Since my daughter got her driver's license, I no longer omit ingredients from recipes or don't make a recipe because I don't have all the ingredients. My daughter is my errand runner and shopper. It's a win-win, she gets out of the house and gets to drive with her radio blasting and I accomplish tasks without leaving the house.
This all sounds awesome and great until I realized the importance of explicit communication. Remember that game we played when we were young - a sentence is told to the first person who has to memorize it and whisper it to the next person and so on until the final person repeats what they heard - which is never exactly what was said in the beginning.
Here's our mother-teenage daughter version of the game. I needed cilantro. (I usually have it in my garden but it wasn't doing well, so I pulled it and hadn't planted any new seeds.) I sent my daughter to the store. I wrote cilantro on the list along with a couple of other basic items. From the store, my daughter texts me "cilantro leaves"? Yes, I reply, thinking the grocer got fancy with his signage.
When she got home, she handed me the receipt and started putting the groceries away. I noticed on the receipt that she paid $7.19 for cilantro. WHAT?!?! How much cilantro did she buy (typically it's $.39 a bunch)? She hands me the glass jar of "dried cilantro leaves".
I didn't say Fresh Cilantro. I didn't say Cilantro in the Produce section. I said Cilantro and she went to the baking aisle and grabbed the spice jar. Who would havwe thought?
The cilantro story happened a few months ago. Two weeks ago I had foot surgery that has limited me drastically - no driving, no walking any great distance, only being up in 15 minute increments. I'm down. I thought of this incident as I was making my Thanksgiving shopping list, realizing that I couldn't be that specific on that many items and have my daughter or (sigh) my husband, do the shopping for me. I had to go. But how?
The answer: use the motorized cart.
My daughter drove me to the store and dutifully pushed the cart behind me as I sunk into the seat and motored ever so slowly through the store. We made it through and bought everything we needed for our fest. I didn't run anyone over, people were courteous and lots of people had "I know the feeling" stories to share. Yet the more time we spent in the market, my head was down, I was slightly embarrassed and humbled by this experience, I won't be riding in the motorized cart anytime soon.
Slowing down, paying attention, being organized and being specific has it's rewards - our groceries subtotal was $197.81 - by slowing down, paying attention, being organized and being specific - I reduced by bill by $79.67 with card, coupons and bonus coupons! Whoop!
The motorized cart helped me with the shopping, but it isn't going to get the feast on the table in my limited condition. I need to come up with that plan...but that is for the next posting.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Homage to Potage: The end is closer than you thought
Our youngest, age 6, asked when soup was once again was served for dinner, "are you trying to kill us?" With soup. Yes. Call CPS now, this is my weapon of choice. Sign that boy up with a theater troupe. Sheesh.
Day 9: Lentil Vegetable Soup. Another Spot vegetarian restaurant recipe that has graced our table many many times. Lentils are fast cooking beans, no need to soak, just through them in a pot of water and shazam, soup. The veggie combination varies but typically has onion, carrot, celery, yam, potatoes, broccoli and zucchini. Sometimes I puree the soup, sometimes not. The kids prefer it pureed. Me, not so much. I always serve cornbread with lentil soup.
A word on cornbread. The best cornbread recipe is on the side of the box of Albers cornmeal - not their cornbread recipe on the back of the box but the sweet corn muffin recipe on the side of the box. I modify the recipe to reduce the sugar the recipe calls for and I add a can of corn. I never make corn muffins. I bake the entire recipe in a cast iron skillet or 9 x 13 pan.
That's it. No more soup. Not entirely. I've had foot surgery and stocked my fridge and freezer with my favorites, chicken vegetable soup and vegetarian split pea. I also stocked the fridge and freezer with family friendly easy to re-heat meals while I'm laid up for a few weeks.
My 30 day soup plan didn't work out but it was fun while it lasted.
The best part - hearing from you that my silly homage inspired you to make soup.
Thanks for reading my blog and enjoying soup!
Day 9: Lentil Vegetable Soup. Another Spot vegetarian restaurant recipe that has graced our table many many times. Lentils are fast cooking beans, no need to soak, just through them in a pot of water and shazam, soup. The veggie combination varies but typically has onion, carrot, celery, yam, potatoes, broccoli and zucchini. Sometimes I puree the soup, sometimes not. The kids prefer it pureed. Me, not so much. I always serve cornbread with lentil soup.
A word on cornbread. The best cornbread recipe is on the side of the box of Albers cornmeal - not their cornbread recipe on the back of the box but the sweet corn muffin recipe on the side of the box. I modify the recipe to reduce the sugar the recipe calls for and I add a can of corn. I never make corn muffins. I bake the entire recipe in a cast iron skillet or 9 x 13 pan.
That's it. No more soup. Not entirely. I've had foot surgery and stocked my fridge and freezer with my favorites, chicken vegetable soup and vegetarian split pea. I also stocked the fridge and freezer with family friendly easy to re-heat meals while I'm laid up for a few weeks.
My 30 day soup plan didn't work out but it was fun while it lasted.
The best part - hearing from you that my silly homage inspired you to make soup.
Thanks for reading my blog and enjoying soup!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Homage to Potage: A Month of Soup: Days 4 - 8
Beautiful soup, so rich and green.
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!
Lewis Carroll
Alice in Wonderland
We're still eating soup! We had a couple of detours but we're back on track with 30 days of soup.
Day 4: Spicy Black Bean
Chipotles in adobo sauce is one of my favorite canned goods. Chipotles are smoked red jalapeno peppers in a sauce of ancho chiles, tomato sauce, spices and vinegar. This very basic and delicious Spicy Black Bean soup recipe came from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook. Along with chipotles in adobo sauce, the recipe also includes cocoa powder and orange juice. We topped the soup with avocado and fresh cilantro. Quesadillas on the side. In a word, yum.
Day 5: Tortellini Soup
Tortellini soup is an old standby - super fast and easy and everyone loves it. I freeze my chicken broth in ziploc bags with 4 or 8 cups of broth, labelled and dated of course. For this soup, I use 8 cups of broth, a package of tortellini (I usually keep a package in the freezer for just such emergency meals) and either arugula or spinach - I used arugula since my garden apparently loves to grow arugula. Heat it all up, add some freshly shredded parmesan and call it a meal.
Day 6: Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup.
This turned out to be Roasted Ratatouille Soup. See my earlier post on ratatouille. My husband declared he was done with vegetable soups and we had to move on. I love ratatouille and loved this soup. I was alone. Frozen pizza saved the lot of them. The next morning I strained the broth and ate it in an omelette! Fabulous.
Stop. Detour. I had to sew Halloween costumes. Burgers out and a trip to the movies for the rest of them! I think I had wine for dinner. Is there a wine soup? Does wine count? Worked Saturday night for me!
Day 7: Chicken Pot Pie Soup
This is really Chicken Chowder but the kids think it tastes like Pot Pie so that's what I call it. I made a roux instead of using milk or cream as you normally would in a chowder. Nobody noticed. They ate it and liked it. What more could a momma want?
Stop. Detour. Halloween. We picked up Flame Broiler.
Day 8: Vegetarian Split Pea.
I do not eat ham in soup. Bacon, yes. Ham, no. The smell of a ham bone boiling in a pot is enough to make me gag. Eat it, no. My split pea soup recipe comes from The Spot Vegetarian Restaurant in Hermosa Beach. I love The Spot and this soup is my all time favorite. Onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, yam, soy sauce, Braggs aminos and split peas. Simple, easy and delicious. I wished I had made some good brown bread (or even bought some). After all the candy I ate today, it's best we had no bread. The kids are completely over soup. Even my 17 year old groaned when I told her it was split pea night. They had sloppy joe's straight from the land of Manwich. From The Spot to Manwich all in one night, for shame.
Interesting facts:
My family isn't complaining about the random meals I'm serving. Interesting. I'm realizing it really doesn't matter what I serve for dinner as long as they like it. They don't care if it's healthy or thought out or made with love. I may trade in the dining table for a trough.
Soup is good for you. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. Really, it is. All of my soups have at least 6 vegetables. Soup hides vegetables so easy, especially if you blend the soup. Poof, like magic, you can't see the vegetables, the soup tastes delicious and my kids eat it. I eat it too. The best part for me, I've lost 4 lbs. Woo! Very exciting. For the most part I'm only eating soup, not the random meals I'm making for the kids. Simple diet solutions. Eat healthy, small portions, staying on track. I'm not doing this all day, just at dinner. Who am I to question the who, the how, the whats and the whys....soup works!
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!
Lewis Carroll
Alice in Wonderland
We're still eating soup! We had a couple of detours but we're back on track with 30 days of soup.
Day 4: Spicy Black Bean
Chipotles in adobo sauce is one of my favorite canned goods. Chipotles are smoked red jalapeno peppers in a sauce of ancho chiles, tomato sauce, spices and vinegar. This very basic and delicious Spicy Black Bean soup recipe came from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook. Along with chipotles in adobo sauce, the recipe also includes cocoa powder and orange juice. We topped the soup with avocado and fresh cilantro. Quesadillas on the side. In a word, yum.
Day 5: Tortellini Soup
Tortellini soup is an old standby - super fast and easy and everyone loves it. I freeze my chicken broth in ziploc bags with 4 or 8 cups of broth, labelled and dated of course. For this soup, I use 8 cups of broth, a package of tortellini (I usually keep a package in the freezer for just such emergency meals) and either arugula or spinach - I used arugula since my garden apparently loves to grow arugula. Heat it all up, add some freshly shredded parmesan and call it a meal.
Day 6: Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup.
This turned out to be Roasted Ratatouille Soup. See my earlier post on ratatouille. My husband declared he was done with vegetable soups and we had to move on. I love ratatouille and loved this soup. I was alone. Frozen pizza saved the lot of them. The next morning I strained the broth and ate it in an omelette! Fabulous.
Stop. Detour. I had to sew Halloween costumes. Burgers out and a trip to the movies for the rest of them! I think I had wine for dinner. Is there a wine soup? Does wine count? Worked Saturday night for me!
Day 7: Chicken Pot Pie Soup
This is really Chicken Chowder but the kids think it tastes like Pot Pie so that's what I call it. I made a roux instead of using milk or cream as you normally would in a chowder. Nobody noticed. They ate it and liked it. What more could a momma want?
Stop. Detour. Halloween. We picked up Flame Broiler.
Day 8: Vegetarian Split Pea.
I do not eat ham in soup. Bacon, yes. Ham, no. The smell of a ham bone boiling in a pot is enough to make me gag. Eat it, no. My split pea soup recipe comes from The Spot Vegetarian Restaurant in Hermosa Beach. I love The Spot and this soup is my all time favorite. Onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, yam, soy sauce, Braggs aminos and split peas. Simple, easy and delicious. I wished I had made some good brown bread (or even bought some). After all the candy I ate today, it's best we had no bread. The kids are completely over soup. Even my 17 year old groaned when I told her it was split pea night. They had sloppy joe's straight from the land of Manwich. From The Spot to Manwich all in one night, for shame.
Interesting facts:
My family isn't complaining about the random meals I'm serving. Interesting. I'm realizing it really doesn't matter what I serve for dinner as long as they like it. They don't care if it's healthy or thought out or made with love. I may trade in the dining table for a trough.
Soup is good for you. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. Really, it is. All of my soups have at least 6 vegetables. Soup hides vegetables so easy, especially if you blend the soup. Poof, like magic, you can't see the vegetables, the soup tastes delicious and my kids eat it. I eat it too. The best part for me, I've lost 4 lbs. Woo! Very exciting. For the most part I'm only eating soup, not the random meals I'm making for the kids. Simple diet solutions. Eat healthy, small portions, staying on track. I'm not doing this all day, just at dinner. Who am I to question the who, the how, the whats and the whys....soup works!
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