Soup Hits the Spot Every Time

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is make soup. I must admit I think soups are one of the things I do best in the kitchen. I find the aroma of a delicious pot of soup simmering on the stove can't be beat on a chilly winter's eve. I had some celery, carrots, onions and mushrooms left from the holiday, so I decided to put them to good use along with some regular barley and some very fine barley. I don't know why, but I find the addition of the fine barley makes the soup creamy, without the addition of milk, cream, sour cream, or yogurt.

All Things Baked

Coconut meringues, they were in the oven just a few minutes when I remembered I hadn't taken any photos...so I peeked in! As you can see they are just beginning to transform into sweet yummy little confections!

Cooling...

Done!

I like to recycle these plastic boxes, and have found they keep baked goods really fresh.


================================================================================= ALMOND MACARONS
My first attempt at making these...need to practice (but they did taste great!)

Almond macarons going into the oven.

Almond macarons going into the oven.

Cooled and ready to eat.

Lucy is my sweet King Charles Cavalier.

I caught her just in the nick of time...she would have devoured every single one!

She is usually well behaved...except when there is food in the vicinity!

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Pecan Pie made for Thanksgiving, and two Challahs made a few days ago.

As you can see, the braiding ended up lopsided. I baked two more today, with much more success, but I will need to post the new pics at a later time. The best thing about baking Challah, next to eating it, is how wonderful the whole house smells!