An Update, A Meme and A Recipe (Oh My!)
An Update:
Have been ungodly busy. We're going through a website overhaul - new database management, etc. It's ugly. Somehow, I got put in charge. Anyway, it's been sucking up a lot (okay, all) of my free time. I've got a lot to do before my vacation starts on the 21st! Will post again when I can.
A Meme:
I actually saw this on a couple blogs several months back. I copied the question for "one of THOSE days" where I needed something to post. I think today counts.
List ten things you want to say to people you know but you never will for whatever reason. Don't say who they are. Use each person only once.
1. I'm sorry for what I said. I will always be sorry for what I said. I wish more than anything that things could be different.
2. I don't hate you for what you did. I hate you because you underestimated me.
3. Your life would be so much easier if you'd stop feeling so damned sorry for yourself, and took a little responsibility for your own happiness. It's nowhere near as bad as you make it out to be.
4. I miss you.
5. Remember in the 9th grade when you told me I was ugly and stupid? You don't? Well I do. Thanks for that one, asshole. It fed into self-image issues that took me years to get over.
6. You cancel plans so many times for such BS reasons, I was secretly scared you weren't going to show up to be in my wedding.
7. Stop being so pretentious. You try to come off like this perfect little wholesome angel, and I can see right through you.
8. Would you like to know the things your husband said to me?
9. For the love of God, just shut up! I'm happy being me. I'm happy making my own mistakes. I don't want to be just like anybody else, so stop offering me your "advice" on how I can be.
10. Thank you for pushing me as hard as you did. Thank you for teaching me that some things are worth the fight.
And lastly, A Recipe:
I made this last night. It's defintely not a "whip up" recipe - there's a TON of prep work, and lost of dirty dishes. Honestly? It was worth the effort. It's quite easy (just time consuming), and very, very good.
Potato Penne Soup:
· 1/3 cup margarine
· 2/3 onion, chopped
· 6-2/3 cups water
· 1-1/3 large carrots, chopped
· 3-1/4 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used about 5 or so. I like a lot of "stuff" in my soup)
· 1/3 cup pearl barley
· 1-1/3 (14.5 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
· 2/3 cup penne pasta (I used a full cup)
· 2 stalks celery, chopped, with leaves
· 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
· 2/3 red bell pepper, diced
· 2/3 green bell pepper, chopped
· 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (whoops! didn't have any. I used black pepper, instead)
· 1 cup cauliflower florets, broken into bite size pieces
· 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
· 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1-1/3 cups whole milk
· 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon soy sauce
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large saute pan, melt margarine, add onions and cook over medium heat until translucent. Reduce heat to low.
2. In a large stock pot, add water and bring to a boil. Add carrots, potatoes, pearl barley, and cook for 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, penne, celery (including leaves), chicken soup base, red bell pepper and green bell pepper and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Add white pepper, cauliflower florets, parsley, thyme and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. In a food processor or blender, puree 3 cups of aleady cooked soup and return to stock pot.
5. In a small mixing bowl, mix together flour and 3/4 cup whole milk; blend well. Add flour mixture to the cooked onions and mix well. Gradually add remainder of milk, stirring constantly until mixture is heated through.
6. Add onion mixture to soup and stir. Add soy sauce and bring to a boil. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve soup hot.
