Monthly Archives: February 2011
Purple and Green
My favorite colors are purple and green, especially together. I really like the combination. I’m not really sure whether they go together, but they do to me.
The doors of my house are painted purple. The room I use at home for an office/project room is painted Corsage Orchid. My dining room is painted Queen Anne Lilac. I like to wear purple and green too.
My niece Rachel asked me to knit her a hat. She’s a girl after my own heart. She requested a hat that was lime green and light purple, a perfect color combination in my opinion. I’ve made Rachel several hats since she was born (she’s 8). It was years before her mother, my sister Jennifer, told me that all the hats I had made for her were too big. The two I made when she was an infant didn’t fit her until she was 5. My biggest worry was that I wouldn’t get the circumference right (yes, my sister did send the measurement of her head).
Rachel's Hat
The hat was so cute that, as soon as I mailed the hat off to Rachel, I made one for myself from some avocado green and a dark purple yarn leftover from a felted tote bag I made. Even though I tried it on as I went, I was disappointed that the finished product was too short. It didn’t cover my ears. It was more of a beanie than a hat, cute, but not so practical. No worries, I’ll just make me another.
Betsy's Hat
On Valentine’s Day, I got an email from Jennifer to say that Rachel loved the hat, but… it didn’t cover her ears. So, now I’m making Rachel another one too.
If you’ve follow my blog, you know that I like to make soup. I had some ham in the freezer, so I tried out a new split pea soup recipe, with ham, obviously. It was different from the usual split pea soup I make, not quite as thick, with some diced potatoes. It hit the spot for a Sunday lunch, plus we’ll enjoy it for lunch at work for a few days. When I snapped the picture, I noticed that my green soup was in a purple bowl. There’s that color combination again, totally unexpected. It follows me everywhere.
Split Pea Soup with Ham and Potatoes
Serves 6
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1 pound dried split peas (I prefer a mix of green and yellow)
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1½ tsp herbes de Provence
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 cups diced ham from a ham steak (about 8 oz)
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 1 minute to soften slightly. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then, reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add more water if it gets too thick (I didn’t have to). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Eat it while it’s hot!
Wow! A Stylish Blogger Award
Two weeks ago, I was most pleasantly surprised with a Stylish Blogger Award, my first, from Allison of French Whisk. Like me, Allison blogs along with French Fridays with Dorie (FFwD).
I mostly write as a diversion for myself, though it’s out there in cyberspace, so it’s not private. It is fun to be recognized by another blogger. I know that my sisters and other family and friends follow my blog, but it’s nice to know that there are other people that actually read my blog.
Participating in FFwD, I’ve discovered so many wonderful (new-to-me) food blogs. I’m really enjoying getting to know others who are as passionate about cooking as I am. Each week, I am awed by the creativity and skill of my fellow cooks. I also enjoy a glimpse into others’ cooking adventures which always uncovers new recipes and ideas about what and how to eat.
I often smile when I read something on someone else’s blog that I might have written myself. I enjoy the comments, both making them and receiving them, though I haven’t quite mastered the art of “conversation” in the blogosphere.
So here’s the way this award works:
Rule #1: Thank the person. I left a comment for Allison immediately, but I wanted to give a big public thank you to her, now that I’m finally pulling this post together. Check out her blog French Whisk to read about her adventures dreaming about France and cooking in Vancouver.
Rule #2: Share 7 things about yourself. Here goes:
• I work in high tech, writing software, but once I’m away from the office, I am very low-tech. The things I like best, after cooking, are knitting, gardening, and reading.
• I’m a native of the DC suburbs of Maryland, transplanted to New England. I came here for college and just never left. I almost moved to Chicago. It’s why I got married when I did, but we didn’t end up going.
• I have a HUGE cookbook collection, over 400 volumes and growing (see picture of two shelves in the header of my blog). It’s like the shoe addiction some women have. My husband constantly threatens teases that he’s going to get rid of them all.
• My dog Bella keeps me laughing. She’s a devil dog. Part chow and part shepherd, we adopted her from a shelter about 18 months ago. She’s about 5 years old and originally from Indiana. Her antics are hilarious.
Bella
• I’m not an early bird or a night owl (even though I wake up relatively early). I’m an afternoon-to-evening person, peaking between 3 and 9 p.m. Why don’t they have a name for that?
• My favorite place on Earth is Acadia National Park in Maine.
• I fantasize about living on a small farm, with chickens, goats, and bees. I can’t decide whether to make it a reality or keep it as a dream.
Rule #3: Share 15 blogs you enjoy reading. Here’s my list, in no particular order. I’ve discovered all of these through FFwD. It was hard to list just 15. I know that some of these have already received this award, but I wanted to list my favorites without winnowing out previous winners. They all deserve the kudos.
1. Steph @ Jumping Off the Cliff
2. Cher @ Crazy World of Cher
3. Trix @ Tasty Trix
4. Teresa @ One Wet Foot
5. Yummy Chunklet
6. Of Cabbages and Kings
7. Audrey @ Food From Books
8. Mardi @ eat. live. travel. write.
9. Beth @ The Screen Porch
10. Sanya @ The Good Life
11. 1840 Farm
12. Candy @ Dessert by Candy
13. Josefa @ Eat in the Middle
14. Mary @ Popsicles and Sandy Feet
15. Lizzy @ That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Rule #4: Let the bloggers know that you have bestowed the Stylish Blogger Award upon them, which I have done.
Again, thanks to Allison at French Whisk for brightening my day!
And Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
A Plateful of Happiness 