Roasted Asparagus, and a nest of BABIES!!!

Oven-roasted asparagus is something I look forward to each spring.  I usually put them on a sheet pan, glug on a good bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper before tossing into a very hot oven (400-450F) for 10-20 minutes until they're soft and beginning to caramelized.  Wanting to cut back on the calories this time, I lightly spritzed them with olive oil spray instead - they turned out just as delicious.  Can't wait to make them again.

Now get a load of this photo I took yesterday:

Hmmm.... I'd never seen Misty smashing her ears against the window screen before - I knew there had to be something interesting going on outside.

Yep, I'd say this is interesting - very interesting!  We've never had a nest right outside one of the windows before.  That little branch was in the way (uh, was!!), but it looked like the nest held two babies and an unhatched egg.

But look at the pic I got today - FOUR BABIES!  I snapped nearly 1000 pics and got sunburned waiting in the blazing sun for more than an hour, but this photo made it worth the effort.  Happy Spring everyone!!

Feisty Sun-dried Tomato Soup

Yesterday I found a must make recipe for Sun-dried Tomato Soup on one of my favorite blogs, One Perfect Bite.  Mary's blog is full of wonderful recipes, tempting photos, and entertaining commentary - if you haven't yet stumbled upon it, I recommend you visit soon.

But I digress.  This soup began as a recipe Mary's husband had clipped from Food and Wine magazine.  He couldn't wait to try the recipe, and neither could I, but I had to make a few adjustments based on the ingredients I had in my pantry.  1) I didn't have any fresh thyme, only dried, and 2) instead of a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, I only had a 10 oz can of mild Ro-Tel tomatoes.  Not wanting to take time to run to the store, I used what I had on hand and adjusted the amount of tomato paste and chicken stock the recipe called for.  I'm so pleased with the results that I doubt I'll ever make the original recipe.  If you like the flavors of the southwest and don't mind a little heat, this is the soup for you - Eeehaaa!

Feisty Sun-Dried Tomato Soup

makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, sliced

• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped (use kitchen shears)

• 10 oz can mild Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained but juices reserved

• 20 oz chicken broth

• 2 thyme sprigs (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)

• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons concentrated sun-dried tomato paste (or canned tomato paste)

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Saute onions and garlic in butter and olive oil, over med-high heat, for 4 minutes.

2. Add sun-dried tomatoes, drained Ro-Tel tomatoes, tomato paste, and thyme; cook for several minutes; stirring frequently.

3. Add reserved tomato juice and chicken broth.

4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes.

5. Transfer small batches of soup to a blender and puree.

6. Return to pot and warm over low heat.

7. Stir in heavy cream and check seasoning.

8. Add more chicken stock if you like your soup thinner.

recipe inspired by One Perfect Bite