Here are some things that are going on with me lately:

My daughter says “bye bye water” when we drain the bath tub.  That’s three cohesive words put together in the epitome of cuteness.  If you’d told my childless self that these little words would make my heart soar, I would have rolled my eyes, and felt a bit of a stomach flip.

The other day I had to fill out a form and under “occupation” I got to put “doula,” and refrained from also writing “blogger; freelance writer.”  This was the equivalent of writing “astronaut ballerina hair stylist” for a five-year-old, and brought the same confidence and satisfaction.

I went for a ride on the back of my hubby’s motorcycle a couple weeks ago – one of our last rides of the season and one of the few we’ve done at all, seeing as usually one of us has to be home with the kiddo.  Sometimes I get a little nervous on the bike, which is odd given some of the other risky activities I’ve been known to take part in, and the fact that I’ve always wanted a motorcycle of my own to zip around town on.  Maybe it’s the motherhood talking.  At any rate, I thought to myself, as I dug my hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and tilted my head down against the November wind that I married one of those people that you can trust, automatically, with your life.  He’s the sort that you want as your paramedic, at the wheel of a skidding car, or dragging you out of a burning building.  The man is cool and collected at all times, and when shit goes down, you know he’s two steps ahead of everyone else, and he’s got your back. 

I leaned in a little closer and felt as safe and protected as a girl can be going 80km/h on a winding ocean road with nothing between her and the pavement.

I’ve been trying to make soup for at least one dinner a week.  It all started with this borscht, and it went over so well that I thought it would be a nice addition to our weekly roster.  Plus, it allows me to get creative with some of the ingredients we have in our fridge, like I did with this mushroom, bacon and corn soup.  This recipe is dairy free, incredibly hearty, a little sweet from the corn, a little salty from the bacon, and grounded in the earthiness of a healthy variety of mushrooms.  It makes a great dinner served with some crusty, buttered bread, and an even better lunch the next day.

Dairy-Free Mushroom, Bacon and Corn Chowder

2013-10-25 05:40:06

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 4 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced in large chunks
2. 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3. 3 ears of corn, uncooked, with the kernels removed
4. 6 slices bacon
5. 2 small onions (or 1 large one), diced
6. 3 cloves garlic, minced
7. Splash of olive oil
8. Salt, pepper & thyme to taste

Instructions

1. Splash some olive oil and add the onion and garlic to your favourite soup pot. Saute over medium heat until the onion and garlic are translucent. Add in the bacon and cook it until it's crispy. Now throw the sweet potato and corn in, along with just enough water to cover the ingredients. Allow your soup to simmer until the sweet potato is cooked through.
2. Add in the mushrooms, and continue to simmer until they have softened. Add salt, pepper and thyme, tasting between each addition until the flavour suits you.
3. Remove the soup from the heat. Using a food processor or immersion blender, blend the soup until about half of the ingredients are pureed, leaving a chunky soup with a smooth, hearty base.
4. Serve topped with croutons. Enjoy!

By Jessie Harrold

Purple House Café https://www.purplehousecafe.com/