Ginger Carrot Soup - In 30 Minutes

Ginger Carrot Soup

For me, 2012 has been the year of soup.

I've long understood the wonders of a warm bowl Zuppa Toscana.
I've made enough of that Corney Bakery Taste-Alike to fill a swimming pool.

Last month we shared 2 versions of our Super Quick & Unprocessed Chicken Corn Soup. We've made batch after batch of that one.  It tastes like eating a bowl of buttered corn on the cob.  And, it's so simple to toss some chicken in and make it a meal.

Those of you who follow our Facebook page got a preview of another soup we'll be posting later this week. (Here's a hint. It's Greek.)

Today, it's all about the carrot!
Perfect for Meatless Mondays.

We took inspiration from Jenna's recipe at Eat. Live. Run..
We doubled the recipe, replaced the straight coriander with a curry powder with a first ingredient of coriander, and some other minor tweaks.

I had 3 different types of curry powders in our spice drawer. So, I asked the 14 year old to take a whiff and tell me what he thought. He sniffed #1. "It was good." Sniffed #2. "It was good." Sniffed #3...and didn't want to give it back. We had a winner!

Side note - He chose the Vindaloo from Penzey's -which is interesting. I did the whiff test in the Penzey's store and had the same reaction - didn't want to put it down. Then my niece did the same. Hmm. Good stuff, that Vindaloo. But, we warned. It's spicy. We only used a little, so there was flavor, but no real heat.

Ginger Carrot Soup

Takes 30 minutes

serves 3

2 T. olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2T. fresh ginger, minced

1/4 t. Vindaloo (or other curry - use more if you wish)

2 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped evenly
 (Slice thinly to speed up cooking time.)

4 c. chicken stock
(Homemade is the best option.  In a pinch, I'll use 1 tub of Knorr with 4 c. water.)

1/2 t. salt - or, more to taste

1 T. butter (optional)

1/4 c. half and half (optional) 

Heat the chicken stock.  If you are using Knorr chicken stock, put the water on to boil and follow the directions on the package. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the minced shallot and saute until tender. Add the ginger and saute it a minute or 2 - being careful not to burn it. Take the pan off the heat and add the curry powder to warm it and to let the oils release.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the carrots, stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until carrots are fork tender. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add the butter and cream. Serve and enjoy.

Are you a fan of soup?

Tell us your favorite.
And, if you try this soup - we'd love to hear!

To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation...  
Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

Linking up to:
Easy Natural Food's Sunday Soup Night, Homestead Barn Hop, The Charm of Home, French Country Cottage, The Weekly Round-Up, The Shabby Nest, Beauty And Bedlam, Living Well Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesday at This Chick Cooks,Time Warp Wife

There's Actual...Growth!

I love fresh herbs. 

How about you? 

I usually cook with lots of dried herbs since they are handy and inexpensive compared to fresh herbs from the store. 

I guess some might call me an herb and spice junkie.

Back in our 31 Day Series - 31 Minutes to a More Organized Life we talked about the importance of freshness. When I cook, I like having everything handy. Even my husband was glad I found this solution for keeping our herbs and spices handy.

And, since I use so many spices in my cooking, even a one year supply is bulk for me. So, I needed a cute way to organize and store the bulk

Fresh herbs - would be a so handy, healthy, and inexpensive!
And, they would taste so good.

I can just imagine how good olive and feta pinwheels would taste with fresh rather than dried. I'm Greek, and I was raised that practically everything has oregano in it - even salad toppers. And, Chicken Pesto Cavatappi just wouldn't be the same without it.

Rosemary is another biggy for me.

Our Easy Rosemary Pasta wouldn't even have a name without it!

So, last week I took a chance and planted a small herb garden.

Before

 

After 

There's growth - actual growth!
See that cilantro?!

I'm so...encouraged! 

Usually by now everything is limp. Or, yellow. Or covered in yucky parasites. I'm actually thinking of making some salsa and tossing in some cilantro!

Oh, in case you can't tell, I chose to plant cilantro, basil, Greek oregano, and rosemary. Stay tuned for planty updates. And, hopefully lots more tasty, quick, and healthy recipes with fresh herbs very soon!

Do you use a lot of herbs and spices? 

Do you have your very own herb garden? 

Tell us the happy - or sad - details! 

You can leave a link to your own planty post in the comments, too!

------> To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation... <------ 
 Click on the blue button below, then scroll down. 

Linking up to The Nester's Planty Party!

Need Some Quick Dinner Inspiration?

Ain't it the truth 

(via Pinterest)

Need some quick dinner inspiration? 

Our sidebar categories are ready for you...

No matter how late you're running.

How Quick (Meals), How Tasty, How Healthy, and more.

What's your favorite 15 min or less meal?

To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation...  
 Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

Easy Rosemary Pasta - In 15 Minutes

Date Night 

We've been keeping a close eye on the budget lately. (Who hasn't, right?)

So, I've been trying to think of inexpensive ways of bringing a little fun to a night at home. 

Yesterday I tried a Date Night surprise. Complete disaster.
We had Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on Red Box.
(We had both heard good things about it.)

I wanted to get creative and plan the menu around the movie, but it was set in England. Let's face it - it's not a country known for tasty food. (Sorry, Brits.) So, I went long. We have Guinness in the fridge, so I planned on picking up two orders of Shepherd's Pie from a local restaurant where it's REALLY good.

Strike 1
Restaurant is closed on Mondays. Okay, so hubby picks up burrito's from our fav Mexican place, instead.

Strike 2
I go to pour us each a Guinness and realize that my tummy's a bit...queasy. He skips the beer, too.

Strike 3
We dive into the movie, all excited. Twenty minutes into it we are baffled. Half the time we can't hear the actors - especially through accents. And, when there are subtitles for Russian they flash away so quickly we can't even read them. Hubby...fell asleep.(We still haven't finished the movie.)

Tonight, we're trying something a bit...

More in my control. 

Movie.
Under the Tuscan Sun (Love the movie - and the book!) 

Dinner.
Easy Rosemary Pasta with roasted garlic cheese bread (Both our favs.)

Beverage.
Limoncello (It's in the movie... and it's chilling in the freezer.) .

Easy Rosemary Pasta 

1 lb Mezzo Rigatoni (or any other fun pasta) 

Bechamel Sauce, consisting of:

4 T. butter 

4 T. flour 

1 c. half and half 

2 c. milk 

4 t. crushed rosemary, dried 

1/2 t. white pepper 

salt to taste 

I usually get all the ingredients out first.
Then I put a pot of water on to boil and start the sauce at the same time.
The entire recipe takes only 15 minutes!

In a saucier or large sauce pan, melt the butter. Sprinkle on the flour. Whisk together and cook about 2 minutes until the paste smells a bit nutty and is a light brown. Pour in the half and half. Whisk. Pour in a cup of the milk. Add the rosemary, pepper and some salt to taste.

(If you aren't a big fan of rosemary, cut the amount in half. 

But, then this recipe might not be for you!) 

Continue whisking until the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the milk as necessary. (Make it a bit watery as it will continue to thicken.) Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Before draining, reserve a cup or 2 of the pasta water. Drain. Combine the pasta and sauce. If the sauce gets too thick, stir in some of the pasta water. Serve. Makes about 6 side dishes. About 3 entrees.

 I don't really measure my ingredients for the bechamel sauce. It's pretty much the same technique as our Sausage Gravy Recipe. Sometimes I use mostly milk. If I have some heavy whipping cream leftover in the fridge, I'll toss some of that in. I use whatever dairy is on hand. And, if I had a sprig of fresh rosemary, I would toss that in, too.

Since we're going with an Italian theme, I almost made my Chicken Pesto Cavatappi - a Taste-Alike from Corner Bakery. But, we've had that a lot recently.

Oh, I should mention that this Rosemary Pasta is also great with some chicken tossed in.

Well, the garlic is roasting in the oven, 

the house smells heavenly, 

and the hubby is on his way home. 

Do you have at home date nights?

To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation...
 Click on the blue button below, then scroll down. 

Sharing with:

Yesterday, I Planted Basil With...

Do You Container Garden?

Yesterday I planted rosemary, basil, oregano and cilantro in a large container.

(I know many of you will be shocked that I planted basil with anything...
For fear it will overtake the others.)

Breath deeply.
I assure you they will all die - LONG before then.

And, yes, I kept my receipt from Home Depot who,
I hear, gives your money if you kill plants with reckless abandon like I do.
I've never had the courage to actually ask, though.

There's good news.
As for house plants that aren't edible,
I have the world's most amazing green thumb.

Sigh.


How about you?
Do you have a green thumb?
What's in your planter?

To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation...
Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

The Never-Ending To Do List...And, What I Realized

Got Stress?

My friend Lisa, is waiting to exhale.

Many of us are in that club.
Our new membership cards are in.
And, the minutes from the last meeting are due.
Volunteers?

We can get overwhelmed by what never gets done.

Ever notice how it's the Parent things (or Mom things)
which tend to get pushed to another day?

Things like...

Our own rest.
Devotion and prayer.
Eating right.
Exercise...

Sound familiar?

I read an article which suggested that instead of one long (never ending) To-Do List, we might think of things a bit differently. It suggested dividing our list into categories of Easy, Medium and Difficult. And, More Important, Medium and Less Important.

For myself, I changed up the categories just a bit.

I chose Quick, Medium and Most Time Commitment - along with Most Impact and Less Impact.

(For you grammar folks, I'm aware it should be More, not Most.
I'm okay with that. I'm tossing in unnecessary capitalization as a bonus. *grin*)

I'll be hitting the Most Impacts first - focusing on the Quicks.
And, I realize that some things which take the most time and have the least impact...
Might not get done - but that's ok to me.

(Sigh. I need to repeat that for myself.
Raise of hands, anyone?)

Here's what struck me most.

Look at a few items in my MOST IMPACT on the family category.

My own rest.
Devotion and prayer.
Eating right.
Exercise...

We've all heard it before.
You need to take care of yourself first, then help others.

But, until I actually put it into the MOST IMPACT category...well, it didn't have any impact on me.

Here's a glance at my new daily planner.

No - I don't expect it to stay pretty - or categorized.
It's just a tool.
It's a different way to me to view my priorities.

How about you?
How do you keep your To Do list under control?
Share!

------> To See Comments and
Join in on the Conversation... <------
Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

MONDAY MUSINGS: Waving the Magic Wand

MONDAY MUSINGS
Waving the magic wand:


If you could learn to make or bake ANYTHING what would it be?

(Cost, time, travel is no barrier.)


French pastry?

Sushi?

Homemade pasta and ragu?


~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~


Now, choose your your TEACHER?

(Time machine is at the ready!)


Julia Child?

Your grandmother?


Who would YOU choose?

Share below!

------> To See Comments and
Join in on the Conversation... <------Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

Tell Us! The Gift of Food...Digging Deep

So, do you follow our Facebook page?

If you do, you know that we try to start topics so you can
share your experiences and share your tips.

Learning from each other is good, right?
We were ever so grateful for this tip from our pal, Olga living in Athens!

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

This week on Facebook,

our WHAT SAY YOU, WEDNESDAY question asked:

Would you prefer your favorite fruit in....

a) a pie
b) a smoothie
c) just by itself!


The next day, we dug a bit deeper.

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY:
What has been the nicest food gift you've ever received?

A much appreciated dinner out as new parent or college kid?
Groceries during a difficult time?
Covered dish meals after a loved one passed away?
Amazing ice cream when you skinned your knee falling out of a tree?

The nicest food gift I ever received...
was life-changing.

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~


Want to share YOUR answers?
Tell us below or on Facebook!

------> To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation... <------
Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

Handheld Vintage Memories

Happy Easter and Passover
From Cooking at Cafe D
As a child I loved these birds.
To a little girl, they were solid gold!

They are salt and pepper shakers, said to be from my yia-yia - Greek grandmother. They are quite heavy. When the heads are screwed off (pleasant imagery, no?) the metal is a dull silvery color - lead or pewter, perhaps?

Due to the weight, I'd guess lead.
I'm note sure if these came over from Greece in the 1900's or not, but they're mighty old. I'm sure that many a family meal had a side of lead to them. Oh, well.

Still, I cherish them.
Happy little birds... I remember from my childhood.

Do you have a household object that brings a happy memory?
Share with us!

------> To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation... <------

Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

Trade School: The Sweat v. The Sauté

Today, we’re talking about...
The Difference Between The Sweat and the Sauté.
The word sweat might not sound appetizing – and it might not sound like it belongs in your kitchen. But, certainly it does!

(My hubby said I should mention is doesn't involve football players after a workout - ewww! - or even elbow grease. Gee, honey, thanks!)

For the rest of the story, (minus the football players), head on over to Adventures of our Fami-Ly where I'm today's "Substitute Teacher" at the Trade School.
~~~~~~*~~~~~~~ You ARE taking the free classes, right?
See you there today!

------> To See Comments and Join in on the Conversation... <------

Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.