Seriously Soupy in The Huffington Post
When I started Seriously Soupy in October 2009, I would have never imagined all the amazing opportunities that a little soup blog would bring me. Working on the website has not only opened up my palate to new ingredients and recipes but I have had the opportunity to teach about soups, host soup events, start the Brooklyn Soup Swap, host a soup tour and now blog at The Huffington Post! For my first post, I conducted a link rundown of soups that reminded me of the nominees for Best Picture in a post entitled “Seven Soups Inspired by the Oscars for Best Motion Picture.” Hope you enjoy it and stay tuned for a St. Patrick’s Day soup rundown next month on Huff Post Food!
Soup Swapping
Since I started Seriously Soupy over a year ago (in October 2008 to be exact), I’ve had some amazing experiences in working with brands, attending events, meeting new people and the best part of this whole Soupy experience: seeing how genuinely excited people get when they talk about their favorite soup recipe. As a sub-group of Soupy, I started the Brooklyn Soup Swap to get soup lovers – both newbies and novices – together in a monthly forum where we could try each others soups and learn a new recipe or two. The first casual swap is taking place this Saturday in Rachael of Brooklyn Boullion‘s loft (an amazing lady I met only because of Soupy) and we are asking participants to bring a soup of their choice in a stockpot (only homemade) to feed 15-20 people. Swappers should also bring two-three containers of Tupperware so that you can take home any extra soup (I’ll have some tupperware on-hand as well). Also, if you can’t cook we need someone on drink, cheese/bread and dessert duty!
Hope you can make it!
For more information and to RSVP, please visit eventbrite.
To learn more about Brooklyn Soup Swap, please visit meetup.com/Brooklyn-Soup-Swap
For any questions, please email seriouslysoupy@gmail.com
Looking Back to Move Forward
My sister recently published a list of her accomplishments from 2010 and I thought that was a brilliant idea. It is too often that we look at what we haven’t accomplished and wish for what we don’t have – I am certainly guilty of this. But by simply writing down a list of what I achieved in 2010, I was shocked to discover that I actually did quite a lot and a lot of things that I am proud of – not just my daily role as a mother but new ways that I am exploring my interests as a woman. As a mom and a full-time working mom, this is particularly thrilling since most days are draining and hard and just plain exhausting. Other parts of the day are invigorating, exciting and amazing as I see how much my daughter is growing, learning and developing her own personality. Looking back, the day of a mom never stops but how amazing that I am still growing and evolving for myself and my daughter.
2010 was pretty awesome!
1. Participated in my first soup contest.
2. Wrote a play in a 24 hours play festival that was also performed.
3. Entered several play contests.
4. Got a new job as a managing editor.
5. Starting freelancing for two mom sites and two food sites that I love.
6. Had a soup party celebrating my one-year as a food blogger.
7. Got married!
8. Wrote songs with my sister for our band.
9. Took a collage class and learned new techniques.
10. Started cooking with my daughter.
With no set resolutions in place, I wonder what 2011 will bring!
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Ah, such a lovely Rhubarb Crisp
I love summer for so many obvious reasons – sunny days, cute dresses, later hours and probably the best reason of them all: the food. During this time, the seasonal and fresh fruits and vegetables bring a whole new slew of colorful ingredients to work with as well as the opportunity to test out new recipes. One of those seasonal favorites is the semi-tangy/bitter vegetable called rhubarb. And when I think of rhubarb I usually think of crisp. I recently discovered this rhubarb crisp recipe in the New York Times and thought I’d give it a whirl. I tweaked the recipe a bit by using almonds instead of pecans and adding some strawberries to the mix, which balanced the tanginess of the rhubarb. This one was definitely a hit and one that can be varied up using your favorite fruits and seasonal ingredients. Happy Summer!
Serena
Betcha can't just eat one slice
Rhubarb Crisp Recipe from the New York Times
Time: About 1 hour, largely unattended
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing pan
2 1/2 to 3 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, tough strings removed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 5 to 6 cups)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
Pinch salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pecans ( *I used almonds.)
*1/2 cup of organic strawberries
*modification
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking or gratin dish with a little butter. Toss rhubarb with white sugar, orange or lemon juice and zest, and spread in baking dish.
2. Put the 6 tablespoons butter in a food processor along with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, and pulse for about 20 or 30 seconds, until it looks like small peas and just begins to clump together. Add oats and pecans and pulse just a few times to combine.
3. Crumble the topping over rhubarb and bake until golden and beginning to brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Another blog?
What is this and do we really need another blog?
For the first question, this — serenanorr.com– is everything else that I love beyond the world of soup. If there is a cookie recipe I made and/or love, here it goes. A DIY bookmark, it goes here, too. I need a place to rant about parenting, here, too. A place to talk fashion or gossip or worldly events or whatever else I like, it goes here. Ok, you get the point. After starting my first baby, seriouslysoupy, I realized I needed another outlet to talk about everything else. Writing about a parenting event or a cool restaurant I went to in Brooklyn wasn’t appropriate on SeriouslySoupy, and I didn’t want to divert from that sites purpose: to create a new soup every week, test it out and write about it. So, there will still be SeriouslySoupy, but now a new baby is born: serenanorr.com
As to do we need another blog? Probably not but I hope you stick around to check out the other side of things I love: learn about crafts, cooking, fashion, parenting, and on and on — cook.craft.eat…here we go.
Serena
