Fabric Flowers

My mom and I have been admiring these fabric flowers for quite some time now.  So yesterday my mom found out how to make them!  What fun!  They don't take long at all and in a way they aren't difficult.  In a way, they are.  But here's what we have so far! 

Hazy Shade of Winter

It has been a crazy weekend and through it all it has been dark and rainy.  Usually I'm sick of it and wishing for sunshine after a day or two, but after the very long summer, I notice none of us are complaining.  Funny what a little perspective will do for you...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now that Thanksgiving is waning... we've already feasted and napped and started pondering whether or not anything which will be on sale after midnight tonight will be worth getting out of bed for... I offer wishes for your happy Thanksgiving, hoping that you have enjoyed the love of your family and friends.  Happy Turkey Day, friends!

And, since Miss CQ posted such a lovely photo with her post, I feel compelled to photo-enhance mine.  Hence, I give you....  My Brother's Thanksgiving Plate:

(Note the artistically positioned carrot and celery.)

We are blessed beyond measure, and the food we celebrate with on this day is but one small example.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope it's a great one!!                    



        

Butternut Squash Soup

I thought I'd share the soup recipe that I made yesterday for our lunch.  It was butternut squash soup.  It is sooo good!  It isn't quite as sweet as pumpkin pie, but it really reminds me of it.  I've made it twice now and it was great both times!  I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com, which is my favorite online recipe site. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and seeded butternut squash , cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into large dice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pinch sugar
• 3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth, homemade or from a carton or can
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Garnish: store-bought apple chips

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan until shimmering.
2. Add butternut squash, then onion; saute, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until squash start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cayenne pepper; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
5. Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, puree until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If using a traditional blender, vent it either by removing the lid's pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To 'clean' the canister, pour in a little half-and-half, blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
7. Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough half-and-half so the mixture is souplike, yet thick enough to float garnish. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, garnish and serve.               

I used probably twice as much squash as the recipe called for and I baked the squash for 45 minutes at 400 degrees so it would be easier to peel.  It's really soft at that point and I just scoop it out.  It doesn't brown that way like it does in the recipe, but if you'll cook it for the same amount of time it comes out great.  :-)   Watch out with the liquids, though.  I only used two cups of broth and then just enough milk to get the consistency I wanted.
I garnished with a cinnamon stick instead of apple chips.  We didn't eat the sticks, but they looked nice.  I meant to take a picture, but I forgot once I dished it out, but it's such a pretty soup.  A nice dark orange.   Serves about 6.

lunch with friends

Rosy tablecloth, rosy plates, rosy roses, yummy lunch and delightful company.  Very nice afternoon!

What is it???

Great day at the thrift store.  Found some very good things at very good prices!  And then there's this:

Does anyone know what it is?  The little black things are flexible and rubbery.  One of my favorite things about thrift stores is the odd things that we just really don't know what they are... It's fun to guess and try to imagine what anyone could do with some of these things.  So, any guesses?  We couldn't figure this one out at all!   --Oh, and I didn't bring it home with me, just in case anyone wondered.  Someone let me know if it is a highly useful thing that I can't live without, okay?