Cream of Pumpkin Soup

A few years back, when I had 1/2 as many adults and kids in my home, I wanted to cook up a fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner that had none of the traditional food items. One of the dishes was a Cream of Pumpkin Soup. I had a can of pumpkin and no recipe. I searched online, and after looking at several recipes, I came up with this recipe to whip up (a combination of many) that I actually HAD the ingredients onhand for. My mom LOVED this soup, and has been wanting it ever since. DD brought me that lost piece of paper about 30 minutes ago. It's been missing for 3 years now!

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

2 TBSP Grated Onion
2 TBSP Butter

(Combine and sautee)

2 Cups Broth

(Add to sautee and boil)

1/4 Cup Instant Potatoes
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/8 tsp Nutmeg

(Beat in until creamy)

1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Pumpkin (BIG can)

(Beat in)

Simmer 15 minutes and stir often. Garnish with Sour cream.

**I remember using the blender to puree this soup, partially for the onions and perhaps for homemade mashed potatoes?? I wanted a very fine texture**

Health Care

Health care is an interesting topic, especially when you have no insurance and no funds. Fortunatly, we have alternitives to high priced doctors and cut and paste solutions! My mother arranged for me to meet her Naturopath, and I saw her today. :-D Cool!

This kindly lady had invited me to bring all the kids, and set them up to watch a movie while she took me to her workroom. I held my sleeping 9 month old, while she clipped off a piece of my hair to read. While she was testing my hair for things, she also had me go over my health history and talk about things.

When we were done, she had me hold a little vial while she did some more things... She took it back and told me that I was switched, and that I need unswitching. I guess I looked puzzled (as I am sure you do) because she explained that our body has a natural flow of energy and that when it is flowing properly, you heal, recover, and recouperate in a timely manner. Because I am switched, my energies are flowing randomly and scattered. She poured out some liquid into a dropper bottle, and popped it into a machine that set the liquid within to the proper frequency. I am to take that liquid once a day for a week, and then use it "as needed". By then, I will understand what she means.

She also asked if I was willing to take supplements. "You mean like Centrum?" No, throw those out. "Ok, so like Vitamin E, or CLO, ect..." Yes. Ok, I will take supplements. So she checks her supplies and her books, and decides that I need 3 supplements to get started but only 1 of them I should be on for life (gallbladder removed, supplement is for that).

Let's talk money for a minute. Once upon a time, I was diagnosed Bipolar. The medications to "keep me stable" come to 500 per month if I dont have insurance, and we already know I don't have it. The supplements I need will only cost 40 a month. WOOHOOO!!

I've never been to a Naturopath before, and I have some research to do, but I am really looking forward to trying this!

US Map

A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her and said, 'Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today..'

After a few minutes, she returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.'

Hmmm, sometimes, it's just too simple.

I got this in my email. It needed to be shared. :-)

Some recent events

I'm sorry, I'm not too consistant here. Last monday, Jacob cut his first tooth, and this morning I dicovered tooth number 2! So far, so good!

Jacob is getting better at sometihng too. Here let me show you:

Lil boy is getting stronger! I was TRYING to bust him in the act of standing up, but he saw me, and was a bit distracted. He likes my "buttons".

The big girls are doing good, and more completion certificates are getting up on the wall. They are excited to be starting their new study books. Not so happy about the new schedual, or responcibilities, but I figure they'll adapt ;)

Busy days

We've had a good start to our school year over all. The girls have been attending class on every school day and working diligently in each subject presented to them. Heather has started finishing off books, and earning certificates ~ and that is inspiring to both big girls to work harder. Anne-Marie's stopped complaining about her work being boring and easy :D Kayleigh had been working on coloring, and is actually coloring things in a picture- square blocks of color over objects. She was counting with me while washing hands.... "0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 15..." When did she pick this up? :D I LOVE my job! We counted for about 5 minutes, objects up to 20. We're getting baby reading cirriculum. Kayleigh wants to be a big girl, and daddy say "yes".

One of Anne-Marie's classes include Automechanics. She and daddy worked on removal and replacement of the brake master cylinder, bleeding the lines, and then preventitive maintence basics. What 10 year old gets shop??? Mine does!

Heather's new class is Home Economics :) She is learning to take over some of the middle sized chores. This includes full room clean ups, laundry shuffle, poop patrol, dishwasher unloading, and table wipedowns, which ever is needed when instructions are given.

So, now that we have 2 running vehicles at the moment, I can start taking the kids on excursions in this cooling weather.

ut oh... someone needs directions. Bye!