I’ve been too busy to really do anything in my garden this year . . . yet.  Since summer is only now just barely starting, I think I have time to plant some things.  First I must prepare the beds.  Currently 4 to 5 ft tall weeds are filling my vegetable beds.  oh well.

I am not stressing about it.

The strawberries are doing fine.  I have managed to keep them going and fairly weed free.

I haven’t posted here since April 3.  Yikes.  I guess time really flies.

I have a new man in my life.  He is great.  Maybe that’s why I’ve been so busy.  Lots of fun dates!

I think I will make him spaghetti with meatballs for his birthday Friday.  I am a little famous for the dish. At least amongst my dinner group.  I think he will really like it, and that will be fun for me to make something that he will really like.  I’ll keep you posted (eventually).

I am not sure what my first project will be, likely more mustaches. :)  I am excited to make a quilt and play with all the cool features this machine has. I should be sure to thank my mom for loaning me her Pfaff for about the last year, or maybe a bit longer, since my old Singer just wasn’t working anymore and I didn’t have the cash to buy a new machine until now.

First, my old machine:

This is very similar to my old machine. I traded it in for some extra notions, and attachments.

and here’s my new machine!

I’ll be at the Green Hammer booth Saturday from 4-9.  I’d love to see you there!

thanks for the link Sarah!

I made this soup this weekend. Well, I made a version of this soup. I made it according to the recipe a few weeks ago, and this time I branched out a bit and added some beef and chunks of sweet potatoes. Also, I  swapped the regular lentils for french lentils. I think they have a different texture, but they taste pretty much the same to me.

Barley, Lentil, and Mushroom soup

not the prettiest dish, but very tasty, and easy!

I also got these beauties:

ranunculus beauties

and these to go in my window box:

pretty pretty primroses

My yard is pretty lumpy, so having four wheels with help me not spill out before I mean to.  I’ve been eying these since I bought my house, and one of my client’s was showing me hers, and saying how much she liked it. So, I decided to go ahead and buy it. I hope I have time to work in my yard and garden this spring and summer!

Happy Spring everyone!  Today has been cold, warmish, windy, rainy, sunny, cloudy, and blue skies! Welcome to spring in Portland, Oregon!

I took the day off. I just needed an extra day to myself. It’s been wonderful.

I took extra time with my coffee this morning.

I mowed my lawn. (not super fun, but totally glad to have it done.)

I met two of my favorite ladies for coffee. One on spring break, one getting ready to move to Las Vegas.

I organized some papers and filed some info. sort sort, file file.

I scrubbed the tub and sink (the toilet got taken care of last weekend)

I washed the shower curtain.

I guess it really is a spring cleaning time of year.

I know many of these things are chores, and I sort of think they shouldn’t have to be done on an extra day off, but the thing is, I am sooo glad to have them done.

It seems like today would be a good day to do a post highlighting events of the last year. But, I’m going to wait. soon though. I think it will be fun. So many great things happened this last year. (also some very sad things) ( I guess I have to take the good with the bad)

Anyway, last night I made the most wonderful, simple, delicious potato soup. Soooooo yummy! I used potatoes from my garden (stored in my basement, they are nearing the end of their shelf life – but still great for soup)

From “Weeknight Kitchen with Lynne Rossetto Kasper”

12/09/09

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE POTATO SOUP WITH BACON

Reprinted with permission from Dollars To Donuts: Comfort Food and Kitchen Wisdom from Route 66′s Landmark Rock Café by Dawn Welch (Rodale, Inc., 2009). Copyright © 2009 by Channeling Media LLC.

Serves 6

When I first started at the Rock, money was tight, and I had to find ways to make use of absolutely everything in the kitchen. One thing that made me crazy was the sorry sight of a pile of baked potatoes that didn’t get sold during dinner service (I’d never sell them the next day; they were too soggy and soft). Then, one day, a light bulb went off — why not turn them into potato soup? My potato soup became such a hit that I had to start boiling up extra potatoes to augment whatever I had left from the night before. It’s still one of the most popular items at the Café.

• 4 thick-cut bacon slices
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 9 (about 3 pounds) russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups whole or low-fat milk
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Finely chopped chives, for serving (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the bacon in the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onion, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt to the pan and cook until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Crumble the bacon back into the skillet, turn off the heat, and set aside.

2. Bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot with 4 cups of water and 1-½ teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until they’re tender and just starting to break apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, smash the potatoes in the pot with the water until they’re mostly broken up (you want to keep some chunky potato bits).

3. Heat the milk in a small saucepan or the microwave until hot, and then add to the potatoes. Stir in the bacon and onion mixture, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Return to the stove, and continue to simmer until the soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chives, if using, and serve hot.

LYNNE’S TIPS:

Think of this recipe as a base for seasonings and add-ins that appeal to you: a bit of fresh dill and/or small shrimp, some curry powder sautéed in, canned corn or fresh kernels cut from the cob in season, or sautéed leeks for a riff on the classic vichyssoise.

Littlefoote’s Lab’s Tips:

I used 2% lactose free milk and found it to be a good option. Also, I swapped out the onion for a bunch of sliced leeks. I let them caramelize in the bacon drippings, then added it to the potatoes just as directed above. This soup is simple and light (for a cream based soup) and a great dinner on a cold winter night.

I have an email newsletter subscription to The Weeknight Kitchen. It’s a great weekly meal idea, I’ve tried many of the  recipes and find them to be reliably tasty and easy. Get you own subscription => Weeknight Kitchen Newsletter