5 Thing Friday
1. I had two interviews this week.
I deserved a comforting dinner of spaghetti pie.
2. The second interview was a grueling two hours long.
Which means I more than deserved a froyo treat. Plus it was National Frozen Yogurt Day so we had to.
Okay, fine. I got froyo twice this week. Froyo makes me happy.
3. I finished Loving Frank by Nancy Hovan on Tuesday night and it totally moved me.
The book is a historical fiction about Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the longtime companion of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The author’s characterization of Mamah felt so believable and intimate.
If you know anything about FLW, then you probably know how tragically his relationship with Mamah ended. Even though I knew what was coming, I was still so emotional about the ending of the novel. It was heartbreaking, but incredibly well done.
I may or may not have already bought another book about FLW…
4. I spent the past two days working next to this guy.
I’m not sure if the calls from my desk to his every other minute to ask dumb questions really counts as being helpful, but I’m always happy to spend more time with someone who makes me laugh.
And that picture totally makes me laugh.
5. I just bought a plane ticket to New Orleans for Mardi Gras weekend with my sister.
We’re.so.fricken.excited.
Despite the fact that we have family living in NO and have been there a million times, we’ve never been during Mardi Gras. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m thinking it will be slightly crazy.
Happy Friday!
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Do you have any exciting news to share?
How long was your longest interview?
Are you reading anything good right now? I’m always up for book recommendations!
Cream of Broccoli Soup
I’m killing two birds with one stone today.
You see, 1) someone asked me if I would share the recipe for this cream of broccoli soup and 2) my mom told me she likes reading posts where I “really get into it,” which she clarified by saying “you know, like when you write about me!”
This soup recipe is hers, so I can’t rightly share it without talking about her. See, two birds.
Truth be told, I’m not so sure I really like cooked broccoli.
Actually, I’m pretty positive I hate cooked broccoli. Raw is fine, cooked into something cheesy, creamy, and saucy is totally fine, but something about steamed, roasted or sautéed broccoli just kind of rubs me to wrong way. Lucky for me (and for Mom!) I’ve always loved this soup.
Like since I was a little girl. And when you think about how kids growing up in the early 90’s probably felt about vegetables (ew!), only then do you realize how grand of a statement that is.
I totally forgot about this soup for years. Those were dark days, my friends. Filled with lots of steamed broccoli hatred and a yearning to find a way to constitute broccoli into my life in an enjoyable way. I mean, it’s so cheap and I just really wanted to like it. Then it finally dawned on me, that my mother had the solution and I’d been eating it all my life. Duh.
This is literally the oldest recipe I have in my “Recipe” folder. That means it’s a classic. And it’s stood the test of time.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
- 5-6 broccoli crowns, stems chopped off (or 2 bags of frozen broccoli)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups broth (my mom uses chicken, but I sub vegetable and it works just fine)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- To a pot, add broccoli, onions, salt and broth and cook until broccoli is soft.
- Use a blender or an immersion blender to puree the broccoli mixture.
- In a separate pot, melt butter. Whisk in flour, then slowly pour in the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow mixture to thicken (~1-2 minutes).
- Add butter/milk mixture to pureed broccoli mixture, stir to combine, and heat thoroughly.
Pay attention now. I’m about to show you a very unattractive soup picture.
Actually don’t pay attention.
Okay, I know it doesn’t look too promising, but I assure you, this is one of the simplest, quickest, tastiest and most comforting soups. It reminds me of my childhood. And you should know that I had a very fun and fulfilling childhood.
Plus you could go crazy and do this.
Which is totally not what my mom does, but I bet she and her “I’m-lactose-intolerant-but-I-love-cheese-so-much-I-can’t-stop-eating-it” attitude would totally approve.
And then you should probably dunk some good bread in there. I prefer a good hunk of crusty french bread, but there was a blizzard outside and I had half a pan of cornbread starring me in the face.
And you should totally wash all that green down with something deliciously sweet.
Like maybe a Bailey’s Irish Cream Walnut Brownie.
Mom would want you to.
Happy Thursday, friends. We’re almost there!
Bailey’s Irish Cream Walnut Brownies
Chocolate chunks, walnuts and Bailey’s Irish Cream.
This recipe is like a combination of the things I can’t stop sneaking out of the cubboard. Except then I went and added Bailey’s to the mix. Please. I was talking about sneaking chocolate and walnuts. I may have a Pinterest problem and a job problem, but I don’t have a drinking problem.
Yet.
On Friday we had quite the snowstorm. My car wasn’t going anywhere. Joey, two maintenance men and spinning tires told me so. I had a cancelled interview and the satellite on the TV was out, so I threw my hands up and went to the kitchen.
That’s where this delicious brownie Frankenstein was created.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Walnut Brownies
Inspired by Cooking Light.
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 T brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chunks, divided
- 1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 2 T milk (I used 2%)
- 4 T butter, melted
- 1 t vanilla
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- In a bowl, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chunks and Bailey’s in the microwave, stirring after 30 seconds. Add melted butter, vanilla and eggs.
- Add milk mixture, remaining chocolate chunks and 1/4 cup nuts to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Batter will be thick.
- Pour batter into a coated 9-inch pan, sprinkle with remaining walnuts and cook for 25-35 minutes. **Mine took longer, but I’m at a high altitude.
- Cool, slice, enjoy!
These came out better than I could ever have expected. To be honest, I’m not a real huge brownie fan, but the flavor of the Irish cream tones down the chocolate a bit, leaving it perfect for both brownie lovers and ambivalent brownie-eaters alike.
And in case you aren’t quite convinced that these need to be in your life, I’ll tell you that I just set one aside to eat once my tea was ready seeping, then ate two while I waited, then devoured the third one like someone had been dangling it in front of my face for hours.
Whether that’s an indication that I have zero self control or that these are extra delicious is still up in the air.
Lauren Loves Good Food 