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{red kuri squash risotto}

3 Dec

it’s comfort-food season!

i will preface this post by saying that this dish, albeit exquisite, took a little time to make. typically i prefer my meals to be a little more “easy breezy” to prepare… however, this one is oh-so-worth the time and effort!

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and let me reiterate – this dish is absolutely DIVINE! i totally love risotto any way i can get it, really… it’s one of my staple dishes, for sure. when i discovered this new squash, i was inspired to fuse it with some risotto and eventually make it into risotto balls.

risotto is hearty and filling while still being gluten-free, which i kind of love. the red kuri squash is in its prime season right now and it is just beautiful! full of vitamin a {that lovely colour!} and potassium [like most squash}, it added so much flavour to this amazing dish!

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red kuri squash is delicious on its own, too. the flavour is reminiscent of chestnuts, and the flesh has a rich and creamy consistency when cooked.

risotto itself is very simple, it’s just a little time consuming to make. the ratio for making risotto is about 1:4 – one cup rice to 4 cups liquid. you can use a blend of water and broth or just water or just broth.  i tend to mix it up a little, but typically i use broth. the key {and magical} ingredient in making risotto is white wine. you can use any ol’ wine – cooking wine, cheap stuff at the liquor store, whatever.  but it must be dry and it must be included! the wine gives the risotto TONS of flavour and really rounds out the dish. Continue reading

{30-something}

21 Nov
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audrey’s perspective

it’s my birthday weekend!

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classic audge – circa 2006

and i’m trying really hard not to feel lonely, weird, and slightly freaked out.  i kinda wish i could watch that show that was big in the 90’s… it may offer some comfort. but i do know one person that always makes me smile and feel better about life and all its weirdness – the late, great, george carlin.

i thought i’d share this with you in celebration of my “getting older”… you may have already heard or seen this, but it’s worth a second round, for sure!

———

GEORGE CARLIN’S VIEW ON AGING

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions. 

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m four and a half!’ You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key. 

You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 

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weee!

‘How old are you?’ ‘I’m gonna be 16!’ You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16!

And then the greatest day of your life…You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony… YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!! 

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! She TURNED; we had to throw her out. There’s no fun now, you’re just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed? 

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happy me, on my 30th

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you’re PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away.

Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. 

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn’t think you would! 

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. 

You’ve built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!  You get into your 80’s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.

And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; ‘I Was JUST 92.’ 

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. ‘I’m 100 and a half!’ 

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!! 

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never grow up

HOW TO STAY YOUNG 

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them.’ 

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s. 

4. Enjoy the simple things. 

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 

7. Surround yourself with what you love – whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER : Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. 

—— 

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{october round-up}

1 Nov

hello, november!

this is definitely my favourite time of year… even though it always shocks my system a little to do this whole daylight-savings-time thing… seriously, my sleep is jacked up for like 2 weeks after that happens.

c’est le vie, eh?! 

at least it won’t be pitch black at 7 a.m. anymore…

anyway, here are a few of my favourite shake-it snaps from recent days. i hope you all had a fun, safe, and happy halloween!

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sopris never gets old…

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this is the time of year when they move the cattle down to graze in different pastures…

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this kind of colour is pretty much totally gone, now…

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but i made sure to soak it all in…

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i just love it…

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mmm, apple pie………….. soooo good!

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i did a little dog-sitting last month… and our shadows were GIANTS! teeeheheeee….

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i also did a little chicken-sitting… and had the freshest eggs i’ve ever eaten!  like, 40 minutes old – fresh!

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frost!

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sopris… again.

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i’ve been making and eating a ton of sauerkraut

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and making and taking a bunch of pointless selfies…

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i dunno, this just looked cool…

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so did this…

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fall!

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this time you couldn’t even see sopris…

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fiery sunsets!

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a rainbow over my tiny house!

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i’m so in love with lense-flare.

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oh yeah, one day i found these guys in a head of broccoli… they both took a poo on my hand – hysterical!

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mmmmmmm, nothing like cozying up by a wood-fire!

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an archery target!  which i SOOOO want to use some day soon!

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weird stuff you find on hikes…

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… like the pumpkin graveyard… 😉

have a great weekend! 

 

{pickled gherkins}

30 Oct

when i say, “gherkins” – what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

for me, it’s the movie dirty dancing.  weird, right?!  there’s the scene where neil is asking baby if she is hungry, and he’s looking in the fridge… “leftover cabbage roll, fruit salad…?  sweet gherkins?!”  😛

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anyway… i don’t really like sweet pickles. but i do love dill pickles. and when i found these *adorable* baby gherkins, i literally squealed in excitement! apparently, they are also known as “cucamelons.” {teehehee}

they are slightly sour, and very juicy!  which, i admit, was a little surprising.  i also read that they are very easy to grow… which makes me totally want to try to include some in the garden next year!

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they look like little watermelons!!  eep!  so cute. Continue reading

{refusing to let go of autumn…}

29 Oct

i went for a hike a couple weeks ago in snowmass, where i used to work last winter.. and i was shocked at how much colour was left on the trees all around!  the aspens were still an amazing mix of colour and no colour… i just love them so much! the peaks were dusted with snow, and it was a sight to behold!

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when i very first came to snowmass last year, it was october 22nd.  it was the day of my interview and i remember seeing very little colour left on the aspens in the area. i though to myself, ‘what a sight this must be in autumn!’ and i was soooo hopeful i would get out to see it this year!  i’m way grateful there was still some amazing colour on the trees and hills in this beautiful mountain town!

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we went on a nice little hike…

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some incredible views!! check out that rainbow of colour! Continue reading

{seasonal eating : wild chanterelle mushrooms}

27 Oct

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i looooooove mushrooms, did you know this?!  it was amazing to discover that some mushrooms grow WILD up here in the high country. morels, boletus, and chanterelles, to name a few. and they are all something special.  when we received some wild chanterelles at the store, i eagerly nabbed some up so i could try them for the first time.  they are only available for a short time, and many of the “professional” foragers are extremely secretive about their “finding spots”  – and who can blame them!!?? – they sell for upwards of $20.00 a pound! we had a very rainy august here in the valley, and that made for some ideal mushroom hunting-and-gathering!

the peak season for chanterelles is in the fall… we have had a little frost in the mornings lately, so i’m kind of assuming they’re done for the year… but i could be wrong. i’m also just a little late in posting this blog 😛

i most likely have had chanterelle mushrooms at some point in my life and not realized it.  i’m sure at some fancy dinner in NYC, i had a couple in a dish once… but i wanted to truly truly taste the mushroom – being a purist and all – so i simply sauteed them in some awesome local pasture butter.

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i sauteed the golden fungi for about 15 minutes, until they were nice and aromatic… then poured the whole mixture over a yummy baked russet potato…

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it was a taste of heaven…

do you like mushrooms? have you had chanterelles? what is your favourite mushroom?? 

{flowers for brunch}

26 Oct

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and why not?! 😉

along with adorable pansies – tulips, sunflowers, and even orchids – are some of nature’s edible flowers.

cool, huh?! ❤

{sometimes you have to first take a leap of faith, then watch as the net appears…}

25 Oct

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{favourite snaps from the week}

24 Oct

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beautifully peculiar sunrise!!!

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on my bike ride to work one morning, i spotted these people riding a 7-seat “conference bike” … they asked if i could take a picture for them, to which i replied, “i would be honoured!  that is the coolest thing i’ve ever seen!” and apparently, former president jimmy carter said the same thing

{that was the best article i could find about this cool device}

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basalt, colorado… which i discovered this week, was apparently volcanic at one time…?!  did you know this?!  i was fascinated to find this out… so crazy!

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yellow!

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i ❤ autumn! Continue reading

{the smallest veggies ever}

20 Oct

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super cute and tiny veggies to enjoy!   Continue reading

{silent sunday : the eyes of the aspens}

19 Oct

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{foto friday : “snake melon”}

17 Oct

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have you ever seen such a thing?  i sure hadn’t… but thanks to my awesome new job, i have been exploring all kinds of new produce.  this is called a “snake melon” but also formally known as an “armenian cucumber.”  the one i bought looks kind of like a question mark… yeah?

these interesting melons can grow up to 3-feet long!  and did you know that all cucumbers are melons?!  i sure didn’t.  something else new i learned, recently.  makes sense, though – right?!

😉

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this cucumber was more like a melon, for sure.  had a similar texture to an english cucumber, but with a little less “crispness” and a much sweeter flavour.  not too sweet, but noticeably different than a regular cucumber.  i totally chowed down on some!  i hope you all get the chance to, as well!  😉

{base jumping – living vicariously through strangers}

15 Oct

during my trip through moab last month, i met some really cool strangers. well now, that’s a funny thing to say – i guess if i “met” them, then they technically weren’t “strangers” …

anyway, it’s kind of a funny story but basically we woke up one morning and these 5 dudes were sleeping in the camp we set up.  it was a little bizarre at first, until we got to talking to them… turns out, they were acrobats. traveling acrobats… from france.  i’m not even kidding.  they are certainly an adventurous crew!

to sum it up – they were creating a documentary style film about their {incredible} travels throughout the US.  they started in NYC {awesome!} and had planned to go to colorado after their stop in moab… and on this particular morning, they were going base jumping just a short walk from where we had camped.  my camera and i were all over that.  unfortunately, i only brought one lense and it doesn’t really capture the whole thing in the way i would’ve preferred, but i think you’ll get the idea…

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huge cliffs… i would say it is 400 feet?  maybe a little less…

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can you spot the tiny little people up there?!  it probably took them an hour and a half to reach the top…

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crazy clouds, little peeps…

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one of them yells…

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and fearlessly runs and plunges full spread-eagle right off the cliff… do you see him?  he is not airborne long before needing to pull the chute-cord….

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and it safely opens, and he lands to the ground…. {*whew*} Continue reading

{TH2 – tiny house update : days 13 & 14}

14 Oct

it’s been far too long since i’ve posted an update on TH2.

to refresh your memory, here is where we last left off… and here are some recent fotos, taken last month.

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by the way, obviously this has taken more than 14 days… it’s merely the way i’m keeping track of the whole project here on the blog… you get it, right?! 😛

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oh, hi.

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windows installed!

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the large front windows/doors provide a ton of natural light, which i love!

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oh, hi… again.

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more to come…

{homemade sauerkraut}

13 Oct

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i’ve been wanting to try to make my own sauerkraut for a while now… as i’ve mentioned in the past, i’ll get on these kicks where i’m all like, “i can make that!” and i think that i can make TIME multiply and have more of it so i can actually MAKE all the stuff i say i can make… silly me.

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anyway, luckily this whole sauerkraut making process is super easy and not nearly as time consuming as one may think.  well, the actual “making” of it takes a little while, but preparing it does not.  it’s quite fun, too. you get your hands involved and you get to “play” with your food, which i always enjoy. 😉  plus, it’s oktoberfest!! and i’m part german, so it’s high time i learn how to make this amazing stuff so every october i can eat it. just kidding, that’s not my only motive.  sauerkraut is one of the oldest fermented foods out there.  and it’s one of those things that is actually pretty inexpensive to make on your own, but for whatever reason, can be kind of expensive to buy. this small batch didn’t cost me much. i had the salt at home, and this head of organic cabbage was $2. it’s loaded with probiotics and because it’s cabbage, it naturally contains a prebiotic as well. it’s just really awesome stuff. we should all eat more sauerkraut… in my humble opinion.

i digress.

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as i said, the process is very simple.  and so are the ingredients :

– one medium head of cabbage {organic, if possible}

– 1 1/2 tbsp salt {i chose himalayan pink salt}

– large glass container or fermenting crock {as clean as you can get it}

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begin by quartering cabbage and then chopping into “ribbons.”  add salt and begin to work in the salt using your hands.  this is the fun part.  you can literally {with clean hands, of course} squish and squeeze the cabbage all around. this will eventually cause the cabbage to wilt from working the salt in.

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it’s quite amazing how it works, and it’s just oh-so-fun. Continue reading

{just some pics from my week}

11 Oct

happy october!

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happy non-gmo month!!!  yay!

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lovin’ these gloves i scored at a thrift shop…

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they are perfect for halloween! 😉

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stewin’ maters…

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and makin’ ’em into a meaty sauce… nom nom.

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pretty radishes!

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scary spider… but not really that scary.

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frost in the mornings… it’s a regular thing, now.

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feathers on eggs… not a regular thing, but i think it’s SO COOL!

{foto friday : for the love of leeks}

10 Oct

i recently had a random and brief discussion with a stranger about leeks.  he mentioned that leeks are prominent in french cooking, which i found intriguing.  he also said something like, “they have a lot of some magic property that is super good for you…”  which made me giggle… and which i later discovered was polyphenol – the super antioxidant we all love so much.

i’ve always been attracted to leeks, though i never really cook with them much.  i want to start using leeks more often in the food and foto kitchen.

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i plan to add them in a frittata… yum!  which actually, i do believe i’ve done before…

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{moab day two : arches and balanced rock}

8 Oct

this place is just so cool… there is so much ENERGY in moab!  i can’t think of what else to say…

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the famous balanced rock…

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and arches everywhere…

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also lots of phallic shapes everywhere… i know you were thinking it – everyone does. Continue reading

{fossil fun in fruita}

5 Oct

a little alliteration to start your morning 😉

aaaaaand, some pics from way way west-western colorado…

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to say this state is dry is… well, a gross understatement.

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dramatic sky.

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beauty.

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…fossils – whoa. Continue reading

{fall is for…}

4 Oct

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wearing beanies…

{crazy over-exposure!}

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and aspens… !

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and buying yourself flowers…

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and eating tomatoes…

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and squeezing in final trips to the farmers market…

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and seeing snowfall above 10K feet…

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and enjoying breezy landscapes…

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and making {chicken tortilla} soup…

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and eating {chicken tortilla} soup!

🙂

hope you all have/had a terrific weekend!