Boy oh boy was today full of homework!! You know the HGTV show curb appeal? It’s so inspiring! I watched one this morning and then we put the inspiration to work thereafter.
Matt and I set out on a 4-ish mile run at 11:30 and then came back to charge into home yard improvement tasks for the next few hours.
These involved lots of weeding, cleaning and mulching by me. And pruning and pressure washing by Matt. The front of our house was all green with plant gunk and our nice neighbors let us borrow their p. washing machine. It looks a MILLION times better now – and so thankful borrowing made it super simple.
This is also being Craigslisted this week. Eye sore be gone.
Prunes repurposed!! I’ve always wanted a red berry bush on my property : )
In between pruning and p. washing, we had lunch.
I despise canned soups. I have no idea if I can taste the can or if they all use some cheap kind of onion, but I hate them all. BOXED soups on the other hand are good! I think the flavor is totally different – it has less of that onion/garlic aftertaste (even if there are onions and garlic on the ingredient list!) I haven’t loved the Campbell’s boxed ones I’ve tried, but the Imagine and Pacific brands are fantastic.
Matt and I spilt this box for lunch – amped up with smoked paprika!
We also added some of this salami that I received in my Foodbuzz prize goodie bag. Sadly it sunk to the bottom!
The other half of lunch was a tasting plate of bread + butter, cheese and apple. Perfect soup friends!
The good news is now that everything is tidy, we can lie on the couch all afternoon. Shower first!! I have leaves in my hair.
{ 63 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want that gorgeous trampoline in your yard…ha!
I would love a trampoline!
I’m not a salami fan, but that orange and fennel flavor sounds delicious!
I need to make some nice wheat free bread. Looking at all your wonderful pics of delicious bread is got me craving a whole loaf! I’m with you on the can vs carton soups, if I can’t make my own carton it has to be.
there are very few canned soups i can stand, but for some reason i grew up eating campbell’s and it still makes me insanely happy.
The trampoline may look ugly but they are great for exercising on. For ladies they are really good for pelvic floor exercising which is important if you are thinking of children so use the trampoline before and after having a baby. Plus my kids love ours – it’s one of the best things I have ever bought.
Hey Kathy! I remember you doing a home post awhile back about the shark vac. I am contemplating getting one for our house, we have all wood flooring… Would you recommend this for whole house cleaning? Would it be better to actually vacuum first?
I would absolutely recommend it, and yes, you need to vacuum first or you will push around dirt
Sorry, Kath, stupid iPhone autocorrect!
I love productive mornings! Have a relaxing afternoon!
Ah that’s just the BEST feeling. I love getting up and accomplishing a lot and then just taking the rest of the afternoon to rest and relax
Yard work will definitely rev up your appetite!
I’m also not a big fan of canned soups, although some of the Amy’s flavors aren’t too bad (the chunky tomato comes to mind). I’m a big fan of using a boxed soup and then amping it up with fresh veggies, beans, etc. Of course, homemade is usually the best.
Gotta love getting all the work done and out of the way. I, too, finished all of my weekend chores early so I could do a little baking and relax with the fam for the rest of the day.
You have the prettiest dishes…I dig the turquoise and white.
And yes I know the show Curb Appeal very well. And what do you mean eyesore..you don’t want a giant tramp with bug netting on it taking up precious real estate in your yard anymore ?
Canned soups…about 5 years or so ago I remember lots of news about not only BPA leeching from them but also the aluminum and other heavy metals. No matter what ‘they’ say…I can still taste metal in my soup if I try canned soups too.
Pacific boxed soups are the best! So easy eat and so yummy.
I so agree about the canned soups! Have you seen Fig Food soups in your local Whole Foods? Their philosophy is all about using eco-friendly packaging, the best plant-based real food ingredients, and not overloading with salts and seasoning.
They’re awesome – and I’m not only saying this because it’s my uncle’s company, the stuff really is good and fresh!
Oh cool! I will look for them
Hi Kath – I just had a quick question for you re: your weight loss. When you were actively trying to lose weight did you eat the amount of sugar you currently consume on a daily basis? (Oatmeal toppings, etc). Were you able to lose weight that way or did you not start eating that way until you reached your goal weight? Thanks
Hey Sarah,
I ate the same kind of oatmeal bowls I do now. I would crumble bars a lot more often back then or top with walnuts, brown sugar and peanut butter. So yes, I’d say they are comparable. I eat more bread now and drink more beer
We want your trampoline! And your pea soup.
Outside work is always so fulfilling. I like that other people can see that I’m taking care of things!
Salami in soup?! Ewwwwwww!
I’m with you on that canned soup thing – not for me! But boxed ones I’ve tried have been great, especially Pacific. I’m sure you’ve probably just made some little kid in Cville very happy with that trampoline listing!
Oh, couch time after a productive day is so awesome, isn’t it? Love, love, love it!
I love having different things to dip into my soup! I DO NOT, however, love yard work! Good for you, getting out there! My mom loves doing it, crazy.
I hate canned soups, so I’ve always avoided the boxed ones because I figured they would be the same. It looks like I’ll have to give them a try though. Creamy sweet pea sounds delicious!
LOL, a boxed Cashew Carrot Ginger soup was our lunch today! Pacific brand I think….
I like those soups but I don’t like the nutritional label indicating the high-sodium. I just ignore that (but still am not fond of it and it is impossible to find low-sodium versions).
Pressure washers are such useful tools! Driveways, cars, houses, etc. Love them.
Nice lunch combo!
Even though it makes feel a little too much like Sandra Lee, I love bulking up store-bought soups. I always buy something kind of “plain” like tomato or butternut squash and add a bunch of ingredients. Imagine soups are really great- though I’ve never had the pea- I’ll take your word for it that it’s good!
Interesting that the PBS Show American’s Test Kitchen reviewed canned and boxed chicken and vegetable broths. They found that the Swanson canned chicken broth was rated the highest. The Swanson organic boxed chicken broth was not rated well. All the vegetarian broths were not rated well. The Pacific brand ones were rated the worst. How much research do you do? Do you publish only your “opinions” about products after testing them yourself? When you say “I despise canned soups” have you tested ALL canned soups?
I’m not so much referring to broths – I’m talking about flavored soups like sweet potato, split pea, and the like.
I’ve never had a canned soup that I liked…
I think before stating ANY personal opinions on soup you must eat EVERY single can on the shelf
/sarcasm
Oh my god – here I thought that I liked certain things because of how they taste but then you’re telling me I need to read reviews to determine what’s delicious? MIND = BLOWN
And you’ve also helped me to realize that a blog should be more like consumer reports and not a collection of a person’s individual experiences! This is a new day for me.
Funnny- my first thought regarding this hilarious PBS test kitchen comment was that I’m kinda not surprised that something called “America’s Test Kitchen” would give higher scores to non-organic, non-vegetarian broths, anyway. Isn’t the standard American diet (SAD! haha!) kind of known for leaning a bit toward the unhealthy end of the spectrum, anyway?
Anyhow, I share your sentiments about canned soup, Kath- I actually got sick the last time I tried to eat a can of it, no joke, and never will again. All I could taste was aluminum and onion powder.. I feel queasy thinking about it.
“Hilarious” … not an adjective that seems appropriate. I’m insulted…but moving on. I’ll reconsider before posting again here.
Actually “Amereica’s Test Kitchen” is the TV show component to Cook Illustrated, a very highly regarded culinary magazine. It does not promote what you are assuming to be the “American” diet the leans heavily on processed foods. Think of it like a Consumer Reports for foodies. Just because a product is “organic” does not mean it necessarily tastes good and taste was the sole factor of the test Greg referenced. Anyway, I don’t think Greg’s comment was on-point, as Kath was talking about canned soup and not canned stocks. For what it is worth, I don’t buy canned or boxed soups or stock. I make my own from scratch as I eat “real” food.
Yes, I looked it up afterward and get the general idea- I would just venture to guess that a lot of so-called “foodies” aren’t going to necessarily prefer the same flavors as the ones who tend to eat more natural, less processed food, anyway. I don’t tend to like most vegetable broths, either, or vegetarian soups for that matter, but I’ve tasted Swanson’s canned chicken broth, and if that’s what highly regarded “foodies” have decided is premium…to each his/her/their own.
Good point.
Sarah,
American’s Test Kitchen is a very well respected show by the creators of Cooks Illustrated. You should check it out because judging by your comment, I’m pretty certain that you’ve never seen or heard of it before.
Be well,
Carolyn
I would, but I don’t have tv and don’t enjoy cooking shows, anyway
I can taste the can – I swear it. Jus tlike with bottled marinara, I can taste the jar. It’s gross. Homemade for this girl!!
I am not a fan of all things in cans either; however, I still eat soups, beans, etc. I am all about homemade soups!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
1) You must feel awesome after the run and housework. 2) Completely agree on boxed soup vs. canned. 3) I’m new to your blog and literally just read your life story. I’m so in awe of how much determination you have. I’m definitely going to keep reading.
Welcome to KERF Lori!
Nothing beats homemade soup! I gave up canned soup long ago and use boxed low sodium broth in my soups…have yet to try the actual soups.
I so have to get out in the garden for a fall clean up…I hope I am not too late for tulip planting!
I know this is totally off subject-how did you find your home? We plan to purchase a home this summer and are looking for advice on how to go about purchasing a home. Any suggestions? Thank you so much for your time and if you are too busy-no worries!
Lots of stalking our local real estate internet search sites – and our great Realtor!
Kath,
I love that tray holding your flowers, just beautiful!
What is it with the colour of cheese in the US? It is so orange and fake looking compared to what we have in Australia. Ours are much paler apart from a few specialty varieties that mat include indgredients that make them more orange. When I visited the US I was completely put off eating cheese by its colour and the thought of the added colourings that must be in the ingredient list to make it look that way.
This was cheddar cheese. There were no colors listed on the label – but I suppose milk is not yellow
I don’t really know much about this
I was curious and I was picking out cheddar today and was wondering why there were orange varities and white, the orange had an additive called Annatto, but this blogger (link below) explains that if the cows are getting enough beta carotene in their diet then the cheese is naturally orange!
VIA google:
http://www.eatingrealfood.com/articles/why-is-some-cheddar-cheese-orange/
You are right that cows should be producing milk that would produce orange cheese, but our American cows do not get beta-carotene because they are not grass fed. Every single block of orange cheese you see in a grocery store is dyed that way. It’s interesting that the dairy industry continues to dye cheese when I’m fairly certain most Americans don’t know a) why cheese is supposed to be orange or b) care if their cheese is white.
Thanks for the info y’all
Just an FYI – found this article on why cheese is dyed orange and thought you might find it interesting as well: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1284/why-is-cheddar-cheese-orange
I hate orange cheese – I’m from Northeastern US & we can get both white & yellow cheddar, etc, but where I’m living in the south, you have to go organic to get white cheddar. I’m not sure they taste different – I just think orange cheese is weird and unnatural, hah!
I love using canned soup as sauces when I’m in a pinch- otherwise I’d always go the homemade route!
I love Boccalone meats (from San Francisco)! My family always gets them as gifts around the holidays. They are great to entertain with some cheese, crackers, and olives.
I love how no matter what you do, there just isn’t really a way to make pea soup look pretty!
I agree with the soup thing. And leaves in your hair? Just the sign of a good day’s work!
Hmm, never heard of sweet pea soup before! Is it similar to split pea?
Yeah, tasted about the same