Spring, A Time for Projects and Soup

This past weekend we had a touch of Spring.  Today winter is trying to edge its way back in, for I hope what is a short and final curtain call.  Speaking of curtain calls, we got to see the broadway musical, “Hair,” which came to the town where my husband works.  I was of the hair (hippie) era.  That makes the second broadway play I’ve seen.  The first was “Wicked,” which we saw in New York City.  That was quite the experience.  We had excellent seats.

During the warm weather we worked on planing barn wood in the hopes of turning it into a floor.  We are over half way there on getting the planing done.  I think it gets more complicated from there.  There is the tongue and groove which will be a learning process.

Even though the weather was so nice for working on the wood, we had to stop.  The saw blade was wearing out.  I said to my husband, that sure didn’t last very long; but he said it was mostly the deck we built this past summer that did the blade in.  So, we took a break and traveled to Home Depot to get a new saw blade.  Lowe’s is nearer; however, Starbucks is next to Home Depot.  It was the first time this year I wore sandals.

We are project crazy.  It doesn’t help that we live in a house that just turned 100 years old.  We spend as much time as we can outside.  Being that the weather was so nice, we ate for the first time this year out on the deck.  It has taken several years, but we now have the deck wrapped almost all the way around the house, if you count the front porch.  The rock on the side of the house was last year’s project.  It all came from our woods.

The same week we had the 70 degree weather, we had snow.  It was a one day affair.  But it meant soup.  We just got back from seeing our grandson who lives in North Carolina, 7 hours away.  While there we visit vegan/vegetarian restaurants, something a bigger city has to offer.  It always inspires me in the kitchen arts.  So, I tried my hand at Italian Wedding Soup.  We got the fake sausage from Whole Foods.  Unless I’m baking I don’t measure anything, so it would be hard to give a recipe.  This is especially hard for soups in which I usually throw whatever I have on hand in.  But I will give it a try.

Italian Wedding Soup

2 tsp safflower oil

1 cup chopped celery

1 onion chopped

vegetarian meatballs ( I used one half of a vegetarian sausage pack which I couldn’t form into meatballs, so I just used chunks and crumbles which worked out well)

4 cups vegetarian broth

3 oz pasta shells

5 oz baby spinach

Grated parmesan cheese (omit this if you prefer vegan)

Heat oil in large saucepan.  Add celery and onion, cooking until softened.  Add vegetarian meat substitute and brown.  Add broth and 2 cups water.  Add pasta and cook time allotted on package.  Add spinach and cook for about two minutes longer.  Salt and pepper.  I prefer sea salt.  Garnish with parmesan cheese.