A Year Later and I’m Buying the Individual Acorn Soup Tureens
Kswl
last year
last modified: last year
Some of you with long memories (and a penchant for unnecessary concerns over dishes) may remember that last year I lusted after individual covered soup bowls shaped like acorns. These were a long discontinued item from the now defunct Pier One and I was able to procure only one—-thankfully, as it was expensive and when it arrived i was horrified at how large it is . I decided this year to collect similar, smaller ones sold by Williams Sonoma and other makers. So far I have these two in hand and two in transit.
I’ve found a couple of pumpkins that would fit in, and am bidding on these (also WS)
and as yet don’t have 8 I need as a minimum for Thanksgiving dinner. Question: should I stick with the vegetable category of covered bowls or does the fact that i still have a few more yet to collect mean I can branch out to turkeys and squirrels? i found this one that i think is totally adorable
But—- truth time. Is this starting to look like a swap meet? An ”I’m shopping on ebay and I can’t stop” moment? I will be using these with Friendly Village dishes. unless it is just too busy, in which case I have creamy white dishes I can use.
The one i have from last year is much too big to use for soup for anyone except possibly Hagrid
I will use it for gravy, I think, or cranberry sauce.
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Winter is coming...Anyone wanna share soup recipes?
Comments (12)Cream of Broccoli/Cheddar Soup Large head of broccoli, chopped; or 2 boxed frozen-cook till tender crisp, drain Meanwhile, make the roux Saute in soup pot: 1 stick butter, 1 small to medium onion, chopped fine Cook till onion is clear Sprinkle 1/2 C flour over mix, stir constantly till flour smell is gone. Abt. 3-5 mins. Add: 2 C milk a little at a time, stirring constantly. I use a whisk to get it lump free Blend in: 2 C shredded sharp cheddar till melted Add: 1 Qt. chicken stock a little at a time Add: broccoli Season with salt and pepper to taste (I use white pepper) Cook on low heat for abt. 15 mins, stir frequently to keep from sticking. Do not cover. Serve with a sprinkling of cheese and/or bacon bits Goes really well with Pumpernickle rye or Hawaiian bread and a glass or two of wine. We want comfort, right? I use 2% milk which I warm in the microwave, reduced fat cheddar when I can find it, Brummel & Brown spread instead of butter. I also add Julienne cut carrots (1 large). Sometimes I saute them with the onions. Sometimes I cook them with the broccoli. I've also added cut up cooked chicken. Use a flat bottom pot for best results...keeps the roux from burning/sticking...See MoreDid you see these acorn tureens?
Comments (13)Luvs, You BETTER HAD show us if you find any more pretty stuff!! I don't want to miss anything. I had already checked out Susan's. I never miss her's. That girl is really talented and finds the most unique items for me to drool over. Her tablescapes are always 'To Die For'. I wonder where she found the pheasant pair. I haven't found a price on that Spode Woodland china yet. They had a price on the Woodland flatware, but not the china. I love it and really would like to invest in a set of that. And I went to the WS link and found that the acorn soup tureen set is no longer available!! DRATS! They didn't even give a price. It would have been nice if they would have at least given the price. That way I would KNOW I can't afford them! LOL I was going to give you a holler about those tureens, but after they weren't available I figured why tease you with something you can't have. I did leave a comment on their site asking about the future availability and price. WOW!! Wasn't that table at Stone Gable beautiful? She had the acorn theme to the max didn't she? Those large jeweled acorns were awesome! Wonder where she found those beauties. She even had a garland (rope?) of acorns. Did you see that? And those pretty little bunches of 3 shiny acorns in her centerpiece really added the perfect touch to the arrangement. You've got me wanting acorn stuff now!! But, my heart is still on the pheasants. they are soooo pretty with their long tail feathers. They have ATTITUDE!! LOL If you find any more pretties, you really do need to show us. OK? We have to stick together and "SHARE THE LOVE". LOL Betty...See MorePumpkin: not desserts, pie or soup?
Comments (22)You can substitute pumpkin for winter squash in any recipe that you have. Here is a good main course one if you like spicy. Clare Thai Pumpkin Curry with Citrus This vegetarian curry offers an array of bright colors - orange, yellow, and red - infused with citrus accents. You'll love the delicious taste of this curry, as well as its healthy combination of vegetables, including pumpkin or squash, yam/sweet potato, carrots, yellow bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Add chick peas as a protein source, then finish the dish with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds and nasturium flowers for a gourmet curry recipe that's as beautiful as it is delicious. Makes a perfect vegetarian Thanksgiving recipe, but is equally yummy any time of the year. ENJOY! Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: �1/2 small pumpkin (or subsitute 1 acorn squash, butternut, or any other orange squash except spaghetti) �1 small or 1/2 large yam or sweet potato, peeled and cubed �1-2 medium carrots, cut into thick slices �1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces �1 cup cherry tomatoes �1/2 can chick peas, drained �2 Tbsp. grated orange rind �CURRY SAUCE: �3-4 cloves garlic �1-2 fresh red chillies (or substitute fresh green chilies, OR 1-2 tsp Thai chili sauce) �1 can coconut milk �1 tsp. tamarind paste (or substitute 1 Tbsp. lime juice) �2+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets) �1 Tbsp. brown sugar �juice of 1/2 lime �juice of 1 medium orange �1/2 tsp. turmeric �1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar) �1 Tbsp. ground coriander seeds, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, and 1 tsp. fennel seed �1/3 purple onion, sliced �GARNISH: �handful of fresh basil leaves �optional: 1 Tbsp. roasted pumpkin seeds and a few nasturium flowers (or other edible flowers) Preparation: 1.To make the curry sauce, place all sauce ingredients together in a food processor (or blender if you don't have a processor). Process well. Set aside. Prepare pumpkin or squash by cutting it open and scooping out the seeds with a spoon. Either save the seeds for roasting, or discard. Cut the pumpkin/squash into cubes, slicing off the skin. You will probably only use 1/3 to 1/2 a pumpkin for this recipe (save the rest in the refrigerator for cooking later). Prepare the rest of the vegetables plus the orange rind. 4.Place the pumpkin (or squash), yam, and carrots in the wok/frying pan together with the curry sauce over medium-high heat. Stir well. When the curry begins to boil, reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Allow to simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Add the bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, chick peas, and orange rind, stirring to incorporate. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Do a taste test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If not spicy enough for your taste, add more fresh chilli (or chili sauce). If too sour, add a little more sugar. To serve, scoop into a large serving bowl, or portion out on individual plates. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and pumpkin seeds, then top with several nasturium flowers (if using). Serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice (white or brown), and enjoy this colorful and fragrant Thai dish!...See MoreIs it Soup Yet?
Comments (21)Lizbeth, I have written down my gumbo recipe, and it is rather lengthy and involved, which is why I do not make it all that often I make a large batch when I do so that I can freeze portions of it for later, and I generally freeze 3/4 of it. I make it with both okra and filé, but many people use just one or the other. I have never made it without okra, as I love okra, and so I only make it when I find fresh okra, although I think you could use frozen okra. I'll have to try that some time. Seafood Gumbo 1-1/2 pounds okra, sliced into 1/4” thick pieces (fresh or frozen) 2 tbsp canola oil 2 cups chopped celery 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp grape seed oil (or canola) 8 cups water 4 tsp vegetable (or chicken) soup base (can use vegetable cubes) 2 tbsp clam or crab soup base, or to taste 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp canola oil 1/2 cup flour 3-4 bay leaves 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried basil) 1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme) 4 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano) 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (do not substitute dried for this one) 4-6 Serrano (or Thai) chilies, seeds removed, finely chopped 1 tbsp filé powder 1 10 oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained 1-1/2 pounds King Crab legs (or 1 pound lump crab meat) 1 pound shrimp, shelled and de-veined 1/2 pound bay scallops or clam or oyster meat 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 4 cups cooked rice Sauté the okra in a small amount of oil in an iron skillet for 8 minutes on high heat and then about 7 minutes more on medium heat, or until the stringiness is gone. Set aside. Note: Do not substitute olive oil in this recipe. Sauté the celery, onions, bell pepper, and garlic in 2 tbsp oil until the onions are translucent. I usually start the celery first for a few minutes, and then I add the onions and bell pepper and sauté those for a couple of minutes and add the garlic last. This way the garlic will not burn and not turn bitter. I sauté with the garlic only about 1 minute. You can then store these on top of the okra. In a large saucepan or stockpot, make a roux with the 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp grape seed (or canola) oil, and 1/3 cup flour. Cook the roux until it is a deep reddish brown—this will be just a few minutes past the “peanut butter” color stage. Add more oil, if needed. The roux should have the consistency of yogurt and be fairly easy to stir at this point so that you do not burn it. Add the tomatoes and cook until all liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is thickened into a paste. Add the filé, basil, oregano, and thyme and cook about 5 minutes more. It will be a very thick paste at this point, similar to a choux or puff paste. Add the water slowly, stirring constantly, and then add the bay leaves and bouillon. Stir until the bouillon has dissolved, and then add the sautéed vegetables, including the okra, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. This is a good time to start making the rice. Just before you are ready to serve, add the crab, shrimp, parsley, and scallops, and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the scallops are done. Check the seasoning, and add a dash of cayenne, Tabasco sauce, chili paste if it is not hot enough. It should be slightly salty, as the rice will require a bit of salt, but be careful not to overdo the salt—this will ruin the flavor. You can always add a tiny bit of salt at the table. If you are using pre-cooked shrimp, add them only at the time of serving, and store leftover shrimp separately. Serve in large, deep soup bowls over rice. You may want to offer Tabasco or chili paste for those who want more pepper flavor, but I don’t find this necessary. If you use Thai chili peppers, it will be hot enough. If you use milder peppers, you may have to increase the quantity or you can leave the seeds in. When I make quantities that I expect to freeze, I always store the leftovers in individual containers of whatever amount I want to reheat at one time. Gumbo can be reheated once, but not twice. Yield:4 quarts, or 8 large (2 cup) servings, not including rice Variations Many people like to add chopped Andouille sausage to gumbo, but I reserve that for jambalaya. You can make your own fish stock in place of water and bouillon, but this dish is already enough work as it is. However, if you boil your own shrimp and crab, use the water that you boil them in for some of the water in this recipe. You can still intensify the flavor by adding the bouillon....See MoreKswl
last yearYes, it is looking like a hodgepodge of soup dishes! If I get the pumpkins i can always keep them in reserve for groups of 10 or 12—- maybe have a “pumpkin end“ of the table in that case.
So, next question: I’ve found some all white acorns. Would they be better, or worse than these pumpkins from WS ? I’ve located three. They have the same type of glaze as the WS acorns and are the same size. Do these pumpkins fit in better?
Kswl
last yearKswl
last yearlast modified: last yearKswl
last yearKswl
last yearlast modified: last yearKswl
last yearlast modified: last yearKswl
last yearI’ve found a terra cotta linen tsblecloth but it is a good deal lighter than I wanted. I also found a sort of chunky cotton striped tablecloth I could have made into a runner. Or use the two together. Thoughts?
Kswl
last yearlast modified: last yearI found this all over print in an acorn and leaves pattern in quieter colors. I’ve got the seagrass charger/placemats and last year i made two big pumpkins for table decoration. They might end up on the sideboard this year. Thoughts?
Kswl
last yearHere is the small print tablecloth in golds and browns with seagrass charger, white dinner plate, Friendly village soup bowl or salad plate and pewter handled flatware and goblet. I like the WS acorn bowls with this backdrop but still looking for a runner.
Apologies for the poor quality mock up. If you erase too much of the background of a photo you start to lose the subject also.
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