Amazing Day #14: Soup

There's a chill in the air.
Yep.

Hoodies
Warm cozy slippers
Steaming mugs of coffee... or chai... or hot chocolate...
Comfort food
Soup simmering on the back burner.  
Yah, soup.

I do love soup.
Decided to make some potato soup
I remember my mom's version with sliced potatoes, chopped onions and pools of melted butter, but I didn't remember how to make it.

So I looked at several other recipes and gave it a try.  Mostly I used my recipe for white sauce figuring I could thin it down from there.  So I cut up a bunch of potatoes and an onion and got them cooking.  Should have used at least one more onion!

Meanwhile I got started on that white sauce.
Things got a little sticky there for awhile...  and my hands and wrists were aching from painting the porch. But I persevered and eventually got everything smoothed out.  Well, the white sauce anyway.

Sure enough the soup turned out.  It was nice and thick - something the hubby appreciated. Because you see, he tends to think that soup is rather worthless - so runny and all.  But he said he really liked this soup - once he added additional ham!

But was it amazing?
Hmmm...

It was pretty tasty.
It was better than several I've tried in restaurants and maybe even on a par with the best of them - and I have tried a lot of them around the country.

I would however make a few changes - mostly additions.  
I'd use lots more onion.  
And ham.  
And corn.  
And maybe a dash more pepper.

...

I do consider it a success.  It has already stood the leftover test - which is a really good thing since I ended up making such a huge pot of it!

...

Oh, and the pretty bowls were a gift from an amazing friend!

Cold day, hot soup

I feel like an old-fashioned woman today.  

A real woman who knows how to make real soup.  
I love soup.

I love to make soup.

I love to eat soup.

I love to smell soup simmering on the back of the stove.

But this soup story starts back at Christmas time.  After we pulled off the last tender slice of our spiral-sliced Christmas ham I wrapped the bone up and stuck it in the freezer to make soup “some day.”  Today seemed like the time - because it might be our last really cold day for this winter.  

So I simmered that ham bone until every little scrap of tastiness fell off. To make hubby happy I also added one of those cheap cans of ham from the dollar store.  The kind where the ham is diced and therefore doesn’t work so well to make sandwiches, but I am happy to report that it works really well to supplement a soup bone!  Meanwhile I diced a couple carrots and threw them in… and then some cabbage and onion and some celery leaves. Added a handful of soup mix from Country View (the “Mennonite store” in the Thumb) which contains lentils and a few other goodies. At the last minute I decided to dump in the leftover fried potatoes from breakfast.

So was it good?

You bet it was!

I am quite sad that I failed to get pictures along the way.

As we were savoring the yumminess and speaking of the accomplishment, I easily admitted that this was really no big deal.  This is simply making good use of what we have - like my grandma would have done. All. The. Time.  Every day. Every week.

But…  it can feel like a big deal in these “modern” times.  These days when we don’t always make use of every little scrap.  Bob wondered aloud what people usually do with the ham bone.  I suppose they toss it in the garbage; right? I have to admit I almost made myself pitch this one at Christmas time - because I figured I wouldn't really follow through to make soup from it.  But hey, I'm rather glad I didn't toss it and that I DID follow through.

At any rate it was fun.

And tasty.

And gratifying.

And fortifying.

I hope to do it again.

Maybe even make it a habit.

...

Did I mention that I love soup?
Soup warms your innards.  Therefore coming up with a new soup recipe is something to celebrate.

First impressions - and second and third...

First time back in the Dominican Republic for awhile. I remember noticing things throughout the day...

First impression:

Welcome to the sauna.
Again.

Let the sweating begin!

Second...

Dominican culture seems so… familiar. 

Roosters. 

Loud music. 

Dad with three kids on a motorcycle.

Ridiculously crazy driving 

Third...

Spanish returns.

This morning I was pretty sure I had forgotten all the Spanish I ever knew. By late afternoon I was speaking Spanish - while trying to grasp the vocabulary again.

Fourth...

Huge John Deere combine

A rice harvester perhaps

Segador

Fifth...

Not some bachelor’s pad

With no difficulty finding the place we arrived at our little flat atop somebody’s garage. And not just somebody, but a lovely French couple who know way less Spanish than we do and barely any English. With hand gestures and some attempted three-way-translations and hugs and kisses on both cheeks, we think we understood their welcome and most of the instructions for our place.  He gave us a ring of keys and we think that he was saying that this one works for the garage down below where we will do laundry and one for this door and for that door. We didn't think to ask, but we presume there is also one for the front gate.  The fridge was nicely stocked with a huge salad plate and bottles of water, CocaCola, and a few unfamiliar ones. And a huge round loaf of bread. I'm guessing it might be French bread - hard and crusty on the outside, soft and moist in the middle. Oh, and a huge fruit basket of huge fruit on our balcony. This avocado is larger than a grapefruit.

This sure beats the last time when we were dealing with less-than-new-or-nice linens and no empty drawers or shelves to keep our stuff. Yep, this is definitely an upgrade.

AND there is internet. Wahoo!!!

Sixth...

Everything seems so… French.

I kept thinking Wendi should be here - to appreciate all the cute little touches of food and furniture arrangement. Random trays with tiny cups and saucers on the bed and here and there.

I sure wish she (or someone!) were here to help with translation to French!!!

Gotta' head to the French bakery for breakfast in the morning

Seventh...

Night sounds.

We can hear the waves from our balcony. Looking forward to walking to the beach in the morning. Much, much too tired tonight.

I think we might be hearing the music from the disco in the other direction.

Eighth...

Starry, starry night!

Water - or lack thereof

Friends have been asking about the fires, the drought and the extreme heat - and about how we are doing.

Drought
I have been sad about the drought since we arrived. In so many places everything is so terribly brown and dry and picky and poky. The live oak leaves have sharp tips all around the leaves which are like needles when dry. I hate how the stick themselves to the bottom of our shoes to ride inside and then dislodge in the carpeting. Ouch!

I have longed to see and hear water rushing through the wash just below our campsite, but I guess I never will. There was rain one weekend in February with lots of mud and rushing water, but we missed it because we had flown back to Michigan for a few days. When we returned we were delighted to see the mountains greening up. That lovely green springtime lasted several weeks, but it seems that the mountains are looking brown again - back to normal, I guess.

Water usage
I love the fact that we live in a green valley, but I often puzzle about how they do it. I thought that there was a water ban across the state, so then how are people watering? I guess it makes sense for agriculture, but what about lawn sprinklers? Well, it turns out that there is a very extensive water recycling program which is the source of most of the water used for sprinkling lawns - and I suppose fields as well. There is still much more that I could learn about.

Fire danger

There have been at least two major fire areas during our time here - one near Rancho Cucamonga east of L.A. maybe a month ago and most recently around San Diego. Neither of those are near us, but the fire danger warnings are on high danger most of the time. A couple nights ago there were fires along the highway between here and Santa Paula - a pretty long stretch had been burned along the side of the road. Bob thinks that a car burned on the shoulder of the road and the fire spread in both directions.

Extreme heat

Last week brought 105-degree temperatures for four days in a row. That turns our little patio into 112 degrees and means that we do have to use the AC on those afternoons. However, we are surviving quite well. Historically I have not done well when temps hit the 90's back in Michigan, but because it is drier here, I am not minding it so terribly. True I do not sit out in the sun when it is this hot, but I am able to stay somewhat comfortable. We are fortunate to have a pavilion over our unit which protects us from the overhead sun. It is only when the sun hits the side of our rig and reflects the heat into our little yard that it goes so high out there. But yes, it is manageable.

Local reaction

The locals were shaking their heads about how hot it was last week and are expressing gratitude for it being cooler this week. Those along the coast where the temps are moderated by the ocean feel sorry for us who live inland - saying things like "You couldn't pay me enough to live where it gets that hot." As for the dangers, I guess most are them are interconnected: the drought, the fire danger, and the high temps brought in by the Santa Ana winds from the high desert that can quickly whip any little flame into a vicious wildfire.

These conditions still feel really sad to me, but for the locals they just seem to be facts of life - like March mud in Michigan or February snow and gray skies.

Amazing Day Number 25: farewell

Just two months until Christmas, but what a lovely warm day for sitting in the sun in tank top and shorts, leaning back in the chair and gazing at the tree tops. The white birches stretch their necks beyond the deep dark green of the tall stately spruce trees as they stand together in stark contrast against the brilliant blue sky and the nearby yellow-green willow weeps gracefully and waves good-bye to summer.

I have sat and gazed at this sky before – in another place and another time – and wondered how much I would miss that spot. But it is the same sky and I can still sit in this spot and gaze upon it – just for today, the last day warm enough to do so for this year.

There are things I could be doing, maybe even should be doing. But this is a farewell, isn’t it? And farewells are valuable, worth taking time for. This one can’t be put off until tomorrow because the moment will have passed and the temperature will have dropped. So the “could’s” and “should’s” can wait while I bid farewell to summer. Tomorrow I will move on to the next season with its long sleeves and its pile of projects, but today I will be amazed by the beauty, by the sky and by life. I will marvel in the wonder and and bask in the warmth.

Farewell, sweet summer.
You were amazing.

Amazing Day Number 18: Cozy

Moved more stuff today
Got lots of things put away and organized
We are both feeling very dilapidated.
It’s looking really cool in here – amazing even!
I am feeling very thankful for this cozy spacious place.

Amazing Day Number 14: Rain on the roof

Rain on the metal roof
How cool!
Makes me shudder a bit
Yet it makes me smile
Feels cozy to be inside
Feels a little like camping, but more secure
Lovely
Amazing

Amazing Day Number Three: Tiny Places

Amazing Day Three

I got up early and came to my new/old little study spot up in the corner of the loft – just under the tin roof.
'Tis a noisy spot.
Scratching and chewing of critters trying to get in to share the warmth

Loving the view out the tiny little window I am.
Leaves are turning!!!
Trying to get the perfect shot for the top of my facebook page

I love my smart phone!
Who knew we’d one day be able to take pictures on our phones and zip them off to our facebook pages?
Yah, I kinda’ love Facebook, too.
I pretty much love technology.
It is all rather amazing.

And then the dentist...
I have to get a crown.
Ugh.
Where’s the amazing in that?
But then again, how wonderful is it to have decent dental insurance coverage?
Oh, yes, I'll have to pay a good chunk out-of-pocket, but still I'm thankful.

And then...
A night of NCIS on Netflix!

Oh, and did I mention that I made another pot of tasty soup?

Another amazing day it was.