Soup Season

Cauliflower Soup

I have to admit that soup is a comfort food for me.  It is always quick and easy, and I usually make a batch every week with whatever is in season and freeze it in individual containers.  Fast, easy and so yummy!

This is a recipe for Cauliflower Soup from Tyler Florence, and you will love it!






3 tbl olive oil
6 brussel sprouts, separated into petals
3 tbl unsaled butter
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
5 sprigs of fresh lemon thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
3 c milk
1 tbl lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly gound black pepper

• In large saucpan coat and warm olive oil
• Saute Brussel sprout leaves for 2-3 minutes until crispu around edges.  Set aside and drain on paper towel
• Add butter and lightly saute cauliflower florets with onion slices
• Cook over medium heat, letting them sweat for 2-3 minutes until tender.
• Season with salt and pepper
• In a sachet add thyme and bay leaves and add to saucepan, along with milk.
• Bring to simmer, and then reduce heat to low
• Cook until cauliflower if soft.
• Remove sachet and transfer mixture to blender, puree. (I usually just mash, because I like it to have a bit of texture)
• Add lemon juice, salt and pepper if needed.

I like to garnish with a few of the brussel sprout leaves.

       Enjoy!  

FALL FAVORITES

Country drives
 

Fall is such a wonderful season!  The air is crisp, the humidity is gone, and my energy returns. 


I love to go for long drives along the Blueridge Parkway, enjoying the sun shining through the multi-colored leaves, and seeing them drift down across the country lanes.  It is time to wear a chunky knit sweater and drink hot apple cider.


Foraging in my garden and the farmers market, I find the making for table arrangements that will last until Thanksgiving.

Some are casual and will be out on the veranda, as a welcome home in the evening.

Some  will be placed inside to add seasonal appeal to the decor.  I love to change my accessories with the seasons.  It makes everything seem new and fresh to me. 

This is when I bring out throws and more textured pillows, put away the seashells and lighter colored accessories.  I display my painting from my great-grandmother of the sheep on the hillside that she painted as a young girl in Ireland.

Rotating your accessories with the seasons gives you a new appreciation for the things you love and enjoy.    And those are the things that make the house your home.

A bit of glamour
 

Natural Arrangement
 



 

Wake up to a beautiful bedroom

Isn't this just a beautiful headboard?  It almost looks as tho it is placed in front of a mis-placed window, since the moulding behind it doesn't come all the way to the floor.

This is an example of how you can camouflage an obstacle in the room that keeps you from placing furnishings as you wish them to be.

My feeling is that your bedroom is the most important room in your home. It is where you open your eyes in the morning and close them at night.  It should be soothing, and restful.   Spoil yourself with beautiful linens, and lovely artwork.  Have a bedside table that is large enough to accommodate a good reading lamp, clock, and perhaps your cellphone.  Keep the tempurature down low enough that you sleep soundly, and wake refreshed.

Your mattress should be supportive and comforting.  You may not look at it, but you will certainly notice it in the morning if it is not a good fit for you!

And if you have room, a chair or bench at the end of the bed is great for those extra pillows during the night, folding the duvet back onto, or putting your socks on in the morning.