It’s easy, but takes a little time. You can’t just toss in all the ingredients and call it a day. It must be layered in with each layer having it’s time to stew.

There is [...]]]>

This recipe came to me by a friend a few months ago. My apologizes but I can’t remember who.

It’s easy, but takes a little time. You can’t just toss in all the ingredients and call it a day. It must be layered in with each layer having it’s time to stew.

There is plenty. The recipe says it makes six servings, but I’m not sure what they consider a serving size. I think it makes about 8-10. In my opinion, it’s a heavy soup and I can’t eat too much with having a beer and bread on the side. – A must have.

You will also have to use an immersion blender. You can use a regular blender but then you have to pour hot liquid out of the pot, and the blender can release burps of hot fluid all over the place. And, this is exactly why I’ve been wanting an immersion blender. If you’ve used a regular blender with hot liquids, then you know how dangerous it can be; not to mention, the mess. I was so excited because the Boy just bought me an immersion blender and this is the first recipe I got to use it. I love it and highly recommend it. You will get lots of use out of it. It’s also a mini food processor.

Ingredients

2 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
4 medium carrots, diced
2 garlic gloves, minced (I left this out by accident. It’s listed in the ingredients but not the instructions, therefore, I forgot it. The soup is still really good).
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 cup flour
1 (12 oz) bottle ale (I used Smithwick’s)
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
4 cups grated cheddar (I used Vermont cheddar)
1 cup green onions (This is for garnish, so I left it out. Especially, since I plan to freeze most of it.)
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (Again, this is for garnish. I left it out, and plan to use store bought real crumbled bacon.)
Sea salt and ground pepper

Instructions

Add the diced bacon to a large heavy-bottom pot and put over medium-high heat.

Cook until the bacon fat is released and the bacon begins to crisp.

Add the butter and onions and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add leeks, celery, carrots, dry mustard, pinch of sea salt and ground pepper. I’m assuming this is were you put the garlic.

Saute until the vegetables soften, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Don’t worry if it sticks to the bottom. The beer will pick it up.

Sprinkle the flour in and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring so it is well incorporated.

Pour in the beer and cook until the liquid reduces by half. About 7 minutes.

Whisk in the milk and chicken stock. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to blend while still in the pot. Blend into a smooth puree.

Add grated Vermont Cheddar to the soup. Stirring frequently until it melts.

Do not allow to boil. I used a low-medium heat at this point.

Served with garnish of green onions and crumbled bacon.

Tip: If you like your soup thicker, reserve 1 cup of the 2 cups of chicken stock. If you want it thinner, add the reserve in when adding the cheese. I put both cups in and still felt it was thick.  I will freeze parts in my freezer-safe soup containers. – Grab and go during the work week.

I hope you enjoy it. We did. If you make it or a different version, please let me know your thoughts. I love sharing ideas.

I wonder [...]]]>

Well, the Boy and I lasted a year under the same roof. We don’t even fight. Perhaps a little rolling of the eyes, or a stomp of the foot once or twice, but no yelling. We genuinely get along – very well, I might add. I can honestly say, we laugh everyday.

I wonder if it has anything to do with being friends for so many years. We don’t track our significant dates. We met over 15 years ago, but not sure of exactly when. I have no recollection of when we started dating because we were friends first. So, we really don’t celebrate anniversaries. To us, those dates are not so significant.

I’m posting because my move-in is easily remembered because a lease was signed. Therefore, I thought with no bells and whistles to say, Happy Anniversary to the Boy and the bunnies for one year under the same roof.

He’s my butter to my bread.

As this decade reaches its end, I’m reminded of the new year [...]]]>

Well it’s the last day of 2010. It’s been a difficult past four months trying to keep up with my blog and being in grad school. So, I thought I should at least write a ditty for the last day of 2010.

As this decade reaches its end, I’m reminded of the new year 2000. My ex-husband, Tom, and I had a large party. The nation was freaking out about as if the world was going to stop. Tom and I decided to play a prank on everyone. About midnight Tom disappeared downstairs while I poured champagne. As they were counting down 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, BAM! Pitch blackness. Tom had flipped off the main house switch. Of course we’re not a stupid bunch; we all started laughing.

Why am I thinking about this? Well, 2000 was a weird year for me. 2010 feels like a closure of sorts. I have had lots of ups and downs over this decade. As I stand in the middle of that pitch blackness, laughing, connecting 10 years later, my life has changed dramatically like I’ve never imagined.

So here’s to a new decade, a new beginning and to the darkness. It’s all good.

Happy 2011!

Saturday morning I woke up in pain. It felt like a pulled muscle in my left, upper chest and shoulder. I had a very hard time bending [...]]]>

I’ve had a hell of a month of being sick. Started with severe sinus infection, Bronchitis, flu, and as of last night I was diagnosed with Pleurisy.

Saturday morning I woke up in pain. It felt like a pulled muscle in my left, upper chest and shoulder. I had a very hard time bending over, laying down, and sitting up. Monday, I called my doctor, and he immediately told me to go to the ER.

If you’ve every gone to the ER, then I’m sure you experienced something like the following.

We walked in. I started to assess the scene of sickies. I wanted to figure out how fast I could get back to see a doctor. As I scanned the waiting area, the people seemed to have no physical signs of needing immediate attention. I thought, “I have chest pains. This should be fast for me.”

Shortly after I checked-in, a nurse behind the closed doors called out my name. YES! I think this is the feeling you get when you hit the lottery. Before I knew it, I’m undressed and laying in a bed with oxygen, IV, heart monitor, and the works. I looked as though I was really sick, but the nurse kept saying, “This is protocol.” I thought, “God I hope it’s not a pulled muscle. How embarrassing.” – Yes, for a short moment I was hoping I was a little sick so I wouldn’t be humiliated – having all this attention for a pulled muscle – from lack of exercise.

After the nurse got me all hooked up and the doctor gave me some drugs for the pain (which was all I really wanted), I asked if the Boy could come back. When he walked in, he looked at me with soft eyes and we immediately started laughing. We then started taking pictures. Yes, we took pictures. I’m on Facebook, and doing other social media activities when my niece text’d me, “Why you there?” She saw my Foursquare check-in to the hospital on Facebook, and thinking, “Way to go for Facebooking and not calling your family.” What can I say, I’m a social geek.

The Boy and I are sitting there and he looked at me with loving eyes and said, “You look like they are about to give you your last rites.” Smugly I said, “They would ask me my religious beliefs first.” As if on queue, a nurse came in asking me a bunch of questions, including, “What is your religious belief?” The Boy and I turned to each other and busted out in a loud laugh. The poor nurse did not realize our conversation prior to her entering. It was perfect timing on her part.

I looked at the clock and it’s 7 PM. I think, “I should be out of here by 8 PM.” The doctor comes in and says, “Don’t get excited.” Really? Who starts a sentence like that, in an ER no less? Anyway, he explains that my blood work indicated a possible blood clot and that I needed to get a CAT Scan. I thought, “Is this why they sent the nurse in to ask me my religious beliefs, and my 8 PM departure was looking grim.” HOURS, not sure how many at this point go by before they even take me to get a scan. I stopped keeping track of time cause it was making me mad. They dropped me off outside the scanning room (in the hallway). The nurse assistant said, “There is someone in there, and they will be right out.” In the meantime, I’m laying on this hospital bed, looking like a sick pup. People are walking by. – It’s funny how no one makes eye contact. Not that I’m complaining, cause I know I looked like crap. I have pictures to prove it.

Before I knew it, there were two more people sitting in the hallway also waiting for a scan. “I was here first!”, I thought, but that didn’t matter – they took the others before me. Didn’t they ever hear of a “Take a Number” kind of tool?

While I sit in this freezing, long hallway, I hear this loud noise approach around the corner. This old guy sitting on a street cleaner machine is approaching slowly in my lane. The closer he gets the louder it gets. I’m thinking, “I hope he moves, cause I’m hooked up to my bed and I can’t jump.” Now, I’m a pretty tall girl at six foot which means my feet are hanging over the end of the bed. I swear he comes so close before he swiftly turns the wheel to go around me. I believe I even got sprayed. Not to mention, he made no eye contact. He drove off down the hall. Every five minutes (it seemed), I can see him peaking around the corner, as he goes by, thinking about the spot he missed because they left me in the hallway to rot.

The nurse comes out and said, “Here we go.” I had a CAT Scan before but I didn’t remember the warm feeling. They injected a dye that scared the living daylights out of me. I could feel it flow through my veins like warm worms from some scify movie. The nurse says, “You are going to feel like you are peeing.” When it was over, I had to feel my pretty gown to make sure I wasn’t wet.

The technician calls for an ER nurse to come get me. No one is answering the phones. The tech says, “I’ll take you back. They must be busy.” We arrive back at my room and the tech says, “There is no one here.” I started thinking about Michael Myers from Halloween, and the nurse wearing a candy corn uniform getting her neck slashed, and I’m playing the character of Laurie Strode…

What? I have nothing better to do than sit and wait and wait and wait…

Meanwhile, in the wee hours of sometime past long enough, the doctor comes in and says, “Your tests look good. We didn’t find a blood clot, and chances are you have a touch of Pleurisy.” He gave me a prescription for the good pain relieving drug and said I could go home. Well, don’t get too excited. It was a long time before the nurse came in to unplug me from my bed and release me. I’m exhausted!

There is no moral to this story, but I’m home with a good drug and no pain. I’m going to sleep as told by my doctor.

Here are a few of the pictures we took:

1. Heart Monitor – The Boy and I were playing with it. I’d cough or I’d move abruptly to see it respond to my actions.

2. Nurse Call Button – Isn’t that a 1950s sign for a nurse?

3. Tool Box – I was very curious as to what was in there, especially, when a nurse came in saying, “There it is.”, with weird excitement.

4. Isn’t that from the Starship Enterprise?

5. Me being bored.

One funny…he has gotten into the habit of taking pictures with his cell phone, and emailing those to me…

You’d think that, but it’s not [...]]]>

Yes, it has been nine and half months since I moved in with the Boy. It’s been a great time. It really has. We laugh together all the time.

One funny…he has gotten into the habit of taking pictures with his cell phone, and emailing those to me…

You’d think that, but it’s not ‘that’…

He takes pictures of the little things I do that he finds amusing. Such as, if I leave a used Kleenex in the car. Or, if the buns leave a dropping on the floor, however, I am proud to say, he now picks it up and discards it. I once left some clothing on the floor in the hallway because I didn’t want to wake him by going back into the room. He’s sent a picture of all my shower products. I’ve received a picture to remind me that I forgot to replenish the toilet paper. It’s not that many and it makes me laugh, cause I know, it makes him smile having little signs of me throughout the house. Too sweet!

Today, I came home to this in my inbox.

"It looks like a womens shoe salesman exploded"

This past July, I visited San Francisco – my first time. When we arrived, it was too early to check-in to our hotel, so we did a little walk around the neighborhood. Our first San Fran meal was pretty tasty. Great service, food and atmosphere at Grand Cafe – Brasserie and Bar (French [...]]]>

This past July, I visited San Francisco – my first time. When we arrived, it was too early to check-in to our hotel, so we did a little walk around the neighborhood. Our first San Fran meal was pretty tasty. Great service, food and atmosphere at Grand Cafe – Brasserie and Bar (French Cuisine). If you know me, I was checking everyone out. There were lots of fabulous looking people around, drinking champagne and wine with their breakfast. I would have taken pictures with my iPhone, but I was in my Carlow University gear and already looking un-fabulously after a 3 a.m. wake-up call for a five hour flight to this fabulous place. Let’s just say, they were staring at me.

For breakfast we had a flat bread with goat cheese and sliced apple. I can’t for the life of me remember the french name of  the dish but I can certainly remember  the taste. Yummy! Here are a few photos of our food. Thinking back, food was our first pictures of San Fran…That’s quite fitting for us

After our belly’s were full. We headed out to Chinatown. Wow! That was an experience. It is the oldest Chinatown in North America, and outside of Asia, it is the largest in the world. We did lots of shopping. Already exhausted, I was carrying several bags; it’s only noon, and we can’t check-in until 3 p.m. Here are a few photos from Chinatown.

That killed a many hours and we were ready to check into our hotel – The Prescott Hotel, a four star hotel. It reminded my of our hotel in Venice, Italy, but it had a French flare. Great service and the rooms were fabulous. They also served complimentary wines and teas in the afternoon. Here are a few photos…

Our first order of business was our reservations to the SupperClub. The Boy and I had heard about it on The Travel Channel. There are five other places like this in the world – Amsterdam, Singapore, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles and of course, San Francisco. Supperclub is not a traditional style restaurant. It’s unexpected – you do not know what is waiting around every corner. The front doors are closed until the party gets started. We were greeted by a lovely woman dressed in pink, saying, “Welcome to my party.” We are then taken to a room to set the mood, and have a few drinks before entering the bedroom. The menu is pre-determined and you do not know until it’s served. It’s a place of discovery in creative imagination and freedom of expression. Surreal. Here are a few photos…

The next day we ventured out to the typical tourist attractions -  Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz. We ate at Fog Harbour Fish House – Excellent crab cakes and clam chowder and the dessert…you can see by the plate it was delicious. Here are a few photos…

During our trip to San Francisco we also ate at the Sushi Boat. Quite a famous place. Very fun atmosphere and the sushi melted in my mouth. As the boats float around the bar, you just pick and grab your piece. Highly recommend this place if you visit.

This was my first trip to San Francisco and would love to go back someday. A great city.

“Leaving San Francisco is like saying goodbye to an old sweetheart. You want to linger as long as possible.” Walter Cronkite

I thought, “This is going to be fun.” Not a half mile into [...]]]>

The Boy and I ventured out on Sunday to North Park.  Recalling our recent canoeing trip, he says, “Want to get a tandem bike and fight?” I gave him a look (that only women can do) and we rented two bikes.

I thought, “This is going to be fun.” Not a half mile into it, we approach a small hill. WHAT? I can’t get up this itty-bitty hill? I am so embarrassed, ashamed, and ready to cry. I couldn’t believe it. Here I am walking my bike up this ramp of a hill while cars drive by and joggers and walkers pass me up. <heavy, heavy sigh>

I reach the top where the Boy was waiting for me. I told him my grievance, but he encouraged me to go on. It was easy because the next slope was the backside of that hill. “Wahoo,” I echo down the hill and I’m happy again. Just after a bit of leveled stretch of road we find a gazebo and I’m ready to relax. That’s it! I was just enjoying the serene surroundings. It wasn’t that I didn’t have it in me to go on.

After a short break, we head on down the road. I was getting quite thirsty. We didn’t have water. Why should I bring water? It wasn’t going to be difficult. We stopped at the Boat House. There we found some Gatorade and a girl selling snow cones. After the half mile of sweat, heart palpitating, and lung expansion, I deserved a mango and melon snow cone. Oh my gosh, it was the best snow cone I had in a long time.

After a brain freeze or two we get back at it. Let me remind you, we have only gone 1.5, maybe 2 miles with three more miles to go. At this point, my ass is killing me. Crazy out of shape. I’m actually an active person – not a fitness guru, but I enjoy exercising regularly. I was in a size eight (10) a year ago. Just over the past eight months I’ve slacked off.

I tell you this because I’m hoping public humiliation will slap my ass into gear. Back in January, I said in 2010 I will run a 5K. I need to do that before 2010 runs out. I even have a running plan from my friend Laura. It’s just the matter of…I think I can.

You know in the movies [...]]]>

The Boy and I decided to travel to Lake Arthur for a day on the water. Me, “Can we rent a pontoon boat?” Him, “No, I was thinking we’d get some exercise.” I thought, “Okay – I’ve been slacking much in the way of exercise – canoe it is!”

You know in the movies how they paint the notion of how romantic it is to spend a summer afternoon in a canoe? The man is suppose to do all the rowing and strum on a guitar while singing, I thought…

Moraine rents the boats by the hour and you think, “That’s not enough time. This is going to be expensive.” Hold that thought the next time you go to rent a boat. If it doesn’t have a motor, you’ll be wondering why they don’t rent boats by the half hour.

As we paddle across the water, we admire the boats. I start talking about how I would like to have a sailboat and have my friend Roxy teach us. As we (he) rows, I point out, “Ooo, I like that one. No, I want this one. Wow, nix that! I want that one.” He crushes my dreaming with LOGIC, “Let’s take lessons first before purchasing anything.” I think, “That’s never going to happen – like, buying one will. ” <insert slight princess-like attitude here>

The Boy and I still have our kid-like imaginations and start to play pirate, and pretend the fireflies are dragons and the water plants are sea monsters. Having fun at play he says, “Do you want to steer?” Mistake, “Sure,” I say. We pull over to this desolate Island where the wild things roam. We switch seats, and I realize that my can-o-pop (he bought) has tipped over and spilled in the boat. My kid-like imagination soon turns evil because my life jacket (I’m not even wearing) is sticky. <insert slight princess-like attitude here>

As if I’m steering incorrectly, he says, “If you want to go right, then paddle on the right…” Before he could finish that statement, I immediately snap, “I know how to steer a boat.” He says, “Next time we are getting two kayaks and I’m going to watch you go in circles.” Playtime is over and we start to splash each other, I scream, “Stop it! I have a camera, but you don’t.”

Somehow we were on the other side of the lake when I realize that we have to paddle back. I say, “We should have gotten a pontoon boat.” <insert I told you so smart-ass tone here> He tries to use child psychology, “Let’s see how fast we can paddle to get to the other side…” So it works but only for a moment. I’m pooped saying, “How long have we been out here? WHAT! Only 40 minutes? Let’s go back. I’m done with boating on the lake.”

As we paddle back into port, I say to the Boy, “Stop paddling.” So of course he continues to paddle… We get closer to the ramp (filled with people watching us), I scream, “STOP PADDLING.” He says, “Why?” As we crash into another boat <long pause for drama…the moment seems to last longer than I want> trying to look cool in front of all those people, he turns to give me an evil look as though it’s my fault. In attempts to cool me down, he gets me an ice cream. Still a little pissy, I flash him one last evil look before biting into it.

Happily Ever After…

I absolutely adore bunny lips, and bunny bums. But the lips are my favorite – so pink and sweet. It’s even sweeter when they are munching on some greens. This is Madame Bunny. Though, she may seem like she’s having fun, she’s actually perturbed. I was able to snap a picture [...]]]>

I absolutely adore bunny lips, and bunny bums. But the lips are my favorite – so pink and sweet. It’s even sweeter when they are munching on some greens. This is Madame Bunny. Though, she may seem like she’s having fun, she’s actually perturbed. I was able to snap a picture just before she snapped at the camera. She’s such a scary bunny.