Soup Cleanse: Delicious recipe

Bonjour. I consider myself a skilled, ardent and appreciative soup creator. My pots of warm love (eww is that weird sounding!!??) are well reviewed by those who know. This attribute alone will constitute one of the (few) better things on my epitath.
 Let's be real: most soup is pretty darn healthy. Yeah you can cream it up with, well, cream or sour cream, cheese - but even then: it's eaten by the spoon, it's basically a liquid, you have to eat A LOT to really overdo a portion. It's easier for your hardworking intestinal track to process due to the liquidity and smaller, well cooked vegetables and proteins simmered in soothing, healthy broth. Most soups begin with a mirepoix (celery, carrot, onion and often garlic) so we begin with healthy vegetables, almost always and almost always add more. And olive oil - we simmer the mirepoix in the golden juice of the noble olive. So soup is mostly- almost- always healthy.

But this, this soup cleanse soup, it is a wonder!! Easy, inexpensive, vegan, cleansing, ultra nutritious and absolutely delicious.   You will make it over and over as I do. Beta carotene baby!

Sweet Potato Cream Soup

8 sweet potatos - I quickly scrub and dry them and bake, intact, at 400 degrees for about an hour.
                            When cool I cut them in half an squeeze the potato pulp into the following:


This is made while the potatos bake:
One onion sliced and sauteed in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add
one to two tablespoons of minced garlic, don't burn it! Lightly salt. After a few minutes of sauteeing on low-med heat add 8 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer/low boil. You can partially cover to speed up the process and then:
This is when you add the pulp of the sweet potatos. Add a bit more salt, lightly. Lower heat and let cook softly for about 10 minutes. Let it cool and then puree with blender in batches (or immersion blender). Check seasoning add: salt, pepper for sure. Then you can add: hot sauce, sour cream (this is not a cleanse variation!) or go your own crazy way. A healthier variation is to add ginger, grated raw (about a tablespoon) would be great - toss right into the broth before pureeing.

Delish, enjoy!
La

Chic Eating - How to Start

A yahoo group I've belonged to forever recently had some posts about clean pantries
and more frequent, but less acquisitive, stops at the market. We been thru this before on that group (french chic) and it's understandable as this is one of the cornerstones of a healthy, chic way of relating to food. Lean pantry, eat seasonally,
realistic portions, unprocessed foods - all building blocks of your personal chic culinary lifestyle, one that will satisfy your mouth and your soul. Wow, who knew. Anyway I also love that it is thriftier (yes,despite costlier organics etc) and just a superior way to conduct yourself (earth consciousness, the whole picture).
You've got to clean that refrigerator out. First timers must take every single item out, wipe the fridge clean, and sort and restock, wiping down the condiment bottles as before returning to their shelves. I try to do this a few times a year- seasonally seems right, and once you do it, and you keep a sparse, clean fridge, it's not too time consuming. First timers - for you it is tho, almost certainly. So worth the effort.
As you go make a list of what you need to eat asap and what you need to replace.
You can make some quick menus from these items. Today I had 1 1/2 lemons (squeezed them right into the existing, summer-fridge omnipresent pitcher of lemonade). One cooked chicken breast and 2 hard boiled eggs - made a quick bowl of chicken salad adding some celery and green grapes. Get the picture? "yes, we see".

Don't forget the freezer. And the dry pantry of course.

The pantry basics, well you can find lists everywhere and you will want to make it
'your own' anyway. The flavors of jelly, the particular spices, what sort of mustard you enjoy - this is what not only makes all sorts of delicious sustenance easy for you to prepare daily - it is your way of treating yourself to what you love! Pick what rocks your world! Experiment! What do YOU like? Indulge yourself here. Condiments are the accessories of your pantry and, as we chics know, accessories are essential, fun and can make or break it.

Off to pick some golden raspberries for the yogurt that needs to be eaten up. It was my first attempt in years to make homemade. And it is delicious, thick Greek style stuff. Maybe I'll post about that process...
La

Frugal French

Below is, hopefully, a link to a NYT's article I read today. It speaks to me of a difference between my American culture and that of the French, one that I write about here sometimes, thrift. When I attempt to communicate that feeling of satisfaction inherent in loving a beautiful, old object that has a history, been handed down perhaps, and IS the real thing rather than a stand in, I feel that the fact that it was also the frugal choice sometimes feels cheap.
http://tinyurl.com/y7hhhbp

enjoy,
La

Dandy salad

Yesterday I harvested the small dandelions growing in our yard. I didn't realize until I was working at it that the nice rain we had overnight was making it very easy to pry my screwdriver-like tool into the base of the plant and pull it out. I shook off the dirt and collected about a quart sized baggie of plants. Inside I cut the roots off and put the greens and any small unopened buds into the salad spinner with a teaspoon of vinegar (standard veggie washing procedure here) and swished thru,
picking out any grass etc. After rinsing and spinning I put the greens into the fridge to crisp up a bit. For dinner I had a bed of lightly dressed greens with a salmon filet on top. Very good! Pricey mesclun mix contains dandelion greens and so I had a 'gourmet' meal for a frugal cost. Bonus: the American side of me liked the fast that I "weeded" the yard while the Eurochic side enjoyed the foraging/frugal/healthy benefits!

LACURA LIPS

Aldi's lip line includes lipstick, but I don't normally emphasize my lips with a lot
of color so I won't be reviewing their Lacura lipstick. I like a soft shimmer, somewhat pearly, but not super pigmented for my lips. I love Aldi's Gentle Lip Care - tubes that are similar to a lipstick - that come in 3 varieties:
Pink - which is the one I use and gives me just the hint of pink shimmer I like. Blue - which is unscented and uncolored and Yellow - which has a honey scent. These lip balms are a lovely texture (not chapsticky tacky), mineral oil and preservative free. They contain Vitamin E and B5, jojoba oil and (says the packaging) protect against harmful UV rays.
I bought several 3 packs of the Pink tubes when I discovered them in early December and passed them out to a few friends: RAVE REVIEWS! It's a wonderful feeling to find
great skin products that seem/feel/are luxurious for literally pennies. The 3 pack was $1.50 - that's right fifty cents a tube! (It's whats on my lips in my photo if you can see it - it's so subtle and the photo is not the best).
bisous,
La

AN ALDI PRIMER

To begin my little series on Aldi here is some background on the store. Primarily a grocery store, Aldi is a European company based in Germany. Aldi has been operating in Europe for some time, but is fairly new to the U.S. The same company owns Trader Joe's, and many in the U.S. are familiar with their wonderful (and thoughtful - no high fructose corn syrup!) assortment of foodstuffs. Aldi (like Trader Joe's) concentrates on food, and also sells cleaning products (laundry and dish detergent), paper products (plates, toilet tissue etc.) and personal items (shampoo, soap, body lotion, feminine hygiene etc.)but Aldi also has weekly specials that have run from slow cookers to men's work boots to 400 thread count sheets (at $35!!)in the 3 years I have been shopping there.
I am an informed consumer,a foodie, a label reader who eats well and I love this store. The prices are very low and this is not because of inferior product but the structure of the entire process. For example, at Aldi there is only one brand of saltine cracker. This is the Aldi brand and the crackers are of the highest quality (obviously outsourced from a major producer as Aldi is not a food manufacturer). Offering only the Aldi house brand means lower prices. I have done my grocery shopping almost exclusively at Aldi for years, have never been disappointed in the food and love the savings! Before Aldi I shopped at 2 markets that are considered very nice - and I don't miss them at all.
Be aware that you need a quarter to unlock a shopping cart, but you will be refunded when you return the cart to the corral. At Aldi you bag your own groceries($avings!) but here's my tip on that: grab a few banana boxes while shopping (they are sturdy and have handles built in) and keep them in the trunk of your vehicle. After checkout - which is super fast, they are timed on this - take your cart to your car and unload (no bags!) sorting as you go. When you get home it's sort of like an old movie: groceries delivered in a box AND the stuff is sorted for putting away. Go on try the fresh mozzarella, dark chocolate bars or the chibatta bread and tell me this is 'generic, inferior' food. I dare you.
Do not be afraid of Aldi.
Disclaimer: I am not employed by or paid by or anything by Aldi. I am just a foodie on a budget who is happy that they are in my heighborhood.
And now they have begun shelving their Lacura line of cosmetics - which I will review in this series.

So very European.....

It seems to me a very Euro thing to do: make your own liqueur. And frugal to boot!
Here is a link to an interesting article with some recipes:
http://tinyurl.com/lkp6ag.
Marsi, I know you have made limoncello. Any tips?

My deck and patio are coming alive

One of my favorite places on earth. I have roses that I've grown from infancy and brass doors that I've lugged from Toronto and privacy. It is a sanctuary of sorts, a garden, a meal setting, a party haven. The peonies popped up 8" almost overnight.
My daffodils and tulips (from the front of the house) are done. They were pretty.

Yesterday I just had to get my red geraniums. Visually they scream "Paris". Red geraniums, like red polish on my toes, are a no brainer for my style. They'll go in some pots for the deck and in the front garden to round out the
veggie plants I'll be putting in. Did you know it is very easy to 'save' geraniums
over the winter in an attached garage or cool basement area?
My flower and veg gardens are going to be integrated this year to take advantage
of our best sun for the veggies, which can make do in the back but really thrive in the S/West exposure in the front.
Perhaps I'll post more pics as the season progresses.

SPRING WARDROBE

I have been trying to get thru my closets/drawers etc. Le printemps en Cleveland
is a wild affair. Wind, rain, sleet and possibly snow followed rapidement by sun and 80 odd degrees. It is not condusive to the seasonal switchover.
I am a layering non seasonal devotee of the silhouette. Which means I have attempted
to amass clothing that can be worn year round, even in a place with seasons. It does not absolve me of a seasonal look see, weeding out and setting up.

I prefer sleeveless or 3/4 length sleeve. Tunic length over a fitted leotard style top. Ankle length pant or knee length denim pencil skirt. Jeans, except white ones, go away till fall. A wonderful Lilly shift. Long scarf. Flat/mid sandal. Earrings, perhaps a necklace.
Short/mid natural looking nails (note that is looking, it requires time!), tousled mid length hair (layered to my chin). My silhouette is long and lean, never waist conscious!

In the winter it's dark boot cut jeans and boots and black/layers on top. Less color than my summer palate.

Now it is time to plow thru and choose only the best of the best from my closets!

This is frugal and wonderfully smart right now. I have ample reason to look for a few items and I have been dreadfully strict about any additions to my wardrobe, but am going to make it thru this spring and summer on what I have. At the most a pair of sandals if I can find the best. I saw Seiberling (?) sandals at Nordstrom and they look like what I want, but I looked at them intensely last spring and did not go for them, so they just aren't perfect and has that changed?
I don't want to add things just to add them. I want to distill my essence into about 20 great things that I can wear over and over, so retail therapy is wrong. I need a couturier. The chic and ease of a french inspired minimal/maximal wardrobe. So for now I will be as discerning with the offerings of my boudoir as I would could I choose from only the best! It is about quality afterall.
I am looking for classic summer pairings: white on white, nautical etc. And the best
outer layers - big shirts - for the transition and evenings/air conditioning. I have a great summer scarf for that job too. I may have to take a pair of ankle pants to the tailor, but they are worth it I think....

Good luck going thru your stuff too!

Taking Your Home With You - NYTIMES

I love the idea of this:
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/taking-your-home-with-you/?hpw
I really like the idea of having my own bed while traveling.
xo,
La

It May Be Cheap - From the NY Times

Just quickly perused this article from the New York Times about inexpensive
butchery.

http://tinyurl.com/dgbare
or try:
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html?8dpc

There are some interesting cuts of meat in this article that I may try
on our new grill! We inherited a one yr old, non functioning beauty of a gas
grill. Up until now we've been strictly charcoal but gas would be so nice in the
winter....So perhaps Jake can fix it up, he's handy.


Anyone familiar with these cuts? I have a vegetarian at home still and we don't
generally eat much meat!
La

Austure Times - from the NYTIMES

Fitting right in with my recent post on thrift here's a link to an article from the April 10, 2009 edition of the New York Times: http://tinyurl.com/dff8br
I, too, believe in looking at the current economic conditions as a gift, not a struggle.
Hope you enjoy it!

Discriminating facial care

In my last post about frugality, which will from now on be referred to as discrimination (although that may have to change as it sounds weird!), I mentioned the expensive facial cleanser, toner and moisturizer I bought from Mme Jane Seybroyen. Her products were lovely, but it cost over $100 for a supply that lasted just a few months. Some have raved about how Mme's stuff cleared up problems they were having, but I have been blessed with normal skin and didn't see any amazing changes. One of the best things about her program was just that - it was a program. She detailed how to apply the creams and how to remove them. How to tap your skin lightly to increase absorption and circulation. And having an expert tell you to do this, this exact way, daily....well it made me do it! The bottom line is that any program - from skin care to finances and everything in between - must be done with some regularity in order to promote results. I have dabbled in the oil cleansing method and it seems that it would be very inexpensive. Some use olive oil and report amazing results. As soon as I finish up my current bottle of (generic) cetaphil I am going to experiment with more oils (I tried coconut and olive once or twice but not with any regularity, so I can't report any results!). I found this website that explains the process:http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/. If you use this method or a variation thereof, I'd love to hear about it. I highly recommend Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel, available at health food stores, as a toner http://www.thayers.com/store/?main_page=index&cPath=3

Frugal French

When I started on the French Chic journey I almost singlehandedly plunged us into debt. I thought I had to have all the books, beauty treatments and accoutrements (La Bonne Cuisine de Mme E. Saint-Ange, check, at $40.00/expensive cream from Jane Seybroyen to cleanse my face, check, at $100/Lampe Berger, check, at $120. etc). What I know now is that the French, while epitomizing chic, are among the most thrifty people in the world. And that is another thing I love about them - they don't make economizing look painful and cheap - they elevate it to the height that they are seen as being super discriminating about EVERYTHING they bring into their lives. Not cheap, not thrifty, not flintskints, not tightwads - but discriminating consumers seeking only the best. As a result of war and scarcity, they use every part of an animal for cooking. Many of us would run screaming from pig knuckles and tongue, snails and tripe. The French make them into sought after delicacies. They might buy one terrific skirt and wear it forever - maintaining a stable weight (bien sur) so they always fit into it properly - perhaps having it tailored to fit perfectly, or altered slightly to better express their fashion personality. Maybe she'll change the buttons on a sweater to alter the look rather than buy a new one. Take her beloved shoes to the cobbler for an overhaul.
Now that I am focused on eliminating our debt I took La Bonne Cuisine to Half Price Books (it's such a big cookbook that I think shipping via Amazon would be counterproductive) and they offered me fifty cents!! Needless to say I brought it back home and began to really think about what I've learned from the French concerning thrift and I'm going to make it a point to economize a la Francaise. Not a penny pincher will I be, but a discriminating consumer in every thought, word and action.