We have the same types of hissy fits when there is even the hint of a snow flake falling from the sky. The city of Memphis goes nuts...All the stores will be wiped out of milk, bread, and toilet paper.
And traffic is terrible..which is why I stay off of the roads. I would only add to the confusion.
Stay dry and save me some pot roast!:0)

COMMENTS! This comment is going to be so nice and adulation-y that it will counteract the grumpiness of anyone else's comments that might make you want to shut the comments down.

I love how you update us on L.A. weather! It's always silly and funny and makes me giggle to see Dallas Raines's orange face. Really, it never gets old.

Also, your bravery when it comes to hopping on a plane and just going somewhere inspires me.

Also, sneaking vegetables into food is one of my hobbies. Usually I just add a bunch of kale to any kind of soup and simmer for twenty minutes until the kale's flavor and texture disappears, but the goodness is still there. I tried putting some kale into vegetarian baked beans (baked beans! really!) and it worked! I maintain that kale can be sneaked (snuck?) into anything. Spinach works well too for the sneaking, especially into pasta with tomato sauce. I learned the fundamentals of kale-sneaking when I lived in Brazil. They always have a plate of shredded, limp kale on the table that they mix into everything else being served, usually some rice and beans and some kind of beef. Bang! Instant nutrition!

To finish this up: Your cats are very wonderfully fuzzy, your blog is delightful, I buy your books, and read them with a glass of vin-ho before I go to bed.

Caitylin -- Thanks for the nice words!
hey -- I try to sneak kale into everything, too!! I love how healthy it is and I like the taste fine enough so I try to put it in just about any dish I can mix it into. I never thought of mixing it into rice and beans, though, I will definitely have to try that!

I am in awe of the LA traffic - they were showing it on the weather channel last night. Stay safe on the way home!

I agree that being prepared and stocking up the freezer is a good way to stay on track.

Mmm, you should try sprinkling that asparagus with a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar and some salt & pepper and then roasting it. My husband actually REQUESTS balsamic-roasted asparagus. It is delicious!

The mashed potato and kale looks really, really good, I'll have to try that.

Watch out for those waterspouts! :)

I'm just glad I'm not the only one having issues with getting the Christmas tree down! Thanks for sharing your awesome vegetable ideas. I roasted a sweet potato last night-oh so yummy! The crockpot is also good for overcoming the cooking-inertia thing. It only takes me about 10-15 minutes to prep everything after dinner and put it in the fridge, then I take it out the next morning when I'm getting my coffee. When I get home, dinner is magically ready and the house smells great. I usually make enough so I have leftovers for meals at work the rest of the week.
PS Love the Year of the Yes!

I keep forgetting the balsamic! Jules, after everyone mentioned it about the Brussels sprouts I reheated the leftovers with a sprinkle of balsamic and it went from so-so to delicioso. I do not know why I keep forgetting this little flavor addition.

Also, does anyone have any recipes they like for really good homemade soup? I like my kale-chickpea stuff but I need to vary the repertoire!

Here's a good soup recipe - this is, in fact, the single best soup I have ever made, we looooove it. Hope I can leave a link here without getting tossed into the Spam Bucket... :)

http://www.lakewinds.com/store/Golden-Potage-Soup-W734C7702.aspx

I believe that roasting helps to bring out some of the sweetness of the veggie not always found in other cooking methods. I love nothing better than roasted peppers. Anyways, I love soup w/ squash but hated the prep of the squash - Whole Foods (and possibly other grocery stores) will chop up your squash for you!! I discovered this in the fall and have used that service many many times since.

Hi! I now need to try roasting asparagus. It is my favorite vegetable, and that sounds delicious.

I make wonderful chicken soup. First I cook a chicken. The next day, after I've eaten most of it, I pick all the rest of the meat off the bones and dump it in a big pot and cover it half way with red wine. Then I add carrots, potatoes, celery, almost everything in my spice cabinet, 2 or 3 chicken bullion cubes, whatever other vegetables maybe hanging around, and sometimes rice. Then I leave it simmering for a couple hours, topping up the liquid with water or wine so that it doesn't get too low.

It's kind of time consuming, but perfect for a rainy hermity Saturday. Plus, cooking with wine means you get to drink some!

Laurie,

How long can that stuff be frozen? I tried to freeze some veggie beef soup once and after only one month it looked weird and I threw it out.

no recipe for you, but love your point of view on our socal weather and weather king dallas raines. have you noticed how danny romero and some other local weather guys here have adopted the dallas stance? it makes the weather so much more exciting when it looks like the weatherman is about to spring through the screen into your living room.

even if they're only talking about 72° and sunshine.

stay warm!

I just got done roasting carrots! As in I am eating them now! I have been hooked on the curry thing, so they are roasted curried carrots. I think I made about 2 pounds of them cause I think they taste good cold, as well.

Three cheers for roasting vegetables!!!!

I just read on The Daily Beast where LA is #1 for worst traffic. Baltimore is 21st. And even though we don't like to admit it, we flip out when it rains too!

But I sure could use some of your winter weather...sigh... Can't wait til it warms up!

Laurie,

I too am loving the year of YES!

Can I offer a tip on using your slow cooker? Reynolds Slow Cooker Bags. They are typically found in the grocery stores near the plastic wrap and foil. They are such a time saver when it comes to cleanup...love-love-love them!

Thanks for the tips on roasting veggies!

I have a great and easy recipe for pumpkin curry soup if that sounds at all appealing to you.

Love your blog Laurie!

About those waterspouts? Better tell the eentsy weentsy spider to dig out his Wellies and his bumbershoot! (Or maybe just stay home and knit.)

Snowing again in Boston and I made your cauliflower again along with broccoli and carrots. I forgot the lemon and garlic part so I guess its really not yours. I had plain roasted spinkled with parmesian. I could sprinkle my shoe with parmesian and it would tast good. I also added a sweet pototaoe into frie look alikes and threw that onto the cookie sheet.

Now I'll try the Kale thing if I can find what it looks like......

My family will eat ANYTHING if I roast it. Seriously. They don't even need to know what it is, just that I roasted it. Roasted veggies are fantastic in pot pies, btw, which can be frozen.

Wish we had a HOT weather prognosticator like Dallas Raines, here in Denver.

As long as it dries out before I get there this week.

Krista -- I don't have problems freezing things usually but I also keep my freezer very cold (I read an article once about optimum temps for fridge/freezer and how most people's settings are too low) and I keep meals frozen for usually no longer than 6 weeks or so. But I have found that some things like chili can stay frozen for months and still taste great. I guess it depends on how you package it too, I use glass containers and (just my opinion here) but I think they are less permeable than plastic and keep things fresh longer.

Oh my goodness. Because of you, I now must try some Kale. You're the second person in the past week who has mentioned it and if that isn't a sign, I don't know what is!

Thanks for repeating how you roast your veggies too. I'm seriously going to have to do that too.

Keep dry as best as you can. We're getting tons of rain up here in the Bay Area too.

I'm always on the lookout for kale recipes. It's supposed to be very good for your eyes, and I have some eye issues I'm trying to keep from getting worse...

I definitely need to do the roasted veggies. They sound better than my thawed frozen ones!

When I first tried the mashed potatoes/kale thing I didn't sautee the kale before hand and the dish was fine but tasted a little green. You know? So now I saute it very lightly with some garlic and sea salt and olive oil and add it to the potatoes last. I add quite a lot because I like it, but for the first time I would start out with just a cup or so of chopped kale.

Drew gave me a really great tip last week and I would have tried it except this week's Brussels sprouts looked wilted and sad in the market. He said to wash the sprouts and chop them in half and add them to the potatoes as they boil and then drain and mash the whole dish together, which sounds very good and much like the cabbage/potato stuff we used to eat as a kid. I'll have to try that next time I see any fresh sprouts that look good.

Yay for comments and long weekends!!
Your blog is always a delight!!

WATERSPOUT?

I do believe that's the first time I've seen waterspouts as part of a weather forecast. Hopefully they will stay out on the ocean and not go cruising up 101.
Up here in the bay area we're having rain, wind and flying gumnuts.

I think all veggies taste better when they are wrapped in mash potatoes. When I was younger and had to "eat everything on the plate" I would take the offending food item roll it in mash potatoes THEN put it on buttered bread! Even now mash potatoe sandwiches are the best thing EVER!

I love carbs.....

Um, my Christmas tree is still up. We did go to Ireland for 8 days since Christmas, but still no excuse. BTW, vacation in Ireland = Great, except in January when they are having "the worst winter of a generation"...

I just wanted to thank you for that delicious pot roast recipe--I made it for my boyfriend for our New Year's day dinner and we both ate far too much of it! And that chicken and white bean chili from Epicurious is now one of my all-time favorites. Brussels sprouts cut in half and then sauteed with garlic, black pepper and olive oil are always fabulous, in case you're needing a further nudge towards them.

I love mashed potatoes! I love kale! I love asparagus! Now I'm drooling. And, as for me, I did not even make it to mid-February with my resolutions. I caved to the call of McD's just two weeks in (albeit this was after two hours at the gym, so I felt I deserved it). Let it be known that the cheeseburger was soggy, the fries were COLD (tragedy!!!), and the Coke just wasn't as satisfying as I remember. So now I'm back on the wagon ... for now. Good luck with that LA traffic. That is something I definitely do not love ... or miss!

Actually, I've been thinking about putting a little potted pine tree in the living room as a plant. But I'm in Oregon so it would look like it made sense. It seems like it would be a good potted plant because the cat wouldn't eat it.

Dallas' hair is long! Is he combing over or just Elvis-ing it up? I miss the LA weather coverage. I watched channel 5 (since I interned there) and Mark Kriski is kind of in the Dallas category. Without the fabulous name.

I lived in LA for 10 years before I migrated north. I have to say, when Southern California gets a rain deluge, it is impressive. I was standing in one once and it was so wet it actually went through my rain coat (and pooled in my purse). Plus, like any desert area, there is just no where for the rain to go when it all happens at once. Hence all the flooding. Arizona was like that too.

Scritches to the kitties!

Another good way to make asparagus is to pan fry it in olive oil, butter, garlic, salt and pepper. My hub and I fight over this, it's so good. As for weather, today my porch (and porch railing) were slick from freezing drizzle. The worst part of my commute was making it from the door to the car!

You made me laugh at the guy standing in the snow/sleet in the mountains. Were you here in L.A. yet when channel 2 wouldn't let the reporters use umbrellas one rain year? Hilarious!

Really great soup recipe for kale: http://www.culinate.com/searchq,ctype=recipe,q=lentil+and+greens+soup,stype=/2073

Make it a day ahead. First time I made it I thought it was pretty good; but the next day it was great! Freezes really well.

It looks deeee-licious! I'll be right over to help you eat it! *starting broom*

I am so glad comments are on because I wanted to tell you that you crack me up! I'm DYING OVER HERE! HYSTERICAL!

The photos! The commentary! You make weather fun.

Thanks so much for the food inspiration. I'm roasting veggies all over the place now.

You said you freeze food in glass containers. What do they have for a lid? And can you put them in the microwave straight from the freezer?

I laughed when I saw the picture of the flooded highway. You know, the same thing happens on the Houston streets when we get a heavy rain. And it rains here a lot! One thing I will say, though, is even when the streets flood, they usually drain pretty quickly after the rain stops.

I have a friend who does leave her tree up all year. She then has a Halloween tree and a Mardi Gras tree and a Canada Day tree... it's wicked funky. But not for me! My tree comes down Dec 27 come hell or high water (you know, like you guys have high water) (snort)

Hi Laurie! Thanks for opening up the comments again! I don't know if you have a crockpot (I don't remember you mentioning one), but in case you don't, you can make this in a regular stock pot.

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut (I always buy the pre-cut kind at the store - SO much easier)
2 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 small apples, peeled and cubed
salt and pepper to taste

Dump everything in the pot and cook until mushy (8 hrs on low in the crock). Then puree with an immersion blender or mash with a potato masher. It's delicious and makes me feel so virtuous!

Oh no, now I have to buy potatoes and sour cream (a must add for me for mashed) at the store tonight. I've actually never made a pot roast - but I think I might have to tonight too... mmmm hungry.
I'm in San Francisco but from San Diego so I totally understand the rain freak-out. Although I think it is worse the day after daylight savings ends. ;-)

Julia-- I use Pyrex glass containers and they come with a plastic lid. I think they seem to keep the food in the freezer somehow better than a plastic bowl, but I might be imagining things because I love Pyrex so much. Plus, they are so easy to clean and never get that red icky from tomato-based meals!

And yes you can go from freezer to microwave no problem. I do not microwave the lid, though, use a napkin on top or saran wrap. Don't go from freezer to oven, either, or the glass breaks. Take it from someone who tried it... But yes I have microwaved fully frozen soup in the Pyrex with no problems at all.

I love Pyrex. I have to remember to put that on my next list of stuff I love.

OH! I also made that chicken with baby onions dish again:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-with-Baby-Onions-1799

I love it. The trick is you have to caramelize the onions first, before adding the chicken. And I didn't have any thyme so I left it out and it was fine.

The reason I like that dish is that it doesn't have my usual collection of spices, you know how we all seem to reach for the same spices again and again? I always use garlic, lemon, spicy peppers. This has none of the above and it is really tasty. I cut it up and put it over brown rice and it's a perfect take-to-work lunch. Also, I feel adventurous for 1) making a new recipe and 2) peeling all those baby onions!

Oh dear... you lost me at asparagus. I believe that asparagus is God's mistake. Or supreme punishment to human kind. But... you enjoy!

I've been in LA during January so I don't laugh (as I used to) at how Angelinos react to rain. I have been busy laughing at the Brits and their 4 INCHES of snow setting off panic attacks and shutting down roads and airports. It's all a matter of what you're used to dealing with. If you're talking earthquakes I'm a big pansy - they scare the bejebus outta me. Blizzards and hurricanes, on the other hand, I love! Though as I get older I less enthused about driving through them.

Hm... I wish we got waterspouts. But you can keep the flying palm trees.

Is it just me, or does Dallas' hairdo look a little. . . umm. . . the worse for wear? I'm assuming the 'do is finding it hard to cope in the rain. :)

Ahh, the things that amuse me.

P.S. Yay comments!

Gawd I miss Dallas Raines.

Oh, my, a puddle on the highway!? That is terrifying, indeed.

I left my Christmas tree up last year until March. January 17 makes you look like a rookie. :)

Mashed potatoes are like bacon - good with anything.

Brussels Sprout Soup

10 oz Brussels sprouts, chopped into quarters
2 small sausages of your choice, sliced
(I use Aidell's Andouille)
2-3 potatoes, cubed (w/ or w/o skin)
1 cup onion chopped
2 cups stock
2 cups water

Saute sausage & onions in a little olive oil until onions soften and sausage gets little crispy spots. Add Brussels sprouts and potatoes, and saute for about 2 more minutes. Add stock and water. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer until potatoes are cooked. Add salt & pepper to taste and a little fresh Parmesan.

Just saw the CNN latest news. Hope that you get home alright.
We lived in Sacramento for a little while and I remember how just a smidge of rain would flood everything because you just don't need that much for drainage all the time.
The weather is getting wilder and wilder everywhere.
I'll be thinking about you. Drive Careful!

Speaking of weather, how about that TORNADO WARNING in Long Beach today? I'm from the midwest, and it just makes me feel like home. Although, I always was told that a tornado WARNING means an actual tornado was spotted, and a WATCH means conditions are favorable for one. To my knowledge, they are only saying conditions are right for one at this time. Ahhh...I love when we have REAL weather in SoCal!!

Oh, the mass hysteria experienced by Californians when there is rain can only be matched by the cluster-fuck that is Portland when we get snow!
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/unexpected_snow_storm_slows_we.html

Oh, and I read your 2nd book (in one extra-long lunch break) on Friday and laughed my ass off! Book tour?

Laurie, your pot roast recipe is THE BEST I have ever made! I loved it - - my dear hubby loved it, and when I brought some into work for lunch the next day and let a couple of coworkers try it, they love it, too! It's a definite keeper - - thank you so much for sharing your recipe! :-)

Glad you liked the pot roast! I love pot roast, it's one of my favorite foods!

That Brussels sprout soup sounds interesting. Kind of like cabbage soup?

Your food pictures make me hungry and wonder if I might just actually (gasp) cook(!!!). BTW, I got your second book- loved it. Am going in for a second reading as I tore through it the first time.

Oh, and glad to hear you liked the book, Tai! And Sue! There is no book tour (I know you all have heard me say I don't like to leave my house, but it's actually true. I am a bit of a recluse). I am doing a reading here in L.A. sometime in February, I think it's the 25th. I haven't done any public stuff in a while so I will be rusty, nervous and probably goofy. A publicist's nightmare.

The potatoes look yummy, and now I'm hungry for mashed potatoes and asparagus, and pot roast.

I should not read this blog when I'm hungry, because now I'm really really hungry!

I'll take your rain as long as it's not freezing or turning into snow. We're expecting ice rain around midnight tonight. I hate ice rain!

I need comfort food now. I think I need chicken pot pie and mashed potatoes and some sort of greenish colored veggie (not broccoli). Oh, and biscuits.

My problem is that I cant cook. I guess I need to go to Costco and get one of their pot pies.

This blog makes me hungry...and knitty.

A comment on your comment section. Where else can you get recipes in the comments. :) Love it! Now I need to make pot roast AND soup.

Roasted asparagus is particularly toothsome if you wrap each spear with a little strip of pancetta before you roast it.

What do you mean it takes away the whole healthiness thing?!

Love your weather reports. We (at this very moment) have a ten-mile back-up on the Baltimore Beltway because a water main broke and there is a three-inch dip in the road...

It was always our family tradition to take down the Christmas tree on Good Friday. Then we would go dye Easter Eggs!

Wow. Just wow. That LA traffic is bananas!

And all the roasted yumminess looks wonderful.

I vote for not denying yourself the foods that you want (mmm... cheeseburger) but to have them in great moderation. Like, screw it, have a cheese burger (or half, or whatever) but don't eat anything else. Or have a really really tiny one. See what the good old boys over at the local in 'n out can do for you portion wise. You know?

Anyway. Gawd. In 'n Out. I'm hurting. I miss it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much.

I read the comments after getting hungry looking at the potatoes and asparagus...that was a mistake. Now I'm craving soup and mashed potatoes and pot roast.

My dad makes a really wonder beef barley soup. I dont know the recipe, but I know he uses Progresso tomato soup as the base and hamburger. He puts tons of barley and some sort of veggies in it, usually whatever he has that looks good. He hasnt made it in forever, so I think I need to go find most of the ingredients and beg him to make it for me.

I was just looking at the recipes on the Progresso website, to see if they had anything interesting, and I just want to make all the recipes they had. They all look good!

http://www.progressofoods.com/?View=RecipeIdeas/SignatureRecipes

This is torture, I need to go eat something before I try to read anymore of the comments here.

oh, and at the Progresso recipe page that I posted the link to...look what they did to asparagus on there. I need to try that!

I forgot my favorite soup recipe:

Leek and Potatoe Soup
1/2 to 1 package
2 to 4 good sized Leeks
Potatoes -With or without skin as desired - cubed
Chicken Broth
Sour Cream with two teaspoons of flour mixed in

Slice leeks lengthwise and rinse any sand out of the layers then slice in quarter inch strips

Slice bacon in half inch stips and brown slightly in the bottom of a stock pot. Saute the leeks in with the bacon until translucent and limp. Don't brown or carmelize. Add cubed potatoes and cover with chicken stock. Simmer until potatoes are tender.

Thin sour cream with chicken stock until you can poor it (we always spooned some of it out of the pot into the jar with the sour cream and flour mix and stired/shook it up. This prevents lumps from forming when the cold sour cream/flour mix hits the hot soup) Poor sour cream into soup and stir up.

Bring back to a simmer for a second to help it thicken a little. You can serve it with shreaded cheese or some chives. You can use lowfat or fatfree sour cream to cut the fat, you can't hardly tell the difference. I have never tried it with turkey bacon though so I don't know how that would work.

I loved the LA weather/traffic report. :) The mash potatoes sound yummy. My fav mashed potatoes are made using the seasoning Spike in them, and butter. SO good! Ok, now I'm hungry...

I just discovered your new book was out last night so I ordered it and I have my first knitting lesson this Saturday. I can't wait!

I forgot my favorite soup recipe:

Leek and Potatoe Soup
1/2 to 1 package
2 to 4 good sized Leeks
Potatoes -With or without skin as desired - cubed
Chicken Broth
Sour Cream with two teaspoons of flour mixed in

Slice leeks lengthwise and rinse any sand out of the layers then slice in quarter inch strips

Slice bacon in half inch stips and brown slightly in the bottom of a stock pot. Saute the leeks in with the bacon until translucent and limp. Don't brown or carmelize. Add cubed potatoes and cover with chicken stock. Simmer until potatoes are tender.

Thin sour cream with chicken stock until you can poor it (we always spooned some of it out of the pot into the jar with the sour cream and flour mix and stired/shook it up. This prevents lumps from forming when the cold sour cream/flour mix hits the hot soup) Poor sour cream into soup and stir up.

Bring back to a simmer for a second to help it thicken a little. You can serve it with shreaded cheese or some chives. You can use lowfat or fatfree sour cream to cut the fat, you can't hardly tell the difference. I have never tried it with turkey bacon though so I don't know how that would work.

Whew! Good thing you got your tree down before you suffered the fate of Holly Golightly's narrator in this video...

The video link that didn't post, of course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acf7rqpICmQ

Hey Laurie, what the heck is a waterspout!? I've never heard of those! Does rain shoot up from the ground?

Kelly
from Canada

I had to laugh at the cars panicing and avoiding the big bad puddle on the freeway!!! Glad you got to stay home with the cats.

This is too funny! When I saw the yummy looking food photos I thought, "I should send her the vegetable soup recipe I use." and then low and behold in the comments you asked for soup recipes!

This was the original Good Housekeeping Basic Soup recipe. I just googled it and the one I found is not the same--at a quick glance it appears they've replaced cauliflower with cabbage.

We LOVE it! I highly recommend "Better than Bouillon" for the bouillon cubes (it's not cubes but it's the best bouillon I've come across. And best of all, for us vegetarians, it comes in "no beef base," "no chicken base," and "vegetable base," in addition to a ton of other meat and fish flavors.

Basic Soup

Serving: Yields: 25 cups
INGREDIENTS:

5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch slices
3 medium celery stalks, sliced
3 large onions, chopped, or 3 medium leeks, each cut into 1-inch slices
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes in juice
1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
12 ounces green beans, each cut into thirds
3 medium zucchini (6 oz. each), cut into 1-inch slices
2 packages (5 oz. each) baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 chicken-flavor bouillon cubes or envelopes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Coat 8-quart saucepot with nonstick cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Add cauliflower, remaining ingredients, and 12 cups water. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until vegetables become tender. Add more salt and pepper if desired.
NOTE: To wash leeks, cut off roots and leaf ends. Discard any tough outer leaves. Cut each leek lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1-inch slices. Place leeks in large bowl of cold water; with hands, swish leeks around to remove any sand. Transfer leeks to colander. Repeat process, changing water several times, until all sand is removed. Drain well.
To retain freshness and nutrients: Keep a 2-day supply of Basic Soup in the refrigerator. Pack remaining soup in 3-cup portions in airtight containers, leaving some head space to allow for expansion. (If you expect to heat soup in microwave, use a microwave-safe container.) Freeze.
To reheat frozen soup: Microwave: Loosen lid on container. Heat on High (100 percent power) 8 to 12 minutes until bubbling, stirring twice. Top-of-stove: Place container under running cold water to loosen frozen soup from sides. Heat frozen soup in covered saucepan over very low heat about 3 minutes until soup begins to thaw. Increase heat to medium; heat about 15 minutes longer until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Note: If using frozen soup to prepare Super Soup, add ingredients during the last 5 minutes of heating. For microwave heating, use a container large enough to hold add-ins.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Calories: 40

Catch that!! 40 calories! It does make a lot of soup but it freezes well.

Wow, 40 calories. That is amazing. And all those veggies! Thanks for the recipe, Abby!

I have to google this Better than Bouillon stuff and see if it is gluten free. Everyone has been raving about it. And while I am all about making my own meals this year I am not really at the stage where I make my own chicken broth.

Another variation of potato and leek soup above is:

to add lentils or other dried beans,
whatever spice you want,
and Julia Child says if you don't have cream, then finish the soup off with just a tablespoon of butter, which is small in the scope of things, but adds a special touch!

WHAT, pray-tell is a waterspout? Sorry....but I live in Arizona! We're getting your second hand storms though.....Winter Storm Warnings!!! It's all so dramatic and exciting....finally the weathermen here have something to say besides, "Sunny and hot tomorrow, Sunny and hotter the next day, Sunny and don't go out because your shoes will melt to the sidewalk the next day, but after that, sunny and temperatures down to the low 100's".

"Panic in your pants" - funniest thing ever. I'm reading this at the library and trying not to snort out loud.

Martha Stewart's summer corn chowder soup (find on Epicurious.com) is my go-to soup for neighborhood soup night. Delicious!

I'm still working on getting to your 2nd book. It will probably eventually be moved into the bathroom where it WILL get read.

But I digress before I even gressed!

I meant to say that I would totally eat those potatoes with kale in them, even though my SO would die before even TOUCHING kale.

And I have been wanting some fresh asparagus! And dang!

NOW I'M ALL HUNGRY.

I lived out in Callyfornya for 10 years. I know about the rain madness that happens.

*nods knowingly*

That highway looks like Atlanta did about 4 or 5 months ago. Yikes! And I didn't know that waterspouts were a predictable weather condition.

Now that you've watched the evening news,* don't you think that Dr. Raines had it right?? It was mighty weathery down here in coastal OC, a real tornado and all.

Love the food pictures. How are the cats?

I meant to clean, too, in readiness for a hip replacement next week. But here I sit. Maybe tomorrow. Anyone have an opinion about those Swiffer dusters? Worth the money??

*Actually, you probably haven't watched the evening news, yet. Too early, you're still in the thick of it.

I really enjoy reading your blog :)

BTW, I took down my tree (& the rest of the Christmas decorations) yesterday! Like you said, thank goodness for 3-day weekends :) I work for an investment company & was off as well!

Living in Phoenix I am not used to water or weather terminology that stretches beyond "HOT" or "Why am I living here."

Which leads me to my question...just what is a waterspout?

oops..sorry about the email about the soup thing..didnt see comments on till now..

I won't do the Pacific NW thing and tell you not to freak out with a little water, but we do the same thing when it snows. Plus all the oil and gunk slicks up the road something fierce.

So far the only thing I've found that is lousy roasted are plastic containers and cottage cheese.

Laurie, I just love the TV pictures! LOL. So glad you could give us more of the full picture of LA weather-and-traffic madness.

Also- I still have my indoor Christmas decorations up, and I have no plans on when I'm going to take them down. Winter is BLAH here and anything that makes it more cheerful is good in my opinion.

Hi Laurie!

1. love your blog, you're awesome.
2. I find it very entertaining to hear how the storm is belting LA with inches of rain; feel free to keep us up to date one how it goes. (yes, I live in a rainforest.)
3. kale in mashed potatoes is brilliant! must try.
4. I recently discovered asparagus (I'm quite new to vegetables in general, having existed mostly on sugar and doritos until now)... have you tried it blanched, drizzled with lemon juice and sprinkled with salt? (served cold) so EASY and tasty! who knew.

You beat me on getting the christmas tree down by a day--I took mine down yesterday! I was still turning the lights on up until a week ago. Then I realized my neighbors could see them and I didn't want to be the crazy lady with a christmas tree in july.
I heard on the news today we had an actual tornado touch down somewhere on PCH-it picked up and tossed an SUV!
Wow, when we have weather, it does have a tendency for the dramatics.

Dallas Raines is ever dapper as he gives us the bad news--or the good news--whichever way you look at it! Happy to see rain but not how much bigger it makes the potholes or how scary drivers are even scarier.

Love roasted brocoli and asparagus--I usually do mine in a frying pain on the stove and add some mushrooms nearer the end of the cooking time. Also, try a reduction of balsamic vinegar as a dressing. Yummmmmm.

How cool to see that you eat 'boerenkoolstamppot' in America too ;) It's proper Dutch winter fare, preferably eaten with slivers of bacon and some gravy or with sausage. (No wonder we're not the skinniest of people either, haha.)
And oh my, I wonder what the people in LA would do with the 15 inches of snow we had here a few weeks ago :lol:

Like the potato and kale recipe - reminds me of something I used to make called Rumbledethumps (yes, really) using mashed potatoes, cabbage, spring onions and cheese. Must make it again.

I think it's adorable that your weather guy's name is Dallas Raines. One of ours here in Chicago is named Amy Freeze. Pretty telling, no? :)

Your wacky weatherman sure is....orange.

Hee Hee - sprouting butt-roots (snort)!

Just a note to tell you how much I *love* your weather coverage! Seriously -- it brightens my day so much!

oops - forgot to add: for soup, brown a diced onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in butter or olive oil. Take whatever winter or root vegetable you need to use up (potato, butternut squash, parsnip, carrot, etc) - roast a little (for nice browning flavor) or just boil in some broth of your favorite flavor. Or in the leftover wine that isn't quite drinkable anymore. Or both. Add two herbs (more than that runs the risk of them competing with each other). Puree it all together but leave it slightly chunky. If it's too boring, add something leafy (spinach, kale, etc). Try to remember what you did and write it down so you can repeat it, cuz you'll love it.
Browning onions and garlic together makes pretty much any veggie into great soup - just like the olive oil and parmesan trick.
So - didja do any knitting while being all hermity?

Uh. Er. Well. My Christmas tree is still up. And decorated. It's in the dining room so it's easy to forget.

Laurie, my Christmas tree is still up, and I have not made any plans to take it down! Maybe at the end of January? It's not a matter of the work involved - I bought ornament storage boxes this year so I don't have to pack each individual freakin' ornament. The tree breaks down into three pieces. I just love the lights, and each ornament is different. Examples: Hello Kitty, a hamburger, martini glass, ball of yarn with knitting needles, a banana, American flag, football helmet, cocktail shaker, and a booger ball. Inside family joke. Love it!

It was kind of funny....some people at work were so scared or the rain and thunder that they went home.

I love your winter food blogging...maybe your next book could include your favorite recipes...hint hint! ;-D

Oops I meant "of," not "or." Let's just call that a brain fart!

Did you get home ok?
I like broiling asparagus with a little olive oil and Kosher salt. If the grill is going we throw it on there.
There is a big hole in the decor where the Christmas tree used to be. I miss it. For consolation I have what we trimmed in a vase on the table.

We really do have flying palm trees out here in Palm Springs. Fronds come whistling down from all directions, sharp like machetes, can really hurt!

I too am wondering about Dallas's coiffeur--is he going for a rakish look, or what? Orange, however: not so rakish. He's a hoot.

As are you and your unbridled enthusiasm for vegetables and healthy cooking. You will have discovered by now that Better than Bouillon is gluten-free; get it at Trader Joe's. In three flavors, including mushroom, which I'm not sure what to do with, but you'll think of something. You always do.