Hermes Cafe Bon Temps~Good Times Cafe
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Serva and FizzyWater, I love hearing about these various traditions, very fun! 
When growing up in the US northeast, my mother would always bring in cuttings from our yard and the woods behind our house (pussy willow, forsythia, and bittersweet) at this time of year. Like you, she'd place in large vases of water to force them to bloom. When I was little it always seemed a bit magic to have them blooming inside in late winter.
I do it now, as well, but unfortunately, I have to go buy the branches! I also love birch branches and willow, beautiful!
Magnolias are so gorgeous, and the fragrance is
. They're very happy in this climate. We have one in our back yard, but it's gotten oddly leggy, and really needs to be replaced when we re-landscape. Would love another!
When growing up in the US northeast, my mother would always bring in cuttings from our yard and the woods behind our house (pussy willow, forsythia, and bittersweet) at this time of year. Like you, she'd place in large vases of water to force them to bloom. When I was little it always seemed a bit magic to have them blooming inside in late winter.
I do it now, as well, but unfortunately, I have to go buy the branches! I also love birch branches and willow, beautiful!Magnolias are so gorgeous, and the fragrance is
. They're very happy in this climate. We have one in our back yard, but it's gotten oddly leggy, and really needs to be replaced when we re-landscape. Would love another!
I now have a craving for chocolate eggs
Which is not good considering I just ate a bunch of naughty snacks over Chinese New Year!
Which is not good considering I just ate a bunch of naughty snacks over Chinese New Year!
When growing up in the US northeast, my mother would always bring in cuttings from our yard and the woods behind our house (pussy willow, forsythia, and bittersweet) at this time of year. Like you, she'd place in large vases of water to force them to bloom. When I was little it always seemed a bit magic to have them blooming inside in late winter.
Magnolias are so gorgeous, and the fragrance is
That sounds amazing! I wanna try that too... but I have to wait till I'm in the right climate at this time of the year!
Back at the flower show today, ignoring the snow.
I now have a craving for chocolate eggs
Which is not good considering I just ate a bunch of naughty snacks over Chinese New Year!
Me too, but craving anything chocolate right now! Hope you enjoyed Chinese New Year, naughty snacks included!
Beautiful, Madam B, thanks so much for sharing!
Hope you got home safely. Lots of snow in the east!
Chilly so many places now, I thought I’d share this veggie recipe we enjoy when it’s cold. My local, natural grocer makes something similar, but I wanted to tweak the ingredients a bit, so started making it myself. We love it so much, I make it about once per week in the fall and winter. It’s really simple, with few ingredients, and easy to prepare!
I weighed the cauliflower and carrots when I recently made it, so that I could provide a starting point. It’s a very forgiving recipe. Add more cauliflower and carrots for a thicker puree, which could be a substitute for mashed potatoes. Use the amounts noted for a softer puree. And add water at the end to turn this into a delicious soup.
I hope you like it! What do you especially like to make when it's chilly?
Carrot Cauliflower Coconut Puree
As I have easy access to, and prefer them, I use organic ingredients.
1 large cauliflower, white or orange variety, omit center tough part and roughly chop florets to equal about 20oz/567grams
1 bunch carrots, scrubbed but unpeeled - roughly chop to equal about 16oz/454grams
1 can coconut milk - 13.5 oz/400ml
5 generous pinches of ginger powder
10 grinds freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Place all ingredients in a 3 qt or larger pot with lid. Choose one you’ll not mind using your hand blender in.
Cover, bring to a boil, and then simmer covered for about 30 minutes, until the veggies are well cooked, and soft. Then use a hand blender to puree until very smooth.
Serve while hot, makes about 4 cups.
Refrigerate any leftover, it keeps well for several days, and reheats easily in a covered saucepan.
I weighed the cauliflower and carrots when I recently made it, so that I could provide a starting point. It’s a very forgiving recipe. Add more cauliflower and carrots for a thicker puree, which could be a substitute for mashed potatoes. Use the amounts noted for a softer puree. And add water at the end to turn this into a delicious soup.
I hope you like it!
What do you especially like to make when it's chilly?Carrot Cauliflower Coconut Puree
As I have easy access to, and prefer them, I use organic ingredients.
1 large cauliflower, white or orange variety, omit center tough part and roughly chop florets to equal about 20oz/567grams
1 bunch carrots, scrubbed but unpeeled - roughly chop to equal about 16oz/454grams
1 can coconut milk - 13.5 oz/400ml
5 generous pinches of ginger powder
10 grinds freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Place all ingredients in a 3 qt or larger pot with lid. Choose one you’ll not mind using your hand blender in.
Cover, bring to a boil, and then simmer covered for about 30 minutes, until the veggies are well cooked, and soft. Then use a hand blender to puree until very smooth.
Serve while hot, makes about 4 cups.
Refrigerate any leftover, it keeps well for several days, and reheats easily in a covered saucepan.
@etoile de mer mer I have been making purees of root vegetables for soup this winter . My favorite is a combo of turnips, parsnips and rutabagas. Sometimes I add some carrot for color. I do the same thing with the immersion blender and add the cooking liquid after I puree to obtain the desired consistency. I usually put 1/2 in the freezer. If i want to be sinful, I add butter, which makes it creamier. I bought the immersion blender last year and really like it. When I used the Mouli food mill to do this, a lot of the fiber was lost so the blender makes it even healthier and easier.
Thank you for the magnificent pictures. I can't get over the butterflies!
Hi gracekelly, I love parsnips, but have never had rutabagas or turnips. Must try your combo! I love my hand blender! I think we've had it about 10 years or more, and is one of our most used appliances. I love making pureed veggies, anywhere from thinner to thicker consistency, and the hand blender is just so much easier, and less messy than using a regular blender. I love the intensity of flavor with these recipes, and so packed with vitamins and minerals, yum! I also often freeze single serve portions of veggie soups for quick and easy meals. I haven't tried with this recipe, but should freeze well, I imagine.
Many thanks, everyone! I only took one pic today: the gardening tools go around in circles.
The interesting thing is that either the parsnip or the rutabaga make this sweet, I think it is the parsnip. Sometimes I put some of the puree in a cup and add some skim milk and it makes the mixture taste like a cream soup, but without the calories. This is lunch for me
Regarding my recipe above, I meant to mention to those who see it has cauliflower, and want to 
run the other way, you won't taste it! If I didn't know this recipe included it, I wouldn’t guess it does. I love cauliflower, but I know it's not everyone's favorite.
run the other way, you won't taste it! If I didn't know this recipe included it, I wouldn’t guess it does. I love cauliflower, but I know it's not everyone's favorite.
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