Welcome back to the Daily Connoisseur. We had our first rain of the season today and the flowers returned in gorgeous bloom to celebrate. It’s earlier in the day now and I’m making a creamy tomato tortellini soup for lunch, but first I will lay the table.
Enchantment is an original poem by Jennifer L. Scott. All rights reserved.
These everyday rituals…. I’ve done them a million times. Preparing the table never gets old to me. I like to choose the tablecloth and make it look well-dressed. Today I’d like to compliment the white lilies so I’m going with a cream cloth and the rattan placemats.
Creamy Tomato Spinach Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
15 oz can tomato sauce
28 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz chopped spinach
1 package (20oz) cheese tortellini
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
handful of fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the fresh rosemary and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes, sauce, vegetable stock, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
Add the chopped spinach and tortellini and cook for 12 minutes, or until tortellini is fully cooked. Take off heat and mix in parmesan cheese. Serve with extra parmesan on top. Enjoy.
And now to get started on the soup. I sauté one chopped onion in olive oil in my giant soup pot. I also add a sprig of rosemary to deepen the flavor. Once the onion is softened, I add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, and heavy cream and season this all with salt and pepper. I’m going to let that simmer on low for 20 minutes while I take care of the laundry.
I find that homemaking has so much to do with time management and optimizing every moment you have. It’s a choreographed dance, but once you get into the flow, it is enjoyable. I just can’t forget I’m cooking something on the stove!
And now back to the soup. I’m going to chop a large bushel of spinach to add to the soup. Then I add the tortellini and some extra basil and let this cook for 12 more minutes. When it’s finished, I ladle the soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese. This is being served with a deliciously robust flavored brown bread with Irish butter. Could there be a better fall luncheon?
And now it’s time to put on my gloves. I have an ongoing project to scrub the baseboards. I usually start this time of year so that by Thanksgiving they look shiny and new. I find that using a magic eraser works best on the kitchen base boards, which tend to have grease and grime sticking to them. I soak the magic eraser in water and squeeze it out. If there is a lot of stuck-on grime, I add a bit of dish soap. This is one of those rather unpleasant tasks. Nowhere near as satisfying as laying the table. But I have a treat in store for myself after this, so I carry on scrubbing.
Time to restore my senses to beauty once again. I found these flowers on sale at the grocery store. Technically they were the least desirable ones. But I plan to make an elegant bouquet of them nonetheless. I feel my vase with the eucalyptus first and dot in these beautiful purple flowers. They are called a wavy leaf sea lavender. Scientific name: Limonium sinuatum. This is a great flower for drying. When I used to visit my grandmother in Cambria, I always loved seeing this flower hanging from the rafters of the local shops. But it also lasts a long time in bouquets. I like to challenge myself to buy the flowers on sale and create an expensive looking bouquet. Mission accomplished!
We are headed for the enchanted October evening, but first the kitchen must be put to right. I don’t have kitchen duty every night, it switches between my husband, myself, and the kids, but tonight is my night and I’m going to find the enchantment in it. I find it enjoyable to come downstairs after everyone is in bed, light a candle, and listen to an audiobook while I tidy up. Tonight, I’m listening to the sounds of cleaning and allowing my swirling thoughts to wreathe around my head.
October is an enchanting month. The air is different. And the path to winter is now well established.
Crisp October evenings,
I feel enchantment deep.
Inspire me again,
Infuse my dreams in sleep.
Thank you for joining me on The Daily Connoisseur. I hope this inspired you to find the enchantment in your everyday life, even in the most mundane tasks. Keep calm and remain classy and I’ll see you next time.
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Eithne writes, "I liked what you said about not wanting to get rid of the laughter lines. Audrey Hepburn was once asked if she would like her wrinkles airbrushed out of a photo. She said ‘don’t you dare. I earned every one of those wrinkles’"
I love that story about Audrey Hepburn. I feel the same way. I've earned each and every laugh line. And they were created in joy!
I hope you enjoyed today's homemaking video. I hope your homemaking is enchanted this month as well. See you on Saturday for The Chic Assignment Check-in.
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This is a lovely video, and I enjoyed the poem very much. Thank you for your beautiful approach to life.
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