Recipe: Carrot Ginger Soup

After some really georgeous fall colors, freezing cold temperatures have hit Minnesota (and other parts of the USA, too). And since it already is dark at 5:00 pm, it's time to cook soups and stews. Like the following one - a big help for those who are fighting the cold and flu season.
 

Carrot Ginger Soup
"The cold killer" - four large bowls

• Two pounds or 1 kg peeled and cut (baby) carrots
• one large (Idaho) potato, peeled, in chunks
• fresh ginger, two to four inches (up to 3.5oz)
• one clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• one quart or one liter (vegetable) broth
• about half a cup (100g) of sour cream
• salt, pepper
• optional: ground ginger, chili powder

Chop ginger and garlic in very small dices. In a large saucepan, brown both in butter. Add carrots and honey, sear shortly (don't burn!), then add the potato chunks and broth. Bring to a boil, then let cook on low-medium until a small knife cuts through carrots easily. Stir occasionally during that time.

Add sour cream before blending (I use a hand blender and work directly in the saucepan). Season to taste with salt and pepper, maybe ground ginger or chili powder.

Serve with a slice of hearty, whole grain bread ("Dakota" by Great Harvest Bread Company ...).

Good for freezing, too! Enjoy!

Fresh on/from the stove top ...

Additional remarks:
I have read similar recipes replacing a part of the broth and sour cream with coconut milk.
Use potatoes that would also be great for mashed potatoes because they have more starch.
If you prefer to skip dairy products, use two potatoes instead.

Going here and there - before snow hits.

I know that it really has been a long, long time since my last blog entry. But with me being back to work as well and some georgeous fall weather out there, there was just enough time for occasional postings on the German edition of this blog.

Some of you know that I was a trained secondary school teacher back in Germany, with both math and history as subjects (yes, the German teaching degree requires the equivalent of a double master and some educational studies from a university). I am still in the process of evaluation, but the catholic school system in town was able to hire me based solely upon my German degree.

Now I am part-time teaching: algebra as advanced level math in junior high. And I really love being back in the field that I was trained for. Love the kids, too. Love to have adjusted to the different classroom management, style of instruction and administration. Well, honestly, I am still learning, everyday. At least my mind doesn't have to work 120% all the time in class anymore - it felt that way in the first weeks, learning names, math vocabulary, ways to explain complicated things, ways to understand the sometimes twisted junior high mind. But as you notice, this is worth a posting on its own.

There have been blizzards in Minnesota at this time of the year before, so everybody is anticipating the first serious snow fall of this season (with the last one being just six months ago ...). So Alex and I decided to go to Lake Superior as a weekend trip once more before the snow hits.

We had already been up north in June, so therefore we stayed at the uttermost southwest corner of the lake this time, meaning Duluth, MN and Superior, WI. I had the feeling that all hotels in Duluth are at the lakefront and you pay for the view - so we stayed in Superior over night. There is a saying in German "Wenn Engel reisen ... (ist das Wetter traumhaft)" - when angels travel (the weather is great) -, so have a look at some impressions from the Ocean of the Upper Midwest.

Wisconsin Point - a reddish sandy beach (red because of the iron)

Between Wisconsin Point and the mainland

SS Meteor - the only whaleback ship existing in the US

Duluth, Aerial Bridge. Connecting "Minnesota Point" (Duluth's "Long Island") and Canal Park (the historic harbor district).

Duluth Harbor Lighthouse

Lakewalk in Duluth

That was the last weekend in October. But the tourist season had already been over at that point - the museum ship (SS Meteor) was closed for the season, so were other shops and you noticed more locals than tourists (easily to distinguish as some wore light jackets, if at all, and others were bundled up). 

As Minnesota is famous for its fall colors, I also want to share some impressions from Frontenac State Park, located on the bluffs above the mighty Mississippi.

While Rochester already lost most of those beautiful colored leaves, the Bluffs seem to be a little more protected. Since we have had three days of fall last year when driving north as part of our move from Houston, TX to Minnesota, I really embraced the fall colors this year. I honestly felt like a child again, walking through all those both pretty and crunchy leaves ...

Waiting for snow ... Though we'd still like to spend a part of the weekend outside of town, it is hard to tell how long this is going to be possible ...