Eating and sharing

We ate so well this weekend. And I'm still full thinking about it. I love sharing meals, it just fills up my soul. Good food + sharing = heaven.

Lasagna TWICE! First when our friends came over dinner at our 'Italian restaurant' which was just our white paper wrapped kitchen table with candles in the middle. The kids were thrilled about coloring.

Eric made Eclairs... so delicious. Trubey kept stealing them out of the fridge. Aren't they beautiful??

Sunday lunch with more friends-- Lasagna round #2!

Later in the afternoon we took a drive to pick up some paint to finish up a project and while we drove home we all brainstormed dinner ideas. We listed off the ingredients we had in the house and thought how to use them best. Isabel loves soup right now-- and so with the drawer of veggies, left over chicken and some cheese we thought up, broccoli soup with chicken.

Little do they know that now we have an emersion blender.... so much more went into broccoli soup than broccoli!

Broccoli Soup with Chicken
1 small onion (or half a medium onion)
2 carrots chopped fine
2 medium potatoes chopped fine
1 clove of garlic
1 cup of loosely packed spinach
3-4 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of low fat cottage cheese
1 cup whole milk
1 medium head of broccoli and stem roughly chopped
1 tsp of honey
1 piece of bacon
2 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cooked chicken breast shredded (warm)

In a medium stockpot add butter and keep on medium heat until melted then add onions, garlic cook until translucent and soft. Add the bacon, stirring until bacon is cooked. Add potatoes, carrots and broccoli then add about a table spoon of olive oil if needed. Lightly salt vegetables. Let cook for 5-7 minutes. Then add spinach (lightly salt again) and stir until wilted. Add chicken stock and let boil until potatoes are tender. Add the cottage cheese and milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Use an emersion blender or blend in a regular blender in small batches until soup is smooth. (If using a regular blender: return to pot). Add shredded chicken.
Stir in the whole milk and honey. Salt and pepper more if needed.

Serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top and crusty bread! Serves about 4 people.