another perfect lunch!

Last summer I posted a picture of a BLT--my favorite summertime lunch. Here's another new favorite--Cream of Aspargus soup--made even more perfect when served in my Buffalo china cup! (I have green Buffalo china cups, but the greens together just weren't right!) The recipe is from Everyday Foods. I will tell you right now I halved it, and there was plenty! I had to call Mal once to find out what shallots are--they're green onions. I didn't have green onions, so I just used onion, and it tasted great.

Cream of Aspargus Soup
3 T. Butter
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped shallots (about 6 large)
1/2 t. dried thyme
3 T. flour
3# asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
coarse salt
1/3 c. heavy cream
2-3 T fresh lemon juice
*3 cups chicken broth (the recipe just says to cook asparagus in water, I used broth instead)

In a large 4-qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme, cook until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour, cook until incorporated, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add aparagus and 6 cups of water*, season generously with salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until aparagus is bright green and just tender, 2-4 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in a blender til very smooth. To prevent splattering, fill blender only halfway, and allow heat to escape: remove can from hole in lid, and cover lid with a dish towel. If serving right away, stir in cream and lemon juice.

To freeze, leave out cream and lemon juice. Cool to room temp before dividing amoung airtight containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in refrigerator, reheat over low heat. Stir in cream and lemon juice before serving.

Delish!

Saving the Environment one ride at a time

This is a mo-ped/bicycle that Bart's family has. We were out there, and Lorrie just had to ride this new mode of transportation. She is the adventurer. She giggled the whole time. So, Tyler and Mackenzie enjoyed it too. I'm thinking that maybe this will be Lorrie's new way to get around. I mean, there is a basket to carry groceries from Costco! You can shut off the motor and pedal it like a bike, or use the motor and pretend you are cycling.

Mother's Day

On May 10 I actually had one of my kids home--but just for a couple of hours. I'm wearing heels, by the way, because I'm not taller than Kenzie in real life. We had a great 2 and a half weeks, with all our kids but one in and out in McCall and Boise. I really like being a mom and now a grandma. A lot of moms love it when their kids are young, some like it when they're older. It would be hard for me to say what period of life I liked best, because I loved them all. It was so much fun when the kids were young, listening to the little phrases they used at that time (Sunday, at dinner, I caught myself saying "Them are good!"--a phrase the twins used a lot. They grew out of it, we did not. I DO know it's improper English, though). I loved the teen years, with all the busyness. I loved the BYU/mission years, watching my kids grow and learn in ways they hadn't before, and I'm a little sad to see that at an end. I love the young adult years. I can talk to my kids about adult things, and it's fun to have them as our children, and at the same time, our friends. And don't even get me started on being a grandma. You can probably tell from past blogs how much I LOVE that experience. There have been tough times, and good times, but no matter what, it's all been worth it!

Tough Love

While we were in McCall for a week with our kids, everything bloomed! This is our Profusion Crabapple tree.

I love it's hot pink buds that turn a softer pink. This morning, a hummingbird was flitting in and out. Delightful!
We planted the lilac 8 years ago, and have waited in vain for blossoms. Every year, the same thing happened--lots of green leaves, and buds, but then they would shrivel and die before blooming. Last fall, Kirt's dad came and put some magical concoction on it's roots. On line, I read about possible problems--too much nitrogen, (Kirt may have gotten too close with lawn fertilizer, so he was extra careful this past year) too young a bush, (maybe the first year, but definitely not year 7!) not enough water, (never a problem in this particular garden) then THIS...

not TALKING to your lilac. After reading that one, I went out, and my lilac and I had a little chat. I did most of the talking. The conversation went pretty much like this: "Look, I love you a lot, but you're disappointing me. I have nurtured you for seven years, only asking for some purple flowers in return only once a year, and I'm not getting that from you. I need to tell you that if you don't start producing, A LOT, then you're out of here. It would hurt me to do that, and definitely hurt you, so don't make do it! Bloom this year! Please! I love you!" The lilac rustled it's leaves a little, and I believed it would try it's hardest. The result? For the first year ever, we got lilac blooms, lots of them! It's been wonderful. And my lilac can stay! We're both relieved!