Monday, December 1, 2008



The bold Monty doing the proper thing on a dreary and very WET day like today! I wish I had a cozy basket I could curl up in right now. Lined with puffy feather duvets and colourful quilts:)

I am tired. Stayed up until 2am!!! helping my daughter with a big university paper due today. I sat on her bed reading my book and when she got stuck, we'd do some questions and answers sort of prompts. I am hoping that she has learned that it doesn't pay to leave things until the last minute. I was up helping her bounce ideas around as she wrote. I think she put it off exactly because she wasn't sure how she was going to do it. She was writing about how a handful of actors playing a multitude of characters in a certain play, affects your perception of those characters. Not easy stuff. First year University is a huge leap from high school. Anyway, that's the first and LAST time I am going to be doing that! I think she feels the same way:)

I've got a Burgess Vine Buttercup Winter squash in the oven roasting that is destined for some soup. I only know the name because I had to go search for it on the web. That's the fun of getting my organic veggies box each week, I am learning about new to me (old heirloom) varieties of vegetables. I am going to look for a good recipe when I finish this or maybe I'll have a nap. zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Lots of work to catch up on tonight.

Edited:
Going to make this!

Spiced Apple Squash Soup, to which I will make some additions and minor changes:)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth (or more)
2 cups filtered apple cider or apple juice
2 cups acorn or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced (Yukon Golds are nice)
1 firm, tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
Freshly grated nutmeg and ginger
Sea salt
1/2 cup light cream or evap skim milk (optional)
Toppings (optional): chopped walnuts, minced fresh parsley, dollop of sour or whipped cream, grated nutmeg

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Saute until golden, then add broth, apple cider or juice, squash, potato, and apple. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Add nutmeg, ginger, and salt to taste.

3. Puree in batches in a blender, return to the pot, and gently reheat. Or use immersion blender. You may add light cream or more broth at this stage, thinning the soup to the desired consistency.


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your suggestions about my enormous picture project. I think you are right about the binders. It would be the easiest way to keep them neat.

Your kitty is so cute and the squash sounds yummy. School papers, am I glad those days are over. Oh, and I love the picture of Aberdeen Beach.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Love your picture of Monty all curled up like a big furry ball!
Btw can you tell me what camera do you use to shoot those fab pictures. I am getting into photography lately.
Luisa

aliceinparis said...

Weezie, Thanks. I have a Nikon d300 but I also used a Canon Powershot for some of them.

AngelaMichelle said...

Love the photo of Monty! And I think I may have to try that recipe - how did it turn out?

Kathy said...

That soup sounds wonderful. Nothing better than soup in the winter and winter seems to have snuck into Illinois last night! Let me know how it turns out.

I recall having kids in college...it is a really big change for them.

noodle and lou said...

Oh my gosh..I could eat that soup up right now! sounds so yummy!!! xoxo...jenn

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Your soup sounds good! I amde butternut squash recently with graham marsala spices that wss good too.
College is a big adjustment, but you are lucky your daughter felt comfortable enough to come to you to ask for help and guidance. She'll get better at it as time goes on.
Hugs, Pat

Christina Silverio said...

That recipe sounds divine! I need to try that; my mouth is watering!

Babette Fraser Hale said...

Your beautiful photos are so sharp. Am glad to see what you use. Just bought a Nikon Dx40 and am already regretting the lens sharpness, unless there's something I'm going wrong in posting. What image size and resolution do you choose for, say, Monty? (I hope you don't mind the questions.) But your site is ravishing beautiful!