CRAFT Moments, Space, Weather.

I am not doing very well in the memory stakes lately, first I forget to celebrate Shrove Tuesday by eating crêpes, then yesterday morning the doctor’s office called and said “where are you?” I actually had my appointment written down for this morning. Duuuh. It wasn’t urgent, just my diabetes visit, but still!!! I have never done that before, mistaken the day. I also had to email a friend in NC about the name of a road that we travelled 100 times, he told me it is called Hibbs Road. I cannot believe we both forgot that even if it is 11 years since we lived there. CRAFT is Can’t Remember a Flaming Thing. You can substitute any word you want beginning with F. I am not alone in this memory thing though, yesterday morning I want to see my foot nurse and sat waiting for ever (I could hear voices) eventually I went to ask when she would be finished – guess what she wasn’t there. I saw her a while ago and she said she was gong on vacation (first time ever) she was so excited, I guess she forgot to cancel my appointment and probably some others.

So, Discovery has made its last space flight. #39. But so far, I haven’t heard anything about what is taking its place. I am assuming they are not abandoning space or the space station already up there. Having done some googling, it appears they are going to be relying on Russian space shuttles. NASA wants to research new space vehicles but have not yet had government funding. The article I read also states that the US expects to ‘buy rides’ from private companies in the future!!! http://tinyurl.com/45dbgxr It seems like the US maybe hasn’t got the funds to spend on space research any more, too busy fighting wars. To me this is a tragedy, but to many space flights are a waste of time. I firmly believe, however, that man is going to need to be able to use space for expansion when earth becomes impossibly crowded. Whether we will find planets to live on or build self sustaining habitats in space, I don’t know, but earth is overcrowded now so I dread to think what will happen in the future.

Yet another earthquake reported this morning, this time in China. 22 killed, 200 injured at the present time. Meanwhile in the States they have bad tornados and floods – there is lots of video footage on GMA’s web site. Nature really has it in for us lately, we get too complacent about where we live, guilty as charged, although I do believe it is a pretty safe area where we are. However, we are not immune to tornadoes in Ontario.

This sounds like an absolutely wonderful soup. I love spinach, cooked or raw, although I hadn’t had raw spinach until I came to Canada. This recipe will certainly make an appearance on our table.

Spinach Soup with Rosemary Croutons

From EatingWell:  March/April 2008

Rosemary has a strong flavor, but offers only a subtle hint in this spinach soup. If you like, any seasonal greens you have on hand can be substituted for the spinach.

6 appetizer servings, 1 cup each 

Ingredients

Croutons

• 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes country-style sourdough bread
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried

Soup

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups diced peeled red potatoes
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
• 6 cups fresh spinach or chard leaves, tough stems removed
• Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Preparation

1. To prepare croutons: Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Toss bread cubes, oil, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl until well combined. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, to prepare soup: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Pour in broth (or water). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach (or chard) and continue to simmer until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes more. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender (in batches), leaving it a little chunky if desired. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)
4. Serve the soup garnished with nutmeg, if desired, and topped with the croutons.

Nutrition

Per serving : 176 Calories; 7 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 8 mg Cholesterol; 21 g Carbohydrates; 7 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 301 mg Sodium; 202 mg Potassium

1.5 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

Have a great day