Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 18

Grow Stronger

Photo by Dan Fador

“Character is like a tree and reputation a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

— Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
American statesman; 16th President: 1861-65; assassinated following Civil War

Don’t Stop Believing

 

“Seeing is not believing; believing is seeing! You see things, not as they are, but as you are.”

— Eric Butterworth (1916 – 2003)
Canadian-American author and spiritual teacher
(from his 2001 book, Spiritual Economics)

And There Was Light

 

“There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

— Edith Wharton (1862 – 1937)
American writer & designer

Illusion v Reality

Photo by Randy Jacob

 

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”

— Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)
German-born theoretical physicist; developed theory of relativity

He Is Risen!

 

Happy Easter blessings!

Ah, Youth!

Photo by Marcelo

 

“It takes a long time to become young.”

— Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973)
Spanish artist; founded Cubism

Good Friday

Photo by Aaron Burdon

 

 

May Good Friday inspire your soul and fill your life with grace.

Admire Great Effort

Photo by Jill Wellington

 

 

“If thou art a man, admire those who attempt great things, even though they fail.”

— Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-65AD)
Roman philosopher and statesman

Day of the Mushroom

Creamy Mushroom Soup

 

 

Celebrate the Day of the Mushroom! (No, no Rabbit holes, Alice.) I am a huge fan of roasted, grilled, stuffed, and sautéed mushrooms. Have some soup!

 

 

 

Creamy Mushroom Soup
Use cremini, shiitake caps, baby portobella, or a mushroom combination to enjoy this Super Simple, superbly luscious soup! Do not fear the amount of onions. They are sweet and cook down substantially.

4 T butter
4 T bacon renderings (or more butter)
2 T olive oil
2 large sweet onions, chopped (2-3 heaping cups)
3 green onions (green & white portions), thinly sliced (¼ c)
1 T minced garlic
2 lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced (see Note)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 c pinot grigio or a dry red wine, as you prefer
6 T cornstarch
4 c (32-oz/2 lbs) chicken stock or broth
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, & ½ tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp “Better than Bouillon” Beef (or 2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled or chopped)
1 c half & half or heavy cream
½ – ¾ c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter & bacon renderings with oil in wide soup pot over med heat. Sauté onions with garlic for 4-5 min. Stir in mushrooms & thyme; let cook 4-5 min, stirring occasionally. Whisk cornstarch into wine till smooth; stir into mushrooms. Stir in stock, one cup at a time, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low. Add seasonings & bouillon. Cover & let cook 10 min, stirring occasionally till thickened. Stir in cream and half the parsley. Ladle into serving bowls & sprinkle additional parsley on top. Makes about 12 cups.

KISS Note: My favorite mushroom combination is 2 heaping c sliced baby portobellas (8-12 oz), 1 heaping c sliced shiitake caps only (5-6 oz), 4-5 heaping cups sliced cremini/button mushrooms (16 oz), and an 8-oz can mushroom stems & pieces, including its liquid. I always sauté some to use as a garnish atop each serving.

Pressure!

 

“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

— Chinese proverb