Waiting for spring

It is almost the end of February and winter will still be around for quite awhile yet. In fact, they are predicting six inches of snow on Thursday. But we are all ready for winter to be over--even Dan who commented that maybe we should move to Phoenix (not that he'd be liking that decision in the middle of the summer there)!! Several times a week I'll hear Dan or one of the kids wonder out loud how long it will be until we can sit outside in our screened-in porch. In the summertime, we practically live out there.

This week we got a Jung Seed catalog in the mail which only heightened our desire for summer to be here. Ellie and Kara have been looking through it and asked me if they could plant something this summer. I have a small garden plot that doesn't have great soil (I have attempted to amend the soil to no avail) and has never done well with tomatoes and green peppers so I told the girls they could plant the garden this year. They have to buy the seeds and plants, water and weed it and harvest what they plant. So yesterday afternoon they looked a little more closely at the catalog and picked out what they wanted to plant. Ellie decided to plant pickling cucumbers (she wants to make pickles), mesclun mix and a row of flowers. Kara is going to plant carrots, peas and a row of flowers.




Here they are adding up the cost of the seeds:

Dilly Bean Potato Soup

When menu planning for this month I found a great-looking and inexpensive soup recipe in Simply in Season. I was a little skeptical about how the soup would taste as I've never made a soup that combines potatoes and beans. But I figured it was cheap and I've not been disappointed in anything from this cookbook so far so I'd give it a try. And it gave me the opportunity to use my new pan (a Le Creuset knock-off). I was not disappointed. It was delicious!! Even Darin (who thinks he's picky) loved it and had seconds. It is just as good warmed up the next day.

Dilly Bean Potato Soup

3/4 cups chopped celery

3 carrots, shredded

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

In large pot saute in 1 tablespoon olive oil.

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

4-5 large potatoes, peeled and diced

salt to taste

Add and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Mash some of the potatoes.

4 1/2 cups cooked Great Northern beans (I used dried that I had cooked the night before)

1 T dried dill weed

Add to soup.

3/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1 1/2 T flour

1/2 tsp pepper

Combine and stir into soup. Cook and stir until sour cream has been mixed in and heated.

Serve with fresh bread.