Potato Leek Soup

It's chilly and rainy here in central Texas the perfect weather for a pot o' soup.

Potato leek soup is one of my favorites--it's quick and easy and rich and creamy. I like to make this soup with either red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, they are less starchy than russets. As for the cheese, use what you like--cheddar and swiss both work well, but I prefer to use Gruyère. Here's my basic recipe for this vegetarian classic.

Potato Leek Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 leeks, white parts only sliced and rinsed well

3-5 cloves of garlic minced

5-6 medium potatoes cut into hunks

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed

5 cups vegetable broth or stock

1 cup milk

1/4 lbs. of cheese (about 1 cup grated)

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy bottom stock pot. Add the leeks and cook until tender. Add the garlic, potatoes, thyme and toss. Add broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered until the potatoes are very tender. For a more rustic soup mash with a potato masher or for a creamier texture puree with an immersion blender. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, milk and chives. Season with salt and pepper.

serves 4-6 generously

Enjoy!

Two New Sock Patterns

I'm pleased to announce two new sock patterns! Both patterns were written for knitting the socks on two circular needles, because that's how I roll.

First up is Plain Jane - Plain Jane is a simple stockinette sock for women. The pattern has been written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. It is written for a woman's size 8 foot, but instructions are included for a custom fit. I recommend a jazzy self-striping sock yarn to make Plain Jane anything but plain. They are shown here in Knit Picks Felici.

Next is Adam's Rib His & Her Sock - A fantastically comfortable ribbed sock for women or men. The pattern was also written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. The "Hers" socks is designed to sit higher on the calf, and is therefore wider. The "His" version is narrower through the calf, and longer in the foot. They are shown here in Knit Picks Stroll Tweed.

Both patterns are available on my website. Enjoy!

Everywhere I Look I See Orange

As a part of the "Take More Photos Project -2010" I present to you the color orange...

Nandina

Dalahast Horses

Bird House

Nandina

The Take More Photos Project 2010

I don't usually get all resolution-y at the New Year; I do like to think about goals for the new year and reflect back on the passing year which I did in the previous post. However, on New Year's Day I spent some time looking through the photos I've taken recently and I resolved to make 2010 the year of taking more photos.

I can't commit to something as regular as a "365 photo project", or even a "Wordless Wednesday" project like you see a lot of bloggers do. But I can, and have, made a wee New Year's resolution to do a "Take More Photos Project" and I intend to share the results here on Right Out Loud.

For the first installment I pulled together some of my favorite photos from the recent past. Mostly they're from 2009, although a few may be slightly older than that but are none-the-less some of my favorites. Enjoy them! And stay tuned for the next installment of "Take More Photos Project -2010".

Spanish Governor's Mansion San Antonio, TX

Old Church San Antonio, TX

Spanish Governor's Mansion San Antonio, TX

Leona's Chimayo, New Mexico

Alpaca

Chimayo, New Mexico

The Guthrie Theatre Minneapolis, MN

Green Roma Tomatoes

Parsley Eater

Gerbera Daisy

Garden Toad

Hummingbird

Brunch

Herbs

Farm Fresh Eggs

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Aaron Johnson