybe they avoided it?


It's hard to watch and NOT have an opinion. I know, when have I ever lacked for an opinion? ;-) I'm NO expert ... but it's difficult to watch groups just hand out aid.

I'm NOT saying aid isn't needed. It IS ... but after the awesome tour guide I had in Africa ... who stressed how aid is needed, but it has to be coupled with revitalization efforts. It's good to hand out food, but what about working with residents to help work and cultivate their own gardens or fields? Agricultural supplies are needed, too!

Education and good skills are ESSENTIAL! If girls learn life skills, they will have other OPTIONS rather than turning to the streets to make money.

I'm happy I met Catholic Relief Service early on in life. They have revitalization efforts going on all over the world. But here's my favorite part about them: They just meet the needs of the people. Yes, they ARE a religious-based organization, but they do not preach. They just practice it. Heck, a few years ago, Time magazine lauded the organization for just that.

I'm also wishing I could remember the name of the religious brothers I met in Africa. In the slang, they're referred to as "The White Brothers" ... but try Googling "white brothers" and see what kind of sites YOU come up with. ;-)~ If I recall the name, I'll be sure to drop it by the blog.

Festive Feline

Booger donned a purple ribbon last month to try a new look .... or that's what Erik told me. I think he held her captive and wrestled the ribbon on her.

Rockin' Robin

So, Robin and Chris were in town, and I decided to put her to work ... on art for our front bedroom.


I had a bunch of paint samples from painting loads of squares on the walls ... so I decided getting some canvas would be a good option ... a productive way to deal with all of the little bottles of paint I have collecting.


Poor Robin donned my painting shirt and was totally stylin' right?




She calls her creation "Operation Desert Storm" .... I was in 5th grade when that was rockin the Middle East .... not sure how she knows about it. But amusing.


We hung them on the wall last night!



Thanks, Robin!!!!

Jamaica — Macro

As I mentioned last night, I LOVE the macro function on my awesome point and shoot camera Erik gave me for Christmas. :-) I'll start today with our dinner at Kimono's ... it was a Japanese steakhouse sort of place. If you've ever been to Kobe in Wichita, Kobe is better, but they sure put on a good show in Jamaica.

Check out their sassy red menus:


And plates:


And CHOPSTICKS! (This is my *favorite* photo!)


Check out the bee action here. They swarmed around a glass by the swim up bar. I think they put a glass of honey out to attract the bees and keep them away from the guests' drinks.


Las two photos (they are taken under VERY LOW LIGHT at a high ISO on the P&S) are from the main dinging room. More photos from that later, but these are awesome macros. First, the silverware. Not sure why I like it, but I do.


And this is a decorative plate or something. They put my dinner plate atop of it, but it sure had some fun repetition.

Working on the 101 list — Honey Glazed Chicken

Last night, I made Honey Glazed Chicken. The recipe is HERE. I had to modify it some b/c I was cooking it on the George Foreman. So there were no roasted grapes. :-( I'm anxiously waiting for summer when we can put them on the grill! Oh, and we used boneless chicken ... it was easier.

Erik said he thought it tasted a bit like teriyaki. I agree. :-)

Of course, here's the list of the new recipes I've tried so far:
Dec. 21 — Peanut Butter Pancakes
Dec. 31 — Calzones
Jan. 9 — Braised Brussell Sprouts + Pork Chops with a creamy herbed sauce
Jan. 14 — Black Bean Burritos
Jan. 18 — Hot Chocolate Mix
Jan. 29 — Ham and Bean Soup
Feb. 1 — Macaroni Salad
Feb. 14 — Focaccia Bread
Feb. 17 — Honey Glazed Chicken

New Year's Day

New Year's Day, Erik and I headed over to the Shef's for some R&R. Erik grabbed the snappy cam and made some photos. See how much more enthusiastic Dawn is about Erik's trigger finger than I am? ;-)


And there's the battle of the babies. Baby Andrew and Baby Mac ...

I've recently downloaded the photos from my "purse camera" or "snappy cam" .... now it's time to sift through them. YES, I have photos from the closet and bedroom redo ... but there are 123 photos to look through in the closet folder and 29 in the bedroom folder .... so it'll be awhile before I get to them.

Working on the 101 list — Focaccia Bread

Yummie! My friend's girlfriend has a fantastic bread she makes and I've been pestering her for the recipe. Agnes relented and gave it to me ... and I made it Saturday night. Yummmmmmmmmie! it freakin' rocks my socks off!

This isn't the EXACT recipe, but it's close. To check it out, CLICK HERE.

I, however, started w/ 1/4 c warm water and dissolved 2 tsp of sugar in it. Then, I let the yeast stand atop the water for 10 minutes, then mix. Then I combined salt and flour, poured the water mixture in ... and then added another cup of water and the olive oil.


When the dough was all raised and ready, I covered it in olive oil, then sprinkled kosher salt, rosemary, thyme and oregano on top of it. Freakin' rocks my socks off!!!!!!!! (as a matter of fact, I might need to go get another slice right now!).

To serve, eat it warm, or take some olive oil in a shallow dish (or small plate), and add any of the spices mentioned above, tear, dip and enjoy the bread! :-)

Only one more month left ... I certainly hope to keep making new recipes once I finish this.

Of course, here's the list of the new recipes I've tried so far:
Dec. 21 — Peanut Butter Pancakes
Dec. 31 — Calzones
Jan. 9 — Braised Brussell Sprouts + Pork Chops with a creamy herbed sauce
Jan. 14 — Black Bean Burritos
Jan. 18 — Hot Chocolate Mix
Jan. 29 — Ham and Bean Soup
Feb. 1 — Macaroni Salad
Feb. 14 — Focaccia Bread

Working on #79!

I'm rolling along with my latest weekend project ... working on my editorial Web site! It's #79 on my 101 in 1001 list. Whew! Finally making some good progress through that beast!


I'll be sure to make a big, splashy announcement when it's up and running, which I'm HOPING will be this week! I have one little thing I'm trying to nail down ... but we'll see what happens.

Soup Exchange! The full report.

Well, about 2 weeks ago, I was gearing up for a soup exchange...

Here's how it went:


I hooked my soup + the dry ingredients for corn muffins in mason jars.


I also busted out the Yankee Corn Muffins. I used the mini muffin tins. Aren't they cute? :-)


Mom had 3 oz cups, which were perfect for our soup sampling!


Here's what I learned ... and think will work best for anyone who wishes to do something similar in the future:

1. Invite 4 of your friends (so there's 5 in all).***
2. Tell everyone to double their favorite soup recipe.
3. All guests should bring 4 containers of soup to share, plus another smaller one for sampling the day of.
4. Have several small pots or bowls handy to warm soup for the sampling.
5. 3-oz mini cups is the perfect size to sample many soups.
6. Enjoy!

*** I'd limit the number of people. I don't mean to sound elite or snotty, but if you get too many people (over 5), people would have to make more than a double recipe of soup (and who has enough pot space to triple a soup recipe? Honestly, it'd get overwhelming!). With a smaller group (I truly think 5 is ideal), you just double your soup recipe. If you have people with larger families (we had several with 2 kids, but they're all under 4 ... so they won't eat as much) ... if you're doing this with a family with bigger kids, you might want to have a group of 4 for the exchange.

Jamaica — dinner in the main dining room

Check us out:


There were these awesome torches around our table!


This photo was taken HAND HELD, high ISO .... I have to say I dig my awesome Powershot! Thanks E!

Closet teaser

Ok peeps, I'm giving you a sneak peek, but it ain't much! ;-)


Just some Esse Boo hangin' out in her favorite spot in the house.

As I said, I have 100+ photos to sort through and pick the best, so sit tight, more is coming!

Christmas 2008

We were pleased to welcome my family to our home Christmas Eve. :-)

Erik had to work Christmas day, so we only had 1 day off, so we decided to host anyone who wanted to come for the day. That-a-way we didn't have to make a marathon trip anywhere.

We had dinner, went to Mass and returned home to open presents.


I'm all about ease ... dinner was potroast in the crock pot, mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. Erik contributed the big salad.

These gems photoed above were my stab at creativity. They're SO simple .... but mom thought it took quite a bit of effort to make. On contraire. Not difficult at all.

1. Just take almond bark, stick it in a mug and melt in the microwave.

2. Stir.

3. Take a pretzel rod and dip in the mug ... evenly coat the pretzel rod.

4. Place on wax paper or cookie sheet.

5. Cover with topping of your choice. Shown here is crushed peppermints. I also used mini chocolate chips (MY FAVORITE!!!!!), or take melted chocolate and drizzle over the pretzel rods.

Jamaica — Sandals the wedding machine

I was hitting the bathroom on our last day in Jamaica ... and check out their wedding board:


CRAZINESS!!!!!!! But they're smart puppies. I guess you gotta be in Jamaica about 3 days before you can get married there. So you gotta hand at the resort for those extra nights.


This cutie bride was on her way to her wedding when we were boarding the busses to go to the airport.

Wedding photos from Heather!!!!!!!!!

Oooooooooook peoples, Heather has posted some of our wedding photos on her blog. To check out the images, CLICK HERE! Oh, be SUUUUURE to leave a comment and tell her what a super-fabulous job she did! Ttuly! I think her record for blog comments is 12 ... but I'd love to see us leaver her WAY more than that. Ok?


But the photos have been up on our proofing site for quite some time, so if you want to access them, CLICK HERE.

Jamaica — sunset beach

We selected Negril because it is on the western coast of Jamaica. We figured the sunsets would be fantastic. The only disappointment was there were clouds like EVERY night ... but here are photos:


There were tons of people who were willing to take a picture of us if we took a picture of them. :-)

I couldn't decide which image I liked better. Your thoughts?




They had sunset dinner on the beach. We opted to not do it b/c we wanted to do a different restaurant every night, then on the last night we had dinner on our terrace. :-)


Here's Erik chillin like a villian:



A few final ones from the beach at sunset:

Jamaica — da bar

Here's an overview of the main pool ... and our favorite swim-up bar is on the left hand side. :-)


Here's our favorite bartender, Andrew:


Of course, the tons of bottles:


And the best drink EVER, the Jamaican Smile: