savory pumpkin soup

I don't think I've ever met a pumpkin recipe I didn't like. This one came along during my early, single days in D.C. My fabulous friend and roommate Tammy Richards Reynolds was quite the hostess and she asked me to track down this recipe from a mutual friend because we had heard it was delicious. And it was.

And this week, as the weather turned cooler, I couldn't help but make it again. And it was as good as I remember it.

So good, in fact, that my selfish side was greatly relieved to see that Shane had yet to dig into the leftovers when I dug into the fridge the next day.

• 1 lrg. onion, peeled & finely minced
• 1/4 cup butter
• ½ lb. fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (Romas work well, but canned are fine too)
• ½ lb carrots peeled & cut in lrg. chunks
• 3 3/4 cup chicken broth divided (I use vegetable broth, works great)
• 1 cup (16 oz.) solid pack pumpkin
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh basil or 1 Tbs. dried
• 3 Tbs. heavy cream (optional)
• grated Swiss cheese for garnish
• toasted curried pumpkin seeds or croutons (optional)

In large pot, saute onion in butter 4-5 min. Add tomatoes, simmer 5-6 min. In another pan, simmer carrots in 2 ½ cups chicken broth. Combing cooked carrots, hot broth & pumpkin in blender and puree. Add remaining stock. Add pumpkin mixture to pot, season with salt and pepper. Fold in cream and heat but do not boil. Garnish with cheese and croutons.

Note: Because I try not to take in much dairy, I've never added the cream and this soup is still fabulous.

Oh, and if anyone has a good recipe for a sweet pumpkin soup -- you know, the kind with nutmeg and maybe some apples -- please share.

first day of nursery

{modeling his "scripture specs" from nursery}

Christian officially attended nursery for the first time during the second and third hours of church this past Sunday. Some kids really struggle adjusting to nursery but when Christian saw all the kids and toys I don't think he even looked back. No shock there. Not only is he super social, he's been getting dropped off with a babysitter each week since the beginning of July. Still, it was a big deal for Shane and I to let him go because it means he's growing up, whether we like it or not.

Of course, this new development means I was able to attend Shane's Sunday School lesson for the first time in months. It's good to be back. Although now I'm afraid he will start cold calling on me again which means I had better be prepared.

still my baby

Feeling a little cooped up after nearly a week (going on two now) of laying low due to sickness, Christian and I ventured out Friday to the National Zoo to get some air and work out some wiggles. Besides, it was Christian's big half-birthday, and I figured we should do something to mark the big day.

Christian went wild. He spent maybe all of five minutes in the stroller over the course of three hours. Climbing small boulders, slipping around landscaping fences, insisting on pushing the stroller all by himself, following older kids around while trying to copy their every move -- needless to say, we were both exhausted by the time we made it back to the car.

And, of course, when we were less than 10 minutes from pulling into our apartment parking lot, Christian nodded off in his carseat, despite my attempts to keep him awake.

But, it turns out he was so tired that he had totally zonked out. Which meant I got to cradle him in my arms and carry him up the stairs to our apartment, down the hallway and into his room. As I stared into his sweet sleeping face, it was nice to be reminded that he still needs me. That even though he masters new skills daily, he's still my baby. And he's still got a lot to learn that Shane and I get the privilege of teaching him.

totally in denial

...that this little guy will be 18 months old in just two days.

This is what I get when I tell him to say cheese.

It's not easy saying no to this face.

Who gave him permission to grow up anyway?

freedom isn't easy

...and that's what I had to tell myself while running the hilly "Freedom's Run" half marathon in Shepherdstown, WVa. this morning.

In some ways it was less grueling than I thought it would be. That's not to say it was a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination. I definitely felt pushed to my limit at times. But I was blessed with fabulous running partners, a scenic and historic route through a national park, and insanely perfect weather. Not to mention a wonderful group of cheering fans encouraging me to finish strong, including my handsome (and very supportive!) husband and sweet son.

some of our cheerleaders

To be honest, I'm already thinking about where I will run next.

But then again, why mess with perfection? Could it really get any better?

Besides, I'm probably still on my runner's high, right? Just wait till I wake up tomorrow stiff and sore...
But for now, I can triumphantly declare: I did it. We did it. And I think I'd like to do it again.

***

This post wouldn't be complete without a sincere thank you to Julianne, who sent an e-mail around back in June that sparked what some have lovingly labeled "a four-month therapy session." I never would have started running like this at this point in my life if it wasn't for her example.

I also want to publicly thank my husband for all of his help along the way. He sacrificed a LOT of his own time by letting me disappear four mornings a week to train. And I didn't always show my appreciation for it the way I should have. There is NO WAY I could have done it without his loving support (and gentle hints to get out of bed at 5:30 am). Love your guts, handsome!

{More photos to come. Unfortunately, none of the group shots are on my camera. These are just a few from the handful Shane snapped at the end. In fact, I hesitate to post these photos at all, because this race was definitely a group triumph and I don't want anyone to think it was all about me or that I could have ever done this on my own.}

priceless

let's see...

a bag of romaine lettuce: $2

a handful of on-the-vine cherry tomatoes: $3

watching your son scarf down leftover salad after sneaking onto the table..?

priceless.

dc eats: busboys and poets

I didn't pack a very good lunch for work today. Much to my relief, I discovered a Cliff bar at the bottom of desk drawer this afternoon. Yahoo for me.

All this to say I've been thinking about yummy food quite a bit today. And about how I really need to find an excuse to head back to Busboys & Poets ASAP. Some very cool friends of ours (too cool for us really, we always feel pretty special when they are up for hanging out) introduced us to this place a few weeks back and I can't wait to get back there.

Aside from the fact that it has a very chique coffee shop/eclectic bookshop feel to it, the food is fabulous and easy on the pocketbook. Best of all: there were so many mouthwatering vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. I'm tempted to try each one, one at a time, but part of me just wants to stick to the exact same thing I ordered last time. Bonus: my meat-loving husband found something healthy on the menu that he enjoyed as well.

Busboys & Poets first opened in D.C. but lucky for us in Northern Virginia, they now have a location in Shirlington as well, right across from the library.

love it: boden's new fall line

Recently I spent a good portion of my evening drooling over Boden's new fall collection catalogue. The new line up has so many pretty pieces I'd love to add to my wardrobe. Boden has become one of my favorite places to find a new dress or wardrobe ideas. I love all the color and the high quality fabric. My favorite piece right now is probably the green Audrey dress (upper right) -- no surprise, I'm sure, to those who know I rarely can resist anything in green. But actually, I'd love to see it in a bright violet, just for kicks. It just looks so cozy but still sophisticated -- so Audrey, I guess you could say. That ruffly gray coat with the peter pan collar is definitely on my wish list as well.

{One hint when shopping Boden: never buy anything full price -- there's always a deal floating around or soon to appear -- often packaged with free shipping too.}

16 months

Today Christian is 16 months old. All I could think about at church this week was that in just two months, he'll be going to nursery during the second and third hours of church and Shane and I won't know what to do with ourselves. We'll actually have to sit quietly and participate in our classes.

While I worked on dinner tonight, Christian emptied the laundry basket and decide to scoot around in it on our tiny kitchen floor. This kid is so busy that you never know what to expect from him. He's always discovering something new or conquering another challenge. He definitely keeps us on our toes and ensures there is never a dull moment around here.

I had to include this picture -- this is Christian finishing off every last drop of his pasta sauce tonight. I couldn't resist grabbing the camera when I saw what he was up to. Hilarious! (And definitely his mama's boy -- my favorite meals growing up all include marinara sauce -- lasagna, spaghetti, and pizza.)

Couple of notes:

• Lately Christian goes out of his way to cuddle. He's such an active little boy but every now and again he reaches out for a big hug and is often willing to give you a kiss on the lips as well. When he lays his head on my shoulder he'll give a sweet little sigh too, saying "ahhh." It's really cute. Maybe you just have to be there.

• Also, out of the blue, he decided to start blowing kisses. Sure, I've worked on these with him before but he never showed much interest. Now all of the sudden he volunteers them. Love it.

• This little monkey still loves jumping in his crib. We'll put him to bed and it will be quiet long enough that we assume he's asleep. Then, all of the sudden, we'll hear the springs creaking and his little excited babbles and we know he's in there jumping away. At some point he tuckers out and snuggles back up in bed. Even though this has become a pretty regular occurrence it still makes us smile every time we hear it. It also makes us wish we had a video monitor -- just to get a glimpse.

meeting mr. max

last weekend we finally got to meet mr. max, five-month-old son of my sister, megan, and her husband, davey. as we suspected, this kid is a total doll. he's all smiles all the time and his blue eyes are so striking with his light skin and hair. christian was really sweet to him, which was nice to see. it was fun to watch them notice each other and interact.

it was quite the event the first night they were in town because we had our bennett cousins stop over as well on their way up to new hampshire. basically, we had a big cousin slumber party -- complete with late-night laughter, snacking and not enough sleep. the little bennett girls all doted on max and christian, wanting to pick them up and carry them around. christian, for one, loved all the attention. in fact, he was so wound up from all that was going on that he took three hours to go to sleep that night. yes, three. he fidgeted in the dark for hours, jumping in his crib, talking to himself, etc. ah well. it was worth it to have family in town. it always is.