Acorn Squash and Potato Soup

The Dread-Pirate Sparsebeard came up with a wonderful, nutritious soup today, and I've been asked to share the recipe.

5 small potatoes (peeled and chopped)
1 litre of chicken stock (low-sodium, organic and grass-fed, if possible)
1 acorn squash (cooked and chopped)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 of a large, sweet onion (or 1/2 small) minced
@ 1 tsp. dried basil, crumbled into pot
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (we used powdered, but you could use fresh or dried leaves)
4 cloves garlic (which we left out: hubby is allergic to it)
1 celery rib (we used the large, ribbed stalks from our red chard)
1/4 c. dry white wine (or cooking wine)
salt and white pepper to taste (we used sea salt and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper)

You could saute' the onion in olive oil, but Hubby tossed everything in the pot together and cooked it till the squash and chopped potato were softened. Then he blended and smashed them with a potato masher.

Add a little more chicken broth if needed, to bring to your desired consistency. We like it a little thick and creamy, like a bisque.

I don't use milk or cheese, so this is a great vegan alternative, substituting the chicken broth with veggie broth, of course. Hubby likes to grate some cheese over the top of his serving.


Enjoy!

Javamom

CM friends Christmas Gathering

I'm finally able to sit and resize photos from before the Christmas holiday. I've been anxious to get these uploaded to add to my collection from previous years. I appreciate the ladies in my book club so much. We always have interesting discussions of Charlotte Mason's books, but we also are a group that is big on encouraging each other in Motherhood.


1/5 of our usual bookclub attendance ~ some years are just so busy for everyone, and some were recovering from illness or surgery. Some have children in city choirs and had their Christmas concert that night!


Here we took a breath and relaxed for a second pose.

This is the book mark that I made to give this year. I have always made them in warm colors in the past. This year, I had some blue book cloth leftover that was too small for a book repair. Viola...perfect size for a bookmark!

Lori, whose home we've been blessed to meet in for the last six months.

Deven

Krista, who chose the number (in our gift exchange) that corresponded with this lovely journal book and bookmark.

Kim W

and here I am, reading aloud, as I love to do!

This is the bookmark that I scored! It is laminated in hard plastic, which is very handy.

Don't you just love these? I think CM bookclubs should spring up all over the country, and members should make bookmarks with favorite Charlotte educational or parenting quotes!

That is your challenge, dear reader, for the New Year, should you choose to accept it! It is enriching, meeting these kindred spirits and new-to-lifelong learning moms. Even moreso than meeting them and sharing online. :-)

Lets just call it an added bonus, shall we?

Javamom

New Years' Day and Golden Friends

Our friends, who hosted our gathering, and Hubby, aka "The Dread-Pirate Sparsebeard"

A Golden Chain

Friendship is a Golden Chain,
The links are friends so dear,
And like a rare and precious jewel
It's treasured more each year...

It's clasped together firmly
With a love that's deep and true,
And it's rich with happy memories
And fond recollections, too...

Time can't destroy its beauty
For, as long as memory lives,
Years can't erase the pleasure
That the joy of friendship gives...

For friendship is a priceless gift
That can't be bought or sold,
But to have an understanding friend
Is worth far more than gold...

And the Golden Chain of Friendship
Is a strong and blessed tie
Binding kindred hearts together
As the years go passing by.

~Helen Steiner Rice

Talking to her Honey who called her from Iraq to say Happy New Year

Fixing up the Booksncoffeehaus Cottage

What we did on our Thanksgiving vacation week ~ (and now that we have strings of colder and windier days, we are so thankful that it is 95% complete).

It began the Wednesday before break. The trees in the yard had not even really started to change colors at this point.

Part one of fall painting project: I sanded, primed and repainted all the front porch railings. This began ten days before Thanksgiving. We already had everything we needed for this step.





Sparsebeard repainting porch soffits


and priming and painting bad spots on the gables. In this shot, you can see that we got to the sanding, priming and repainting of the green trim atop the porch. It looks so good.

Moss on The Cottage




Post sanding and priming stage

Looking better already, with both of us getting the siding primed up ~


and painted (the only color that we had to buy. We still had plenty of green and peach from several years back, the last time we painted).

Bottom piece of siding is rotten and needs replacing, so...

Nailing in new siding pieces. We ended up needing to replace the bottom two (b/c of large nail holes)

New siding pieces primed up, and then primed.

Now, back to the front porch. I needed to sand the flaking, front-porch swing. We replaced the seat a couple of years ago with mahogany slats (hand-cut by hubby), but never painted them. So, this project needed to be done for several reasons.

Back slats all nicely sanded and ready for primer

Working on the back, west-facing gable

repainting front porch soffits. By this time, almost ten days later, those trees were finally changing those gorgeous colors of Autumn.



Front porch railings all primed up, plus some lovely fall color, just for fun. It was a gorgeous, 80 degree day, that week of Thanksgiving.

North wall, door, windows completed, repainted...even the green trim below repaired gutters!

It feels great to have this done, and the house ready for winter. We even re-sealed some areas around the windows before priming/painting the trim to ensure a better finish. Next Spring/Summer: New roof!!

Now, on to Christmas projects. This time: Indoor craft projects and tasks.


Javamom

Reflections

Just a little brag. We miss our older two, grown kids and their spouses a wee little bit, but are very happy for them in their married lives out of state. They are making their own way, learning new things, cooking up new recipes, continuing educations, commuting by bicycle, racing bicycles, building bicycles, practicing their art(s), and then some.


Here are just a couple of handfuls of fun shots:


Our Daughter-in-love and daughter both ride with the organized ladies' rides from time to time.

Our oldest son, at CX racing practice

shots (above and below) during a race or two

Our daughter and her husband, enjoying a day with friends. The kids are doing great on this pedal car, since they both have been commuting to work via bicycle all summer (and some combination of cycling and the bus during inclement weather). That has changed as winter arrives, however. They just bought their first car together :-).

J and his wife will still be riding in the snow, though: They are all ready for it, having had their first snow of the season last week!

The youngest of our kids (behind me in the photo below) and I took a little road trip to see the marrieds this summer!

We had a very good time.

There was a concert in the park that we enjoyed

and visits to the bicycle shop where oldes ds works,

playing of games, eating of food, visiting Starbucks, and even a tiny bit of shopping.

We are all looking forward to being together again for the holidays!

Javamom