Sunday, another really cold one

KaeEll · Original Soap Dish Diva

Sunday, another really cold one

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

Beautiful pictures, KaeEll.

Jim got home from NC last night, after a long drive, and decompressed with a big bowl of homemade split pea soup (with carrots and potatoes), and cornbread.

Today is quiet. We watched our usual CBS Sunday Morning, and I've just finished reading my usual Joggles newsletter, and have added yet more drool-worthy stuff to my growing wishlist. Sometimes I actually buy things, but other times I just continue to drool... It's amazing how one little photo of fuschia dupioni silk can make my heart rate increase! LOL...

I spent yesterday immersed in some genealogy research, and am going to try to dig into again today. I was almost brain dead by the time I went to bed last night. And frustrated!

KaeEll, resting and reading sounds like a great idea. In my opinion, that's what Sunday afternoons are for! It makes me remember the mandatory Sunday afternoon "quiet hour" we had when I was in boarding school.

After rising bell and breakfast, we began Sundays with our own school service in the church across the street from campus (at 9:30 a.m.). Then, we were free to attend a second service either there, or at another church of our choosing, if we wished. If not, we were allowed to mingle briefly with the guys from the local military school (now closed) who came to our school service.

More church versus a couple of hours with cute boys in uniform. Guess which option most of us chose...

Anyway, after church and flirting with the cadets, we'd have lunch, and then quiet hour, which was really two hours, not one. We could read, study, sleep, whisper quietly to our roommates, etc., but the ONE requirement was that the dorms had to be absolutely quiet. No radios, and no rawkus laughing. That would bring a hall counselor to your room.

Quiet...

I can't count the times, over four years of living there, that I nearly split myself in half trying to keep that rawkus laughter part under control, after my roommate had said something hilarious. Or that time when one roommate's wind-up stuffed bull dog kept playing "boola-boola", all by itself. My roommate's older brother, a Yale graduate, had given it to her (we were scared little freshmen) and the thing brought our counselor in about five times that afternoon.

And if we were REALLY lucky, someone had bought a "True Confessions" magazine (considered absolute contraband material for our supposedly higher minds) at the town drugstore, and we'd read the good parts (quietly) in whispers to each other.

More silent laughing, choking, tears, and split guts.

Good times!

jojolin · The Naughty Bad Girl

Hello all. I think the germs are beginning to find their way out of my body. I think it all had to do with the weather change. It was 40 degrees one day, 50 degrees one day, then BAM. Back down to 4. And lots o'snow. I don't think it's quit snowing since some point yesterday.

That Taranaki looks like someplace I would love to visit. So pretty!

Moore, I've never had split pea soup. Is it easy to make?

And I think I'd choose the cute young cadets, too. Heh.

Today, I'm trying to relax, but I'm babysitting the neighbor boy again, and he and Jackson are fairly rowdy. I got a new Vampire series I'd like to sit down and dig into, but I don't think I would get much reading done with these 2 in the place...

shellyinphx · Long Lost DiMera Daughter

Its pretty darn cold here today as well. Though I think my hormones are just messed up enough that I didn't really notice.

Nothing going on though. Had a long nap this afternoon after church. So thrilled that Vinnie is home and I was allowed too.

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

jojolin wrote:

Moore, I've never had split pea soup. Is it easy to make?

It's SO easy to make!

You can always buy a can of it to see if you like it before going to the trouble. But, if you want to do it from scratch, it's easy.

Buy yourself a bag of dried split peas.

The instructions will tell you to soak the beans in water overnight, but I usually do a "power soak". Put the peas in a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and then take it off the heat. Let the peas soak for about an hour.

Drain off all the water, and rinse the peas several times. You'll notice when you rinse them that a lot of bubbles form on the surface. Using a spoon, skim off those bubbles. That's GAS! If you don't skim it off, you'll regret it later, if you know what I mean...

After you've rinsed and skimmed about three times (sounds more complicated than it is because it takes five minutes), add fresh water to cover, and I always add a can or two of chicken broth. It gives a little more flavor.

Add plenty of salt (like you would to pasta), and pepper. You can also add a tablespoon of plain vinegar, if you remember to do it, because it also helps to neutralize that pesky gas. Add some chopped carrots too, if you want.

Return the peas to medium high heat, and cover. Reduce the heat, if necessary, when you go to stir the pot. You don't want the bottom to burn.

It usually takes about an hour to 1-1/2 hours for the soup to be the right consistency, depending on your heat. It's difficult for me to say, but the soup should be thick and fairly smooth, but with some remaining texture from the peas. I usually add chunks of potatoes about 30 minutes before I think the soup will be ready.

As far as I'm concerned, the soup is now done, but if you want to make it even richer by adding some cream, milk, or half-and-half, you certainly could. It's also delicious if you add some ham in the beginning, or chop some in later. You could top it with chopped onions or scallions too.

You should try a can of it first to see if you like it. Campbells looks like a can of dog food when you first open it because it's packed in, but once you've added milk to it, and it's hot, it's good!

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

PS. The advantage to using dried split peas over cans is that it's VERY inexpensive, and you can put what you like into it, and have plenty of leftovers.

Moore ideas · Moore Ideas Not More Ideas!

WELCOME HOME VINNIE!!

jojolin · The Naughty Bad Girl

Thanks Moore! I can't wait to try it!!!