Feels Like Fall

If you are not yet ready to say goodbye to summer, I apologize in advance for this post. As I sit here next to my open window, I can feel that cool chill in the damp air. I smell it, too. Ah...is that you, Autumn? I've noticed some others have been feeling it too, so I know I'm not alone on this one. I'm hyper sensitive to the passing of time, the changing of seasons, weather, how things feel. I guess that's not such a bad thing. Our day did not turn out as planned, but it was a good day, anyway. Cub's daddy is bathing her right now. All of the lights are off, natural dim light is gently filling the nooks of the apartment, and our bellies are full from homemade soup.

Oh, and after not too long a search, I found my fall into winter coat this evening.

Cute, huh? I have a few "go to" places where I know I'll be able to find something along the lines of my style and budget. This pretty thing is from here. May I never feel (or look!) too old to shop at this fun, little, gem.

I've noticed, but have been too busy to do anything about- our overstuffed veggie bin in the fridge. I am a person who can not stand to waste anything. Food is precious! So, I chopped up most of my veggies. Cooked them down in my large cast iron skillet with butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. When they were soft, I transfered them to my soup pot and poured in four cups of chicken stock and a cup of small white beans. I added some chopped parsley and let it simmer about 30-45 minutes. I let it cool and then blended it with my new nifty hand blender. Boy, I love this thing. I like it creamy but with some texture. We sprinkled a little grated parm on top before we dipped in. So good. Did I mention how effective this method is for getting Cub to eat veggies? She had three helpings tonight.

The vegetables used were-onion, carrots, celery, yellow squash, celery, potato, and garlic.

This type of soup is very nice with a small amount of curry powder added in, too.