Things To Be Happy About

[Pixel]

what sort of work do you do that you manage?

I manage a car wash.

[tokar]

I manage a car wash.

i grew up in a car wash.   my father owned one in toronto.

[Kaeori]

Awesome Thunderstorm today up north!

[PurpleVeggie]

Finally being old enough to vote!

[tokar]

Finally being old enough to vote!

now that you are old enough to do so, make sure that you do.  you do not have to vote for someone, or a party, because you can always spoil your ballot by making two marks or drawing a line through them all.  by doing so you have exercised your right to vote but shown your displeasure with the candidates.

the main thing is that you get out to do your duty and vote.

[Aeturnus]

From what I've been hearing, I'm happy to know I didn't attend Furlandia.

[librem]

FatBurger and beach time

[Selkit]

Exercising my right to vote. I may now officially bitch about politics for the duration of the elected government's term, either because I helped elevate a group of shysters to office, or because I didn't vote for the shysters in office. And yes, all choices are terrible. Some marginally less terrible than others; I suppose it's like picking the variety of manure you think will be best for the mushrooms. Better to pick than not at all.

[PurpleVeggie]

the main thing is that you get out to do your duty and vote.

All over it tokar, hit up the advance polls in fact ;)

Another thing to be happy about: still warm banana bread

[tokar]

thank you Selkit.

[Selkit]

You're welcome, Tokar. Respect is something that needs to make the rounds more frequently.

[Selkit]

A very tasty homemade soup in progress. ADD ALL THE VEGETABLES!

[Elias.Ringtail]

A myriad of wonderful people that I have the great privilege of calling my friends. <3

[tokar]

A very tasty homemade soup in progress. ADD ALL THE VEGETABLES!

are you making 'mustgo' soup?  everything in the fridge that 'mustgo' before it goes bad?

[Selkit]

are you making 'mustgo' soup?  everything in the fridge that 'mustgo' before it goes bad?

Vegetables in my house do not get a chance to do that. Most of what went into this soup was bought explicitly for said soup. Oh, and if anyone wants a recipe, here's what I can reconstruct! No, I do not generally use recipes, I tend to freeform my meals.

- Half a head of purple cabbage, finely minced
- Three or four reasonable-sized beets, fine-diced
- Two parsnips, finely diced
- Three or four larger carrots, chopped in manageable bits
- One leek, minced
- One bulb of garlic, coarsely chopped
- Half a dozen potatoes, diced
- Half a dozen bay leaves
- Either a teaspoon of garlic powder or another bulb of garlic, crushed to paste. I prefer the garlic paste!
- Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper. Grind it fresh, damnit! For extra pathos, if you don't mind the occasional pleasantly spicy morsel, drop a few in whole!
- Two tablespoons of minced chives, or if you must, dried chives
- A teaspoon of onion powder.
- A decently large can of tomato paste. Not one of the stupid little pizza-size cans you're probably familiar with.
- Sufficient beef or vegetable stock for at least four liters of water. Do this to taste. If the stock tastes like dish water, then it's too weak. Add more base if you have to add more water!

Very generously butter a large roasting pan, and load the roaster up with the potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beets, leek and chopped garlic. Dollop more butter on top of that. Lots more. You cannot possibly use enough butter. Give this about twenty to thirty minutes in the oven at 350; stir it around halfway through. You're aiming for very light browning. While you're doing that, bring the soup base up to temperature, and add the bay leaves, chives, pepper, onion powder, tomato paste and garlic paste/powder. Stir those in, add the cabbage, and once the rest of the vegetables are done roasting, schlomp that into the pot too. It's done when it's tender. And it's probably going to drive you batty with the smell while it cooks. I've bloated myself on two bowlfuls so far, and still want more.