A New Pickle Recipe

My work friend, Nikol, pickles things and last Friday I asked for her recipe. She graciously gave it to me.

Nikol's Pikols

2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups white vinegar
4 cups water
1 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar

Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
Garlic (if you use minced, the flavor is stronger)
Fresh Dill
Coriander
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Mustard Seed
Whole All Spice (not too much, optional)

If you can get your hands on grape leaves (Russian markets often have them), put one of those in with your pickles. They crisp better that way.

I put them up this past Sunday, so I will know in a week how they turn out.

In case you are wondering, the pickle was too big for my jars, so I cut it in half. I figured it wouldn't compromise the seal on the jar, that way.

EcoCar3 Fall Workshop in Boston Once Again

Year 2 begins this week at Mathworks in Boston, MA.

My son is flying with his team today and, as usual, I am excited and apprehensive at the same time.

He is still Project Manager for the team this year and they are scheduled to get their cars around December. Then the real work begins. I kind of have the feeling that my son likes to get his hands dirty, working on the car itself. :-)

I will, of course, be following them and if warranted, will post appropriate things on this blog.

Good luck, my son.

Staten Island Ferry At The Dock

My Water Post For Today.

I bring you back to New York City and the Staten Island Ferry trip we took, while we visited the Island.

This is my favorite shot of all of them, because you can see one of the ferries loading at the base of Manhattan and you can see 2 of the east side bridges, off to the right side. The Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, in case you care.

That is how small the end of the Island is, at that point. Easy to walk, that's for sure.

I love that they paint their ferries a bright orange color. Very striking and lovely.

I hope you enjoy.

KCET Ends It's Year Long Celebration Of 50 Years On The Air

I thought I would acknowledge the end of our 50th Anniversary Celebration year, with a quick post.

I was glad to be a part of that celebration, being interviewed by the VP of Programming and getting a few words on the anniversary show.

Helping to track down shows that we did, back in the day.

Seeing people who used to work with me, for the first time in decades.

It was all good.

We now move into year 51 and I am still here.

It's a miracle. :-)

Flashback photo of our old lot, where so much of that history happened.

100 Mules

This anniversary of the building and opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct happened while I was at college, late in 2013. My Husband went to the ceremony that they had at the cascade, but never noticed that KCET was involved in a production that documented the event. It is called One Hundred Mules Walking The Los Angeles Aqueduct.

A few weeks ago, we aired the show again and my Husband finally noticed the promo. So we actually watched it.

It was quite dramatic to see the 100 mules walking along the length of the state of California. It took something like 13 days to accomplish this task.

I highly recommend watching it. Click the link above...you know you want to.

Matzo Brei Cup Cakes

We are officially on the other side of Yom Kippur and so we are "hopefully" inscribed for another year.

I know my Mother-In-Law used to make little cup cakes that would have stuffing as the filling, but my Husband swears that she also did them with Matzo Brei.

If you don't remember my post about Matzo Brei, you can refresh your memory and get the recipe HERE.

When we accepted the "Break the Fast" dinner invitation, I asked him what should we make. He decided on this recipe and so I left it up to him.

What he decided, was to make up a batch and cook them when I got home. He made the traditional recipe for the brei and then before putting the mixture into the cup cake pan, we sprayed each cup cake paper with a little Pam. We did not want them to stick to the paper. Well, maybe we went a little overboard, because they did not stick at all...but it worked out.

I personally like a little maple syrup with my Matzo Brei and so we brought a bottle to serve with them. I don't know if anyone ate any, but I thought they came out just fine.

Sunset In Tucson, AZ

Back on our journey. This time, Tucson, AZ.

We got to Tucson before sunset and as usual, they tell us nothing about how long we are going to be staying around.

We were having dinner at the time and so after dinner, we retire to our room, thinking that we would be leaving pretty soon.

As usual, for this trip, that does not end up being true and in a repeat of our stop in Houston, we spent almost an hour there.

I got some sunset photos from the train, but I know they would have come out much better, if I was able to get out of our car and take them.

This was the best I could do and I was glad I got it.

Enjoy.

Welcome To Fall (2015)

Welcome To Fall. (For those who are Jewish, may you be inscribed for another year).

For us in hot and dry California, it could not get here soon enough.

It will take a few weeks more to cool down a bit, but I hope that the worst will soon be over.

To get me in the mood, I went looking for some of my photos from Upstate New York.

I truly can't think of anywhere that is as pretty as the North East in the Fall.

This photo that I found, has water, fall colors, greenery, grass and hey, even a pumpkin.

A perfect photo.

Enjoy the Fall.

Cashews With Crispy Sage & Garlic

I got sage the other day in my box of produce.

I have always wanted to fry the sage in oil, as I have seen P.Allen Smith do on his show.

I remembered that when I got home from school, 2 years ago, my old boss had sent my husband some cashews that had crispy sage & garlic. He would not touch them, but I liked them. So I decided to try to make some.

I had the general idea and so I bought some cashews.

Here is the basic Recipe.

Cashews With Crispy Sage & Garlic

In a medium skillet, fry minced garlic cloves in olive oil until lightly golden brown (maybe 20 seconds or so).
Add sage leaves to the skillet and cook them until they crisp up and stop making noise (again, about 20 seconds or so).
Drain on paper towels.
Add raw cashews to the skillet and cook, stirring, until golden and then drain them on paper towels, if you want.
If you don't, leave them in the fry pan and toss with the garlic, sage and salt (if desired).
Let cool, then serve.

Rocks And Sea Foam

My Water Post For Today.

The far end of Long Island has rocks on the beach, in addition to sand and I managed to get a few photos of the waves crashing over those rockes by the shore.

I love the wet rocks and how many different colors they are. White ones, black ones and so many shades of brown.

They made my morning, that much better...while we waited for the ferry to come.

I hope you enjoy.

Another Saturday Afternoon At The Angel House

I am watching the new Doctor Who so you get a short post. :-)

Here is her royal highness, Makenna, doing what she does best. Sleeping the afternoon away.

I know I have mentioned this before, but she loves sleeping under the dining room table.

I love how I can be working in the kitchen and yet she is sleeping away and not even me coming over to look at her, can wake her.

Always totally adorable, even in sleep.

"The Tower"

My van pool passes this rock every morning, as we travel on the southbound Hwy 14.

Since I am on the left side of the van, I have a tendency to try to get a photo of it.

This particular image is the best one I have gotten, so far.

I love the clouds that were in the sky that morning. Not a normal sight, by any means.

This area is just before you reach the Newhall Pass and the land is called Elsmere Canyon. You may have heard of it. For decades the City of Santa Clarita had to fight to keep the land from becoming a dump. Thankfully, we now own it and made the Canyon into a park, for people to enjoy exploring.

There is a better photo of the outcropping, called "The Tower" on a webpage that you can see HERE. Scroll down past the first 3 images and you will see an outstanding photo that shows you the rock and the Hwy 14 Freeway.

Iconic Neighborhood Restaurants: Santa Clarita

I have been working on a project for KCET. I am hopeful that something similar to this post, ends up on their webpage.

The City of Santa Clarita incorporated in December of 1987, but it existed as part of Los Angeles County, much earlier than that. It is a bedroom community of LA and one of the places that sees a lot of movie and TV shows shot around the area, due to it being within the Thirty Mile Zone.

The Original Saugus Cafe

It is the history that gets you, at the Saugus Cafe. Located in Santa Clarita, it is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in all of Los Angeles County. It served its first customer on September 1, 1877, so it just turned 138 years old.

William Mulholland used to stop here on his way to the Owen's Valley. Presidents visiting the area would sometimes eat at the restaurant, when on their journeys to Los Angeles. Theodore Roosevelt had a steak dinner one evening and President Benjamin Harrison dined here, too. Movies and TV Shows are shot here and you can feel that vibe, as you sit at the booths and order your food. Their breakfast menu is outstanding and so are their burgers. Prices lean toward inexpensive and several times a week (currently Thursday through Saturday) The Cafe is open all night. Otherwise, they close at 10PM.

They have a full bar that is connected to the restaurant, for you drinking pleasure.

Grand Panda

There happen to be 2 Grand Pandas in Santa Clarita, both owned by the same family. I go to the one in Saugus, but there is also one on Lyons Avenue in Newhall. The food is excellent, the wait staff are friendly and if you get there before 6PM, you will probably have no problem getting a table on the weekends. Their Take-out is wonderful and comes in reusable containers. The restaurant is not cheap, by any means, but the food makes it worth the price. We do both casual dinners and fancy events here and have never been disappointed.

Backwoods Inn

Another restaurant that has been around for a long time, is The Backwoods Inn. It was built in 1968 and as it says on its webpage, it is where the locals come to eat. Steak and seafood are big at this restaurant, but the things that make it different, are their one of a kind menu items. Their Backwoods baked potato is to die for and so is their Backwoods coffee. We always save room for that, at the end of the meal. Their steaks, ribs, chicken and shrimp are all excellent, though not cheap. We usually go for a special event and we have never been disappointed. Lots of antiques and collectibles give the place color, especially around the bar area. Definitely Old School.

La Cocina

Another family run restaurant that has 2 locations(they are building a 3rd one right now by the 14 Freeway in Friendly Valley). What makes this Mexican restaurant so good, is their homemade salsa. The wait, especially after 6PM can be upwards of an hour, but if you get there just after 5PM, you can get a table, without too much effort. Some of their drinks are wonderful and potent, but the margaritas, not so much. Otherwise, it is basic Mexican food, but not chain food. That makes a difference to our family. Oh and their Albondigas Soup rocks.

Cousin's Burgers

There is a little hole in the wall restaurant in Canyon Country called Cousin's. There used to be one in Saugus, but it closed a year or so ago. I personally go there for their salad bowls. My guy loves their burgers and my son, the Chicken Philly. Everything is fresh cooked and you can put the extras on the order, yourself. Lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, pickles, peppers and dressings are all out on the counter and you can do with them, as you wish. The price is very reasonable and worth the trip over to Canyon Country.

The Wedding...With Us

A wedding photo turned up this week and I was pleasantly surprised to see that me and my small family are in the background.

Obviously, the bride and groom are front and center here, but if you look over to the left side of the photo, on the second row, you see me and my Son and Husband.

It is just about the only record of our being in attendance at the wedding and I was just so glad to see it.

The Hollywood Bowl 2015: Gershwin & Berlioz

The Hollywood Bowl summer season is winding down and my Husband and I (due to our very busy month of July) finally had a few moments to contemplate going to a concert this year. Unfortunately for us, the choices were a Tuesday or a Thursday concert. Being I am a fan of Gershwin and Thursday was better than Tuesday for us (since it was Labor Day on Monday), we chose the Thursday concert. This was the final official bowl week, though other concerts will be using the bowl, well into October.

Here is what we heard:

Fin Tango by Socher

Concerto in F by Gershwin

Symphonie fantastique by Berloiz

The first piece, Fin Tango was composed by LA Philharmonic violinist, Barry Socher. He retired after the performance, concluding a 35 year run at the Phil and that made the playing of the piece, very special. The conductor for the evening, Pablo Heras-Casado, made quite a bit about Barry's retirement, before playing Fin Tango and I thought he did a great job of cluing the audience in to how special the evening was going to be. By the way, Pablo Heras-Casado is up for Principal Conductor of the New York Philharmonic. :-)

Gershwin's piece was very identifiable as a Gershwin composition. Little nods to things you hear in works like Rhapsody In Blue, turned up and gave me much pleasure. Rhapsody being my favorite Gershwin piece. The soloist, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, was just outstanding, during this piece and he got quite the ovation, at the conclusion of Concerto in F.

After the Intermission, we went into Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz. I have never heard before, but did enjoy it.

My Husband and I were glad we managed to see a performance and it worked out perfect for us. The review in the Los Angeles Times, confirmed our opinion.

If only it had been less humid, I think we would have enjoyed it, even more.

A Morning Rainbow

This photo was taken yesterday morning around 6:30AM. My son was up at this ungodly hour because he was going camping. So a difference in routine made me think to get our newspaper out of the way of the kids who would be packing their vehicle, out on my driveway.

As soon as I walked out the door but before I got past the overhang, I could feel the weirdness. The light was just not right and I had no idea why. I took 2 steps out and then saw the rainbow. I immediately turned around and went to get my cell phone and began taking a few photos.

My son came out, too. He immediately noticed the other end of the rainbow, which had a huge cloud in the middle of it. Thus, two parts that did not connect.

I then tried walking further up our hill, to attempt to get both sides of the rainbow, but I was in pj's and no shoes and so that aborted pretty quick.

All in all, a very unexpected sunrise and rainbow and bonus, I shared it with my son!

Enjoy.

Main Street Bridge - Houston, TX

My Water Post For Today.

Here we are, ready to pull into Houston, Texas. So we are going pretty slow and we come to this bridge over some water. I look it up and it is the Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou, at a place called Allen's Landing.

I liked the fact that you can see part of the downtown area of Houston.

Again, as with most of the trip in the Louisiana and East Texas area, we have some interesting clouds.

We also have some remnants of the Bayou Country, since the water is brown, as usual.

I hope you enjoy.

My 21st Order From Abundant Harvest Organics

It has been 3 weeks and here we are again. More produce has arrived and it is basically a good bunch of stuff.

From last time: I did not use any of the lettuce and I apologize for that. Bad angel.

Otherwise, all was eaten and our favorite thing was the Daikon Radish Dip we made. Big hit with my Husband and I. My son was not as impressed and was sad that I did not make Daikon Radish Chips for him.

In honor of that fact, I added on an order of Daikon Radish ($2.50 extra) and now we have 6 of them. So I intend to make more of that Zesty Radish Dip and also make the chips.

Here is what we got.

3 Asian Pears
Butternut Squash
a basket of Cherry Tomatoes
6 Granny Smith Apples
1 head of Red and Green Lettuce
2 Pickling Cucumbers
1 bunch of Sage
2 Zucchini
3 Sweet Peppers
5 Tokyo Turnips
5 Tomatoes

Fall has arrived! We have our first Butternut Squash. Yay!

I think I will make home made sauce from all the tomatoes I have. I can add zucchini to the sauce, too. The guys never know.

Remember those brown apples from last time? Well they ended up being Asian Pears and I just got 3 more in this order. Live and learn.

I definitely intend to fry the sage. I have seen it done, multiple times on cooking shows and would like to use some of this bunch. I am not sure if I would use it all.

The Tokyo Turnips look like white radishes. I will probably use them in salad.

Well, that's it. Happy New Year to those who celebrate the Jewish Holidays.

Lordsburg, New Mexico

More tales from the train trip across the Country.

When we crossed over from El Paso, Texas to New Mexico, the West of movie fame, truly arrived. Our first stop was Deming and it was basically nothing but a mobile home by the track. Another hour passed and we arrived in Lordsburg.

This town has the look of the old west and as a matter of fact, Stagecoach, the 1939 John Wayne movie was about this town. As you can see in the background, the building right across from the Amtrak station is called the Stage Coach Inn and Cafe, probably in the movies honor.

While trying to figure this out, I found that the shops on the lower level are restaurants, including the one on the far right, called "The Whistle Stop". Reviews are good, by the way.

Somehow, I don't think I will be stopping for a meal there anytime soon. :-)

Freedom Wins The Day

Compared to New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, Los Angeles had no major problems on 9/11. There was a point where there was a missing plane in the air and its destination was to be LA, but thankfully, that did not occur.

I remember the day well, from the first message I saw on a Steely Dan Board at 6:30AM, to the endless day. First the commute into Downtown, with everyone in those high rises running home, to get away from that possible missing plane. Thousands running home and me, going the opposite way, to get into work. What was I? Nuts? Yes, I was and it is the life of a Broadcaster.

When I got in we were running CNN on our channel most of the day. At one point my President, Al Jerome, came into our office and said that he knew how hard this was to accomplish, but we had to do it...and so we did.

I had friends in the area of the buildings, but thankfully, not my immediate family.

All of mine were safe, but I am sure they carry their own baggage around, from that day.

14 years ago and in good news, we have a new building up in Downtown New York, shining the light of Freedom.

It stands proud for a nation that will never forget that day.

Steely Dan And Deacon Blues

Donald and Walter (of Steely Dan) went into this song in pretty great detail in the Classic Albums: Making of Aja program. So I was not totally surprised with the things that I read in a Wall Street Journal article, the other day.

There were new gems to explore and just the fact that this was in The Wall Street Journal, gave it extra cred (at least in my humble opinion).

If you have a few moments, take the time to find out about how the song Deacon Blues came about. Click the link HERE.

Just to jog your memory...the lyrics.

DEACON BLUES

This is the day
Of the expanding man
That shape is my shade
There where I used to stand
It seems like only yesterday
I gazed through the glass
At ramblers
Wild gamblers
That's all in the past

You call me a fool
You say it's a crazy scheme
This one's for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I'll make it this time
I'm ready to cross that fine line

CHORUS:
I'll learn to work the saxophone
I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whisky all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues

My back to the wall
A victim of laughing chance
This is for me
The essence of true romance
Sharing the things we know and love
With those of my kind
Libations
Sensations
That stagger the mind

I crawl like a viper
Through these suburban streets
Make love to these women
Languid and bittersweet
I'll rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town
A world of my own
I'll make it my home sweet home

CHORUS

This is the night
Of the expanding the man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be

CHORUS

Alpine, Texas

Another post from the trip.

I mentioned the other day that we had passed Alpine, Texas on our way to El Paso.

We had taken on a bunch of Boy Scouts and their Leaders, when we stopped in Houston and so they traveled with us. Some were in our sleeping car and so they came to my attention. When they got off at Alpine, a wide spot in the road at best, I was curious. So I took another look at what was around Alpine.

It ended up being the gateway to Big Bend National Park. The park is located at a place where the Rio Grande River goes south for a while and then begins moving northward, it creates a bend in the Western area of Texas, since the state line is the Rio Grande.

It wasn't a big town, but it had more infrastructure then so many places we had seen on our way. Somehow, I expected to see a mountains with a ski area...but that is not what I saw. it was basically flat.

Many thanks to those Boy Scouts, for making me pay attention this time around.

No NASCAR, Once Again

I have been watching NASCAR since back in 2007, when I spent a Labor Day weekend working the race. You may remember it HERE.

I have had problems with our cable, and last year I had finally gotten improvements in the amount of channels we get. This (of course) cost me a bit more money but for harmony in my family, it was worth it.

One of the things that improved last year was NASCAR. By the end of the season we were getting almost every race.

Not so, when NBC took over this year, at the mid season.

We do not get NBCSN (what the heck it that?) and that is where most of the races have been aired.

So once again, no races...until this weekend.

NBC aired 2 out of the three races at Darlington, SC and what a wonderful weekend we had.

The throwback weekend race was a 6 hour extravaganza that truly was worth watching.

It made me doubly sad that I am seeing so few races, this half of the year.

596 Transportation Group - Beaumont, TX

Happy Labor Day!

My Water Post For Today.

This is shortly after we passed the state line between Louisiana and Texas. Sorry that I am skipping around a bit (yesterday was western Texas), but hey.

This is Beaumont, Texas and right on the west bank of the Neches River, is the 596 Transportation Group (from what I can see on the Internet, they deal with weapons). Thus, we may be able to make the assumption that the ship in my photo is either unloading weapons, or loading them.

I got a kick out of the speed boat zipping by the military vessel. Two very different kinds of water transportation, side by side.

Once again, the photo has big white puffy clouds...though the water is still kind of brown.

I hope you enjoy.

Western Texas

I have no idea where this photo was taken...minus it was somewhere between Alpine and El Paso Texas.

You can see that the land has slowly been changing from lots of greenery to the desert that I am used to.

I am going to assume that the "Grand Canyon" look of the land right by the railroad track is from flash flooding.

I liked seeing this and was glad that it was not raining at that time. I didn't feel like dealing with a wash out. :-)

The mountains off in the distance gave the land some interest...which most of Texas does not have.

All in all, a beautiful area of our Country and I hope you enjoy it.

A Stop In Houston, TX

We made it to Labor Day Weekend. Woot!

In honor of the last hurrah of summer, I thought I would (once again) highlight train travel during the summer and holidays.

Here we are on a stop in Houston, Texas.

It was a long one and so we got out and we took lots of photos of Houston and (of course) photos of both of us. The thing is, that they didn't let us know how much time we had and so we stayed right there on the platform.

There was a station a few feet away and I know I would have loved to go into it, but I was scared that the train would pull out without me, so I stayed put.

We have done this at several places in our travels (Austin, Texas comes to mind). Each time, just us on a platform.

We were once were in Albuquerque, New Mexico and we were told in advance that we would be there for a particular amount of time. So we actually walked around the town a little and took photos.

So many times, we are running late and so you worry that we are going to try to make up time at these stops. Thus, you just get a little air and then get back in the train.

A half hour or so later, there you are, still sitting on that same platform. Oh well, who knew?

Hope you enjoy the photos and have a great Labor Day Weekend.

Zesty Radish Dip

This recipe was on the Abundant Harvest Organics newsletter that arrived in my box of produce (last week). My Husband and I both thought it might be good and so I made it for our Sunday dinner.

A quick fyi:
I did not have green onions and so I used red onion dip from Knotts' Berry Farm. It gave my daikon radishes(which are white) some red radish color, so we thought it worked out well. We also used half cream cheese and half greek yogurt. That seemed to work out well, too.

Zesty Radish Dip

Posted by Carol Peterson

Ingredients;

1 bunch halved radishes
1 cup chopped green onions (You can substitute garlic chives)
1⁄2 cup fresh parsley
8 ounces cream cheese or yogurt cheese
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Blend radishes, green onions, and parsley in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix with cream cheese, feta, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Continue to mix in food processor until smooth. Serve with veggies, crackers, or sliced baguette. For a thicker spread to be used for sandwiches, add more cream cheese. Make spread a few hours ahead of serving so all the flavors can mingle.

A Haggen Closing

HERE is a photo I took back in April of our brand new Haggen. I went to the post office on Saturday and this is what greeted me. That same store, with a closing sign. I had heard the rumors, but I didn't think it was going to happen so fast.

It even says Everything Must Go! As a Steely Dan fan whose last album was Everything Must Go, it gave me a chuckle.

Oh well, our Haggen (about a mile from this one) is still open...for now. We will see what the future brings, for it.

For the most part, we drive all the way to Valencia to shop at Vons (which is still a Vons, what a surprise).

I am so upset that the employees were shafted so bad. It's such a shame.

Carrot Ginger Soup

It has been a few weeks since I found this recipe and I have no idea where I got it from. :-)

The reason for the delay was that what I thought was an easy ingredient to buy, is now a big deal ingredient. The crystallized ginger is no longer carried at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, due to some lawsuit and so I finally had to buy it via mail order, at Penzey's Spices. The ginger arrived mid-week and so I made it on Sunday morning.

If you are into things that are sweet tasting, this is it!

I was told that most of the vitamins in a carrot are in its skin and so you don't need to peel the carrots. So I just washed them good and went from there.

I also had a little bit of corn on the cob left over and I added it in, too. Why not? :-)

Definitely worth the hour or so, that it took to make it.

Awesome Healthy Carrot Ginger Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions (preferably sweet onions), diced
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
1 tsp sugar
2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" slices
1 1/2 cups carrot juice
4 cups water
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Combine olive oil, onions, garlic, gingers, 2 tsp salt, and sugar in large soup pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are softened but not brown (5-7 minutes).

Add water, carrots, 3/4 cup carrot juice, thyme, and baking soda.

Increase heat to high and bring soup to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat. Cook until carrots are tender but not overdone (20-25 minutes).

Remove thyme sprigs. Working in small batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth.

Return pureed soup to pot and add remaining carrot juice and vinegar.

Bring to a simmer.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Two Brothers

I mentioned the Battles of Bull Run, on Sunday (you can view that post HERE). Since there is no water in this post, I had to wait til Tuesday to share it with you. :-)

While riding past the town of Manassas, the sun was seriously going down. I caught a few photos of some of the land in this part of Virginia, bathed in the last light of day.

A song that I had learned in Girl Scouts, went through my mind and so I sang as we traveled.

After I got home, I found the song on the Internet. I think it sums up how I felt, perfectly.

TWO BROTHERS

Two brothers on their way,
Two brothers on their way
Two brothers on their way,
One wore blue and one wore gray
One wore blue and one wore gray,
As they marched along their way
Fife and drum began to play,
All on a beautiful morning

One was gentle, one was kind,
One was gentle, one was kind,
One was gentle, one was kind,
One came back, one stayed behind
Cannonball don't pay no mind
If you're gentle or if you're kind
It don't think of the folks behind
Or of a beautiful morning

Two girls waiting by the railroad track,
Two girls waiting by the railroad track,
Two girls waiting by the railroad track,
One wore blue and one wore black
One wore blue and one wore black
Waiting by the railroad track
For their lovers to come back
All on a beautiful morning

If you don't remember the music, HERE is someone singing the song.