Horseradish and Leek Soup

Have you ever ordered a soup not because you necessarily thought it would be delicious, no more because the name of the soup intrigued you? 

That is exactly how we stumbled onto this soup.

We did not have high expectations and so we ordered a small bowl between the two of us and that did not work because it was delicious!  

Our waitress seeing our enthusiasm brought two more bowls it hopes that our praises would motivate other patrons to try it.

Now we were challenged to replicate the soup and so to the internet we turned where we found numerous soup recipes that had horseradish as an ingredient.  

We narrowed those down to soups that also contained cheese and beer, the other two ingredients the restaurant was willing to disclose their soup contained.

Here is the recipe that we came up with.  We replaced cream, flour and butter with a head of cauliflower without loosing any flavour, making our soup healthier so we can eat more.

We hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower broken into flowerets
• 3 large carrots chopped
• 3 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 can of dark beer
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 leeks chopped
• 3 garlic cloves chopped
• ½ cup creamy horseradish
• 2 cups sharp cheese
• Salt to taste

Direction:

1. Clean and chop the cauliflower and carrots.
2. In a large soup pot add the broth, water and beer and add the cauliflower and carrots, and bring to a simmer.
3. In a frying pan sauté the chopped leeks and garlic until the leeks are translucent
4.  Add leeks and garlic to the soup pot and continue cooking until the carrots are tender.
5. Carefully blend the contents of the pot to a consistency your family likes.  (we use a wand blender directly in the soup pot)
6. Add the cheese and horseradish blend until these are incorporated
7. Salt and pepper to taste
8. Serve

From Our table to Yours

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2016 twosnydergirls

The Caboose

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2016 twosnydergirls

It's my job to like me!

Lately I have been surprised by the sudden and unexpected appearance of my reflection.  

I am older than I feel and beginning to look like the beloved Grandmother of my childhood.

My hair is mostly grey now and I refuse to dye it just because convention tells me I should desire to look younger.

The skin on my arms and my face is loosening, there are wrinkles where once there was smooth skin and I will not even consider Botox, or plastic surgery.

I eat healthy and do not diet.

I walk 5 miles a day or more and play with my grandchildren.

I like me!

I embrace my grey hair, loose skin, wrinkles, jiggles and all.

I am 60 years old and I like me.

Be mindful that you have to like who you are and who you are becoming because society will always try to remake you in their image.

You are who you are and really that is all that counts.

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2016 twosnydergirls

Our Soul Waits

Being at church this Sunday was the last place I wanted to be.  

It was too hot, I had a headache and just did not want to be in church – I wanted to do nothing with no one! 

And because the love of my life was dressing to attend the service with a smile on his face and expectation in his step I too got up from my bed and readied myself for church.

I was not and had not been mindful of what the shared worship experience in our small Mennonite church could mean to me.  

Hebrew 11:15 “And if indeed [I] had been mindful of [ the wonder, praise and glory experienced there I] would have [expectantly embraced] the opportunity to return.

It was when we sang that my spirit soared and knew the nearness of heaven – that I once again became mindful of power of the experience of shared worship.

Thus it was that today I learned the lesson of this week’s scriptures in a very personal and intimate way.  

In our busy lives it is too easy to stop waiting and expecting God’s presence.  

To think I almost did not go to church and how my life would have been diminished by that one act.

Be mindful to look for God’s blessing in your life.

Seek God’s presence in each moment of your day, name it, know it so that you can find your way back in times of darkness and trouble.

Know that it is our Father’s good pleasure to give you all the glories of the kingdom, if we but remember the way. 

Grandma Snyder

©2013-2016 twosnydergirls

Lectionary readings Genesis 15:1-6, Psalm 33:12-22, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40.