An Award, a Tag, a Soup…

Beautiful and so creative Ruchi of https://ruchisvegkitchen.com/ has nominated me for a Blogger Recognition Award. I am awed and humbled by all these honors, and I thank you, dear Ruchi, for thinking of me!

Here are the rules:

• Write a post to accept this nomination.
• Thank the person who nominated you and mention their blog link.
• Give a brief story of how your blog started.
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
• Select a few other blogs you would like to nominate.

I think I’ve taken care of the first two; as to how my blog started, it is described in one of my first posts Hello, Beautiful People! – please go there and come back.

Next, the advice part. I started my blog less than six months ago, so I am not really qualified to give advice, but I’ll try:

1. Blog about something you know and want to share or, alternatively, take your readers on a fascinating discovery trip, even if it’s in their kitchen or even in their mind.
2. Blog consistently – out of sight, out of mind!

Finally, it is my honor and pleasure to nominate the following great bloggers:

1. https://cookandenjoyrecipes.wordpress.com/ by Esmé
2. https://thetaste0flife.wordpress.com by Maha and Imane
3. https://veganrescue.com by Jessica Williams
4. https://talisglobalhome.wordpress.com/ by Tali
5. https://thefoodinterpreters.com/ by Aspassia and Manos
6. https://cookingforthetimechallenged.wordpress.com/ by Carol

You are not in any way obligated to accept, and I fully understand that not everyone has the time and inclination to participate in these self-and-others-promoting exercises.  Therefore, I will truly appreciate if you accept the nomination, as I sincerely think you deserve it, but I won’t get offended if you don’t.  Nominating each one of you is my way of giving credit to some exceptional bloggers and perhaps attracting attention to your work.

 

I have also been tagged – for the first time! – by an adorable bilingual Davide of https://theguywhosaidalwaysno.com/ whose posts are such exuberant joy.  Mille grazie, caro!

The rules of this one are:

 

• Use the image of the TAG that you can find here https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/de/4f/d6/de4fd60986d1104aef4107dc521f2a13.jpg and mention the creator https://ilmondodishioren.wordpress.com/.

• Tell us the three things that you love about autumn.

• Appoint 15  others bloggers

I’ll do it backwards and tag other bloggers first.It won’t be 15, and there are many more wonderful bloggers out there, but I have some more awards to address tomorrow, so I am saving some names. In no particular order:

• https://waggcomedy.wordpress.com
• https://fargaregardsanna.wordpress.com
• https://curlygirlabroad.wordpress.com/
• https://alexi1872.wordpress.com
• https://theutopiauniverse.com/
• https://breathingpark.wordpress.com/
• https://sherriesalwayswrite.com/
• https://theobviousoblivionblog.wordpress.com/
• https://elliebelfiglio.wordpress.com/

The things I am supposed to love about Autumn? We don’t have it! Here in South Florida, we have only two seasons, The Tourist Season and The No-Tourist Season. The first roughly coincides with what you call Autumn, or Fall. Elsewhere, Fall is the splendor of red gold leaves gently covering the earth, parched during the summer and craving cooler days. We have summer all year around, and the only time leaves fall is during storms.

Yes, Fall for us is also a Hurricane Season. Matthew passed us by, but it did affect other places, and my heart breaks for them! I had lived through Hurricane Andrew, though, and it was devastating, but what I loved was the community standing together, pulling together, and helping each other. It was an amazing thing to see and be a part of!

This is a Google image, but my husband and I have been in exactly the same situation more than once. A couple of young men kayaked to services through flooded streets on Friday night! We take it in stride. The moment a warning is issued, store shelves start emptying out of… beer. Hurricane parties are quite common, surfers and paddle boarders rush to grab the wave, and one of my students surfed off the roof of his house in 140 miles an hour wind.

I’ve described two things so far, the tourists and the hurricanes, but the third one is my favorite. Regardless of the weather, I somehow switch into a comfort food mode of thinking and start cooking hearty creamy soups. One of them is a simple, but delicious

CREAM OF BROCCOLI AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

You start with – surprise! – broccoli and sweet potatoes. Peel and boil potatoes and broccoli together, but remove broccoli the moment it softens. Don’t overcook!

Meanwhile, saute onion until lightly golden.

Fish potatoes out of water, but don’t discard the water. Let all three ingredients cool off sufficiently to throw them into a food processor or blender. Pulse until completely creamy. Add this mess back to the pot and add more water if needed.

Bring it to boil and add vegetable soup powder, milk substitute of your choice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to boil again.

Garnished with fresh cilantro, this thick and creamy, healthy and satisfying soup tastes like Autumn to me!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 broccoli bunch
• 1 medium onion
• 1 heaping tablespoon vegetable soup powder
• 1/2 cup milk substitute
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro to garnish.

PROCEDURE

• Peel and boil potato. Cook broccoli with potato until slightly softened. Remove broccoli, put aside.
• Peel and slice onion, saute until lightly golden.
• Remove potato after 20 minutes, let all three ingredients cool off. Pulse in food processor or blender until completely creamy consistency. Scrape sides occasionally.
• Add creamy mass back to pot, add water to almost two quarts, stir, bring to boil.
• Add soup powder and milk substitute, add cinnamon, season with salt and pepper. Stir, bring to boil, remove from heat.
• Serve garnished with fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!