Above, a blend of 3 black teas from Paris...my morning tea of the day.
I wrote earlier today of these pictures of Cleo:
Cleo is listening. The wind is high, it always creates noises like a horse running in the distance..... we are not sure what, but something attached to the house moves constantly in high wind.
Lunch with triscuits, jarred beef (pulled chuck roast with Cuban spices, deliciously spiced,
very savoury!), clementines, salad, bread and butter... I had my blend of decaf chocolate chai tea...
***
After lunch I prepared the Roasted Garlic and Onion Soup, with
my own adaptions, for the first time!
The Soup
Recipe is from here, adapted a little:
10 - 15 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 head of cauliflower
2 tsp. salt
4 cups chicken stock (made the day before)
My spice addition, inspired by my cousin M:
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
with 4 tbsp of butter melted,
then the 3 spices above mixed in with butter,
then onion added until soft.
Onions with butter and spices above.
Cauliflower florets and 1 whole bud of garlic, separated into cloves,
about 10 of them, unpeeled, roasted at 400F for 30 minutes + a little more with oven off.
4 cups of chicken stock, with some onion, garlic ginger at bottom...
Sauteed onion with butter and spices, with chicken broth,
that was brought to a boil before roasted cauliflower and roasted garlic,
peeled (I did not realize that the paper-thin peels would mainly be
separated from the roasted soft garlic, was really easy!) are added.
I then took the pot off the stove
and used my (new) immersion blender to puree the stock...
it worked pretty well, but was hard to see every floret to get
it pureed.... (any suggestions, I am all ears, I wonder if a taller
and not so wide pot would help)
but still, it worked and was a lot easier than getting my blender out,
transferring the soup and then having to take apart the blender to clean it!
I added just-then ground sea salt and pepper until it tasted much
more to my liking...
(We did end up adding a bit more to our individual bowls but
that, I find, is to be expected).
This is a small tray, metal, that we picked up in Holland.
It is the perfect size for my 3 main (1 salt, 2 pepper) grinders that I use for cooking.
I was so pleased to find this! I had been wanting something for this for some months!
I do have one salt cellar and one small pepper grinder that I use for cooking
but also at the table, depending on what suits the table at the time.
(the smaller grinder and cellar are seen in the picture below, to the left of and in front of,
the candle centre-piece).
We enjoyed the soup very much and I baked up
a baguette that was baked but finished baking in the oven
for 10 minutes at 350F.
Dinner with soup and bread + what we had for lunch + a date bar for dessert,
from my Grandma's Christmas Tin of Baked Goods that she gave us
this past December...
(I keep the tin and all in the freezer!!)
***
We listened to more of the Tolkien CD (CD #3) and later some of
Beethoven's 8th symphony... we had an earlier dinner
as the soup was hot and the bread was easy to bake!
Mr. Husband worked, finally, on a boxed amerilius bulb
and I moved the Christmas books to make room.
Soon, it will be time to put away the Christmas decorations... but I will enjoy
them for another day or so, yet...
***
I read more of the book about MFK Fisher and the snow and wind blue for
much of the day time, quieting down later in the afternoon.
I talked with my Mom (they got good news today),
talked with another friend (who did not have good news about her beloved cat :( )
and today was the best day I've had this week,
a real blessing of a day.
I was overtired and slept till 10 AM this morning! Sleep does help,
as does finally making a soup and having it turn out
to one's Husband's liking (and mine too!).
***
Tomorrow will be a different day, amazing how each day
has it's own work and worry.
Mr Husband will leave early for a doctor in NYC.
I will stay here....
I am guessing he will be tired upon his return.
He's slowly been improving this week and had the best
colour I have seen (all week, he was pretty good the night of the house blessing)
at our early dinner of soup, bread, meats and salad.
We will see how he does tomorrow.
***
We both talked about what we hope will be his return to work
and what we are most worried about,
from our Husband and Wife perspectives.
I think we both found it helpful as we could
decide on what will be the best way to try to do this.
***
I've never seen him so sick for so long.
But today was a good day and I must just
stay in the present and try also
to remember and be present to God in it.
***
Lord have mercy on us as we try to turn
towards Him!
