Nana's Christmas Napkins

Happy Almost New Year! My mom created these cloth napkins, which she coined as Nana's Christmas Napkins, for our Christmas dinner.  She used various festive fabrics, like gingerbread men, peppermint candies, and golden zigzag trees on green.  There were ten of us this Christmas and the assortment of Nana's handmade napkins were sprinkled around my parents' table. So cheerful!

This is the same pattern I shared here for my back-to-school napkins.

I'm sure we both will be sewing-up and sharing other holiday 

and special occasion napkins in 2014!

Vegetarian Fiery Tofu and Coconut Curry Soup

Happy Holidays! The other day M made this delicious vegetarian soup.  It was the perfect balance of creamy and spicy with the right amount of tofu and vegetables.  The inspiration for this recipe can be found here.  He also added red and yellow bell peppers and mushrooms.

Thanks to The Museum Scout for the picture and for inspiring me to "get back on my blog."

Leek Potato Soup with Bacon

Last year I posted a recipe for Leek Potato Soup with Coconut Milk.  This is essentially the same recipe, but with some organic ingredients, crispy bacon, and melted cheese.

For this recipe you'll need:
a few tablespoons of organic extra virgin olive oil 
3 cloves of garlic, minced
small onion, chopped
2-3 stalks of organic celery, chopped
3 organic leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 32-ounce container of organic chicken broth
6-8 ounces light coconut milk (I used what I had leftover from another recipe)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 potatoes, chopped in bite-size pieces, cooked
4-6 slices slices of crispy bacon
favorite shredded or grated organic cheese

Servings: Makes 6-8 bowls  

Directions:
1. In a stock pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and celery for several minutes.  Salt and pepper this layer. 

2. Add the chopped leeks and sauté until they wither down. Again, add salt and pepper.

3. Next add the broth, coconut milk, cooked potatoes, and another dash of salt and pepper.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remembering to stir often so the coconut milk does not burn or stick to the bottom of the stock pot.

4. Remove from heat and stir in a few bacon slices.

5. Just before serving, top with some additional chopped bacon and your favorite shredded cheese.  Enjoy!