Weather and Food, Potato Leek Soup, and DIY Groovy Bird Mobile

I don't know about your local temps right now, but in California the weather has been downright cold for June. The effect has me conjuring up cravings for steamy, dense meals, rather than the typical light, crunchy ones this time of the year, which is why I suggest: checking the weather forecast before going grocery shopping and planning meals. Yes, let the weather be your guide!

The idea may seem a bit much, but then again who can argue that food and weather don't go hand and hand? Certainly not the thousands of people that break out the barbie or go buy a quart of ice cream when the weather heats up. I have to say this week I was especially glad I did. When the clouds moved in and dealt us a chilling late afternoon, steaming potato leek soup and crusty bread was the warming effect that soothed our stomachs and made it all okay.

Recipe:

Potato Leek Soup

I love potato leek soup, because it is simple to make and simply delicious! The use of butter or Earth Balance (great for vegans and folks with high cholesterol) and white wine in this recipe give it a wonderfully rich flavor.

Ingredients
2 leeks, tender white and light green parts only
2-4 Tbs. butter or Earth Balance
1/4 cup white wine
6 cups vegetable broth
5 lbs. organic potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1) Half the leeks lengthwise, and soak in water to clean, then finely slice.

2) Melt butter in a soup pot, and saute leeks until transparent. Add white wine, and cook for 3 minutes. Add veggie broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender.

3) Purée with immersion blender. Season with salt and white pepper.

Project:

Make Your Own Mobile (because the cheap ones are lame, and the cute ones are $$$)

What You Will Need:

Needle
Spool of thread
Fabric squares (8 in. x 5 in.)
Soft filling (old, cut up tshirts, socks, etc will work if you don't want to buy filling)
Two tree branches
Eye hooks (found in craft stores)
A small drill for preholes, if you can't screw in eye hooks by hand
Strong nylon thread
Ceiling hooks

Lilie has always enjoyed this mobile, and still does. She often makes the connection between the birds she sees and hears outside and these birdies. My pic doesn't really do the mobile justice, so make sure to check out the Spool Sewing Blog for a better look and for the downloadable bird pattern.

Once your birds are done, you can connect them to the branches by screwing eye hooks into the wood and running the nylon thread from the eye hooks down to where you wish the bird to hang or sit. (Running the line through a small hole in the back of the bird worked well when hanging from above.)

“Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas.” -Paula Poundstone