A Rocking Story and Another Pot of Soup

All afternoon I rode across the prairie, galloping on my trusty steed, chasing down the bad guys and singing off key. I was four-years-old living in the land of make-believe, but in the real world of grownups, the prairie was my Uncle Gail's front porch and the steed was my cousin Tom's old rocking horse with the chipped paint and the scraggly tail. It was the first time I'd met my cousin and the first rocking horse I'd ever seen. I never got over my love of that horse or my admiration for my wonderful big cousin.

From Utah we went on to view the wonders of the Grand Canyon that summer. I know I was there because somewhere downstairs I have a photo, but from that entire trip I only remember Tom and his wonderful rocking horse.

"Let's Rock"

While making this newest pattern, I relived the thrill of the front porch adventure in the form of fabric and thread. I hope you like "Let's Rock" half as much as I do.


Lentil Soup with Curry

This week I made two soups, lentil soup and chili. I must have been in the mood for beans this week - possibly due to my impatience for cooler weather. The chili is a very basic recipe, so I'll share only the lentil soup recipe with you this time. If you don't care for curry, you could use cinnamon or Worcestershire sauce to spice up the lentils.

It started with a pint of mixed, chopped carrots, celery, and onions from Trader Joe. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped carrots, celery, and onions in about equal portions
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 medium potatoes cut in 1/2" cubes
• 3/4 cup lentils
• 15 oz can of chicken broth (I used the last of my frozen homemade chicken broth)
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 - 2 tsp curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 - 5 cups water
• a squeeze of lemon juice (It's easier to add more than to remove too much, so add just a bit at a time, tasting to make sure it's just right for your taste buds.)

1. Lightly sauté the chopped, mixed vegetables and the garlic together in the olive oil.
2. Place all ingredients except the lemon juice into a slow cooker with 3 cups of the water.
3. Cook on high 4 hours, turn setting to low and continue to cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender. Add water as needed.

My freezer is stuffed with soups right now, but I know I'll be adding to the variety as time goes on. I'm missing some basics, like chicken noodle, and I'd like to try some new recipes, too. If you have a favorite, please send it to me and I'll publish it here on my blog. My email: klee2strings@gmail.com

Have a fabulous week! 

Happy stitching, everyone!