Welcome to our website and my blog. Pull up a chair and relax, we will have some small talk while I prepare today’s soup, “Corn Chowder Soup”. A recipe that was drawn at random by one of our bowl potters, Dave Johnson. The recipe is one that was contributed by one of my neighbors, Linda O’Connell. As usual, I will review the soup that I prepared last Sunday chosen at random from over 110 recipes in our cookbook, so far.
All recipes need to be submitted by midnight tomorrow, Monday, March 15th. Then that will give me two weeks for the final editing and submitting to the publisher for printing. I promise that we will have 150 soup recipes. Advance orders for the cookbook are currently being taken on the website under the Cookbook tab. Save $5.00 by ordering before March 31st, after that date they will be $25.00. Included will be a “Free” e-book version, so it is like two books for one price.
If you will recall, last Sunday’s soup that I prepared was “Tomato Vegetable Soup.” A recipe that was contributed by Phyllis Von Holdt, an artist with Artisan Alliance at Wishing Spring. The recipe was easy and quick, start to finish took about 45 minutes. The recipe only called for five ingredients, one of which is cinnamon. Just like Cincinnati Chili, the cinnamon adds a different twist to the flavor of the soup. It is actually a pleasant difference from the “normal”. A definite “thumbs up” on this easy to make soup, and versatile too, many variations could be had by adding a meat protein and/or pasta of your choice.
Today’s soup, “Corn Chowder Soup,” has a little more than twice as many ingredients,
however it will still be relatively easy to make. As the case with practically every chowder, it will involve making a roux. I think that the first time I made a roux was almost 66 years ago, when I was 10 years old, so to me that part is easy. Again, this recipe allows for variations in what you add to it. The recipe, as written, calls for your choice of sausage or shrimp and when I asked Davey which he would prefer, he could not decide, because he likes them both. So, I decided that I will add both, and the sausage will be a mild Italian sausage. The shrimp, I am going to replace with some Alaskan Spot Prawns that I just happened to have in the freezer. I get a box of frozen Alaskan seafood delivered every other month. Good timing for this recipe.
Speaking of timing, I hope that you remembered to set your clocks and watch ahead one hour, because of “Spring Forward.”
Spring, after all, is just around the corner and it cannot come too soon. This shut down is getting old. Yesterday, March 13th marked a one-year anniversary of the closing of the Wishing Spring Art Gallery and the Clay Studio where we hold pottery classes. Both wheel and hand-built classes are given. The Gallery is going to re-open on a limited basis on March 18th. They will be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays from 10 AM until 4 PM. I am hoping that the Clay Studio will be able to re-open in June or July. Re-opening will depend on people getting their vaccine shots and how comfortable our clay instructors feel about being in close proximity to students. If you don’t remember. I am a monitor at the Clay Studio, which means that I assist the instructors and students. I basically babysit the place on Fridays. While a student may have their normal class say on a Monday evening, they are allowed to come in and work on their creations anytime that the studio is open. We do not have general public use time at the Studio. The only people in the studio at any time are instructors, monitors, and students. We have beginners to the art of clay and ceramics, advanced artists, and everything in between. What I really like about it, is everyone helps everyone else. You truly learn from everyone. Everyone shares their little tricks and secrets.
Sharing is what Empty Bowls is all about. We share so that those in need will be less food insecure. We like to concentrate on helping children and seniors, that is where we focus our donations. Our next sharing event will be an Ice Cream Social to be held on July 4th. We are looking for a volunteer to be an event coordinator for the event. We have a Volunteer PDF Fillable Form on the website that can be filled in and submitted to us for review. We will also need five or six others to help with the bowl sales, cooking and handing out hot-dogs. We cannot have a 4th of July event without some grilled hot-dogs, it would be Un-American. We are really looking forward to this event, I believe that everyone wants to get back out there. Hopefully, we will be able to do it. One way or another, we will have a July 4th event, even if limited, where we will enjoy a bowl full of ice-cream and a hot dog with all the trimmings.
As always. I invite your comments and questions, even criticism is accepted.
See y’all next Sunday, until then, do not be afraid to try something new and different.
Enjoy life!
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