Roasted Red Pepper, Leek and Potato Soup

I forgot how dark and rainy fall in the northeast can be. It makes me want to hide under the covers and watch Sell This House all day long. Something about watching other people work makes me warm and happy. Maybe this is why I like teaching Bodystep classes so much? Nonetheless, fall can be so different, depending on where you live.

Fall in my hometown is cold, gray and wet. Ahh, the pleasures of living near Lake Erie. Fall in the Midwest is crisp and sunny, perfect for getting up early and drinking hot apple cider. Fall in the Rockies is fantastic with warm, sunny days and cool, dry nights. Great for hiking during the days and sleeping under heavy blankets at night.

Fall in the Northeast is a little more temperamental. We have swayed from cool, cloudy days to warm, sunny ones. I like to think of this season as a manic depressive one for the region. Maybe fall just needs some lithium. I have some in the lab, I should offer it up to the season. Here fall, would you like some lithium wire? I’ll clean the mineral oil off of it for you! Be careful though, it’s kinda flammable…

Perhaps offering the season some lithium metal is a bad idea. Maybe it just wants some soup. Soup should make it all better. This soup should make it great. Sunny days and cool nights are in my future! Not only is this soup delicious, but it is fun to make. I might just be saying that because it meant I got to use my immersion blender for the first time. You can make this soup with a simple pot and blender, altough I was more than happy to pull out my new toy. This soup has a fabulous texture, great flavor and most importantly, it’s so pretty!

Chocolate Crisps

Sometimes it’s ten o’clock at night and you have the urge to make cookies. What? You don’t? Well, I do. I’m a little crazy like that. (Which explains the dark quality of these photos) Then you head to your pantry to see what delicious cookies you can make. Hmm, no chocolate chips. Okay, how about peanut butter cookies? Nope, two tablespoons of peanut butter won’t make very satisfying cookies. Whoa, I have two whole containers of cocoa powder. We have a winner.

These cookies are super easy to throw together in the middle of the night. It only takes minutes to make the dough. Then you have to stay awake long enough, while the dough chills, to bake off the cookies. Personally, as soon as I sit on my bed at night I fall asleep.

It’s really pathetic. It could be eight o’clock and I’ll pass out while watching America’s Next Top Model. So we’re talking seriously engaging TV and I can’t make it. It will usually go something like this…

Commercial break… “I’ll just close my eyes for a minute, I’m still listening.”

Ten minutes later… “What? Wait, I’m awake! What is Tyra talking about? Who’s fierce?”

Second Commercial break… “Just for a second, it’s just a commercial.”

Twenty minutes later… “Zzzzzz….”

Two o’clock in the morning… “Why is the TV still on? Oh no! The cookies!”

Mashed Potatoes with Blue cheese and Thyme

Okay, so things around the Wilde household are a little crazy at the moment. Let’s see if you can keep up… 1. Boyfriend and I are heading to Europe on Thursday, where we will road trip across the continent. 2. Job hunting season is upon us and I have an interview today. 3. I am trying to finish three projects before I leave for my dream job. I’m tired already. So what to eat for dinner when you have no time to make anything? Mashed Potatoes!

Now listen, I’m well versed in nutrition facts (I also work in the fitness industry as well as the lab), I know that potatoes alone do not make a meal. But when you add cheese, then you have dinner.  No, really. Mashed potatoes are easy. If you want to be really lazy you don’t even have to peel the potatoes before cooking them! I found the extra five minutes to do that, because I am not a fan of potato skin, unless they are drowned in cheddar cheese and bacon.

These mashed potatoes are just yummy. And nothing is more satisfying after a long day of packing, chemistrying and stressing, than a yummy dinner. The hint of thyme and the kick of blue cheese make it hard to stop yourself from eating the entire pot.  Maybe just throw down a V8 also, pretend like you're a healthy eater.



On a side note, while boyfriend and I are in Europe I have to decide whether to post the recipes I have stored away on my computer or to share our European vacation.  If you have a preference let me know!  I would be happy to share our destinations, adventures and eats!