Monday, January 13, 2014

Texture Tuesday - Tulips



























Created for Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday - using KK_aurora and one Kim's brushes for the quote -which I love.  

Been waiting for tulips to hit the market and today was the day….thought this still life would brighten any January day.  

The capture below is for day 13 of my 365 photography challenge on Flickr.  Been taking this project one day at a time, not stressing over what subject I'm going to photograph each day yet……..     

13/365















Sunday, January 12, 2014

Potato Leek Soup




Not being a huge fan of frozen vegetables there are a few that I always have on hand to make soup and frozen leeks is one of them.  Looking around the pantry this rainy Saturday morning, I found some left over potatoes from the week and vegetables always in the fridge (carrots, onions and celery).  Sometimes potato leek soup can be bland, but not this one. Wow, this soup is just packed with flavor! Using a whole 16 oz. bag Trader Joe's of frozen sliced leeks did the trick. If you find you make a lot of soup, an emulsion blender is a great investment. You don't have to spend a fortune on one either because mine was purchased for about $10 and works beautifully.

So if you are looking for a quick savory low-fat soup to make for the week this is the one. One downfall is that you can't freeze it, potatoes become grainy when frozen, so plan to eat it up or share it with friends. 


Potato Leek Soup - about six cups.

1 16 oz bag of frozen sliced leeks (Trader Joe's)
4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery chopped
1 peeled carrot cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth, low-fat and low salt
1 tablespoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk (1% worked for me)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour

In a large pot, melt butter and add flour stirring until it comes together, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, leeks, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, salt and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 25 minutes until potatoes are just tender. With an emulsion blender blend until smooth (do not over blend).  Stir in 1/2 cup of milk. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.


Linked to:  Boogie Board Cottage, Alderberry Hill, Dwellings, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Chicken Chick, A Stroll thru Life, My uncommon Slice of Suburia, Savvy Southern Style, Gingerly Made, Live laugh Rowe, Farm House Porch, Domestic Super Hero, Jennifer Rizzo, Costal Charm, Cedar Hill Ranch, Lamberts Lately, Textured Tuesday, Friday Finds, Quotography, Simple Things Sunday

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Friday Finds - Gerber Daisies



























This Friday Find was a mandatory purchase from Trader Joe's.  I cannot deny myself flowers this time of year and made a special trip just for a bundle of instant happiness.  

This capture was used for Kim Klassen's "Day 17" Beyond Layers assignment "Whisper".  This class is blowing my mind with processing knowledge and enjoyment.

Well where did the week go?  Feel I'm finally back into the groove after the holidays and getting things done and working on "balance".    I'm so looking forward to the weekend and a special birthday dinner for my friend Susan.  Stay warm and enjoy!

Margie


Kim Klassen dot Com


Linked to:  Boogie Board Cottage, Alderberry Hill, Dwellings, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Chicken Chick, A Stroll thru Life, My uncommon Slice of Suburia, Savvy Southern Style, Gingerly Made, Live laugh Rowe, Farm House Porch, Domestic Super Hero, Jennifer Rizzo, Costal Charm, Cedar Hill Ranch, Lamberts Lately, Textured Tuesday, Friday Finds, Quotography, Simple Things Sunday

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Texture Tuesday - Simple Pleasures








































Burr it's cold in NJ - 7 degrees this morning (-16 with wind chill).  Hope this lovely purple spool can warm our spirits.  It was created using kk_shine texture for my Kim Klassen Beyond Layers online class and I'm sharing it on Kim's Texture Tuesday.  I'm including a picture of the original capture, which is the true color purple.  Think I like the softer muted tones best.

Part of my New Year's plan is to participate in a 365 Day Challenge Project - taking a photo every day and uploading it to Flickr.  So far I'm on day six…wish me luck.  Stop by and check out my progress.

Stay warm.



Margie













































Sunday, January 5, 2014

Unwritten



Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten



"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield



Cool song this week for Song-ography.  Had it in my head all week and when my husband pulled out the log book for 2014 to start our financial journal -  snapped the shot.  

Stop by Kathy "Song-ography" and get a song in your head for next week.  


Margie

Friday, January 3, 2014

Random Five Friday







































1.  Today it snowed 8 inches and we had a snow day off from work, have I told you how much I adore snow days.  It's a free day to do whatever moves you, and the fact that it's a Friday making it a long weekend is awesome.   Luckily for me I don't have to shovel snow.  Not my job. 







































2.  Love going out for lunch on a snow day.  Maybe even had an afternoon Guinness.  Hey it's like a holiday. 

















3.  The light in my house on a snow day is amazing.  Every time I walk into a room, something catches my eye and I grab my camera.  Needless to say it doesn't help my ADD.






4.  Snow days always make me want to cook large hunks of meat.  Maybe a venison stew tonight for dinner.  





5. This poem about a snow ball by Shel Silverstein always made me laugh when my kids were young and it still does.

I made myself a snow ball as perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet and let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas and a pillow for it's head.
Then, last night it ran away.
But first -- it wet the bed.





Enjoy your weekend!

Margie

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Carrot Artichoke Ginger Soup













When I went out to lunch last week I tried the "soup of the day" which was carrot, artichoke, ginger soup. Would never have put those two vegetables together and the ginger added a lovely touch of heat.  Couldn't wait to get home to experiment with these favors and recreate the soup. You will be pleasantly surprised how delicious this combination is and that it is also low-fat.  Could be my new favorite. If you don't have an emulsion blender, use a blender or food processor to puree the soup in small batches. Enjoy!

Today I'm sharing with Kim K Friday Finds - I have never used a texture on a food photo before, but by adding KK-Clarity at 30% soft light it gave the soup the brightness it needed.  

Carrot Artichoke Ginger Soup


1 lb carrots peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
8 oz. (1/2 bag)  frozen Artichoke Hearts
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 medium onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Garnish with 1 tablespoon sour cream and parsley

Saute chopped onions and celery in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for five minutes over medium heat.  Add carrots, frozen artichoke hearts, salt, pepper and ginger sautéing with onion and celery until carrots and artichokes begin to sweat, about 3-5 minutes.  Add stock, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until carrots are tender. Remove pot from burner and with a emulsion blender puree soup leaving some larger bits of vegetables. Garnish each bowl with parley and a tablespoon of sour cream.



Linked to:  Boogie Board Cottage, Alderberry Hill, Dwellings, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Chicken Chick, A Stroll thru Life, My uncommon Slice of Suburia, Savvy Southern Style, Gingerly Made, Live laugh Rowe, Farm House Porch, Domestic Super Hero, Jennifer Rizzo, Costal Charm, Cedar Hill Ranch, Lamberts Lately, Textured Tuesday, Friday Finds, Quotography, Simple Things Sunday