Young & Hungry

This soup has A LOT OF VEGETABLES!  Please don’t feel obligated to buy the entire market like I did…and if you’re not up to dumping your entire produce drawer into a pot I understand.  If you did neglect your “5 a day” this weekend, however, this will more than make up for it.  It works that way right?  I’m pretty sure my veggies consisted of fried green tomatoes and Bloody Mary’s, so I’m taking every…umm…real vegetable I can get!

 

I originally found this recipe on the Cooking Light website and modified to the point of minimal recognition.  Feel free to substitute parsnips for the more common Mirepoix or sweet potato for Mr. Idaho.  Those two ingredients were the largest flavor enhancers, but who am I to make you experiment.  I’m pretty sure the original recipe also neglects the cruciferous joys of Brussels Sprouts and cauliflower, but I suppose they do tend to be the outcasts of the veggie kingdom. 

 
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Themes are important .  Be it in a book, a menu, or a party, having a theme provides sense of congruence that sets the stage for things to come.  Not only must one have a theme, but they must have a good theme as well.  One that everyone can really get excited about and put their energy into.  My old roommates and I decided to throw a party with such a theme and everyone really got on board.  In turn, the result was another successful party.

 

 

What was the theme you ask?  Senior Trip.  Although it makes sense since I still live in my hometown, it never fails to blow my mind how many people from high school are still around and in touch.  I’d say we had at least 5-10 people in attendance who were on said senior trip, to Cancun of course, and even more pictures of said people on display.  Other party favors included a sound track right out of high school including the classic Kilo, Green Day, and Abercrombie & Fitch songs, leis, Senior Girls t-shirts, Graduation paraphernalia, Malibu and punch.  Lest you forget, drinking at 18 is legal in Mexico!

 

I, of course, was charged with food and my (in)famous drunken pineapple.  Despite the fact that we ate chicken fingers at Tony Roma’s more days than not, I went with something a tad more unique since technically we are grownups now.  That said, I’m pretty sure some fried chicken cordon bleu bites made an appearance at some point during the night…

 
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