This fat-free vegan-friendly recipe will make any soup lover’s tummy smile. I combined a couple recipes to create this bad boy: a carrot-coriander soup that called for milk to make it creamy, and a butternut squash soup with ginger that is next to make on the recipe list!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium cooking onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 4 cups of carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container of vegetable stock
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, drizzle olive oil over onion, celery, potatoes, and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned.
2. Put in the carrots and pour stock to cover the vegetables. If not enough, use some water to cover.
3. Cover the pot and raise the heat to medium to bring to a simmer.
4. Reduce to low and gently simmer until vegetables are soft when pieced with a fork (20-25 minutes)
5. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Working in batches, ladle soup into a food processor or blender. Process to make a smooth purée.
7. Return the purée to the large pot and add 1 cup of vegetable stock or water to thin (add more if too thick), salt and pepper to taste.

Notes/Recommendations:

• I would suggest you use bulk carrots. My mom had the pre-peeled and chopped ones left over from family dinner, so they were quick and easy to use. But you’ll get a heartier soup and flavour with unprocessed carrots.
• Either have a suuuper powerful blender or make sure to chop that ginger really fine. I didn’t chop mine very fine (as you can see in the photos) and then my Magic Bullet isn’t the bestest for this kind of work. So there are several “ginger surprises” in my semi-chunky soup. I kind of like the chunkyness with bits of carrot, onion, celery, and potatoe… but the ginger is a bit too flavourful for that.

My Friend Amy recently came up with this idea to celebrate autumn and all the great foods that go with it. I have to say that Autumn and Spring are my favourite seasons (I can never decide which I like more). I love the smell of the leaves, the colours, and the lovely wind. I enjoy bundling up because it’s just a little chilly (not freezing yet) with hand-knit scarves and cowls.

My favourite fall recipe (also the one I’m most proud of) is my Pumpkin Spice Loaf. I absolutely love the pumpkin spice loaf from Starbucks, and I was determined to make it. After many failed attempts and some mediocre loafs, I discovered the secret to Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Loaf. Now, since I already shared that recipe for Tea Talks so I need to share something different.

Then my second thought was my mother’s Oven-Roasted Vegetables. So I went searching for a picture, knowing that I made them when we were living in London. Well, it turns out I already shared the recipe for Oven-Roasted Vegetables as well.

So I’ve decided to share my mom’s lovely Tuna Noodle Casserole adapted from the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook! I love canned tuna and this casserole is perfect straight from the oven, or reheated for lunch the next day. It’s comfort food and a well-balanced meal.

Also, visit My Friend Amy’s blog for a Mister Linky with all the Fall Festival recipes!

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A few weeks ago when I joined Julia at the Steveston Knitting Meetup, one of the gals (Petra, psophia17 on Ravelry) brought these delicious blueberry crumble bars. They are to die for. She posted the recipe link on the Terminal City Yarn Wranglers Group (ravelry link… it’s the Lower Mainland group). So I nabbed it, planning to use my usual batch of blackberries from camp to make these crumble bars instead of the regular ol’ blackberry pie. (I always think the pie is too runny, everyone else likes it).

Here’s some photos of the blackberries this weekend. Unfortunately, due to the wet June over half of the blackberries were not ripe. And of the ones that were, a bunch were over ripe because of the wet August too.

Distracted by the gorgeous Percheron next door to the camp… and her little baby (who was born last summer).

My Our haul (I suppose Craig was helpful and deserves credit):

Mmmm Blackberry crumb bars!

For Christmas, Craig’s university friends Harriet and Coleen gave me a bottle of “Liquid Chocolate” from Hotel Chocolat. It is amazingly rich chocolate flakes that you sprinkle (in heaping spoonfuls) into your hot milk on the stove (or “hob” as the instructions say). There is even a link to their website for extra recipes mentioned on the label. A couple nights ago, Craig and I decided to treat ourselves and made a batch. At one point I boiled it over because it warms up so nicely on the stove. I then had a nice warm bath with my new orange bath salts and mandarin soap. One problem: does anyone know how to stop the hot-cocoa skin from forming as it cools?

Monday we went to see The Golden Compass. Craig and I enjoyed it but agreed that it wasn’t very conclusive because it’s supposed to be a trilogy. I was sad there wasn’t more Daniel Craig. I told Craig about the knits that everyone is talking about. (Have you seen the hat that Cass made?) I was totally shocked when the Ice Bear’s bottom jaw got knocked off! You should have seen my face… I thought he was just gonna get a good smack, but then his jaw went flying. I’d recommend seeing it, as it is good. But it was absolutely magnificent script-wise… I think they’re depending too much on it being a trilogy. The books felt more conclusive from what I remember when I was 12.

Afterwards we came home and prepped the house for Craig & Richard’s Christmas Party. I baked so much shortbread! It went over really well though — Coleen is apparently addicted to them. I still have some dough left in the freezer because I plan to make some for Craig’s Grandad John. I was really worried they wouldn’t turn out… but they tasted great. You should have seen how excited I was when I pulled the first batch out on Sunday night. I broke a warm cookie in half and ran to Craig in the living room and we shared the first shortbread of the season. It felt good. But I can’t  share the recipe! It’s my mom’s secret!

Doesn’t this dinner look gorgeous? I made Oven-Roasted Vegetables and pies for dinner tonight. Before I left home, I borrowed all of my mom’s cookbooks & clips that I liked and photocopied all the recipes I wanted to make my own “Kitchen Clips” book. I made sure to mark all the notes into mine as well. Read the rest of this entry »

On Sunday, before Craig and I came back to Vancouver, we went blackberry picking in the back fields at camp. We nearly filled two peanut butter jars full or fresh berries and when we got home, I made pie! I did the same last year but the pie filling, because the berries were fresh, turned out reeeeally juicy. This recipe worked better, still juicy but more pie-like instead of a pastry-drink! So, here’s my altered recipe to make Fresh Blackberry Pie.

Pictures are to come because my sister lost her camera cord, so I gave her mine… and she took it with her to Germany.I usually put the photos on the memory card and then put it in my printer, but I forgot and now I need to buy a new cord.

(Edit: The amazing London Drugs man showed me how to Transfer my photos from the Internal Memory to an External Memory Card. While you are viewing the photo, select Menu and find the “Transfer” or “Copy” options. Then insert the Memory Card and transfer the photos! Easy as pie – pun intended!)

Fresh Blackberry Pie

4 c. fresh berries
7/8 to 1 c. of sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1 wedge of fresh lemon

Select ripe, juicy berries; wash and lay on an old towel and pat dry. Make pastry (or purchase pre-made shells) for 9-inch 2-crust pie.

Depending on the sweetness of the fruit, use the approriate amount of sugar. Mix sugar and flour and lightly toss with the berries.

Pour berries into pastry shell and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice. Cover with top crust; shown is lattice crust – slice top crust into strips and lay on top in alternative pattern (experts – weave the strips).If you are not doing a lattice, make sure to slit top crust near center to allow steam to escape.

Seal edges using a bit of water on your fingers. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, or until crust is browned.

Serve warm (not hot) with french vanilla ice cream.

(Altered recipe from Cooks.com)