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{southern living}

The crisp air is upon us. We had our first taste of just-picked apples, first view of pumpkin patches, and the flannel blankets are inching their way out of the closet. Happy fall y'all!

back from the land of plenty. My italian laundry list of things to learn.

The short list
1) Knead gnocchi until they become the texture of pillows
2) Cook aforementioned gnocchi with a creamy gorgonzola sauce
3) Create Pumpkin and smoked cheese lasagna (this should be an easy breezy - but, I can't decipher the cheese?!)
4) Buy an ice cream maker for pine nut gelato (stretch goal)
5) Grow lemons in my backyard and artichokes too (stretch stretch yoga stretch goal)

Last summer, I froze fifteen batches of tomatoes/fifteen different ways. Take a peek online (or don't because I did the dirty work) and you will find a mind-numbing amount of ways to properly freeze the jewels of summer. I have finally worked my way through the crop and have concluded:
1) if you want tomato sauce, make tomato sauce and freeze it.
2) if you want tomatoes for unknown purposes (chili, stews, etc.): score an x on the top of the tomato and freeze with the skin attached. When ready to use, drop into boiling water for a second, take out of water and quickly peel. Use as directed.
**I peeled and froze a few batches and they held onto more water than the unpeeled group. This makes a heck of a difference when you are trying to make a lovely fresh-off- the-vine sauce in the dead of winter.
Just my two cents on the matter.

cheers to spring

The grass is finally showing a promising hue and the birds have returned. Alongside the birds, we have a friend, dubbed Sidney, who is hosting his own garden party featuring artisinal lettuce as the plate du jour. In keeping with the holiday, I'd love to say he is a bunny. Nope, Sidney is a squirrel who would be quite the stylist if he needed a real job.

{sidney gives my lettuce a buzzcut}


I have also become a mad yet successful scientist with seeds. The flourescent lights are rigged in the basement and wouldn't you know, seeds are becoming seedLINGS! Thanks to Martha - I finally got it right! However, let's hope that I get to taste them before Sid and his stylist friends get wind.

{southern living}

sunday paper + cup of coffee + this porch

ginger lemon chicken soup

rainy day
blustery day
sick day
all of the above day

Ginger and lemon are natural healers and a calming addition to chicken soup. The perfect freezer friend on dreary days & nights. You will essentially steep the ginger in this soup as you would in tea. It will not be a pronounced flavor at all. Fresh chopped dill would be gorgeous floating about.

Ginger Lemon Chicken Soup
(for four)



32 oz homemade chicken stock or all natural chicken stock
3-4 chicken breasts (or, if you made stock, pull meat off bone)
5 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
4-inch piece of ginger, peeled (kept whole)
3 yellow potatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup cooked rice or noodles
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Place first eight ingredients into a heavy pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. When chicken is completely cooked, take out and dice. Taste soup and adjust salt and pepper. Add chicken back into the pot with potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender (approximately 20 minutes). Discard ginger and bay leaf. Add rice or noodles. Before serving, add juice of lemon to soup.