Vegan Corn Chowder - Meatless Monday

This weather! Rain, rain and more rain! If this is the start to winter, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to it anymore. Everything is damp, laundry is taking forever to dry, everything smells musty. At least it's not cold... Yet!

Last week, I made this super hearty soup with a heap of leftover corn on the cob that I completely spaced serving at our latest family cook-off. Yeah. It happens. Nobody went home hungry. The corn was not missed. So score for us!

Vegan Corn Chowder

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients :

• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 kumara, peeled and diced
• 5 corn cobs, already cooked, kernels removed
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• freshly ground pepper

Method :

1. Saute the onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes in a large saucepan.
2. Add the celery, carrots, potato and kumara and saute for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the corn kernels and stock to the veggies. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Puree with a soup wand or in a blender.
5. Serve up with some freshly ground pepper and done!

I served this with some roasted cabbage and it was amazingly filling! All three boys devoured it! And the leftovers were popped into the freezer.

Enjoy!

x

Willem and Apple.

I know I post a lot of photos of my two wee nuggets... But I can't help it! And of course, I have to post them for Grammy Weber! We love you! Miss you!! x

Hendrik wants the camera. Always. Wants. the Camera.

These toes of Hendrik's are now walking toes. Look out world.

Willem and apple. And YES this is Willem...

Giggles for Timmy.

Have a great weekend!!

x

A family weekend away - Castlepoint

The boys have had their first overnight, New Zealand road trip! I had tried to plan the drive out around the boys naps and it worked like a charm! They were happy and chilled out most of the ride.

We met up with the some of the clan in Masterton and had a lovely walk around Queen Elizabeth Park, with some good playground time, and some lunch. It was the perfect point to stop.

 Such beautiful weather, such beautiful autumn colour. Swans, ducks, acorn whistles and apples.

Another hour or so driving, lead to this...

Photos do not do it all justice. The rest of the weekend was rainy and windy, but still fantastic.

I am so proud of our little men. I wasn't sure how they would go with the long drive like that. But they were so great. I can't wait until the next road trip!

*autumn loveliness

The nice cool air, the changing of the leaves, it's all to perfect...

Walks down the laneways on Sunday afternoons...

Sleepy, sunny boys...

Yummy Fish and Chips in the Park...

Handsome Bruce waiting for a chip. Or a fish. Or anything that may fall on the ground.

Hoover boy aka Garbage Guts. That's our Bruce.

And one more good thing about autumn...
Harvesting things from the garden.
This is only part of the peppers and capsicum that decided to randomly grow.. Love it!

*inspiration - living with nature

I love all things wooden.

So after about a month of not seeing J (I was in the US and then he headed over to NZ) it's so nice to have him back in my life. Everything seems to be back to normal ... and better. I never thought my life would really be like this. When he was away, I loved having the time to myself, but once he was back I realised how much I missed him. There is just something comforting about having someone to cuddle with, laugh with, plan your life with. It's taken me this long to see it all, but now I do and it's wonderful. 

It's only Wednesday, but I'm looking forward to the weekend! We may be possibly adopting another child! We are going to start the search Saturday. I'm all about finding the perfect play-mate for Timmy. He's a special boy and needs some company. Fingers crossed! 

And hopefully Sunday will be nice enough to maybe clean out our firepit for the upcoming winter! And maybe have some lovely autumn coziness in the backyard with the hubby, the Timmy, the fire and a couple glasses of red...

happy wednesday!

xo

*first day of autumn inspiration & muffins

 

  

 

 1. Natasha Klimchuk

2. NixieMichelle

3. sameli

It's the first day of autumn here and that is exactly what it feels like. Still a little warmth coming up from the streets, but a cooler breeze starts to come up through the laneways.
I love baking when the weather gets cooler. I made these about two weeks ago, and will be making more tonight... Yum for the white chocolate and raspberry muffins!

xo

*mmmm. Donuts!!!

This is me. in a nutshell. 

 a frosting and sprinkle covered nutshell. 

by : twocheeseplease

Some people go nuts over funny things, becoming connoisseurs in the field of their favorite gourmet foods and wine...for some of us - cheeseburgers, fish and chips, beer, and for me - donuts! It's been an ongoing affair since moving from New England where donuts are a day to day occurance thanks to a plentiful supply of Dunkin' Donuts on every corner. While I rate DD on the top of the food chain as far as fast food donuts, Krispy Kreme fails in comparison in my mind. But the tip top of the craving list is one of these... 

Apple. Cider. Doughnuts.

Pure. Heaven. 

from : thekitchn.com

 

There are a few recipes for them listed here... and as much as I am tempted to make them, it's too dangerous. Enabling the doughnut addict if you will. I think the best thing about these doughnuts is the feeling that goes along with them. They always come along during the apple picking season... before the leaves start to change colours.. before the coldest nights begin to set in. The summer is just about to end and the smell of autumn is in the air. 

It's almost that time of year here and my cravings have begun. 

Please share your recipes (maybe for a *gasp* low-fat donut) so I can stay strong and not pig out!!!!!

Donuts. Is there anything they can't do? --Homer Simpson

 xo