Soup's On!

There comes a time when you just have to sit back and let things take care of themselves. Today was that sort of day as I still do not feel "up to par". This cold/flu thing has got a good hold on me and a worse one on Son. You know things are not right with me when early this morning, I did not make my usual trek to the pier. I opened the curtains to see a beautiful sunrise in the making but could not muster enough energy to walk all the way to the water's edge. The sunrise will have to wait...I turned over in bed and tried to get a bit more rest. I just felt blah! I did not want to get up and do chores or even make the early morning coffee..I just wanted to lie there and wallow in my misery. And that I did.

About mid-morning, Hubby Mark asked me if there was anything he could do to make me feel better. Not one to miss the opportunity of a bit of pampering, I asked if he would make a pot of soup. Soup is one of those things is comforting and has the added benefits of being good for you..plus Mark makes the best vegetable soup I have ever tasted! He agreed to the task and opened the refrigerator to peruse the contents. I could have told him at this point that the only thing in there that would remotely go in a soup pot was carrots..the frig was empty. He checked the pantry...nope, that was getting a mite bare, as well. A trip to the grocer's was in order. Out the door he went..back to being lazy I went. My head was throbbing and the congestion had settled in for the the long haul. After about an hour, he was back and busy in the kitchen. I knew better than intrude upon the man at work so I lolled about for a bit longer. Finally, I could stand it no longer! There were the most delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen and down the hall. Soup was on! Bubbling merrily on the stove was a large pot of cabbage, celery, carrot and potato soup! It didn't take long for my appetite to return! I do believe the man has perfected this soup-making and should keep the job permanently!

Purple Dawns and Veggie Soup!

I am one of the luckiest people alive, I do believe. Each morning, I am blessed with the most perfect beginnings that anyone could ever ask. This day started with a beautiful, purple dawn. The sky was magnificent..a whole range of purples, oranges and reds. It amazes me how as an artist, it can seem so difficult to make colors look "right" together. Sometimes when painting, the colors will "clash"..I will repaint.. still not right.. I repaint. It seems that no matter how I hard I try, I am never satisfied with the outcome. Then, I will observe a sunrise or sunset and there are the hues that I so wish I could replicate. The colors blend into a beauty like no other. I stand in awe..breathing in the incredible scene. It is almost as if you can "feel" the beauty not just "see" it. Truly, power in Nature to produce something so unbelievably lovely can only be credited to the Master Artist. Only He could ever created the masterpieces that are called sunrises and sunsets. Each is so different and yet each is more stunning than the previous. Yes, I am blessed to live on the Bayou!

Later, I viewed another "Purple Dawn". In the yard, there are several camellia bushes that are full of buds and one has a few early blooms. My husband and I were given two camellia bushes as wedding gifts oh, so many years ago. One was called the "Faith" and the other "Purple Dawn". These two bushes have withstood all sorts of abuse from hurricanes and still manage to provide gorgeous blossoms each winter. The Purple Dawn is such a lovely blossom! The bud will open almost a rose pink but as the bloom ages, the edges will turn a bluish purple and the blush of the pink will deepen. One of the bushes that is blooming is a plant that I dug up from my Aunt and Uncle's house after Hurricane Katrina. Their yard was filled with camellias of all sorts before the storm took most of them. This one is sitting in a pot waiting to be transported to Atlanta, GA. There it will reside at my cousin's house and hopefully bring her many years of joy. This was from her childhood home and was her mother's (my aunt's) favorite camellia. I am so glad that I was able to rescue it for her!

Late this evening after a long day's work, I made a delicious pot of vegetable soup. The pot of soup started me thinking of one of the sweetest ladies I know. Tina is my daughter-in-law's mother and I simply adore her. Tina is a vegan so when I do cook something like today's soup, I think about how she might enjoy this dish. Even though I am not a vegan myself, I do admire and respect her convictions behind her choice to be one. And besides, I do love my veggies! This soup is a very quick and easy meal and even though I used mostly homegrown vegetables, you can substitute those with ones from the store.

Vegan Soup for Tina

7 cups water

1/2 cup dry barley

1 cup onion (minced)

2 cups potatoes (peeled and chopped)

2 cups carrots (chopped)

1 clove garlic (crushed)

2 cups broccoli stems (diced)

3 cups cabbage (shredded)

1 cup sweet green peas

4 vegetable bouillon cubes

3 tablespoons parsley (chopped)

In a large stock pot, place water, barley, and onions. Bring to a boil, lower heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Crumble the bouillon cubes into the mix. Add the potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage and garlic. Bring back to a boil, lower heat and simmer for another 2o minutes. Once the potatoes and carrots are tender, add the green peas and parsley. Simmer over low heat for about 1o more minutes. Serve steaming hot!

This is a great "warmer" on cold days and is very healthy for you. There is no added salt other than the bouillon and no fat..so it is even a very good "diet" meal. Also..notice that I stated broccoli stems. Most people discard the stems, and use only the tops or florets, this is a waste! I steam the tops (or florets) or make a broccoli salad on one day and save the stems to use in soups and stew. They are full of vitamins and fiber! Just make sure to test for tenderness and do discard the "woody" ends. Enjoy!!!