Foodie Fridays: Spinach Soup

We had an unusually cool and wet spring this year, which means that my vegetable garden got off to a slow start.  This weather pattern has been great for growing spinach, however, and I have an abundance that needs to be harvested now that it is warming up.  I thought I would try making a creamy spinach soup with some of the harvest, and found this recipe from Ree Drummond on the Food Network website.  I normally do not make many of her recipes as they tend to be too rich for me, but this soup is an exception since it uses milk rather than cream.

I used 2% milk instead of whole milk, which I found worked just fine.  I also added some nutmeg, which I always like to use with cooked spinach.  I substituted chipotle pepper powder for the cayenne as the latter is too hot for me and I like the smokiness of chipotle peppers.  At the very end of cooking I like to stir a bit of vinegar into soups for added flavor (I used a maple balsamic vinegar).  I often find creamy soups to be rather bland, but the seasonings (especially the chili pepper) make this soup quite tasty, so this recipe is definitely a keeper!

Spinach Soup

2 T. olive oil
10 oz. fresh spinach, torn into pieces if large
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 C. flour
3 C. whole or 2% milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper powder
1 T. balsamic vinegar

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the spinach and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add 1/4 C. water and blend with a stick blender until puréed.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.  Rinse out the pot.

Melt the butter in the soup pot.  Add the onions and cook over medium heat until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir to combine.  Cook for about 2 minutes, then pour in the milk, stirring occasionally.  Add the nutmeg, salt, and chipotle pepper powder and stir to combine.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour in the pureed spinach, then cook until thickened, another 3 to 5 minutes.  Blend with a stick blender until the onions are puréed.  Stir in the vinegar.

Check the seasonings, adding more salt, nutmeg, and/or chipotle pepper powder as needed, and serve.  Serves 4.

Foodie Fridays: Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta and Spinach

Looking for an easy recipe to use up some leftover ricotta cheese, I found one for Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta and Spinach which turned out to be absolutely delicious!  It truly was very easy to make, the only tricky part being not to add more cooking liquid than needed to achieve the ideal creamy texture.  Whole milk ricotta is recommended, but I only had the part skim type and it worked just fine.  I always buy whole wheat pasta because I prefer it, and used whole wheat spaghetti for this recipe.  I loved this pasta dish so much that I look forward to making it again using the spinach that is currently growing in my garden.  Time to buy more ricotta cheese!

Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta and Spinach

1 C. ricotta cheese
1/3 C. grated Parmesan
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. long or medium pasta (like spaghetti, linguine, penne, fusilli)
8 oz. baby spinach

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir until well combined and taste for seasoning.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.  During the last minute of the pasta's cooking time, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then stir the spinach into the pot.  After 1 minute, drain and return pasta and spinach to the pot.

Add the ricotta sauce and half of the reserved cooking water to the pot.  Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, adding more cooking water as needed to reach a smooth and creamy texture.

Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and lemon wedges if desired.  Serves 2-3.

Note: Add the pasta water gradually, as you might not need all of it (the pasta should be moist but the flavor should not be watered down).  If you need more liquid, add some milk.

Foodie Fridays: Mexican Chicken Soup

New Mexico is the only place I have ever lived where cilantro has thrived in my garden.  This herb loves the warm, dry, and sunny climate, and is so vigorous here that it is a reseeding annual - once planted and allowed to go to seed it will come back year after year.  Recently my neighbor, who has been gardening for decades here, gave me some of his excess cilantro that comes up in his cold frame annually (my cilantro comes back outdoors and is still too small to harvest).  He gave me quite a lot so I looked for a recipe that called for a good bit of cilantro.  This Mexican Chicken Soup was the result, and I love it!  Be forewarned, however, that not everyone is fond of this herb (including my husband) so this soup is for cilantro lovers only.  I am one of those people who likes to double the amount of cilantro in any recipe that calls for it, so it was perfect for me, but I will be finishing this soup on my own.

I made a couple of changes besides doubling the cilantro.  I forgot to get a jalapeno pepper so I substituted a small can of fire roasted green chiles instead, and since I had a container of refrigerated fresh salsa I used that instead of canned tomatoes.  I added a generous amount of tajin seasoning to add more chile and lime flavoring as well as some salt, and also put in a small amount of maple balsamic vinegar to add a touch of sweetness.  Since store-bought chicken stock comes in a 4-cup container, I just added 2 cups of water rather than use half of another box, and the flavor was fine.  For all of you fellow cilantro lovers out there, this soup is for you!

Mexican Chicken Soup

2 T. olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, diced*
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies**
6 C. chicken stock (or 4 C. broth and 2 C. water)
1 tsp. cumin
1-1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts or tenders
1 lime, juiced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. tajin seasoning
1 T. maple balsamic vinegar
1 avocado, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Sauté celery, onion, and jalapeño pepper until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté one minute.

Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, and chicken.  Cook over medium heat until the chicken is tender (I let it cook for about an hour).

Remove the chicken breasts or tenders from the soup, allow to cool slightly, and tear them into chunks or shreds.  Return the chicken to the pot.  Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, tajin seasoning, and maple balsamic vinegar.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serve the soup in large bowls with slices of avocado and lime.  Serves 6.

*I used a small (4 oz.) can of fire roasted chopped green chiles (add to soup with the tomatoes).
**I used one container of fresh refrigerated salsa.

On the Homefront: Two of Our Favorite Places to Visit in Santa Fe

If you ever get to visit downtown Santa Fe, the two places that my husband and I recommend are the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the nearby restaurant Fiesta Oaxaca.  We have been fans of the museum since it first opened in 1997.  We got to visit the first week it opened, and it was then that I discovered my favorite artwork by O'Keeffe, her painting entitled "Rust Red Hills" (1930).  Exhibits change on a regular basis, and the artist's works from other museums as well as objects from her Abiquiu house are often displayed in addition to the museum's own collection.  We went to see the recent exhibit "Georgia O'Keeffe: Making a Life" and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I just adore the colorful interior! (from the restaurant website)

The restaurant patio open to the outdoors on a lovely warm day.

Just a short walk away from the museum is one of our favorite restaurants, Fiesta Oaxaca, which features moles, one of my husband's favorite foods.  He loves to order their Mole de Oaxaca, a chicken dish smothered in a dark mole sauce which is rich and deeply flavorful.  My favorites include their Enchiladas de Mole de Oaxaca and Chilpachole de Mariscos, a tasty seafood soup that is so satisfying on a cold day.  Be sure to order their mole tasting appetizer, which includes the five different moles they serve.  (I look forward to trying their mole de verde the next time we dine there!)  The restaurant has a wonderfully colorful interior as well as a patio that is completely enclosed and heated during the cold months but open to the outdoors when it warms up.

Across the street from both the restaurant and the museum is the Santa Fe County John Gaw Meem Historic Building,  designed by Santa Fe's most acclaimed architect and recently restored to its original glory.  It is worthwhile stopping by to visit the beautiful courtyard (shown above) and to admire the wonderful southwestern architecture.

"Homage to the Burro" by Charles Southard (1988)

From the restaurant it is an easy walk to the downtown plaza via historic Burro Alley, which is my favorite street of course (I described it previously here).  As you head to the plaza, be sure to stop by my husband's favorite place, Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery, which has an amazing collection of beautiful southwest Native American pottery, including the works of Maria Martinez.

Right now is a lovely time to visit Santa Fe, as we had a relatively wet spring and wildflowers are blooming everywhere.  The landscape is very green and the mild temperatures are so comfortable for exploring the city.  Oh, and one more activity you may enjoy while on the plaza is a visit to the rooftop bar at the famous La Fonda on the Plaza for a drink, appetizers, and a spectacular overview of the city and surrounding mountains.  The rooftop bar is only open during the warmer months, so if this appeals to you plan your trip accordingly!

On the Homefront: Meet Minnie and Pearl!

Minnie the mother donkey is on the left, and Pearl her daughter is on the right.

I have been meaning to introduce the latest addition to our animal family, but I adopted Minnie and Pearl just a week before my dog Ruby's health began to decline so it has taken me a while to get to this post.  I got this mother-daughter bonded pair of spotted donkeys from a donkey rescue called The Longears Safehouse, which is near the small town of Estancia to the east of Albuquerque.  After my horse Nick passed away in December, I knew that I would most likely not be riding any longer because of joint issues, so I had no need for a riding horse.  I had been thinking about getting donkeys but wanted to make sure they would have a place to go if something happened to me, as I am getting on in years.  The donkey rescue will take donkeys back if you can no longer care for them - in fact, it is in the contract you sign when you adopt from them.  Even though Minnie is twenty years old and Pearl is about sixteen, donkeys can live a long time, even into their forties, so it is a relief to me to know they will always have a home even if they outlive me.  I also feel good about the fact that I can provide loving care to two donkeys that have been shuffled around to various owners over the years and really needed a more secure environment where they will hopefully be able to live for most if not all of their lives.

It has been fun getting to know these girls - Minnie, the mother donkey, is the more outgoing of the two and settled in quite quickly.  Pearl is a bit more aloof and it took her a while to get used to me, but she finally seems to trust me and is becoming much easier to approach and handle.  They are both good about being groomed and letting me clean their feet, and did well in the trailer ride over to our property.  They will be getting a visit from my farrier soon, and I was told that they are used to getting their feet trimmed so should be good with the farrier as well.  Other than being a bit pushy at feeding time they are very easy to handle, and I think we will get on well together.

By the way, if you know of anyone in the New Mexico area who would like to adopt donkeys and has adequate facilities to do so, I highly recommend The Longears Safehouse as the place to go.  The donkeys are not adopted out until they receive proper veterinary and hoof care, and have also undergone basic training for handling and any behavior issues.  Maybe the new owners of the HGTV Smart Home 2023 would like to welcome a couple of rescue donkeys into their lives as well (if they are properly zoned, that is)!

This 'n That Thursdays: HGTV Smart Home 2023 is in Santa Fe!

This year's HGTV Smart Home 2023 is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, my current home town!  The sweepstakes entry period began on April 18th and is open until June 9th.  Viewers can tune in to the one-hour special HGTV Smart Home 2023 on Friday, April 28th, at 7 p.m. ET on HGTV and HGTV GO, and also on discovery+ the same day.  Check out the website link to see all videos and photos of the beautiful finished home.

The views from this home are lovely, a lot like the ones we have at our house.  We have a 360 degree view of the mountain ranges surrounding the Santa Fe area, with the Sangre de Cristo mountains to our north, the Jemez to the distant northwest, the Cerrillos hills to our nearby west, the Ortiz mountains to the south, and the Sandias in the distance behind them, while to our east the topography flattens out to gently undulating hills of pinon-juniper woodlands).  I wonder if this home has similar panoramic views - I do not know its exact location, but the few images with background vistas suggests that it does.

The fully furnished three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom home is about 3,095 square feet in size and sits on nearly two acres of land.  The amenities that come with this state of the art home include a brand new all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan, $100,000 in cash, an outdoor kitchen, a plunge pool, and a fire pit.  I think my favorite space, though, is the rooftop deck, complete with a spiral staircase for access and a mechanized dumbwaiter for transporting items from the kitchen to the roof.

I adore spiral staircases!

Just look at those stunning views!

Our house has a flat roof just like this Smart Home - maybe some day we can add a rooftop deck with spiral staircase too!  In the coming days I hope to create posts highlighting some of our personal favorite things about Santa Fe.  In the mean time, I will certainly be entering to win this house - even if we don't keep it, I would love to visit the location (easily done since we are probably pretty close!).  Good luck to all who enter the sweepstakes!

On the Homefront: Remembering Ruby (2007-2023)

Ruby when she was four years old.

I think this is the hardest post I have ever had to write.  All of my animals have been special, but Ruby was the dog that chose us, and she showed her gratitude to us for taking her in all of her life.  She first came in to our lives early one morning when I was out walking the two rescue Dalmatians, Diamond and Gia, that we had adopted the previous year.  Ruby came out of nowhere and started to follow us.  The two Dalmatians were not happy and Ruby kept her distance, but she stayed with us for the whole walk, even though I kept encouraging her to go home.  When we got to our property and she followed us down the driveway, I finally turned to her and said "Okay girl, I will take care of you."  As if she understood, Ruby came up to the house and settled on the outside door mat as if relieved to finally have a place where she was welcomed.  I gave her food and water, and later took her to the vet where she was treated for ectoparasites and given a thorough examination.

Initially she was found to be underweight but healthy, and they were not sure if she was spayed.  About a week later we found out she was not, and scheduled her for the operation.  The day before that date, her right eye began to swell shut.  A quick return trip to the vet revealed a cracked back molar that was so infected the right side of her face was beginning to swell.  She was started on antibiotics and the next day in addition to being spayed she had the broken tooth removed.

Ruby with her Dalmatian sisters, Gia (left) and Diamond (right), and my husband.

From that day forward she began to thrive.  She gained weight and her lackluster coat became softer and shinier.  I initially thought she was a low-energy dog, but her lack of energy was obviously due to the tooth infection, because as soon as that healed her high-energy terrier nature emerged.  We decided she was a mix of the two most common dog breeds in rural Georgia, the pit bull terrier and the "feist", the local name for a rat terrier.  It was a joy to watch this dog run - she had the rat terrier ability to bound into the air and literally hang there for a while to look around before landing again.  While she was overly energetic around other dogs and could be a bit quarrelsome with them when she became older, Ruby loved every person she ever met.  I have never known a dog to be so trusting of people, and this despite the fact that she was probably not treated well by people before she found us.

Ruby with Madison.

Ruby was very attached to me and never forgot that I was the one who rescued her.  She would do anything for me, and rarely did anything that I did not approve of.  She loved riding in the car with me, even if it was only to the vet.  She was 12 years old when we moved from Georgia to New Mexico and had never been on a cross-country car ride before, but she and our other dog Madison did surprisingly well.  I waited until October to move, assuming that the weather would be cooler and make travel easier, only to end up driving for over four days in the hottest October I have ever endured (over 100 degrees for the first three days) in a car with very inefficient air conditioning.  I was so proud of my girls - they traveled so well, and even rode an elevator for the first time without a problem!

 

 

 

Ruby in her favorite room in our New Mexico house - the kitchen!

Once we arrived in New Mexico, both dogs had to learn to adapt to the very different environment, learning to avoid walking on spiny plants and confronting coyotes, getting used to all of the unpacking and rearrangement of belongings, and then enduring life during the pandemic.  Ruby had a few health issues after we got here, including having a malignant tumor successfully removed from her elbow and getting her digestive issues under control (she had picked up Clostridium perfringens in Georgia, which infects the intestinal tract and cannot be eliminated, only kept under control by lifelong low-dose antibiotics).  Even so, she was remarkably healthy for an old dog, although eventually her arthritic elbow got so bad that she could no longer go for long walks.  I had her on a daily routine that she loved and tried never to vary it, which really helped her live a stress-free and comfortable life that she loved.

My husband took this photo in 2021 - just two old gals snoozing on the sofa together.

Only recently did her health begin to decline significantly.  The last few months she had several bouts of pancreatitis due to a compromised liver, and she was not able to recover from the last bout.  Letting her go was so hard, but I knew it was time, and the vet hospital did an excellent job making her last moments comfortable.  My husband and I were there to support her, and we made sure she knew she was loved and was resting peacefully before we let her go.

One of the last photos I took of my beloved girl.

It has taken me days to write this rather rambling tribute to my wonderful, beautiful, beloved Ruby.  I still miss her so much, and even now cannot stop grieving every day.  There is a big hole in my life without my Ruby to fill it, but I will be forever grateful to have had her with me for 15 of her 16 years.  I will never forget you, my sweetest girl, and I hope that one day I will be with you again.

 

I love this photo of my Ruby - it is one of the few that I have showing her in alert mode with her tail up and ears perked.