What a week it was. Katie turned 50 on December 3rd and we seem to have been celebrating all week long. I cannot believe how fast time has gone. It was only in my memory that it wasn’t that long ago she was sitting on the desk in John’s office and we had written Merry Christmas on the blackboard behind her. I think she was two or three at the time. For years I haven’t really been able to get going on Christmas until after her birthday. It seemed a little unfair I guess but now we are merging all the decorations and making things so very festive.

Update on Jenny Lane

So let’s go back in the week a little bit. It was a very good week at Jenny Lane. We finished two very important projects. One was the barnboard covering the cinder blocks of the base of the chimney in the Bonus Room as well as covering the big beam that goes across the ceiling. The other was tiling the back of the same chimney on the stair side. We have waited months to be able to do that project and the guys accomplished it in two days time. The barn board looks better than we ever expected it to look and then some. As the HGTV folks would say it is a signature wall in the that room. The t.v. was mounted on the wall so it is now safe or as safe as it can be. The beam looks terrific and the room feels pretty much finished – in time for Katie’s Zoom birthday parties.

We are thrilled with how the Bonus Room which I guess is now the Family Room, is working out. The kids spend a lot of time in there and appear to be very comfortable. It was what we wished for when we designed the room. A place for them to do whatever they want out of the main living room where the old folks hang out. Our Jack said that he and his sister really had fun playing a new game on the t.v. and they both seem to gravitate to the space quite happily whenever they are free.

Both kids had school responsibilities this week. Jack had finals and Libby began classes again. In an effort to get Libby out of her room she is using “The Office” for her classes and appears to really like that. Her words, “it gets me out of bed in the morning” – only took six months for that to happen. Jack took his finals and then went back to his old job at the hardware store. He is mostly out of the public world unloading trucks and loading up cars and filling propane tanks. He seems happy to have a job to go to each day.

The Birthday Day

The kids decorated the Family Room with balloons and banners to celebrate their mum. She was surprised all day long with presents and Zoom calls. Having the big t.v. enabled her to visit with so many of her friends from all over the country. We zoomed (I guess that is now a verb) with her sister Margot and niece Edie at least three times during the day. Then there was a work Zoom and then a family Zoom and then a friends Zoom. It was truly wonderful. There were flowers from her Aunt and Uncle and a chair from her Dad for sitting around the outside fire and many other gifts and surprise parcels. For a pandemic birthday we sure made the most of it. Dinner was provided by a local Inn so noone had to cook or clean up except Libby who made the birthday cake. All in all a perfect day.

Walking Was Good

We had a couple of special walks this weeks with our friends both human and dog. Teddy and Henry are two special friends of Wyke and Bean and they both came for a walk this week. We are pretty sure the bear has gone into hibernation so we went back out onto our local trails for a couple of walks. No bear sightings which was good. The dogs had a wonderful time chasing each other through the fields and the trees. The humans enjoyed socially distanced visits so it was a success. We have since had a dump of snow which is icing over. Makes for some tough walks. Probably have to get the spikes out once again.

Cooking and Baking This Week

I am trying to perfect my Cinnamon-Raisin Bread recipe as it keeps falling apart. It is delicious according to the tasters but it is hard to toast and put butter on it. Katie made a delicious turkey soup which we have enjoyed all week long so I will share that with you.

Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Serves 10-12
Use your leftover turkey and herbs from Thanksgiving to make a satisfying and healthy soup that is just what you need after all the carb loading you did on Thursday. The hint of lemon and the shredded carrots make this soup really unique and flavorful!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3 cups celery, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 12 cups Zoup! Good, Really Good Chicken Bone Broth (4 31-ounce jars)
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 medium to large carrots, shredded
• 4 cups leftover cooked turkey, a mixture of dark and white meat
• 1 and 1/2 cups quick-cooking wild rice blend*
• 1 and 1/2 cups cream
• juice from 1 large lemon (1/4 cup), or to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• more fresh herbs, to garnish

Instructions

• In a very large stock pot, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat.
• Chop 3 cups celery. I used almost a whole medium head of celery, including the leaves at the end. (They add great flavor!) Instead of pulling off individual stalks, just start chopping the whole head from the leafed end.
• Chop 2 large onions. Add celery and onions to the pot with the melted butter.
• Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning.
• Saute for 13-14 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent.
• Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
• Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/2 cup flour and stir for 1 more minute.
• SLOWLY add 12 cups Zoup! Chicken Bone Broth, stirring the whole time. You don’t want lumps of flour so make sure to stir up those vegetables.
• Add 5 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf.
• Peel 8 medium to large carrots, and cut off the ends. Use a food processor to shred the carrots. You can do this using a cheese grater if you don’t have a food processor. You can also chop the carrots into rounds if you like. But shredded carrots is what gives this soup the texture I love, so keep that in mind. (Shredded carrots are what made Nana’s Beef Barley Soup internet famous.) It’s going to taste good either way, no matter how you prepare your carrots.
• Add all the shredded carrots and turn the heat to high. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Don’t walk away and let it boil over!
• When the soup is boiling, add 4 cups leftover cooked turkey meat. I like a mixture of dark and white meat, but you can use whatever you have. (You can also use cooked chicken!) Lower the heat to a simmer, somewhere between low and medium low depending on your stove. There should be slow bubbles happening but nothing too active. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
• Add 1 and 1/2 cups quick cooking wild rice blend* (see note!) and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, turn the heat back down and simmer for another 15-30 minutes, until your rice is tender.
• When the rice is cooked, turn the heat all the way to low and stir in 1 and 1/2 cups cream.