Soup's on.

I'm not really much of a soup person. I like it when I eat it, but I very rarely crave it and make it pretty infrequently. I do get a bug up my butt on occasion and want it, make it, and eat it. Last week, I wasn't planning to make soup, but a suggestion on Facebook got me thinking.

A quick sidenote to mention that I'm part of a super fun group on FB called "what the hell is for dinner?" - it's a public group, so I recently discovered that all my dinner posts show up in all my friends' feeds, so I wonder how many people have since blocked me? Ha! Regardless, it is super fun to share ideas and get tips and feedback with friends and friends of friends.

I was having a corn craving, and Hillary's mom suggested I try the Depression Era corn chowder she'd been thinking of making. Seemed easy, and included corn and potatoes, which I was looking to use up, so I decided to go for it. I made a few tweaks based on some reviews I read - I cut the liquid some but also added a splash of cream, and the condensed milk I had was fat free. I also threw in a jar of pimentos for fun and sprinkled some paprika and a ton of salt and pepper.

And what goes perfectly with corn soup? Cornbread, of course! With cheddar and jalapenos.

This soup was great. Simple, quick, hearty - if one was meat inclined, I'm sure bacon would be a great addition. As one who is seafood inclined, I am positive a dollop of crab or smoked fish (trout or whitefish) would be amazing on top. Next time! Note, of course, that as with most soups, this tastes even better the next day!

Strangely enough, I again craved some soup a second week in a row, so tonight I made a quick and easy pumpkin soup that I have made in the past. I made this sometime in the last year when I wasn't blogging much, so luckily I had printed the recipe and left handwritten notes on how to bump up the deliciousness. I swapped out half the water for apple cider, swapped out 1/4 cup of the milk for cream, and hammered it like crazy with spices - salt, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper. I kept it on low heat and simmered it for close to an hour.

On top, some sprinkles of Gorgonzola. Because it is delicious.

Unfortunately, I haven't figured out the perfect amount of red pepper yet....

"Too spicy in my mouth!"

I agree the fire could have been toned down a notch, but I still found it to be super delicious. I find with a lot of homemade soups that the taste of the broth is incredibly overpowering, so I like that this one foregoes broth for water, cider, and milk. I'm excited for these leftovers tomorrow, and I was extra excited to use the funnel I bought years ago and never used...

Flecks of fire.

On an unrelated note, I won't be hosting Thanksgiving this year - for the first time since Brad and I have lived together! I'm half relieved, half bummed, but I'm sure it'll be a lovely day nonetheless. I decided to take advantage of the free oven space and make a from-scratch stuffing to take to the in-laws', and I'll also be making two pies, so I'll be keeping myself somewhat busy. Hoping everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving!! xo

On the books.

Did I mention that I'm wrapping up a freelance project right now? Days go something like this: work, dinner, back to work. No time for bloggy bloggy. BUT I'm almost done. Then I will be back to discuss corn chowder, gourmet ice cream, and Thanksgiving feasts!

I leave you with this.... The jerk bee that stung me on vacation. I was just walking along, minding my own business, then OW. I stepped on him. Guess he was hanging out all stinger up!

Stay warm!

Through the looking glass.

Our house was built in 1937. We've been very lucky that the house has many good updates (kitchen, roof) but also has many of its original features (floors, grates, knobs)--including the original windows with the rope and wheel pulley system. These windows are beautiful.

Buuuuut.... Some don't open when it's hot. Some don't open when it's cold. Most have to be held in place with a stick. Some had storms, some didn't. In fact, the window in our closet had two half-storms on top of each other, which provided a nice little draft. Most of the windows were drafty. (The being said, our bills are still cheaper and our house still warmer than our previous built-in-1998 house). In case you can't tell, I'm very defensive of our windows. They've seen a LOT. They're a part of the house, and its history. So it was with very mixed emotions that I agreed to let Brad replace them. All of them. ALL THIRTY-TWO of them. Because, you know, who wants to take a two-week trip to Europe? Or buy a new car? Not me. Windows.

And today was the day...

I didn't approve this.

I love the world.

I was able to work from home today, thinking, oh, I'll just keep an eye on the dogs (the windows were taken out from the outside). Well, let me tell you. Getting your windows replaced, at least in a pre-1978 house (lead paint), is total chaos. I certainly appreciate all the efforts made to protect my house, but it seriously looked like they were going to go Patrick Bateman on someone's ass.

And lots of hugs and kisses to the pooches, who (somewhat not too grumpily) spent the bulk of the day locked in the downstairs bathroom, the only room w/o any windows being replaced.

A quick peek inside... what hasn't seen the light of day in seventy-five years:

By the way, I saved three of the old windows - the top part with the slats. We also saved a handful of the handles and locks, as well as a few of the wheels. Not sure what will become of these, but at the very least we wanted some memento. I'm thinking we'll hang the windows somewhere in the house. You know, art.

Even with all the prep-work... and even with all the windows... these guys were in by 9:30 and out by 3. Seriously. And they did a GREAT job. Super kudos to you, Wallside Windows. Work aside (and they did a great job), the men (and women) that do jobs like this are in your house. You put a lot of trust in them. You're spending a lot of money, and this is a big deal. So when you've got eight guys trouncing through your house, you want to feel comfortable with them. You want them to be friendly, and put you at ease with themselves and their skills. These guys did, and I'm incredibly grateful for it. I was totally stressed out by the house looking like a tornado hit it, so I was extra appreciative of the fact that when they left, it was like they were never here. (They even vacuumed, which, let's be totally honest--they were basically just vacuuming up dog hair.) Except, of course, for the new windows! And do they look fancy. They are double hung (which everyone keeps telling me makes them easy to clean. To which I say, "clean?"), and swoop in and out all smooth like. They even have these little "night lock" latches that allow you to leave the windows open overnight or when you're not home - and not worry that someone's going to bust in (or a kiddie to bust out). AND... you don't need a stick to hold them open.

....now we need new curtains and hardware to match our fancy new windows, RIGHT?

Californication.

Vacation? Amazing. One of our best yet, I think. The perfect blend of relaxation and doing stuff (if you know us well, you know we don't do much of the pure sitting around by the pool vacationing, although there is certainly something to be said for that - perhaps we need to do MORE of that one of these days). Of course, there is SO MUCH more we'd still love to see in both cities (Palm Springs and San Diego) because, for once, we did do more pool/beach relaxing than we normally would on a city-type vacation. We never made it into the city of San Diego. No Gaslamp Quarter or Old Town, which would have been cool. We didn't go to the zoo, which I know I would love. We could have explored Palm Springs itself more, for sure - our days there were mostly on the road or at the hotel pool. But for the time we had in each city, I would say we did a darn good job. We saw a lot of beautiful places, ate a lot of delicious food, sipped tasty cocktails and beers, and we even got a little bit of a suntan, which is certainly welcome as the winter ghost face is starting to settle in.

That all being said, being home is good, too. I think it says a lot about where you live, and how your life is going, when you can have a great vacation but still be happy to be home. This time last week, we were driving up the north San Diego coast, through La Jolla and up into Encinitas for lunch, in sunny, 80-degree weather.

Then.

Right now, it's 42 degrees out (although it is sunny). I'm in flannel pj pants and a sweatshirt and I'm bundled up in a fuzzy blanket. I'm working (well, obviously not exactly this second - I decided to take a quick break to at least start this post), on a Saturday (but thankful for the fun freelance project).

Now.

But I'm still smiling. And cozy. I love our house and missed George and Heidi like crazy.

Back to vacation, though...

Our locales -

Talk about two extremes! In Palm Springs we stayed at the Hotel Del Marcos (or Del Marcos Hotel, depending on where you're looking), a hotel built in 1947 and recently renovated and decorated with authentic mid-century modern furniture that I wanted to steal. We had a big suite, with a kitchenette and a giant patio overlooking the pool.

In San Diego, we stayed in what appears to be a nearly brand new beachfront hotel, with trendy, minimalist furnishings and a balcony overlooking the beach and ocean.

Both gave us anniversary champagne, so extra points for that, of course. :) The sun also rises early and bright in both places, so we were up (well, I was up) by 7 am every day, giving us plenty of time to do stuff each day before the sun went down (5 in Palm Springs, 6 in San Diego [no mountain to hide behind!]). Including a handful of runs, walks, and bike rides. Exercise on vacation? We ARE getting old.

In abbreviated form, here's what we saw - Joshua Tree, the Salton Sea, the San Jacinto mountains via the Palm Springs Arial Tram, Point Loma and the tidepools at the Cabrillo National Monument, the coast between San Diego and Mexico (including a drive through Coronado), the coves at La Jolla (and its resident sealife), and the coast north of San Diego up highway 101. In abbreviated form, here's what we ate - sushi, California cuisine, seafood, tacos, and a bevy of cocktails and local beers. Some highlights of it all -

A Joshua Tree at Joshua Tree.

I'm sure there are rattlesnakes hiding in the bushes.

Eerie but beautiful quiet at the Salton Sea.

The San Diego coast.

One of my favorite adventures was taking the beach cruisers out in Palm Springs and tooling through the neighborhoods behind our hotel. Retro fab architecture, desert landscapes, the mountain at dusk as a backdrop, and even a giant but super friendly mastiff pup named Rodney.

Despite nearly crashing us both a few times as I attempted to handle this giant bike and take pictures at the same time, and I'm pretty sure tripping someone's alarm when I got too close to take pictures, this was one of our more perfect moments.

Let us not forget, of course... FISH TACOS.

For our last night, we trekked across town for what felt like miles and miles and miles (we were hungry!) to the Pacific Beach Fish Shop, where you select your filling (fish, lobster, meat), marinade, and how you want it (taco, sandwich, plate) to make your perfect California coast meal. Both of us selected the local halibut and added avocado - corn tortilla and Fish Shop seasoning for me, flour tortilla and melted butter for Brad - and a local San Diego beer. It truly was the perfect way to end our vacation - local, fresh, DELICIOUS, and oh so California.

Can't wait to go back and do and see (and eat!) even more, but for now, the memory of that last bite of fish taco will keep me going until our next vacation to the Pacific coast.

Schlampe Halloween.

In lieu of much Halloweening this year (sigh), I give you the piece de la resistance re: Church Halloween. That's right folks, it's the year of the Germans.

Sister Beth and Lisa are flanked by Frau Stephanie and Herr Brad.

Brad in particular was photogenic this year, which actually fell a few years before I was officially a Church. But go with it.

Ahhh... Memories. You can't make this stuff up.

Spooks-a-plenty, everyone. Stay warm and have a heck of a scary Halloween! BOO!

Chester copper pot.

Seven years. Instead of the traditional "seven year copper gift," I will make a little list for my husband. Here are seven reasons why I love my Bradford -

1. He makes me laugh. Laugh so hard I snort. I don't often admit this to him, but seeing as how today is our anniversary, I'll give him that one. My Brad, he's pretty dang hilarious.

1a. He sings songs about the dogs. With me. By himself. To the dogs. You'd be surprised how much rhymes with "mister porge."

2. This picture (which lends itself to him being hilarious, and also him being able to laugh at himself):

3. He is wicked smart. I know I can always count on him to know something about most everything - I'm incredibly proud of him and that brain of his. Plus, he remembers everything, so rarely do I have to think too hard to remember a date or code or password or address. And I know he will never forget our anniversary or my birthday, or forget that Halloween is far more important than Valentine's Day.

4. He's a guys guy, for sure, but he's also a bit of a lady, too. He does his own laundry, irons his own clothes (and mine, and sometimes my friend's clothes, too), knows how to use the dishwasher, helps me pick out clothes, and always mows the lawn and doesn't give me TOO hard of a time for not knowing how to do so.

5. The Ice Cream Man. Thankskilling. Cannibal Holocaust. Basket Case. Most recently, Re-Animator. Bradford not only tolerates my madness, but he keeps signing up for more.

6. Save for Tommy Boy and Spaceballs references, Brad always gets it. All the random '80s movies references. Hilarious moments from 12 years ago that we haven't talked about since. Doesn't matter - if I'm stiffling a giggle in public, or spouting obsurdities, he knows what I'm thinking.

7. Brad is kind-hearted. He's sarcastic and witty and is certainly a match for my argumentative side, but he's soft and gooey on the inside. He throws away street litter and picks up glass so no one gets cut. He says, "Hi pooch!" to strange dogs on vacation. He plays plastic backyard golf with the littlest of ladies. He always lets me know when the Humane Society is in a bind and needs us to make a donation. When I'm having a really bad day, he brings me Coke in a can.

He just gets it. He knows how to be a partner, but he's still his own person. He brings everything that I often am not to this little life of ours, and in the ways we are alike, we happily share those qualities with each other. He gets it. And I am so lucky to have gotten him.

Playmate of the year.

I'm very lucky to have a husband who humors (most of) my many eccentricities. Including his seemingly geniune embracing of Halloween (he was game for a Halloween-ish wedding no less!). In the many years we've been together, and the many Halloweens we've celebrated, Brad has never once complained about me dressing him up in a myraid of random costumes. And, I must say, many of his most hilarious getups have been 100% Brad planned. A desire to celebrate Brad's celebration of my favorite holiday, combined with Rachel's request for a "Brad Costume Post," has culminated in what I'll dub the Brad Halloweening Series, starting with this gem -

I present to you Halloween Brad Oh Six. The year Brad and Birgit went as tag-team Hef and Bunny (my costume was far less exciting - not-so-sexy cop). Good thing Brad's got the perv stare down pat. Really makes the costume.

Who ya gonna call.

The Halloweenizing continues, even though we'll miss the home stretch into Halloween (we WILL be back in time for actual Halloween - I made sure of that). And, let's be honest, the Halloweenizing has carried over to my cube as well. But for now, a few spooky sights from around here to help you get into the spirit, too.

My Frank lights, which I just adore but, unfortunately, don't show up great in pictures!

Spooky skull centerpiece. I'm kind of in love with this.

Medusa outside....

Even creepier backside of Medusa staring in at us...

(I actually forgot she was two-sided when I put her on the porch!)

Skelly man! Wish I had a few more of these guys but, hey, the good stuff's not cheap!

My favorite Halloween decoration, a Lisa!

The monsters are terrible at Scrabble.

And, of course, a Halloween sweater.

Two weeks to go, friends!

A bloody good fall recap.

Still here... Just keeping busy busy busy.

Stewing some tomatoes to freeze.

Two quarts of beautiful multicolored tomatoes from the farmer's market...

Into a pot with onions, a splash of water, a squirt of tomato paste, salt and pepper, some crushed red pepper, and fresh basil from my garden. An hour or so later, they're still looking gorgeous!

And finally, around two hours later, into freezer containers for the cold months when fresh, delicious tomatoes seem a million years away....

I still remember like it was yesterday the beautiful canned tomatoes Kristal delivered to a sick, sick me a few years ago. What a special treat they were a few weeks later, deep into the winter.

Baking with pumpkin.

And cooking with pumpkin. And reheating with pumpkin. Everything pumpkin! My current favorite is adding a plop of canned pumpkin into my morning oatmeal. Yum.

Zucchini pumpkin bread. I'm still fiddling with recipes to find the one, but I'm getting closer. I swapped out half of the butter with applesauce and cut the sugar by 25% - it was a tad dry and a tad not-sweet-enough. I think if I still swap out the butter, still cut the sugar, but then add some sweetness and moistness back in with an additional quarter cup or so of applesauce, I'll be there. Next batch!

Showering friends with brunch.

Our friends Liz and Greg are expecting their first baby (a little girl!) in November, so Hillary, Ceile, and I hosted a couple's brunch last Sunday. Ceile was the decorations committee (and her mom made dessert for us!) and Hillary (and Troy!) and I made the food - waffles and baked apples and two quiches, respectively. I even made a ham and cheese quiche (ew)! I think the Cooking Light base is the way to go -- three eggs, a cup of skim milk, a quarter cup of cheese, however much flour it calls for [can't remember off the top of my head], and you're good to go with whatever add-ins you have. Still perfectly quichey but incredibly light -- I haven't once gotten egg belly from this!

We also had the expecting couple play a round of the Newlyparent's Game, where we asked them parenthood questions (like, "Who will give your daughter 'The Talk'?") and had them each write down the answer. If they agreed, we cheered; if they disagreed, we booed. My favorite part was learning Liz wanted to name the baby La - a (pronounced la-dash-a). Okay, she didn't really, but Greg used that as an answer and it made us all laugh.

They agreed on nearly all the answers. :)

We also had fan re-creating our baby picture poses.

And we had a very special birthday.

Happy birthday, Georgie. We love you more than you love squeaky balls!

And now we continue the countdown until V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N (11 days!)... and H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N!!!! Three cheers for October.