Red Pepper Soup
This is going to be a quick hello; my spinning plates are beginning to fall.
I suppose it’s Murphy’s Law that those weeks that hold the most promise, time-wise, end up being the ones that overflow. I have not touched the basement, nor the manuscript. My articles are unfinished, although I did manage to pull off a couple last-minute assignments this morning. And I had the best time covering traffic on the Homestretch all week.
By the third day on the job, I clued in to the fact that I didn’t really need a chocolate espresso truffle coffee to keep me lively through that chunk of the afternoon that I usually hit a wall, and I made a quick batch of sippable soup to bring along in my to-go mug instead. Four red peppers, an onion and some garlic, sauteed until soft. A litre of chicken stock and a splash of half & half, pureed. (Bonus: by hacking the peppers whole instead of using roasted ones, you also get their skins.) Although it was seriously lacking in the caffeine department, I’m sure it did me much more good.
I haven’t really eaten with the boys this week. Tonight, I walked in the door at 7 and was out again by 7:30, W in tow, to shop some more for this dinner party tomorrow. I’m cooking a birthday dinner for 10 for some folks I was auctioned off to at Ski for Heart (a fundraiser for the Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation) last January. It’s quite the menu. Want to hear it?
Appetizers:
Prawns wrapped in prosciutto, with pesto for dipping
Gruyère Gougères
Balsamic Mushroom Crostini
Salad:
Something interesting and green
Soup:
Curried Squash with Apples & Pears
Fish Course:
Large Seared Scallops on Roasted Asparagus with Buerre Blanc & Caviar
Main:
Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon
Vegetarian Portabello Mushroom Bourguignon
Celeriac Mashed Potatoes
Haricots verts
Pattypan squash
Homemade bread
Cheese course:
Individual cheese plates with assortment of Quebec cheeses, pecans, etc.
Dessert:
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce and Chocolate, Hazelnut & Espresso Shortbread
Phew. Now, at 10pm, I’ve tucked W into bed and am starting to brown beef for bourguignon and roast squash for soup. I’m trying to do as much as possible tonight, because tomorrow morning I’ll be going to help cook for, and then attend a funeral for a wonderful little two year old boy.
There are no words.
Luckily, my amazing and talented pal Pierre has stepped in to back me up at the dinner party – I’m so grateful to have friends like him. So after tomorrow, I may not be around for a day or two. Maybe three. Sunday I plan to spend snuggling W as much as he’ll let me. Of course I may just want to come back here and hang out. I’m not sure. But just know that I haven’t disappeared.
I’ll be back.
There truly are no words.
My heart and my condolences go out to you and to the boy’s family 🙁
Good grief! I’m left gasping, totally out of breath. You exhaust me, m’dear!
Julie, you’re an incredible woman. You set the bar high for all of us.
Julie, I am sorry. Truly a tragedy for that young lad’s family.
You go right ahead and snuggle with W. Take some time for Julie, too. I’ll be here when you want to chat again… there is no rush.
You have all the time in the world.
(And thank you for the red pepper soup. It’s just the thing)
It’s true: you’re all kinds of impressive. Good luck!
Wow! Thats quite the menu! Take a breath every once in awhile, and I know you’ll have no problems!
I’ll be thinking of you today….it’s going to be a tough one. xoox
Julie, that’s a great idea to fill the travel mug with soup. I actually eat soup for breakfast quite often (not much of a cereal girl) and now with this idea of yours I can take it to go.
Love the menu, especially the Gruyère Gougères and Beef Bourg…yum, yum.
Good luck getting it all done…and keeping well balanced while you try to do it.
You made some great choices there menu wise. How are you going to do it all is a mystery to me. I cannot fathom how I would get through a funeral for a two year old. Life is full of mysteries.
So sorry to hear, Julie – makes us all want to snuggle our little ones for sure. Take care of yourself!
Every life has to contend with gray skies and tears. Most of us manage to pull through and it is usually because of good friends (like you), shared emotion and just plainhuman empathy/love. Hug your little guy to you and do all you can (I know you already do) everyday to make it full. Bless you.
(( HUGS )) For all……
thoughts and prayers are with you
Nice photo – I like the way you shot it on the corner of the table. I may have to borrow that trick. Hope you don’t mind.
Enjoy your snugglefest!
Just wanted to let you know that you and the family of the little boy were in my thoughts and prayers all day yesterday. xo
Everything sounds so unbelievably yummy! I am somehow trying to smell the red pepper soup, but it’s not working.
Tearfully writing that I am thinking of you and of the horrible thing that has happened in your community. Love to you and yours, and to this boys family.
Love you.
Terribly sorry to hear of those deaths; it is so heartbreaking when it is a child. Hang in there Julie, sounds like you’ve got quite the next few days to get through. Menu sounds delish.
Where you get a Chocolate Truffle Espresso Coffee?
Hello Julie and blog followers.
We made dehydrated apple rings over the weekend to sale in our kiosk and we are trying to price our bags.
Keeping in mind that we are a home based farm gate kiosk and only have limited quantities, we plan to sale our apple rings 50 g bag for $2.00 CAD. The product is well presented with a custom sticker. We also have natural, cinnamon and maple sugar apple rings.
We make all our products by hand with our apple and maple products.
What do you think…my email if you don’t want to reply on Julie’s blog is clerouxram@xplornet.com
Thanks guys, your input is important to me.
Manon,
I would pay that price, in fact I paid that same price for that same product at the market on Saturday morning for my daughter who has allergies. It is so nice to know that there are very very few ingredients and I can pronounce each one.
Julie,
This post reminded me of the Soup Sisters that you had posted about back in May. Is that group still going on? I’ve been wondering how your dinner party turned out. It sounds like you had more pots to heat than burners available on a normal stove 🙂
I had a cranberry walnut shortbread cookie today and wondered if you had ever made something like that. Definitely worth a try 🙂
Julie, just made the Red Pepper Soup … absolutely delicious!! I also made a Broccoli soup! I added just a smidgen too much salt to both (for my taste) but it is delicious regardless. I’ve got just enough chicken stock left to make the Curried Cauliflower soup now! I love soup! 🙂
I miss ya Julie, cheesh your busier than I am?!
Come back soon ;(
Manon from Ontario
I miss you too, come back soon 🙂
Julie, take care of yourself girl.