Mmmm…Tomato Bisque
I tried this recipe for supper this evening, and oh. my. goodness. It was divine. Seriously. Miss J, who despises tomato soup requested seconds. You must try it immediately:
Tomato Bisque Soup
1/2 c onion, diced
1/2 c butter, divided
2 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 t dill weed
1 t oregano
1 t basil
5 c canned crushed tomatoes (2 1/2 cans)
1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
4 c chicken stock or broth (2 cans)
2 T flour
2 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
4 t honey
1 1/4 c heavy cream
2/3 c half & half
In a large pot, melt 6 T butter.
Saute onions, garlic, and herbs on medium low for about 5 minutes, until onion is SOFT and translucent.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock and heat to simmer.
In a separate small saucepan, make a roux with the flour and remaining 2 T butter, whisking constantly over medium heat for 3 minutes, without browning.
Add roux to stock, whisking to blend.
Add salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil to thicken, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.
Add honey, cream, and half & half.
Note to readers: this is not my photo…no lovely presentation at my house tonight, that’s on my list of things to work on sometime in the next decade. Credit goes to the fab cooks over at Dinner’s Ready.
I’m Blessed
A couple weeks ago, I was seriously snowed. So much to do…some big work projects going on, my house was a DISASTER, and my surgery was looming. My dear friend (from fifth grade) called to check in, and when I mentioned as off-handedly as I could that I was going in for a tonsilectomy in a few days, she said, “What can I do to help you?” It’s so hard for me to answer that question, I mean, it’s my responsibility to take care of MY LIST, you know? I told her I was fine, just needed to get myself moving. Thirty minutes later, she knocked on my door and said, “Put me to work.” I can’t quite put into words how much better I felt when the sink was clean, kids were finished with homework, and my Christmas tree was finally packed away. My family and I have been so blessed by “small” acts of people I love dearly over the last little while. I am so grateful both for their service and for the tender reminder that you don’t have to do big things to make a difference in the life of another.
Shabby L-O-V-E
I came across this picture tonight of a project I did for last Valentine’s day, and thought I’d throw it out there…it’s a versatile and easy little craft.
You’ll want to round up:
-small wood or paper-mache letters in the word combo you want
-2 colors of regular-old acrylic craft paint
-bottle of crackle medium (found near to the acrylic craft paint in any craft aisle)
-old rag
-sand paper
-sealer spray
-magnet sheet
-glue gun
-ribbon bits
-sealer
1-Slap some paint on the letters–whatever you want to use as the base coat…I used red here. Let it dry a little.
2-Mix 1 part water, 1 part paint (I used pink), 1 part crackle medium (a little goes a long way here…think teaspoons if you’re just doing one set of these), and slap it on top of the red paint. Let it dry for just a minute or so, then use an old rag to wipe it off (in one direction) till it looks as weathered as you want it to. If you’re not liking it, you can water it down, wipe it off and start over. (I found this technique on Sandi Henderson’s blog…LOVE her.)
3-Sand the edges, tops, wherever you want to make it look a little more worn
4-Hit the letters with a bit of sealer spray to set the look, let dry.
5-Tie bits of ribbon & trims around the letters wherever you please.
6-Cut strips off the magnet sheet to fit the back of the letters, hot glue them on.
7-Stick these babies wherever you like and SMILE–you accomplished something today!
Sense & Sensibility
It’s snowing outside and I just bought a swimsuit. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Actually, I bought a suit similar to this last year (at full price) and loved it: it is flattering on, doesn’t gap at the top when I move, sucks my tummy in, and has a nice modest leg line…so I stalked this puppy for a couple months, waiting for it to go on sale. Then forgot about it. I just stumbled on it again today, for $19.99. Score! It’s on it’s way to me now…I’m so thinking a tropical escape is in order for my near future. Even if it might be wishful thinking…..
Princesses Wear Crowns
Little Miss M woke up with a crazy, frizzy messy third-day hairdo going on this morning, and it was looking like she’d not had any mama attention for quite some time…Who, me? So I decided to give her something special for the day, and thankfully the girl was mostly patient with my frequent “Chin up! Hold still! Look at the top of the wall!” instructions. Once I gave her a little chocolatey treat, that is. Hey, a girl’s gotta do…
I discovered the world of hair blogs a couple months ago. These girls have some fun, different, ideas…some are complex, others just look that way. It’s been nice to have new options, because since mid-Kindergarten, Miss J has had this thing about her hair: it must be in a ponytail at all times. Which is fine, but bo-ring. So I try to spice things up with knots and flips and a weave here and there when she’s feeling magnanamous and I’m feeling inspired.
And just for you girls out there who need a little lift today (okay, and me!), here’s the saying on the back of Miss M’s shirt today, courtesy of the fabulous Matilda Jane:
Lip Smackin’ Good
Every Girl Needs a Pair of Pearl-drop Earrings
My mom “surprised” me with this necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs for my birthday (thanks Mom!), and I’ve worn it constantly since. I love it’s simplicity, the meaning of the three little initials, the hammered texture of the silver discs, the luminous pearl charm. I’ve been wanting some cute earrings to wear with it, and finally found some time to sit down and make these little babies:
They came together in about three minutes (once I gathered the items I needed), and they look perfect with my favorite necklace. Here’s how they work:
Items needed:
1 pair silver french hook earwires
2 freshwater pearls
2 silver 2″ headpins
1 pair round nose pliers
1 pair needle nose pliers
Thread the head pin through the hole in the pearl, form a loop using the round nose pliers, slip the earwire onto the loop, then wrap the rest of the pin around the base of the loop using the needle nose pliers. (You might need to trim a little bit off.) Since I forgot to take pictures of the process, here’s a good demonstration of the technique.
Tonsilectomy with Tim
I had my tonsils out last week. I know, those are supposed to come out when you’re a little kid…and I hear it’s much easier when you’re, ahem, not in your thirties. Either way, I didn’t know then what I know now, so here I am: in bed five days later, ready to move on, but still feeling a little woozy every time I get up.
Enter Tim Gunn. He’s been my elegant companion through this entire ordeal. (At least when my darling husband hasn’t been waiting on me hand and foot…that’s been ni-ice.) I first came to like and respect Tim on Project Runway, and I received his book for Christmas. Knowing I’d have some stuck-in-bed time coming up, I saved up seasons 1 and 2 of his show, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style. It’s been loads of fun, watching emotional makeovers, seeing all the lovely clothes, handbags, jewelry and makeup, picking up a gazillion style tips, and now I want to hop out of bed and pull a designer wardrobe out of my closet! Shazam!
Okay, so that’s not likely to happen. But at least I’ve been able to enjoy part of my down time. And I have a few ideas I need to follow up on when I’m able to bust out of this joint. What’s your favorite sick-time escape?
photo credit: InStyle
Blizzard
Mmmmm…doesn’t this photo make you feel grateful to be inside? It’s a dusk-shot from the front window of my warm, cozy house during one of our pre-Christmas blizzards last week. It also makes me grateful that I’m not the farmer who braves the elements to feed his animals (or dig his daughter’s family out of a snow-filled road on Christmas day–thanks Dad!), or the power company lineman in charge of keeping electricity flowing, or the UPS driver delivering everyone’s Christmas packages. I’m grateful to just be me, flaws and all.
Christmas Past
Aaahhh. It feels so good to have the big day over. I love the season and the trimmings…but I am a bit relieved to have the Christmas pressure gone. I hope you all had as lovely and snowy a holiday as we did…well, maybe not as snowy. A belated Merry Christmas to you!
Sage Meadow Studio 
