Happy Halloween!!

Halloween #25
Originally uploaded by stevechasmar

Have a great Halloween weekend everyone! I think my brother was a pumpkin on a table for Halloween one year, if I remember correctly he got his head stuck and there was a bit of drama to get him out. This photo from steve chasmar on flicker reminds me of that Halloween.....

Slow food in a Modern Kitchen

Hey guys, make sure to check out my new monthly feature "Slow Food in a Modern Kitchen" on the Lillyella blog! On the last Wednesday of each month I will be sharing some of my favorite kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, recipes and decor. Click on over to check out my first post on bread baking.

Spoon rests in progress...

Bisque kiln is cooling....cups are drying....belt buckle design is waiting for decoration and I think I have my new spoon rest design. I had a request for some round spoon rests from one of my wholesale shops and I thought it would be fun to come up with a new, larger, spoon rest design. Here are some drying, all they need is to be cleaned up and decorated. I think I am going to keep one for my own stove:)

DIY Magazine

This totally made my rainy day:) Check out the winter edition of DIY magazine by Better Homes and Gardens in your local bookstore, you might just see a familiar dish on page 35.

Pea Soup with Shredded Pork

This weekend left me stuck in the house with a head cold. Whenever I have a cold all I want to eat is soup, bread with butter and ginger ale. I happened to be left with half a large pork roast from a dinner I made earlier in the week so on Saturday morning I made a big pot of pea soup. I'll tell you about the sandwich later this week....

Split Pea Soup with Shredded Pork

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 lb of dried split peas, rinsed and soaked
6 cups of water
2-3 Lb. pork roast, trimmed of fat
2 Tbs. fresh thyme, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups of Chicken or Vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot heat the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until translucent, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Add the rest of the ingredients through the broth. Cook, covered until the veggies are soft and pork is cooked through. Remove the roast and shred the meat using two forks. Take the soup off of the heat, remove the bay leaf and puree using an immersion blender or regular blender (if using a regular blender, let the soup cool a bit and leave room for steam. Cover the hole with a towel to avoid a mess). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup ladled in a shallow bowl with a mound of pork in the center.