Green Soup--No Eggs, No Ham

In last month's Reader's Digest was a little 2-page article entitled "The Soup That Changed My Life" that really caught my eye.  I love soup and I love healthy soup and I need to lose weight and this article's subtitle said that the soup is magical.  I could use some personal magic so when Durwood and I went to the grocery I picked up the biggest bag of spinach, a beautiful bunch of mustard greens, and 2-1 qt. cartons of vegetable broth.  (Isn't it crazy that broth comes in boxes?)  Because I know myself pretty well I also picked up a rotisserie chicken so that I could simmer the bones in the broth and then add the chopped chicken to the pureed soup at the last minute.  Naturally even then I couldn't leave the recipe alone, I had to add a few carrots to the carmelizing onions to ramp up the veggi-ness of the soup.  Oh my, our whole house smelled great and I was in soup heaven when I dipped out a few spoonfuls to taste.  Durwood didn't like it (pity) so I could add some extra cayenne and it's all for me.  All. For. Me.  Of course I made a vat of soup so there'll be some for the freezer even after I dip out 3 weeks of bowls for work.  I can see that this is going to be another one of those basic recipes that I use as a jumping off place for all sorts of yummy soup.  Next time I think I'll go with spinach and broccoli, or maybe some of that pretty Swiss chard, or beet greens... the possibilities are endless!  After posting yesterday's blog I got dressed, buckled on my snowshoes, and went out to fill the birdfeeders and get the birdie tree set up.  Just before I went out a mourning dove flew into the patio door and stunned itself.  (We thought it was done for but it nestled into the leaves and spent the afternoon getting its noggin back together.)  It's so much easier climbing that little rise at the back of the yard in snowshoes.  I don't slip and slide like I do in boots and I just love my snowshoes.  I am so glad that I spent my Christmas bonus from Mrs. & Mr. Boss on them last year... or was it the year before?  Anyway, I love them.  I got the birdie tree peanut-buttered and then I flung birdseed at the sticky stuff.  I also melted a suet cake in the microwave (a bit too much, I think boiling might have meant it was too hot) and scooped it and poured it onto the branches.  The birds appreciate the extra cover and I think all the backyard wildlife likes the extra snacks.  I sure like watching the action around the tree.  Today's Photo a Day (yeah, I decided to do it again) theme is "street" so I went outside while my coffee heated to see my street and look at what I found.  Sunrise orange-pink sky and purple clouds!  I love my street, it's pretty and quiet but right near a lot of interesting things like a little secret pocket of middle-class serenity.  (gah, it's too early for that airy-fairy crap, sorry)

January 7--John Singleton Copley, Ebenezer Storer.  Ben was a man hampered by money.  He had a lot of it and it got in the way of his leading the life he knew he was meant to live.  He looked like he was in costume when he dressed according to his cash.  People he met saw the thickness of his wallet not the depth of his character.  Women were the worst.  Mothers flung their unmarried daughters at him like they were ticker tape and he was the parade.  He never told anyone about his wealth but they guessed by his address and the deference paid him by city officials and business leaders.  It came to him that his only hope to live a normal life was to leave town and change his name.

You know what?  Staying up until nearly midnight so you can wash the cooking dishes after watching the first episode of season 3 of Downton Abbey (eeee!) makes 6:07 AM pretty darned early.  'M just saying...

--Barbara