Friday, March 16, 2012

Mushroom Soup

Yesterday I made mushroom soup. I decided to post it here so I could find the recipe again.

Mushroom Soup (2 servings)


1 box of white mushrooms
1 box Shitake mushrooms
Small bunch of broccoli
1 chopped onion
3 cloves chopped garlic
3 Tbs butter (or olive oil)
2 Tbs flour
1 teas. salt
1 teas. Black pepper
Water


Cut all mushrooms in quarters so they will release their flavor. Cut broccoli into small pieces. Chop onion and garlic.
Melt butter in pan for soup. Mix in flour and allow the flour to thicken. Add chopped onion. Stir constantly. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Add water slowly, stirring constantly so that butter/flour mixes completely with the water. Add all mushrooms. Adjust heat so the soup simmers quietly, not a hard boil. Cover and let soup simmer for 15 minutes, add broccoli, and let soup simmer another five to seven minutes. Serve.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Break continues

This past week was crammed full - for someone with a broken arm. Monday I went to have a follow-up X-ray ad the doctor decided I needed surgury because my thumb and forefinger were slightly numb.  The numbness, I assured hi, would go away once the cast came off and I could move normally.  Besides I had company coming and didn't have time for surgery.  A long wait for the orthopedist, via the lab, and an EKG, decided the point in my favor: no surgery but another "cast adjustment".

Unfortunately the cast adjustment turned into a cast replacement, and the follow-up x-ray after that showed the bones pulling apart. So I have to be a very good girl - not easy.  Next time I see the doctor, I will say "all is well," and leave it at that or they are apt to get other nasty ideas and go for that surgery.

Meanwhile my friend Gail was traveling up from Helsinki, completely unaware of my chaos at the hospital.  I managed to escape the hosital in time to buy a few groceries and meet Gail at the train. We caught the next bus home and had a great evening catching up.  That night I saw northern lights for the first time. Lovely!

Tuesday Magdalen came to help create a pattern for Gail. Magdalen brought at least 10 books with her from her library. Gail attended one of the early SCA events in San Francisco "way back when" there was only one kingdom (SF area) and has been thinking of coming to Drachenwald coronation in June since it's practically going to be in her back yard (40 miles close). It was inspiringly AMAZING to watch Magdalen do the pattern! I was ordered to a corner to prevent me from doing (murph!) anything! All went fine till we (Gail) began sewing her fabric together and it started unraveling all over the place. We ended up throwing it out but she went home with the pattern. I added all sorts of peicing notations to the pattern peices, where they will not get lost, because directions don't stay in memory that long.

Wednesday brought the local Hirvenkylä members to my home and we had a great evening.

I am borrowing one of Magdalen's books and have been studying "The Medieval Tailor's Assistant: Making common garments 1200-1500" by Sarah Thursfield (pub 2001 in England and claiming not to permit sales in US). I'm enjoying the details, and drawing out a few of the patterns. I understand that Hawkwood's Baronial Birthday has an Arts and Sciences competion with "hats" as one of the categories. Hummm... maybe when I get my left arm back.
 
Not that I don't have plenty of unfinished "in-progress" projects needing my attention.