~Not sure re Christmas..:(

 

 

It's not looking good..no good news anywhere re Covid ..my saving grace is that in the midst of all this and mental health issues skyrocketing..my family seems saved from issues..The teens are ok..the younger ones too..the adults are so busy..which is good..

I am so grateful for this because I know not everyone is so fortunate.

I enjoy being busy but not busy in my working days kind busy..I mean having hands that can still garden and craft and bake and cook..

I love learning.

Painting calms me..

During this year I painted a few cards that turned into Christmas cards.

I picked 2 of the above..scanned and had cards printed front and backside.

My images were too large and printed off the page..But They will do..

I find if ever there was a yr for sending cards this is it.

That tortellini soup is just out of my head..but it started with that tomato starter I made from Just Crumbs..It was so easy to get flavor going!Glad I have several bags in the freezer!

La Soupe au Potimarron..is soo good!

Potimarron..is a type of Pumpkin..I picked this Potimarron at a veggie stand because of it's outstanding color..the woman said you must make Potimarron soup..so I did.

In case any of you have pumpkin left..I suggest you try..

You will need..

2 chopped onions

2 chopped leeks make sure they are cleaned:)

 4 small  peeled potatoes cubed

600 grams of cubed potimarron..

4 cloves of garlic..

milk

cream

maple syrup

salt and pepper

In a pot heat some oil and butter..1 tbsp each..add onion ,leeks..garlic..sauté..add potimarron cubes.. stir..

Cover w/ enough stock  so that all veggies will simmer and cook to fork tenderness..I covered my pot and kept a watchful eye.

When done..  use your hand blender and blend until beautifully smooth..add milk and table cream..to your liking..I add more 2 percent milk and then add cream to make it beautiful:)I add a generous splash of real maple syrup..to make it over the top.

Check seasonings..always check seasonings..a bland soup..is bland.

Bland like the potimarron seeds I tried to home make..

Buying pumpkin seeds ..shelled..next BB outing..

Thyme is a lovely addition.Sunflower seeds..etc..

You may be in more now that our most beautiful summer seems to have ended here in QC..

So ..Here are a few recommendations of shows I enjoyed..

The Queen's Gambit

Dirty John..  2 seasons. Betty was my fave.

Unorthodox

Unbelievable

Fleabag

Bloodline

Mindhunter

Bodyguard

The Morning Show

The Loudest Voice

Shetland

Hinterland

The Stranger

The Sinner

Broadchurch

Bloodline

Wallander

Stateless

Friday Night Lights

The Killing..but I cannot find that one anywhere..

me alone Emily in Paris;)

Some are recent some are old..

Just in case you need diversion..and if you have recommendations..yes please.

So do I bake? Or not bake?

I know almost 100% we can't do Christmas morn..all tightly knit around my table..

Will we do the eve if allowed in one of my daughter's larger spaces?

Will I bake my yearly special cake and bake cookies?

Maybe not ..so I am creating a step back in time with this post and the next few.So many of my photos have been lost in space as we know..

♥

Carbs ..and soups..

 

I just love breads and soups..For 100 years I never ate bread.In my family growing up..bread was not something on the table at dinner.Dinner was dinner..Period lol.

In Jacques' family bread seemed to always be on the table.

Since I was evidently and clearly overweight from 10- 15..(the worst years right? For bullying?)

I stopped eating bread at 15 to stay lighter..and stopped eating Fiesta Chips:)

And this went on most of my adult life..Bread? Oh no thank you..

Unless I was out.

But then..bread became something I could easily eat one year..in my 50's and I have never stopped.

Not in a huge way..but I do make it and love a slice here and there.

Love soups too..

I made Ricardo's bread twice in 10 days;)

Because I knew I would be having French Onion Soup twice..and other ideas were swimming in my head.

A poached egg on his toasted bread is heaven.

I have shared the link many times.

Marie made a small batch biscuit recipe and J loves biscuits so I made those easy peasy ones too.

Ricardo's French Onion soup is also ..so very easy..

Make sure you caramelize those onions..and I add thyme.

I love  Bonne Femme soups..recipes abound!

I love adding maple syrup thank you very much..kicks it up a whole sweet fall notch.

Remember when you make soups..

TASTE.. not salty enough and you are eating..well nothing really..pepper..  herbs..a lovely rind of parm..in certain soups.

For the Bonne Femme soup..I scribbled it in on IG..you can find it is this post.

Just documenting what's up..

Blogging is my journal..kind of..so I keep going lol..

Hope to do my garlic bed tomorrow.

Fall has definitely arrived.

Haven't received my  tulips bulbs yet..

Fairies are in the Sheshed..tubers dug up..some..still praying for 1 dahlia flower...Not praying anymore as I finish this draft..

No Thanksgiving..watching the US from afar..curious as to the outcome.

God Bless the doctors..nurses..aides..TEACHERS.

In the words of Tiny Tim..

God Bless Us Everyone.

And hopefully ..Christmas en famille is in the cards.

In garden terms..this sums up 2020.

Not having the opportunity to check out my fave nurseries..I bought 1 dahlia..I had stopped growing them because of earwigs and slugs..

But caved for Café Au Lait♥

I started it INDOORS so it had a head start.

This CAL was babied..staked..watered..like an only child..

many nights a sheet in case of frost because I had buds.

Even the night this happened.

C'est fini.

Good news..no slugs no earwigs this year..wow..

But no flowers.

And here you have 2020.

So I will dig up the tuber..and try again next year.

Still..

I prepped my garlic bed..ripped out all the tomato and nasturtium plants..

And thanked God I had had this work to do this summer...

And thought..winter..please be kind to all of us.♥

Felicity~

Pleasantness~

For some reason..I find it hard to believe that I pressed Publish..for the 900th time today since I started my humble little blog.It was just a bit of a surprise this week when I saw how many I had posted.
When my friend suggested I blog I told her I would have nothing to say after talking about a few recipes and my little ones at the time..
I just tried to find my first post..November 2008..I wnet to the next..Lucas was such a tiny thing..and he will be double digits this year'
Santa put Brut after shave in his stocking here this year..apparently..lol..it is being put to very good use his mom tells me:)
So much has changed..
Happy I stayed with it.
I enjoy it so much.
Part of my little life.
Food for the soul.
So many nice people♥

I bought tulips for the first time this past week..this winter..Bunches had frozen I think..in transport and they were $2.00 a bunch.
I took care of them and they brightened up the sunroom immeasurably during this yet again cold spell.

I made another of Josée Di Stasio's soups..this time her spinach one.And I am certain her brussel sprout topping had something to do with it~
I loved the green on green and redid it here.
I repainted my favorite chair and liked this trial better.
I cut it out because I made a mess next to it trying calligraphy in the wrong color..so I cut it out and made a gift tag.
I found I enjoyed making gift tags out of  my trials.
That really is my favorite chair here..Perusing seed catalogs in January:)
I stitched the pillow on the left about 100 yrs ago.. and the one on the right was a gift from a friend..many many years ago...I have mentioned this pillow before..it has a button from clothing her mom wore..
She is ..like I am.. a motherless daughter and we have missed them dearly..So this meant  lot..the button..since then I have tried to add my mother's buttons to things too.
I thought it was such a sweet gesture..idea..
Those Ikea chairs are great.You simply put the slipcovers in the washing machine...I really do like IKEA..every time we go..which is rarely ..I do find a little kitchen gadget..like a cookie cutter..loaf pan..that we just don't find anywhere else..I find the prices good too.
Really at my stage of the game..I don't need much..so we go maybe once a year:)

I made a little challah bread ..to go with soups and chilis..
This one proved so easy and good..I made half the recipe for 1 loaf.
This bread is excellent w/ a little honey butter..
I take my salted butter..add some honey and a bit of icing sugar.
Just put a bit on a slice..and your meal is even better.
I made the dough in the bread machine..then shaped and baked.
Still need a bit of practice on this shaping..it's not a perfect round..:)
PS..On Saturday I made it again..again halved the recipe to make just one..
Turned out just as well..I think I am getting the curving:)

La Recette for the soup:

Cream of spinach and parmesan cheese

4 portions

2 tbsps butter or olive oil or half and half..that's what I did.
1 leek chopped..white and tender green parts only  or one onion  chopped
2 potatoes sliced..Yukon Gold or Idaho
2 garlic cloves
3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups packed baby spinach
Nutmeg to taste
4 tbsps parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In a pot heat the butter or olive oil.
Soften the leeks or onions a few minutes..
Add the garlic..potatoes and broth..
Cook until the potatoes are tender ap.20 mins.
Add the spinach and nutmeg..(I omitted the nutmeg)
Cook until softened ap. 2minutes
Let cool add cheese and then use your immersion blender..
Check seasonings..
Warm and serve.
Garnish as you please..I blanched some brussel sprouts and topped my soups with them.


Felicity ..another of the pretty words:)

I have written about my daughter putting a special napkin in Noah's lunch every day..From Pre K to K and now grade one..every single day..It amazes me..that I took my watercolor pencils and tried to draw Paddington from a book cover..it was fun to try and use the pencils ..as I rarely use them..but I did not get his expression at all..I will show you one day..

                                                                            ♥

But my daughter did capture  his expression

Every night before she goes to bed..  she makes one ♥
I asked her if he mentions them alot..she said:"Not really..he gives them to his friends:) "
Apparently his friends ask him for them:)
I found a cute cute Paddington Treasury book for him w/ a CD..
I know he will like it..as for me I am dying to take the cello off and look at the images and read it.
But I will wait for him.