Summer is NOT over— it's okay to eat soup and ice cream

Some bloggers have started posting autumn-friendly soup recipes accompanied by the sentiment they can't wait for summer to be over and have fall arrive. Don't get me wrong, I'm very fond of soup, and autumn, but please, let summer last a little longer! I love wearing shorts and t-shirts, not needing a sweater, and having my garden green and growing. And the sunshine. And homemade ice cream.

I've had a lot of fun with my ice cream maker this summer, and ice cream is so much better on a warm summer day. The cashew ice cream you see here was mostly blueberries with a banana and some mango thrown in for texture and extra sweetness. It was sweetened with dates. The grandkids loved it. It was very fruity, and at times made me think a little of bubblegum, so we called it bubbleberry. I also have a new, updated strawberry ice cream that is fabulous. I may post the recipe soon if I don't get discouraged by rain and chill.



We really do like soup — even if it's still summer in my mind. The soup you see here is an old favorite from the Oh She Glows Cookbook called, Eat Your greens Detox Soup. (Cookbook review here.) I'll post the recipe at the bottom of my post because it's such a good one I want to share it again. My husband made it, and he added additional vegetables, and noodles.



We just celebrated our granddaughter's first birthday, and I made the cake. It was more like uncut bars masquerading as cake. I made banana chocolate chip cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting, and it kills me that I can't post a photo of my precious little sweetheart devouring her first cake, but her parents have a strict no-Internet photo sharing policy, and I respect that. The recipe for the cake is here. I made one and a half recipes and used a larger pan, but I don't recommend it. Making one recipe in an eight-or nine-inch pan is the way to go. The frosting is my all time favorite from Ricki Heller, and is made with sweet potatoes or yams. You can read about it here. I'm not great at cake decorating, but I mean well.



Well, yikes! Guess what? Not long after I put up my post, I received an email from my son saying I can't post photos of baby M on facebook, but I CAN put her on my blog. So here she is, celebrating her birthday with a piece of banana chocolate chip cake. I'm honored that my son reads my blog.



We belong to a vegan meet-up group, and recently attended 'taco Tuesday' at Café Wylde in Everett, WA. If I remember correctly, the tacos were $2 each and filled with jackfruit. We also had green salsa and cashew cream. The tacos were tasty, but ever since I started making my own taco shells, I pay much more attention to the shells than I used to. I'll say no more.



I hope Kittee will forgive us for this, (actually, I hope she doesn't see it), but my husband made an Ethiopian dinner without using oil. The food, from Kittee's cookbook, Teff Love, was super delicious, but I could definitely taste the difference. If I were to make an Ethiopian meal for company, I would probably make it in the traditional way, but for just us, it was a successful experiment.



Just to keep things real, here's a plate more typical of what we usually eat — beans, rice and kale. The protein, grain and vegetable may change, but the simplicity doesn't.

Here's the recipe for eat your greens detox soup that I promised. I recommend it!

Eat your greens detox soup
Serves 3

• 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups sliced cremini or white button mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• fine grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 to 3 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 large nori seaweed sheets, cut into 1 inch strips (optional)
• 2 cups torn kale leaves
• fresh lemon juice, for serving (optional)

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
2. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli, and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in the ginger, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add the broth and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10-20 minutes.
5. Just before serving, stir in the nori (if using) and kale, and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.

Reprinted by arrangement with AVERY, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © GLO BAKERY CORPORATION, 2014.

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