Behemoths

There are many large things in my life right now. I started this post thinking about my cat, who is so large, he doesn't fit on my lap. I think I'll go measure him. From nose to tail...he's 42 inches long. That means standing on his back feet stretched out, he's over 3 1/2 feet tall. He's also 15 1/2 inches tall standing on all fours, from the tip of his ear to his foot. He's heavy too....17 pounds of cat. Yes, call me crazy cat lady, because I LOVE cats. My friends tease me that I'm going to be one of those old ladies with a house full of cats. Nah...I hate cat hair, so I think I'll stick with one. However, I honestly believe, that if there are such things as previous lives, I must have been a cat. My husband...(who also has a corner market on behemoth in the tall sense) thinks it's weird that I know what my cat wants by his meows. During the day...my cat is my best friend and reminds me to take a break now and then and lie in the sun. He follows me everywhere around the house, except when I practice my bagpipes, which causes him to promptly head for the door as soon as he sees me holding my pipes. This picture of my cat was taken by my son.

Other behemoths in my life...butternut squash and swiss chard. Wow...swiss chard is an amazing plant!! It produces, forever!! Even cut back to a stump...after the first frost, little leaves were still coming up. Wow...it must be on the list of wonder plants. We've had a garden full of chard, all summer. Litteraly, I think we managed to plant some in every box. I wouldn't recommend that, unless you really like chard!! Or you know someone else that does, or you are running a co-op and selling it at a farmers market. Beautiful chard, is so good for you too. Leafy greens! It's like a super-pill plant for the body. Full of vitamins and minerals, I imagine my body just soaking up all that goodness the minute I put it in my mouth.

I also love butternut squash soup. I grew butternut and bought a hand mixer, aka..Smart Stick, so I can make pureed soups. Julia Child would tell you to use a vegetable mill because...and I quote "Blenders and processors chop up and serve forth tough woody vegetable bits, while a vegetable mill holds them back to give you a fiber-free brew." Well...I like my fiber, but if you want an extra creamy purred soup, by all means, mill away! Martha Stewart...uses a blender. I'm going to use the Smart Stick tonight, because butternut squash soup is what is for dinner. The recipe I'm using from Everday Food by Martha Stewart calls for ginger, garlic and a bit of orange juice to add to the flavor. I will post the recipe tomorrow.