Fun Finds Friday #118

• These boots are amazing! They may replace the Frye boots on my list...
• I like that these shirts are made in Philly!
• Every kitchen needs some cute ceramic measuring cups.
• Intentionally mismatched socks!

Also,

• Who wants to attend a cooking & yoga retreat at Julia Child's house?
• I've definitely indulged in a few of these things this winter.
• I have an affinity for homes with light, windows, and water...
• But I'm more into bohemian interiors.
• Wondering if I can rock this.

Happy Friday!!!
Psst! I still can't get the 'Leave a Comment' link to show up on the blog's main page, but comments still work! Just click on the title of a post and scroll down to the bottom of the post, the comment blurb is right down there ;)

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The other day I was walking through the produce aisle of our local grocery store and I saw some leeks. The first thought that popped into my mind was "potato leek soup!!". I didn't buy them that day, but I did mention them to Shawn and the first thing he said was "potato leek soup!", so then it was decided. I would make potato leek soup.

And so I did! And it was delicious, of course. It brought me back to my childhood... dinner sitting around the circular table in the kitchen with my family, my mom ladling pureed vegetable soup into our bowls and topping each with a dollop of cream. Little did I know then how gosh-darn simple it is to make soup like that! If I had known, I would have made this a long time ago. Now, I don't have five mouths to feed, and I had a borrow a friend's blender, but I think my mom may have been on to something because we've been eating soup all week!

Potato Leek Soup

Adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 large leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 quart vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup light cream
minced parsley

- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped leek and potato and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and break apart easily.
- In small batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. (If the vegetables are tender, this will take just a few seconds for each batch.)
- Return the blended soup to a pot or large bowl. Add the cream, lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Portion out into bowls and top with a dollop of cream and a sprinkle of minced parsley.
- Enjoy!

Psst! I still can't get the 'Leave a Comment' link to show up on the blog's main page, but comments still work! Just click on the title of a post and scroll down to the bottom of the post, the comment blurb is right down there ;)

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Things to Remember

I was going to post a recipe today, but then I started going through my drafts and found this list.
Today seemed like as good a day as any to post it.


A list of things to remember as an adult....

• Eat what you want, in moderation.
• Exercise when you can.
• Don't make excuses.
• Remember, quality over quantity.
• Appreciate the little things.
• Appreciate the big things.
• Say please and thank you, often.
• Don't sweat the small stuff.
• Ok, you're an adult... Sweat the small stuff, but not too much.
• Breathe.

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The Cats Lately

It has taken a little over a year and a half, but Lloyd has finally accepted Sylvester as a fellow family member. Not that they were ever bad with each other to begin with.... Lloyd was skeptical when we first introduced them; I think he just figured it was a temporary thing and he wouldn't have to put up with another cat for very long. But Sylvester has been trying to be friends with Lloyd from the beginning- snuggling up to him while he sleeps, following him around the apartment, sleeping in every empty nap spot that Lloyd leaves unattended... but until recently Lloyd never wanted much to do with Sylvester. Now Lloyd is the one who cuddles up to him! It is so adorable coming home and finding them curled up together on the couch or on the bed. They truly are the yin and yang of cats.

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Snapshots

Favorite things lately:

• I got a big pack of succulent notecards to send out with my Poshmark purchases, but they're so pretty that I think I'm going to hold on to most of them and tape them to the wall. Our office needs some love.... I have a few extra days off next week and intend to tend to it.
• Sad cookie. (See above.)
• Ghost Lloyd. (See above.)
• We finally got snow! And lots of it! Even better than that though? Our town has done an amazing job of post-snow-clean-up. That makes me happy too! Apparently certain places in the city didn't fare as well, but I suppose that's one benefit of living in the suburbs....
• We also got a new shower curtain, because ours was getting old and.... well, gross. The new one is simple but fun, and I love the amount of light it lets into the bathroom!
• I finally got to see my hair dresser after 6+ months of waiting! (She had a baby in October and only recently went back to work.) She curled my hair for me because I don't know how to do it myself. I want it to look like that all the time!
• I've been doing the bread baking at work the past few Fridays, and I'm really diggin' it. It's even more satisfying than pulling cookies out of the oven! I bake 40 loaves on Fridays! I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the Friday bakes for the foreseeable future.

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