Saturday, May 31, 2014

Andrew's Brain


Book Review

I realized at a recent trip to the library that I needed to expand my horizons. I think I have had enough historical fiction and Sherlock-inspired mysteries for awhile.

I needed to change things up. 

I needed something new. So I headed to the new releases shelves. 

This is a dangerous thing, you must realize. I don't usually come away from the new release shelves with a readable number of books.  

I get interested into too many books. And I don't have time to read them all before I run out of renewals. 

I've had to learn to restrain myself. It is a most difficult thing. 

On this particular day, I exited the library with three new books.  

I finished one, I had to take one back for lack of being able to renew it, and I am still reading one. 

Any guesses which this is?

Andrew's Brain

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Gluten-Free Cream of Asparagus Soup

Creamy, Without Cream

Yes, unfortunately we are still experiencing soupy weather. Warmer, but gloomy and soupy.

So, I can't help myself with one more soup before nicer weather arrives for good.

My inspiration for this was my Gluten-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup. Hmmm... it seems that I still have not blogged my Gluten-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup. I need to do this. It is outstanding! I love that soup.

But we aren't talking about that soup here. Similar, but different, soupy soup.

This asparagus is here now, and now is the time to blog it. Asparagus necessitates a few minor changes to my fabulous mushroom soup.

Change of herbs. Change of zing. Change of vegetable. Change of zang.

I love this change of vegetable. I love asparagus. I love it when it is tall and thin and dark green.

Would you believe I grew up picking "wild" asparagus? I call it "wild," with quotes, but it wasn't really wild. It was started by someone with a brilliant, tasty idea many, many years prior. But because no one maintained it in any way, shape, or form, I call it wild.

No one had done anything to it for decades, probably. Nothing except pick it. It wasn't really maintainable. It wasn't even growing in a garden. It just grew, all by itself, there along the tops of irrigation ditches that fed acres and acres of alfalfa fields.

And once it started growing, we picked it. Only once a year, in the spring. Year after year after year. A few hours of walking, stooping, snapping, bagging, walking, stooping, snapping, bagging. Around the rims of dozens and dozens and dozens of acres.

Sound like fun? Good, you're recruited!

No, but really, when we all helped out, it was so worth it. Every foot-long, pencil-thin sprig of that chlorophyll-loaded asparagus.

Year after year after year of yum!

Gluten-Free Cream of Asparagus Soup