This and That

This week I'm on "spring" break, which, unfortunately, does not involve sun, sand, or drinks with little umbrellas in them. It's a whopping 28 degrees here in our little corner of the planet, and the closest I'm likely to get to tropical temps of any kind is to sit closer to our woodstove. Um, hello, spring? Did you miss the memo that you're supposed to be here already? Clean out your inbox for pete's sake because Mother Nature is trying to get ahold of you and tell you to warm.the.freak.up.

I feel more like we're on some sort of rustic winter holiday in the woods somewhere. Case in point: our recent hike in a nearby nature park. These photos definitely do not say "spring has sprung!"

Sweets is like Hubs' little mini-me: mini camo hat, mini rubber boots, mini jeans. 

Treasure of the day: a feather from some large bird (I think it met an unfortunate fate).

Riding on Daddy's shoulders when the going got tough...

...and then the going got silly :)

Our dog is a piece of work. Of all the sticks in the park, he wanted this one. He kept bashing into trees and bushes but he insisted on carrying it back to the car.

Snowy morning snuggles.

What better food to make during a rustic winter holiday in the woods than soup? I discovered a fantastic new recipe for chipotle sweet potato soup that warmed us right up! 

Pardon the iphone photos. It's how I end up taking most of my pics these days!

The original Pinterest recipe was for a single serving of soup from one sweet potato, so I modified it to make an entire pot of soup. It was to die for.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

7 sweet potatoes

1 can coconut milk

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (if you don't have any, I'm sure chili powder would work just fine)

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

I cooked my taters in the slow cooker and they turned out perfect. I scrubbed them first, and tossed them in dripping wet. I think they cooked for about six hours on low and were literally falling out of the skins. After scooping out the interior of the potatoes, I pureed them in the food processor with enough coconut milk and broth to thin it to my desired consistency (adjust to your own personal preference). I transferred the mixture to a pot, added the seasonings and simmered on the stove until it was heated through. For serving, I topped the soup with diced avocado, sour cream and crushed blue corn chips. 

Alongside the soup, I made this amazing foccacia bread from the Food Network's Anne Burrell. It was easy and totally delicious! Don't fear the yeast breads, people!

So, that's that. No spring in sight. I guess we're just enjoying the last of the winter weather with snuggles and soup. And, in our dog's case, really big sticks.