Mushroom Barley Soup is Good Food

Organic criminis and shiitakes from my CSA box

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a brand new food processor (yippee)

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tying to find more vegetarian recipes

= mushroom and barley soup

Meh --- boring but tasted perty darn good!

My recipe (adapted from two recipes combined):

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 white onion finely chopped

1 pound shiitakes mushrooms

1 pound crimini mushrooms finely chopped

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup pearled barley

3 cups peeled and sliced carrots

½ cup sherry

9 cups vegetable stock (homemade –look out Martha!)

Sprig or two of fresh rosemary

Sprig or two of fresh thyme

1 Bay leaf

Salt n Pepper

Sautéed garlic, onions til soft. Added mushrooms and soy sauce. Added sherry then reduced until all liquid absorbed. Added barley, carrots, sherry, veggie stock, herbs and brought to a boil. Reduced heat and simmered covered 30 minutes. Served with Salmon and asparagus.

I’m now officially obsessed with looking at and taking pics of food. Food porn.

Up next: tomatillo salsa (mild because I’m a heat wimp).

The Cuisinart Smart Stick is Souper!

I am on a small appliance kick! When I moved, with my "new life" I wanted to get rid of some of the "old", and I ended up donating or tossing about 80% of my things. While I have not bitten the bullet and gotten a Vita-Mix (one of my dream small kitchen appliances) yet, I have replaced a few necessary items like my food processor (it's on its way - hoorah!). Alas, everything I have chopped or blended has been by hand.

Enter, the Cuisinart CSB-87 Smart Stick Hand Blender. Ta da!!!





I really wanted a blender but decided upon the Smart Stick instead because of its versatility. I love this thing! It blends and thickens soups and dressings really quick and easy and its an immersion blender so you can stick it right inside the pot you're cooking in! And it's super easy to clean.

Smoothies are a breeze! My morning shake I created is fabulous and it's all organic: hemp protein, fresh raspberries, unsweetened apple juice and a little greek yogurt. Is that a smoothie or is that a shake? Well it tastes good at any rate.

The cons: I learned the hard way NOT to try to whip potatoes with this thing. It kind of liquefies them and makes them into a goopy, pastey substance. I'm still working on the chopping aspect of this thing. I still haven't tried it on ice yet.

Overall, I use it daily and it's a keeper!