A most delicious day and Holy Exploding Brusselsprouts!

Yesterday saw a feast of food, movie watching and Scrabble, and we even got to see a few friends!  But it wasn't without the return of Blizzard #2, that has been dubbed SNOverkill.  And, I must agree.  Although that unexpected week off work is certainly nice, this isn't a pleasant and wondrous snow.  It is more of an assault.  Ok, maybe it is still a bit wondrous.  The current view down 16th St and New Hampshire Ave from my window is this amazing sight:

Somewhere down there is my car parked and buried for what seems like awhile longer.  I am supposed to get out of DC tomorrow to visit my parents in Florida, where they are living a snowbird-ish life.  I'm crossing my fingers AirTran can work it out, but there is some skepticism.  We'll see.

As for yesterday, we needed soup to warm our fingers, toes and hearts for lunch.

(Lunch) Menu:

Herbed Tomato Soup (#40)

Cheesy garlic bread

Pear tart a la mode (#41)

I always have at least a bit of jarred tomato sauce in the refrigerator.  I almost always end up throwing it out.  This time I had two halves.  A whole jar!  Alas, there is something you can DO with said formerly-bound-for-the-trash sauce!

Herbed Tomato Soup Ingredients:

Jarred tomato sauce

2 c water

1/2 c heavy cream

2 tbsp butter

Chopped fresh herbs (I used Italian parsley, thyme and basil)

Salt and pepper to taste

I sauteed the chopped herbs in the butter and seasoned with a dash of salt and pepper.  This made the kitchen finally smell like I was back cooking things outside of pancakes, eggs and fried rice!  Phew.  All is not lost, even in a snomageddon.  Add the tomato sauce and cream, stir and add water.  I let it simmer more awhile like this.  Mostly because I was making the garlic bread (baguette toasted with butter, chopped garlic and chopped parsley) and just really enjoyed stirring again!  Topped with some parsley and parmesan cheese, the result really did warm us up. 

We turned on Julie & Julia for the second time in two days, set up the Scrabble board and enjoyed the afternoon.  The afternoon was time for some dessert and tea.  

Pear Tart a la mode Ingredients:

3 small or 2 medium/large pared and sliced pears

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 sheet puff pastry

Vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix up the ingredients in a bowl and arrange on the pastry sheet leaving a border around the edge.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden.  Add some ice cream and a cup of tea!  

 

More on dinner, those exploding brusselsprouts and the narrowly-missed ER trip from last night later.  Trust me, you're going to want to (see and) hear about this.

259 to go...