Cheater Soups

First off, a few disclaimers...
*If you need exact recipes to follow, stop reading and go find one.
*If you feel slighted because you don't have Dutch soup mix at your local grocer, stop reading. Sometimes I have to drive to the next town to the Asian Market, buck up.
*One recipe is from our church, the other I totally made up, all by myself, using common sense and throwing caution into the wind.

The key ingredient is the Dutch soup mix, Groentesoep.


Dutch Chicken and Rice Soup

One Groentesoep mix
One can cream of chicken soup
2 cups diced chicken breast (Cash and Carry is your friend)
1 cup rice
Water
I add carrots and sometimes celery. I just can't leave well enough alone.

Dutch Meatball Soup

One Groentesoep mix
One can of tomato soup
Three handfuls of shredded carrots
Three handfuls of frozen corn
One can of chopped tomatoes
Three stalks of diced celery
Meatballs from Costco
Broken angel hair pasta, which I add late in the day so it doesn't get too pastaey-is that a word?
Water
Since this is my made up recipe I throw in any veggies I have in the house. And you can too! Live a little, go crazy!


I throw everything into the crock pot and leave for the day. The chicken soup is creamy. Somedays I add the rice a bit later. So it doesn't get too ricey, is that a word?

I first saw shredded carrots at Haggens and used them for another recipe. They keep well and now I throw them in everything for that added vitamin boost that comes from carrots. I slice carrots too but on days when I am in hurry they are handy. We love them on salads too.

Nothing like Italian meatballs in your Dutch soup, hey, it works!

{Enjoy}

#83

Last evening my sister, that is a Snapsister, came to Max's jV football game and took some pics for me. Thanks Jodi. It got dark early as there were very evil BlAcK clouds that moved in over Nooksack. And at Nooksack, for some mysterious reason, only known to NO one, the games start a half hour later than anywhere else in the league. So, she didn't have a lot of light. But they are much better pics than I usually get on my point and shoot camera of Max on the sidelines. I can't capture the action.




LC won. Game lasted until 8:00 p.m. and it was bloody cold. So cold that all I could think about was what I should wear when I go to the double header on Friday night in Friday Harbor. Eddie Bauer silk long johns, for sure, hand warmers, gloves, layers and layers and blankets.
If you see a woman on the ferry that looks homeless, that will be me. Every piece of clothing I own and my bed is coming with me.
Anyway, good game last night, lots of family came to the game. My folks and Levi came for soup and rustic bread for a late supper. At dinner Max was roasted by all, everyone knows more about Max than Max himself.
He is one lucky kiddo!

Carvin' It Up

The pumpkin vignette may look like I visited a commercial pumpkin patch. Nope, just Holly's place. Holly grows a huge garden and has the pumpkin and gourd crop beautifully displayed in spots around their yard and gardens.

Max and I went to the Stockmans' carvin' party this afternoon. Brian and Holly are mid remodel, no carpet yet, so if the pumpkin seeds hit the floor, no biggie. They had a crowd, their daughter Ashley came home from SPU with roommates and of course, their son Tyler, Max's buddy. Perry and Linda and their kids, Max went to grade school with their Fraser and played football with him. We enjoyed chicken soup, rolls and pie for dessert.

Plenty of pumpkins. On the tables, on the front porch, on the back porch and on every fence post-pumpkins!
I happened to be at the table with a very large pumpkin, people looked at it, rolled it over and walked away. It's size was intimidating. Not Ashley. Nope, she saw right from the get go the plumber's butt potential in this pumpkin!
It is not easy putting pants on a pumpkin.

I suggested we call him Joe, like election "Joe the plumber".
{cracked me up}
Pun intended.


Some carve traditional pumpkins and some carved for hours.

Brian decided to carve a likeness of Max. Personally, I feel one Max is plenty. He had to sit very still and model-like.

It was uncanny how much Max and the pumpkin looked alike. Brian is a fast and artsy carver.

Perry, a pilot, carved an airplane. Max carved an iPhone. There were jack-o-lanterns, a crow, an owl, a spider web, team pumpkins, you name it, we carved it.


There may have even been a Stone House pumpkin.

Saturday Stuff

Last week was Homecoming at LCHS. LC has had Spirit Week before and now finally Homecoming. Max was the Sophomore prince. He wore things like pink boas, p.j.s, and Hubby's uniform to school this week. I think the kids had a lot of fun and my view is bring it on. LCHS will celebrate 100 years this year and I think someone finally decided, hey, why don't we let the kids have homecoming? Quite possibly there isn't anyone left who remembers why they didn't allow homecoming in the first place...
Bring it on and if the Alumni and Development Committees get involved it could be a promotional, fun time for all. I'm just sayin'.

Besides football this weekend I have been digging my way out of the laundry room and trying to clean this place a bit. I have a peach pie in the oven, with store bought crust. Friends tell me it's good and it better be... I may be slipping in the kitchen. I had to dump dinner on Monday night. First time that has ever happened to me, football game went long, and dinner was burnt. And now piecrust from the grocery store...

This morning I went to Emily's new place. I hadn't seen her in forever, well at least not at boot camp. She moved out of the ghetto recently and has a very nice condo with a pretty view. She made a baked French Toast. I need that recipe. Em is so much fun she makes me wish I could be in second grade and have her for a teacher.

The sun is out (better go for a walk), it's the weekend and we got a letter from Sam today. Life is good.

Tricky Wires and Pliers

My cousin Tricia makes pretty jewelry from sea glass that she finds beach combing with her boys. My boys and I did a lot of beach combing too. My guys found me many heart shaped rocks and lots of sea glass. I still have it all. Tricia invited me to her place to make jewelry out of some of my sea glass last night.
Truthfully, I did very little except layout a design(really just copying Tricia's designs) and drill the holes. Tricia did the tricky wires and pliers parts.


Tricia will have her sea glass jewels, including bracelets, at the Holiday Show at LHS on November 14th in Lynden.


I'm excited to wear the pendants we(and I use the 'we' very loosely) made, they turned out so pretty and will remind me of good times at the beach with my guys. So many great memories.

Speaking of good memories, I just love little boys fresh from their bath wearing their jammies. Kinda made me miss those days...

It is very difficult to get a picture of Clayton and MOMO because they don't stop moving.


Tricia needs a name for her jewelry business. Any ideas?

Just Another Day

I went into my office this morning and there were body parts coming out of my desk.

People had fun asking me if I'd finally gotten myself out of the drawer. Very funny, people, funny, funny stuff.
I got things tidied up and looked to the right side of my desk where someone gave me a/the finger.

Just another day in Paradise, I mean the office, during the Halloween month.

You wouldn't believe what goes on at the museum on April Fool's Day.