Better with Biscuits Indeed

If you follow me on twitter you may have caught wind that my oven is broken. It broke on the kind of terrible day that ends all other terrible days. Let me briefly explain the epic awfulness of that day. As I pulled into my driveway after running numerous errands in 80+ degree heat (hot here in the Northwest), my car window broke as I innocently attempted to roll it up. *Pop* it went, like a gunshot. Then slowly fell all the way down into the crevice of the door, all the while making awful shattering/grinding glass noises, until it could be seen no more. Bad news, I knew it. Frustrated, I gathered my groceries and approached the front door. *Beep*beep*beep*beep* - an incessant alarm was pouring out from behind the door. 'What's going on? Is the house on fire??!?' my brain wondered. Quickly, (and perhaps stupidly if indeed the house was aflame) I jammed my key into the lock, swung the door open, and rushed into the kitchen. There sat the oven, beeping as if it were screaming. A noise so loud it was inescapable anywhere else in the house. I set down my bags and attempted to quiet the thing by pressing every button, only to find the buttons were completely unresponsive. So, there I stood. Frustrated by the expensive electronic world that seemed to crumbling around me, and started crying. Lightly at first, soon followed by a babbling bawl. I felt trapped. Trapped with a newly broken car. Trapped in a house that was not quiet. Head pounding, tears rolling away.

I struggled to pull it together. After a good cry I picked up the phone and called our old roomie, who coincidentally enough lives right down the street and works at a store in town that restores and sells used appliances. I knew he would be the only one that could help my ears and my sanity at that moment. He was on the doorstep in a matter of minutes. Despite his appliance skills he was unable to figure out what was going on. Like myself, he became increasingly irritated by the loud blaring beeping and decided to trip the oven breaker. That is how it's remained. For about a week now. Luckily it's summer, meaning I've got my gas stove top, and the barbecue. So we're still able to cook. We will make do for another couple of weeks until we find an oven replacement. 

I wasn't sure that in the heat of summer I would miss baking much. But oh have I ever. First, I was bitten by the brownie bug, then the biscuit bug. I shook the brownie bug (for now), but, after finding an incredible jar full of honeycomb and tupelo honey I knew it would be nearly impossible for me to shake the biscuit bug because I absolutely adore warm biscuits, soft butter, and a good golden honey. And if there were ever a baked good that begs to be eaten in the summer, it's a good biscuit. 

Despite my love for biscuits I hope you can believe what I'm about to confess to you, I've never baked a batch. Correction, I've never baked a savory biscuit. I suppose my shortcake ingredient list is nearly identical, except for the addition of extra sugar and a bit of vanilla.

I don't know what initially inspired my biscuit craving. But I knew where to turn in order to visually stimulate my hunger for biscuits, Homesick Texan, a blog I enjoy reading and feeds my comfort food weakness. Her biscuits look absolutely perfect, don't they? Buttery, flakey, and warm (doesn't that picture look warm to you?) Once I read her post I knew I had to figure out a way to make my own batch. So, I mixed, kneaded, thwacked, rolled, folded, and cut. Then I set out, tray of biscuits in hand, to find an oven. Which I did, down the street at the boyfriends mothers house. Not the greatest of ovens, but it did the trick. And while I don't think my biscuits baked up looking as irresistibly edible as miss Homesick Texan's, they quelled my craving (and, as promised in the original recipe, were gone in a matter of hours). 

Get Gluttonous : Deep Fried Mac & Cheese

Deep Fried Mac & Cheese, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Alright. I admit it. These photographs I'm about to share with you aren't super stellar. Hopefully, I'll be changing them out come Sunday morning with better ones as this was merely the test run for an appetizer Rachelle and I are preparing for tonights cooking club dinner themed 'the seven deadly sins'. So, making round two this evening means more pictures. I had to share this with you regardless of how I feel about the pictures. Absolutely had to. Deep fried mac and cheese might not be anything new, but damn is it delicious. Incredibly decadent and downright sinful. Oozing cheese laden noodles surrounded by a blanket of crunchy fried panko. Oh my. Dip these hot golden gems in whatever you like, our favorite was the sriracha laden ketchup, a little sweet with a little spice. Runner up was a spicy barbecue sauce. Tomorrow we have plans to make a jalapeno cheese dip, cheese on cheese, could it get anymore gluttonous than that?

What's even better, it's much simpler than you might imagine it to be. Some of the blogs, and other recipes out there suggested box mac and cheese was a big no-no. I thought it sounded like a good idea, I saw it as more cheese, powdered cheese. I prepared two boxes of Annie's Mac and Cheese with plenty of butter, milk, and the cheese powder. On the side I made a rich bechamel with with two tablespoons butter, 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of fresh thyme, two tablespoons flour, and two cups of milk. To that I added sharp cheddar, velveeta (per Saveurs suggestion), and a bit of well aged Dubliner. I think the trick is to make your mac and cheese far too creamy. So creamy you wouldn't want to eat it out of the pot or in a bowl. The refrigeration process seems to suck quite a bit of the cheesey moisture out of your m&c, so the creamier the better. I also think that the more gooey it is, the more it's going to stick together once it's chilled and while you're frying. So, I added about 3/4 of my bechamel to the already prepared m&c, until it was basically drowning in cheese sauce. Reserving the other 1/4 for thinning and adding a bit more cheese and jalapeno to for dipping. Spread your extra creamy m&c in the bottom of a prepared 8x8 glass baking dish. I had about 1/2 cup left over that wouldn't fit in the pan, so I used a melon baller and made little mac and cheese rounds (what's pictured above and below), so you could do them all round if you wanted to, or all square, it's up to you.

Once the cheese has spent a good 4+ hours in the refrigerator, it's time to fry. Pour a few inches of oil into a dutch oven and heat over a medium flame to about 350 F. While it's heating create your dredging station. Flour first, then a beaten egg, finally a healthy portion of panko. Cut your m&c in squares, or peel your balls off of the wax paper (ok, that didn't come out right) and you're ready to go. Dredge in flour, dip in egg, roll in panko. Drop into hot oil. These babies will only take a minute (or less) to cook. The result? A hot, cheesey, gooey, crunchy ball of fat goodness. Your thighs may not thank you, but your tastebuds (and guests) will.

A special thank you to Rachelle for taking over the frying duties. I hate all that hot oil popping! I couldn't have done it without you!

Split Open Deep Fried Mac & Cheese, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The Trappings of a Perfect Evening : Sweet Pea 'Pesto' Pasta

IMG_8284, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Seeing old friends is something incredibly comforting for me. Like your favorite set of sheets. As soon as you slip in, you breath an immediate sigh of relief and relax. Being able to lounge about your candlelight kitchen with a dear friend (whom you don't get to see but a handful of times a year) hour after hour, drinking champagne cocktails, eating good food and listening ambient music* is a rare occurrence these days. Last night I had the pleasure to spend my entire night, from sundown to the wee hours, doing just that.

IMG_8292, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Bean (a nickname I gave her I can't even remember when, Elementary school? High school? I'm unsure still but nonetheless many years ago) is quite possibly the dearest of them all. Perhaps it's the fact that we always have plenty of catching up to do, lots to discuss. Or maybe it's the fact that she whole heartedly adores my little house and my little life. She's one of those people who is constantly complimentary, in a sincere way. She never fails to make me realize just how good I really have it, and that my efforts to create a slice of lovely in this world hasn't gone unnoticed. She swoons. That's the best way to put it. Always over one thing or another, but she positively swoons. It never fails to put a smile on my face and warm my heart. I think each of us needs someone (if not more than one) in our lives like Bean.

IMG_8304, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The night Bean came over I had decided it was time for me to experiment a little for dinner. Nothing wild mind you, just something I'd never tried (or seen a recipe for). Last Saturday for 'Around the Table's' Appetizer dinner I whipped together a batch of sweet pea crostini. Something I'd seen here and there before, something I was curious about, and something that was simple (a far cry from my original plan of homemade flatbread pizzas). While the crostini were only so-so (not the star of the evening that's for certain), as I munched away on them I thought to myself, 'hey, tossed with a pot of freshly boiled pasta, this pea puree could make one simple but delightful meal'. And it did. It was pretty much everything I hoped for. Incredibly springy and fresh. Quick, simple, inexpensive, and downright easy. A simple puree (or pesto as I've dubbed it) of ricotta, lightly boiled peas, basil, and garlic, tossed with a pound of hot penne. Paired with fried pancetta sprinkles, frizzled (caramelized in pancetta fat) shallots, and plenty of shaved Romano, this bowl of pasta was a little slice of heaven on a blustery May day. Serve alongside a pitcher of Sgroppino and you've got the trappings of a good night on your hands. Of course, don't forget to light up a surplus of tealights, turn on the radio, and open the kitchen windows wide so as to catch the sweet spring breeze (and listen to the bamboo and birch tree leaves ruffle against it). In my world it doesn't get much better than that, lovely surroundings, good food, dazzlings drinks, and most importantly hours on end spent with a fabulous friend.

IMG_8289, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Sweet Pea Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen sweet petite peas, boiled just until warmed through

1 1/4 cup ricotta (whole milk or skim, whatever you prefer)

2 cloves of fresh garlic (or 3-4 roasted garlic, both are delish)

4 large basil leaves

4 Tablespoons parmesan/ramano/pecorino

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

1 lb. penne/rigatoni etc. boiled

Garnish:

4 discs of pancetta fried (reserve fat in pan to sautee shallots)

1 large shallot thinly sliced, sauteed until soft in pan with pancetta fat

Freshly shaved parmesan/ramano/pecornio

S&P

Directions:

1. Place peas, ricotta, garlic, basil, and cheese of choice in the bowl of a food processor (I used my hand blender/smartstick 'chopper' attachement because it's less cumbersome) and puree until thoroughly mixed/blended.

2. Toss your pea pesto in the pot with your drained, hot, boiled pasta of choice. Season with salt and pepper. Plate, and sprinkle with your garnishes; pancetta, cheese, frizzled shallots, and perhaps a few leaves of fresh basil.

3. Sit & savor!

IMG_8299, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

* Discovered that I love Mirah radio on Pandora (an amazing mix of Cat Power, Mirah, Feist, The Be Good Tanyas etc.). It was the perfect late night blend. Check it out!

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

This rarely ever happens, I'm sharing with you what I had for dinner. . . tonight. Yes, only a few hours ago. I think I've done this maybe twice in my three years of blogging. I don't want to say this soup was so insanely delicious I just couldn't help myself, only because you may not agree, it may not be your cup of tea, er, bowl of soup. Because as far as soup is concerned it's more on the exotic end of the scale than the safe. It's not your garden variety chicken noodle or cream of spinach. It's sweet, smoky, salty, and rich. Exactly what I was after this evening (clearly, because here I sit writing about it)!

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The base consists of a bit of tomato juice, lots of broth, peanut butter, and loads of salty oven roasted sweet potato. There's a bit of spicy green chile, garlic, and some sauteed onion as well. It really doesn't get much simpler either. The most taxing part, if you could even consider it to be taxing, is peeling and roasting the sweet potato. I started this soup around 7:30 and was sitting down to eat just before 8:00. You may not like it in the end, but come on, with an eet (estimated eating time) of less than half an hour, how can you not give it a try? Rachel Ray would be proud (if I cared). Plus, (yes there's more) it's incredibly healthy! In a cup and a half there are less than 300 calories and about 8 grams of protein. Lordy! There's a foodie trinity! Simple, tasty and good for you! Top it all off with a few salty roasted peanuts and plenty of freshly chopped cilantro. Cilantro makes this soup, I can't really explain it, but it's key, trust me on this. And if you do decide to try this recipe, let me know what you think. I'm really curious if others will think it's as delish as the boyfriend and I thought it was.

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque

(adapted from Eating Well)

Ingredients:

Two VERY large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt, pepper

2 small white onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

4 oz. can spicy green chile (or mild if you're not up for the heat)

1 cup tomato juice (V8)

3 cups of chicken broth (I'll admit I use water and bouillon, I like it, shoot me)

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

s&p to taste (I didn't use any, the salty V8 and bouillon did it for me in the seasoning dept.)

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 400 F

1. Throw (or place gently) your sweet potato cubes on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put sheet in the oven and cook until fork tender and mashable. Mash your potatoes when they're finished. About 20 minutes.

2. On medium heat, drizzle a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven or heavy bottom saucepan, then add your onion and garlic. Saute 5 minutes.

3. Add your chiles, then tomato juice, and broth. Heat to a boil.

4. Add peanut butter and mashed roasted squash.

5. Remove from heat temporarily and puree with a hand blender, or, place in food processor/blender (be careful when blending hot liquids, it tends to pop the top off of blenders, use a towel to cover) until smooth.

6. Place back on burner and heat thoroughly.

7. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

Now eat it up!

Roasted Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Grilled Cheese Pageant : Holy Cheese Bacon-man!

Holy Cheese Bacon Man, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

It's that time of year again, grilled cheese pageant time! Last year my roasted butternut squash/jarlsberg combo landed in the category of best swimsuit. So much for last year! Introducing the most ridiculous and delicious grilled cheese I've ever made: homemade cornbread slices packed with roasted jalapeno mayo, a ton of sharp cheddar speckled with pimento, and to top it all off strips of crispy fried bacon. As if that wasn't enough I skipped the butter on the outside and fried each sandwich in the grill pan filled with hot bacon fat. Oh yes, I just typed that. This sandwich is the antithesis of last years. Basically a heart attack waiting to happen. This sandwich wouldn't be caught dead in a bikini (or likely a one piece for that matter!) So wrong. But. Oh. So. Good. Spicy, sweet, gooey, cripsy, and above all, baconlicious (I think I just made that word up. . .) entirely worth the calories. Trust me on this one. Paired with a tall glass of ice cold beer? Simply a match made in heaven.

Holy Cheese Bacon Man, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

I likely don't need to give you a recipe for this sandwich, it's a grilled cheese. But, in an effort to make it that much easier for you to recreate here's how I did it: To make jalapeno mayo simply oil up some spicy green jalapeno chiles, grill on a bbq or over open flame, sweat in a bag, scrape off burned bits, chop flesh, throw into a few tablespoons of mayo (homemade is always best of course!) Laurels cornbread baked in a loaf pan makes the best bread. The pimento cheddar couldn't be simpler. And viola! Only a few steps more (bacon) and you've got one serious gut busting sandwich on your hands. Your swimsuit might not, but your tastebuds will thank you.

Holy Cheese Bacon Man, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The Best Corn Muffin

The Best Corn Muffin, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

First off, I have to send a big thank you to miss Laurel-lou for this divine recipe. As some of you may know I'm the creator of a small, all female gourmet cooking club here in Bellingham. Miss Laurel is one of our most talented members. She's one of those girls who takes something that's undoubtedly fabulous and delicious to begin with and makes it, somehow, better. She often leaves me lusting after seconds or thirds of her concoctions (and that's saying a lot considering the amount of food we eat in a night). Problem is she's a kitchen artist. What I mean by this is (as it seems to me when I inquire after a recipe) she has whipped up whatever I've just been in heaven eating sans a recipe. She'll look here and there for inspiration, but she seems to whip up her dishes armed simply with her culinary wit and skill. Case in point, the best cornbread I've ever had. That's a hefty statement for a girl who's never been a big fan. Laurel brought these golden gems to our Barbecue Dinner nearly a year ago. Many a moment since that hot sunny day spent in the backyard has passed that I've found myself thinking back on their texture and flavor. Moist mini cakes speckled with sweet bits of corn kernel that pop in your mouth as you chew. Wispy strands of dill that lend a fresh bite. All warm and smothered in soft butter laced with sweet honey. Ohhhh. Heaven. Just describing them again is making my mouth water. Even if you're not a fan of cornbread, I encourage you to give these cakes a try, I doubt you'll be disappointed after biting into one. Trust me.

Laurels Luscious Corn Bread

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal (I used medium grind but ground it further for less grit)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup light brown sugar packed

2 large eggs

1 stick of butter, melted and cooled

pinch of salt, pepper, and cayenne

1 Tablespoon fresh dill chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Prepare (oil) a 12 muffin cupcake pan.

2. Mix all dry ingredients together, flour through baking powder.

3. Mix all wet ingredients together buttermilk through butter (including corn). Season wet mixture with salt, pepper, cayenne and dill.

4. Fold wet mixture into dry, careful not to over mix.

5. Using a standard ice cream scoop, fill each prepared muffin cup with one scoop of cornbread mixture.

5. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Drying out your cornbread spells murder for it's success. Be sure that they're not overcooked!

6. Drop some honey into your butter dish, mix, slather warm muffins and prepare your tastebuds for cornbread nirvana.

The Best Corn Muffin, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Getting Fresh : The Simplest Asparagus

Grilled Lemon Butter Asparagus, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

As I aptly covered in my last post, Spring is officially here. Many aspects of this fact render me giddy. Picnics. Outdoor markets. Fresh produce. Sunshine. Longer days. Warm weather (not too warm mind you). The sweet smell that hangs in the air. Rhubarb. Asparagus. Sorry, those last couple were simply fresh Spring produce. So, basically, repeats. But, two things I cannot wait to get my hands on and cook up come Spring.

Sunday night I baked Julia Childs cheese souffle for dinner. Naturally, I needed a good green veggie side. While perusing the produce section at the grocery store, there it was, the first beautiful bundle of long, stalky asparagus, it's pointy little heads staring up at me. Finally! For me, asparagus is one of those things that needs to remain simple, enhanced only by a few ingredients, and a method of cooking. So, I give you a short post, and a simple recipe. Grilled asparagus. Salty, tangy, and a bit buttery. It's easy, quick, and delicious. Sorry Julia, but, the asparagus might have been even better than those perfectly golden souffles. Ok, maybe not. Maybe I'm just overly excited about asparagus. It's really that good though. Really.

Butter Lemon Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 cloves garlic minced

Half a lemon

Generous pinch of sea salt

Sprinkle of Pepper

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a grill pan on medium high heat on the stove top.

2. Arrange asparagus evenly in grill pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip.

3. Once you've made the flip, sprinkle with garlic (I throw it in the pan at this point so it doesn't burn, I find if I put in when I put the asparagus in the garlic burns). Grill an additional 3 minutes. When finished the asparagus should have caramelized grill marks on either side.

4. Squeeze with lemon juice, generously season with sea salt and pepper. Remove from pan. Serve hot.

Sometimes it doesn't get much better than something so simple.

Grilled Lemon Butter Asparagus, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The Cheat : Apricot Turkey Sandwiches On Sweet Potato Rolls

Apricot Turkey Sandwich on Sweet Potato Rolls, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Not only am I a cheat (I'll explain this later) but I'm a failure. Not even a month into my resolution to blog at least three times a week and I've failed. Not even a month people. I have a very good reason though, better than any of my other previous reasons for not blogging. I won't bore you with the nitty gritty details I'll simply say this; I've spent the last two weeks caring for a close family member who quite suddenly fell into my world, who is in dire need of assistance and care. I've been not only trying to wrap my brain around this change, but have learned a lot in a short period. For a twenty something student used to her carefree lifestyle (okay, outside of the whole student piece) this change has been, to say the least, a bit life altering. It's taken some getting used to (I'm not quite there yet). It almost felt that as I approached 25 I was getting a better sense of my life, who I was, where I was going, how to feed my passions, all the while greatly enjoying my new sense of self. I feel as though I've been pushed off that track, backwards and sideways somehow. I know I'll get back there, sooner I hope, but I have also realized this whole process is going to take time, and a lot of getting used to.

Enough personal stuff, right? Let's talk food.

Onto my statement "I'm a cheat". That delectable sandwich pictured above is not something I can take all that much credit for. Putting the darn thing between a sweet potato roll? Yes. The actual sandwich? No. That creation, the wonder that is turkey and swiss paired with mayo and homemade apricot preserves was the ever amazing Rachelle's. You see, Rachelle is (I hope I'm correct in using the word is) a fellow food blogger and very dear friend. 5 months ago she all but abandoned her fabulous blog Use the Good China. Life for her too changed a bit, a new place has meant less desire to blog. I know she misses her old place, the place she first started blogging and discovered much of her creative spirit. I'm hoping she returns (soon), if you feel like it, head over and harass her to do so (I kid, I harass her enough)! Rachelle is the queen of comfort, she's a classic that one. The night before christmas eve she invited me over for tea and sandwiches. I knew I wasn't in for the plain old version of a tea sandwich and I was right. For me, a girl who believes you can obsessively love both sweet and savory at the same time (c'mon, how could you possibly choose sides?) this sandwich truly satisfies all of my tastebuds needs. The addition of the apricot preserve does magical wonders to the classic turkey swiss combo. It's tangy, sweet and sticky, the perfect pairing with moist turkey and nutty swiss. As I gobbled down sandwich after sandwich I couldn't help but wonder how I had not thought of such an obviously ingenious pairing myself. In the last couple of weeks I've dedicated dinners to this sandwich. This week, I did a test run for this weekends 'Around the Table' dinner by mixing up a batch of sweet potato rolls from Pinch My Salt. I settled on her bread because out of all the reviews I read (and ingredients) her version received the highest marks. As a born again avid fan of sweet potato, as many have said about many different sweet potato recipes, this didn't have a strong sweet potato taste I was dreaming of. But, upon further thought I realized that's kind of impossible. Potatoes whether they be sweet, golden, or any other variety aren't violent in flavor, they're all pretty mild. They were a huge hit (particularly on their own slathered with butter or dipped in pesto), gone in less than 24 hours. They took Rachelle's version of a turkey sandwich over the moon. I can't wait to bust these gems out filled with turkey, apricot, swiss, mayo, and red onion, at my first picnic of the year (a picnic I may have to wait months for, until the sun makes a more permanent return to the Northwest) until then, I'll have to enjoy them from the comfort of my kitchen sofa!

Swoon : Spinach Soup

Cream of Spinach Soup, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

This is yet another recipe from Elise's Simply Recipes. First let me apologize, I feel like I've only been offering you samples of others recipes and blogs. I promise I've got some original recipes of my own on the horizon. My saving grace is that I haven't really done much of this, that is, simply regurgitating others brilliance. Problem is, there are so, so, so many outstanding recipes and food sites our there that it's hard not to share them with you once and a while. Clearly I'm a follower. If I like something, I go back, time and time again, if I trust a source, I use it religiously. Simply Recipes is one of those sources for me. Thus the second post about one of Elise's recipes in a month or two. This time, you'll have to head on over there yourself to get the recipe. This is pretty much just a rave review.

Cream of Spinach Soup, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Years ago I was slightly obsessed with cream of spinach soup. I must've been about thirteen or fourteen. A dear friend requested a backyard tea party for her July birthday. Her mother obliged. So there we sat in the backyard, our feet swimming in the warm green grass, eating dainty bowls of her mothers famous cream of spinach soup, pillowy white crustless sandwiches filled with various ingredients, and an array of sweets. I will always remember that humid July day, there was something magical about it. From that point on, for about a year, I was obsessed. I asked her mother for the recipe and the rest is history. I made that soup so much during the cold months that year I'm surprised I didn't turn a pale shade of green. I still have that thin lined piece of paper in an old recipe book. I pull it out from time to time, whip up a batch of soup, and reminisce on the simplicity of life as a young thing. It was time to switch up though. Test the waters. See what else is out there. For the most part I've been fairly unimpressed with most other cream of spinach soups. They don't really compare. Elise's does. It's far creamier than my handed down recipe. Maybe that's why I like it so much. It too has potatoes. Potatoes in spinach soup are a must for me. They add body, thickness and texture to the soup. I've been loving this soup so much that I've made it twice in the last two weeks. It's fantastic on it's own, and even better the next day reheated for sandwich dipping (better than tomato soup, in my opinion). I think I might be in danger of turning green again. My new hand blender has made the whole process that much easier. Meaning, I can make it way more often, and much faster. For this last batch I had a leek hanging around my fridge that decided he wanted to be thrown in. I would highly suggest you think about doing the same. Leek, spinach, potato and cream is simply a match made in ingredient heaven. But, I'm a lover of all things onion-y, like leeks. In honor of that lovely birthday afternoon I shot the soup in one of my favorite teacups. If you're looking for a fun way to serve soup as a first course, even if you're not having a tea party, think tea cups. They're all so unique and gorgeous, it makes the experience of eating soup that much more special. We've still got a few cold months ahead of us, at least we do here in the Northwest. Now's the time to whip up a big pot of soup, and wait for the warmer weather to arrive.

Cream of Spinach Soup, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.