This soup is truly delicious and will get added to my permanent recipe collection. It reminds me of a clam chowder in terms of being a thick, white, milky soup. The celery and onion provide a crunch, the spinach and carrots add a touch of color, the bits of chicken are unexpected, and the gnocchi is addictive. There is a small amount of prep, but I've included a few shortcuts to try if you are short on time.
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The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award is awarded to the most distinguished informational book for children. The 2016 winner is: Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. The book is published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calvaras is about José Guadalupe Posada, the Mexican artist whose iconic Dia de Muertos illustrations are well known to children celebrating or learning about the holiday. Juxtaposing his own artwork with Posada’s art and life, Tonatiuh tells the story of a remarkable man and time in Mexican history. “Dancing calaveras (skeletons) cavort through this playful biography about the Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. In lively art and text, Tonatiuh describes Posada's techniques and the social impact of his vibrant art," said Sibert Medal Committee Chair Elizabeth C. Overmyer. Here's a hearty soup for the bean lovers to help get through the cold weather. Most bean soups only use one type of bean, but this one uses seven, which is kinda fun to see all those shapes and sizes and colors. Start with 4 cups mixed beans. I used 1/2 cup each pinto beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, split peas, black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas. Place in a large pot and add water 3-4 times the amount of beans. I'm going to guess that this is a recipe most people have not run across before. It's one of my favorites, direct from West Africa. True. When I was growing up my family hosted a group of folks from different countries as part of a church event. I remember two of the people we had visit our house. One was from Australia who spent a major part of his day watching the squirrels out our back door because he had never seen one before. The other was from West Africa (sorry not to recall the exact country, but maybe my mother remembers) who showed her, my mother, how to make this native dish. Ground nuts are simply peanuts. So, this is a peanut stew. I am currently attending the American Library Association Midwinter meetings in Boston where it is beginning as a very rainy day. My Sibert Committee completed its charge last night and all that's left is gravy. Calling the winners, a photograph, the very exciting Awards Announcements Monday morning 8:00 eastern time. Click on the link below to watch it live. And click the link below for all the background information on all the book catagories being awarded. Until I am able to say more about any of it, I will follow this post with my Soups & Stews for Week 2. Considering the weather right now, it would give me great happiness to have a big plate of this one today. Alas.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I don't know about you, but I tend to think of January and February as the best months to make soup. Nothing like a good hot soup to warm your bones when it's so cold outside. So, this month, and maybe next, I plan on making a few of my favorites. Some to eat, some to freeze, some to share. First up, chili! |
I remember the excitement of visiting the public library as a child. The magic and suspense of reading favorites like The Velvet Room and The Secret Garden tugged at my imagination. Biographies of George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross allowed me to see the lives of those who came before me and to appreciate their accomplishments. Poetry collections like my favorite The Tall Book of Poems, which I took with me on sleepovers, introduced me to a range of poetry where I could consider how the placement and rhythm of words affected your mood – sometimes bouncy, other times melancholy. Plus, I really loved the way that book felt in my small hands. My goal in writing children’s books, I think, is an attempt to recreate those feelings, those early years of reading books where everything seemed possible.
I received an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and won the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award from SCBWI. I worked as a Children's Librarian for 20 years and still prefer to read books written for young people. I have two Cavapoo dogs named Prince Albert and Daisy Wu, and a black kitten named Mortimer. I am married and split time between homes with my husband Rod in Dayton, OH and in Cadiz, KY where we enjoy our pontoon boat on Lake Barkley.
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