Teaspoon Tuesday -Dream House

In my dreams, I live in a house by the sea, high atop a grassy hill with the water spread below me like an endless blanket of blue. I awake to the sun sparkles of a million diamonds, dancing across the waves, and settle into my favorite chair at the end of the day just as the brilliant orange orb sinks into a rosy glow over the horizon.

As you can tell, it isn't so much about the house for me, as the place where the house is. Of course, I'd like to have a nice home, but it doesn't need to be a huge mansion. A house with lots of windows so the water is beside me at every turn. A room big enough to hold my baby grand piano, with built in book shelves from floor to ceiling all round, and a couple of big overstuffed chairs. A bedroom with doors that open wide, so the rhythmic lapping of waves becomes both lullaby and wake up call. A wraparound deck, with panoramic views of the water at every turn, and lots of big wicker chairs to plop into. It would be a shiny new place, with slick hardwood floors and bright white cabinetry and woodwork. I'd decorate in all shades of blues, from the darkest navy to the palest periwinkle, and accent with red, dark greens, and yellows.
A home full of light, with crisp brightness, yet warm and inviting as well.

Ah, yes, a home by the sea. In my dreams....

Teaspoon Tuesday - My Life in Magazines

I'm deviating from Deirdre's suggestion just a little bit and borrowing an idea from one of the magazine's I read. Every month they feature a celebrity column titled "My Life in_________", for instance, "My Life in Hairstyles," or My Life in Jewelry," and once it was "My Life in Lipstick" for pete's sake! So, here's a little history of "My Life in Magazines".

1. Late 60's-Early 70's: An avid reader of Teen Beat and 16, to catch up on all the latest news about the mysterious death of Paul McCartney or cut out pictures of Mickey Dolenz (my favorite Monkee). I also read 17 for fashion tips, although fashion was not a big issue in those days, since I dressed in some version of the school uniform every day - blue plaid skirt, royal blue blazer, and saddle shoes!
2. Late 70's-Early 80's: As I moved through high school, I lost interest in the celebrity thing, and started reading Madmoiselle and Glamour. Madmoiselle was my favorite, especially after I became a Sylvia Plath groupie and read about her famous internship there;
3. Late 80's-Early 90's: My domestic goddess days had me reading all the women's mags - Redbook, McCalls, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping. That's right, just me on the couch with the bon bons, magazines, and soap operas (NOT!);
4. As the century changed, so did my reading tastes. I began to realize that I no longer fit the target demographic for those women's magazines - I had outgrown the young wife and mother role. I gradually let all the subscriptions run out, and for a while, there were no magazines at all in my life. But then, the publishing houses got smart, and realized there were a bunch of women out there heading into midlife with a totally different focus. I came across a copy of More, which focuses entirely on the needs and interests of women over age 40. At first, I resisted classifying myself in the "over-40" group. But before long, cruel reality set in - along with grey hairs, wrinkle, bulges in odd places, and hot flashes - and I was desperate for advice of getting rid of all the above! So, the subscription card went into the mail;
5. And, in a curious display of symmetry hearkening back to my days of Teen Beat and 16, I allow myself the guilty pleasure of reading People on flights to Florida.

Back in the days when I was reading lots of magazines, I often did as Deidre suggested - I passed them along to my mom, who in turn, passed them along to her neighbors. In the years my grandmother spent in a nursing home, I took great piles of them there, for visitors and staff to enjoy.

A Teaspoon-ful of Soup

Who can eat just a teaspoon-ful of soup? Certainly not me, especially on a cold, rainy day like it was today. I want to fill up on a heaping bowlful of something hot, rich, and satisfying!

Deirdre, one of my favorite blogger buddies, has a neat new site called Teaspoon Tuesday, and every week she offers us a chance to share a little something sweet about life in general. This week, the topic is soup, and I'm looking forward to picking up some new recipes for one of my favorite comfort foods.

Just a while ago, on another cold, rainy, Michigan day (unfortunately, I fear a weather pattern is developing here!) I shared one of my all time favorite soup recipes. Today, I'm offering a brand new one - I haven't made this yet, but I just ate a big bowl of it at the home of one of my best friends (who also happens to be a gourmet cook, lucky for me!) It is rich, creamy, soothing, and delicious. She served it with hot Parkerhouse rolls, a leafy green salad garnished with blue cheese, dried cherries and dressed in a simple vinaigrette. Scrumptous! and even better when enjoyed in the company of friends.

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

In a food processor, coarsely chop 3 cans (15 1/2 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained; and 1 cup chopped tomatoes, also drained.

In a big 6 quart soup kettle, saute ( in 1/4 cup of butter ) - 1 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup minced shallots, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt. When the onion has softened, stir in bean puree.

Add 4 cups beef broth, one 16 oz can of pumpkin puree, and 1/2 cup dry sherry. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.

Just before serving, add 1/2 pound diced ham and 3-4 tablespoons sherry vinegar. If necessary, simmer, stirring until heated through.

Serve garnished with sour cream or plain yogurt.