Soup Season!

Phoenicians are celebrating our exodus from 3-digit temperatures - Fall has arrived! Kids born and raised in the desert are even breaking out their sweatshirts for the "chilly" 70-degree mornings.

While I may not be ready for boots and sweaters, the cooler temps do give me a great excuse to try out some new soup recipes. We recently had a large amount of potatoes and broccoli to get through, so I jumped on the trusty www.allrecipes.com and used my favorite "Ingredient Search."

I changed the servings on the site (another handy tool!) in an attempt to make half of the original recipe. However, I forgot that the numbers don't change in the actual step-by-step instructions. So, in a last-ditch effort I threw in more potatoes (4 total), onion (1 whole), but only had 20 oz. (2 frozen bags) of broccoli florets. I used the original recipe's amounts for the broth and seasonings, and added a dash of Cayenne per one of the comments. The result was excellent! I think my "mistake" of using slightly less broccoli helped to avoid the overwhelming broccoli flavor that a few comments mentioned.

I did end up with quite a bit left over, so I'm hoping it's great for leftovers, too! All in all, it's an easy recipe for a tasty, filling dish.

*BONUS! Did I mention it's vegan?! Don't tell your guests... They won't even miss the heavy cream or butter. :-)

Click here for the full recipe!

Follow the Food

Before moving to the desert, we participated in a cross-country bicycle trip that put us up close and personal with some of our food sources. We saw the contrast between big farm corporations and smaller-scale farmers, and heard the stories of local and small town businesses and farmers being run out by larger corporations and chains. After our ride, we read Michael Pollan's book, Omnivore's Dilemma (discussed in a previous post), and started to become more intentional about sourcing our food.

We visited a few farms that were practicing small, local, sustainable agriculture. Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia (mentioned in Pollan's book) boasts a "beyond organic" label, where pigs till the forest, rabbits neutralize waste, and mobile chicken coops permit natural cycles of grass growth. Polyface Farm introduced techniques that have caught on with organic farmers, and we have been hot on the trail!

Despite the lack of water, the Phoenix valley sustains a year-long growing season, and we have been thrilled to find opportunities to support our local (and organic) farmers. Our first find was Bountiful Baskets, a volunteer cooperative that provides local produce and grains on a bi-weekly basis. This organization is run completely by volunteers, and has locations around the country. Their unique status ensures low costs for consumers and high returns for local farmers. We have loved contributing to Bountiful Baskets, and have learned a lot about food seasonality, recipes and cooking/preparation. Since you can never be 100% sure what will be in the next basket, we've discovered several new foods, too (Bok Choy, Fennel, Leeks, and more!), which always turns into a hunt for new recipes.

We'd love to read any comments about your local food options; please share below!

Check back for new recipes and ideas from our most recent basket bounty!

Around Town: Bartlett Lake

Before temperatures hit the triple digits, we wanted to explore some of the water recreation near the Phoenix area. Many newcomers to the desert are shocked to hear that there are multiple options for getting on a boat in the desert - Lake Pleasant, Lake Roosevelt, Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake, Lake Bartlett - just to name a few. For this trip, we were looking for remote camping and Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP)... and you can't beat the price of National Forest camping (free)!

Despite some difficulty navigating the roads of Tonto National Forest, we found a secluded campsite under the cover of darkness. We pulled into a car camping spot and set up a tent on soft sand, within earshot of a gurgling stream.

The next morning, we broke camp and headed down the road toward Bartlett Lake.

We were outfitted with our SUP gear, and hit the water!

A few hours gave us enough time to tour the perimeter, beach up opposite the marina, and have a little fun in the wake of a few motor boats. We took turns using our GoPro to capture photos and video hands-free.

A quick Wikipedia search revealed that Bartlett Lake is technically a reservoir, which was created by damming the Verde River in the late 1930s. It's neighbor to the north is the Horseshoe Reservoir, also on Tonto National Forest land.

For those new to SUP, we decided to demonstrate the surprisingly stable nature of these boards:

We were pleasantly surprised by how empty the lake and marina were, despite it being Memorial Day weekend! Our theory is that most folks head to more well-known spots like Lake Pleasant. Bartlett Lake boasts that it is "Arizona's Best Kept Secret," and we'll have to agree!

A Carefree Christmas

While most of our holidays are spent with family back east, we had the opportunity for a special treat before departing. The town of Carefree, AZ puts on a delightful Christmas festival, complete with a light parade and SNOW. After wandering through craft and food vendors, we picked the perfect spot for watching the parade of community floats. We were all set with our homemade cider, camp chairs, and blankets. We had to laugh at ourselves, all "bundled up" for the near 60-degree temperatures! (Back east, we were used to many more layers and much more shivering for such an event!) That being said, it wasn't hard to find the snow play area, complete with a sledding "hill." Some of our favorite floats are included below, including hot air balloon baskets lighting the way!

This float prompted a lot of questions in the audience. It was built by the Eckankar religious community. We were curious, so we looked up more info about them here.

We were grateful for the few moments of warmth... and maybe a little nervous about the flame's proximity!

Last, but not least, Santa!

One of our favorite things about Carefree, is that it is still relatively... free. Neighborhoods are still full of desert vegetation and wildlife (contrasted with the suburban sprawl of other parts of the Phoenix valley), and we frequently catch a glimpse of a critter or two when we visit. Today's sighting - a coyote! This guy was just strolling along the side of the road as we pulled into the neighborhood!

We hope you have a truly "carefree," enjoyable holiday season!

In Remembrance

Dad in Vietnam

In recent years, we have tried to do something meaningful in honor of Veterans' Day, and this year was no different. As a teacher, I make a point to educate my students on what it means to be a Veteran, which always leads to a heartfelt conversation about what children can do to show their gratitude. I also make it a point to spend some time with my father (even if it's limited to a phone call), a proud Army Veteran.

Last year, we hiked Piestewa Peak (formerly "Squaw Peak"), which was re-named to honor Lori Piestewa, the first female Native American to die in foreign combat under the U.S. flag. 

View from Piestewa Peak Summit

This year, we decided to visit the Pueblo Grande Museum, a location that has been on our list of "places to see" since we first learned of these ancient ruins in the middle of Phoenix. During our visit we were treated to a special event - The Gourd Dance to honor Veterans.

After touring the ruins and exploring the museum (details and post to come in the near future), we wandered into a large room. In the center was a large, bright yellow drum, and around it sat three men, a woman, and a young girl. Circular rows of chairs surrounded the inner drum circle, with men and women donning traditional Native American garb, accompanied by various military uniforms, badges, and flags. It was a family affair as grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, sisters, and sons all participated in this moving tribute. The Color Guard consisted of the flags of various military branches, including a representative of the Navajo Code-Talkers. As the singing and drumming began, it was hard not to be moved by the sight of World War II Veterans who struggled to walk, moving in honor of those who have and continue to serve.

While we could not take photos of this special ceremony, the faces of the Veterans and the sound of the music will stay with me. It was a powerful tribute and reminder of the service and sacrifice given by so many. I am forever grateful to our Veterans. Thank you.