Just 5 Ingredients

Last Friday, Om Nom Nom Studios "office" relocated. It was a very necessary move that came up somewhat suddenly. The flooding and it's implications (things like insect infestation and mold) that I mentioned months ago were still a very real issue for the boy and I. With the situation worsening daily, relocation was a must.

The move has been difficult, and I don't just mean because I was without internet for a week (our modem was stolen from our new front porch the day we were relocating), but because of some sort of error on the part of Columbia Gas leaving us without heat.

Soup weather just became that much more soup weather for me. In my unpacking I looked through my own personal cook book for a recipe my mother clipped out of a magazine years ago and gave to me. I remember making many, many pots of this cream-based soup when I lived in South Philadelphia. [Shown: Leftovers brought home from the boys grandmother's house]

Originally I intended to make a half batch of this soup but in the end decided to head over to the boy grandmother's house and make the entire batch to share with her and anyone else who was interested.

Impressions of the soup:
*One of the boys aunts was able to find it enjoyable to the point that she requested the recipe.
*Grandma's impression of the soup was that she had to apologize to me and that the soup was not as horrible as she'd anticipated (it's here that I think it would be best to mention not only is the boy a picky eater but it would seem his entire family is.)
*Lizzie K. said that the soup reminded her of her mothers crab dip.

So, for the aunt who requested it, and any others who may be interested in a very quick and easy cream-based soup, here is the recipe as it appears on the paper taped into my cookbook:

"This satisfying soup simmers for just 15 minutes, yet boasts the kind of rich flavour that typically requires a couple of hours on the stove.

Crab-Corn Bisque

In a large suacepan, stire together two 14.75-ounce cans creamed corn; 2 cups half-and-half; 2 cups frozen potatoes with onions and peppers, thawed; 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-high for 12 minutes. Stir in 1/2 pound imitation crab meat (surimi), coarsely chopped; simmer for 2 minutes longer or until the coup is heated through. Makes 6 servings at $1.53 each.

Nutrient Value Per Serving:
295 calories, 9 g fat (6 g saturated), 11 g protein, 43 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1,064 mg sodium, 48 mg cholesterol."

Notes:
*I chose to use fresh potato but didn't stop to think about the cook time of the potato in relation to the rest of the soup which left me with a much longer cook time. If you prefer to use fresh potato, cook them first before adding them to the soup.
*I used green peppers the boys grandmother had frozen that were previously fresh. I just barely thawed them, chopped them, and threw them into the pot.
*No onions went into the creation of this soup because most members of the boys family are anti-onion. Knowing his aunt wanted to try it and learning that she did not like onions - they were left out.

Your Moment of Zen

It's been much longer than I intended since my last post.

Two weeks ago after we (the boy, a couple we know, and myself) visited the South Drive-In Theater here in Columbus where we first saw Despicable Me and then after an intermission Toy Story 3. Some pictures from the night can be found here in the Om Nom Nom Studios Flickr stream. All in all it wasn't a bad way to spend $16 and an evening. It was a wonderful and unexpected surprise that the boy concocted because he knew that not only did I really want to see Despicable Me but to go to a drive-in movie. Despicable Me proved to be worth my excitement.


Some of you may have caught my earlier apology via the Facebook fan page where I mentioned there has been a serious flooding issue going on in my basement. This is what has been taking me so far from you these days but I'm doing my best to insure I don't disappear all together.

I'm reasonably sure I have made mentions (or at least alluded to) in the past about my tea corner.

After about a year here in Columbus I decided to make my bedroom a haven or at least a part of it. When I came up with this I lived in a different house entirely and had gotten my dining room, bathroom,

and bedroom

all to have a cozy feel to them.

Here at my current house/apartment/townhouse/what's-this-thing-called-anyway I only have a corner. In it is a chair that has been with me all my life, now under a cover to help protect it and a small wood and glass stand that holds what I consider basic tea necessities for a bedroom tea corner. The corner contains 3 different types of tea pots (a tea posy, a bodum with strainer inside, a 1 cup strainer pot I bought at Zen Cha), 1 electric kettle, and a tumbler to get water from the bathroom. On the bottom of the table is an assortment of flowering, loose, and bagged teas as well as a Tupperware container full of hot chocolate bags. Under the table is a 3-D wooden puzzle. To increase that homey zen-like feel there are photos of friends and family nearby and a stack of library books. On the chair you see some of the new aprons I have been working on that will (probably) be out soon, a sweater I knit and haven't taken proper photos of yet, and a scarf I am currently working on.


What on earth was the point of all this? Just a suggestion that you take a minute to see if you have a spot like this to go to in your own home and a suggestion about what you can do with it. My own mother has a prayer corner with a rocking chair, cd player, and books.