Okay, so yes, I’ve been on vacation and yes, I had a headache the other day but I haven’t mentioned that I’ve been sick since Saturday with a cold and weird wheezing and fatigue. oooooh, the fatigue.
Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with my nurse at my OB’s office, I’ll let her know of my illness because I’m getting tired of chewing with my mouth open so I can breathe and wincing when I swallow because it hurts.
And then to top it all off, I’ve been going NON-STOP without a break. But I’ve decided that for the rest of the day, I’m going to sit and do nothing except relax and maybe then I’ll start to feel better. So, while I’m sitting, I’ll be on my computer just waiting to hear from you so tell me what you are up to or what your favorite thing about fall is. Do you like soup? What kind? Candles? What flavor? Just tell me anything about you. I’m a good listener. I promise.
And if you’ve never left a comment…now is a great time to leave your first. I LOVE finding out whose reading.
Hi Beth — you had no comments, so I decided to fix that. I LOVE soup. Love love love it. Tomato soup with grilled cheese is the best. Butternut squash is also very tasty. If it’s cream-based, I’m happy, but I wouldn’t turn down a broth-based soup either. Great, now I’m hungry for soup. See what you did??
Love soup – broccoli cheddar from Panera is my favorite.
Love candles – Swan Creek soy candles in gingerbread is my scent of choice.
Sorry to hear you’re sick, good that you’re going to get checked out. Crazy flu stuff on the news every night scares the heck out of me.
Hello, there. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well; hope that changes soon.
You asked about soups: I LOVE to make soup. My mother taught me to save cooking scraps–butt ends of celery, carrots, and onions, bones of baked chicken, past-their-prime fresh herbs–in a plastic bag or lidded box in the freezer. To this I add the cooking water from peas, the scraped-up yummy bits after sauteeing sausages in a pan–you get the idea. When the container’s full, I defrost it in a big stock pot, add a little fresh water if needed, throw in some cracked pepper and maybe some dried herbs, then bring it to a full boil (to kill any pathogens), and reduce it to simmer for several hours. Strain it, season with salt (if needed), and you have a beautiful stock that can be the basis of almost any soup you desire. I’ve also poured that stock into ice-cube trays and frozen them, then tipped them into a plastic-zip bag. The individual cubes are handy when a recipe calls for just a little stock.
If my stock is thin, I’ve learned that adding a handful of barley or even cubes of stale Italian bread or a French baguette is a lovely way to add “heft” to the stock. The barley is so yummy and wholesome, and the bread just vanishes into the stoup, making it thicker without making it lumpier. Magic!
If a stock is too salty, I’ve learned that adding a diced potato (with or without the skin; your choice) soaks up a lot of that extra salt and corrects the saline balance.
I’ve also learned the hard way NOT to add cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) to stock while it’s simmering. They give it a nasty stink and taste. You can cook those up separately, chop them up, and add them just before serving, just long enough to heat them through.
Along the same lines, I’ve learned not to add parsley until the very end, right before serving the soup. It adds a lovely color and tang, but it does not cook up nicely.
If I want peas in the soup, I cook them separately until they’re a bright, happy green, then add them hot to the hot soup. If they simmer in the stock, they turn a nasty brownish green color that turns off any kid’s appetite.
Well! I’ve gone on much too long, but I hope somebody makes you some homemade soup soon and hands you a fragrant mug as you rest on the couch. You deserve a break.
Love your blog,
J.
Well you know I’m reading and you know what I’m up to. But what you don’t know is how grateful I am for your patience and wise counsel. Thanks for all your time today! I hope you’re feeling better soon.
Hi.
I got sick like 3 times in my first trimester. One of my midwives decided that meant my baby was a boy. She was right. Just sayin’…
Fall, hmmmm, I love the sound of dry leaves skipping along the sidewalk, the relief of walking into a warm home when outside is just chilly enough that I need a jacket and should have brought gloves, the smell of cider and the taste of DONUTS. Hee.
I’m not sick, but I did sit and do mostly nothing yesterday. Sometimes I wonder if it is possible to be more tired than I already am, only to find out it is.
I love soup. I like the chicken noodle soup that I make using smoked chicken and nice, fat rotini. It is so good with Ritz crackers. Now I really wish I had some.
I’m not big on candles. I like fall because it is college football season and baseball playoff season, which is about as awesome as it gets.
Get better!
Hope you’re doing better soon! I’ve been sick for almost 2 weeks, but I’m not pregnant, just sick of being sick! My fave thing about fall is pumpkin spice lattes from sbux!
I can’t stand the thought of you sitting by your computer just waiting to hear from someone – though since your kids are likely home from school, you’re probably busy by now anyway. I know as soon as my kids come in the door it’s a madhouse with school papers, requests to play or have someone over to play, after school practices – blah, blah, blah. Here’s hoping you got some rest before all that and that tomorrow’s dr visit gives you some relief from the cold – who wants a cold when the weather is so nice and fall-like!
I am so sorry your body is trying to stage an uprising and take over. I’d type all the crap I’ve been up to. But instead I will just send you to my blog where I list all the crap I have going on. (Btw, my favorite soup is a toss up between homemade split pea and homemade chicken noodle.)
http://tinyurl.com/ye4nvbc
I have been sick too. Guess that’s what happens when school starts. I’ve had a cough and chest cold for two weeks. I’ve been consumed with the fact that I’m having another baby. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone yet
. Although it’s getting hard to hide the all-day sickness and growing belly. Hopefully I can hide until Halloween.
I’ve never commented before…but I love reading and I’ve been meaning to start participating in You Capture for a while now (maybe this week I’ll finally get around to it.)
I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well…
What I love about fall. Soup is DEFINITELY a good one. In fact, anything that that cooks well in the crockpot and is warm and comforting and ready when I get home from work is good by me. I like potato and sweet potato based soups. I like corn chowder…and beans. Big pots of steaming beans. mmm. Today I picked up 20lbs of Yukon Golds and 20lbs of Indigo Blues and 20lbs of Red Potatoes and some leaks from the VERY LAST farmers market of the season :*( and will probably make potato leak soup tonight. What I don’t like about fall is the close of the farmer’s markets and disappearance of the beautiful, bountiful vegetables…
Fall is also wonderful for encouraging me to drink more tea while wearing my fuzzy slippers and running the fireplace while avoiding turning the heat on as long as I can. (Did I mention I live in Alaska? It might be slightly more than a small feat that I’ve made it almost into October and we haven’t yet turned the heat on!) Oh…and I think maybe, most of all I love pulling out the fuzzy sweaters. Too bad I don’t really have a good place too put them during active use. (Closet is too small to hang them, dresser is too small to put them in there. A wicker basket it is.)
Candles are good. But it’s so hard to find a good soy candle with natural based fragrance for a reasonable price, I’ve stopped burning them so much. But I love any of the fall/winter food smells. They add a very nice, welcoming and cozy touch to a cool house… I also ADORE lemon smells. And tastes for that matter.
I hope you feel better soon.
I love so many things about fall, I wrote a blog post about it last week! I’ll just mention one thing, though – pumpkin cream cheese rolls. YUM.
I’ve got a beef stew in the crockpot right now. I’ve never made this particular recipe before, though, so I don’t really know if it will be any good. Smells like fall, so that’s a good sign. Feel better!
Hi Beth… I love the chicken tortilla soup from Costco. Seriously so good. I just got over the same symptoms as you… only minus, THANK GOD. the pregnancy!!
Not that I didn’t love being pregnant, but I have been there, done that, 4 times! Hope you feel better really soon. Take Care!
I love the fall. Over here in Washington state we have just started to have a few fall days, the leaves are changing and the wind is blowing. We had our first fire of the year in our fireplace just last night. I have finaly been able to wear hand knitted wool sock and slippers to keep me toes warm. I made a huge batch of baked potatoe soup last week and now I have a freezer full. We have started decorating our house for fall with lots of painting and drawings. This is a great time of year… well when you are not sick.
I think I have decided that fall is my favorite season. I love my kids’ cross country season because they have fun and I see tons of friends and it’s over in 5 weeks. I love college football (go Buckeyes) and baseball playoffs (go Tigers). I love the food — soup, stews, acorn squash with butter and brown sugar, apples, apple cider, anything made with pumpkin, and just any kind of warm comfort food. I love the clothes — no more shorts and bathing suits — jeans and comfy sweaters and sweatshirts. What’s not to love about fall?? Oh yeah, the TRILLIONS of acorns in my yard waiting for someone to pick them up! Happy Fall!
We had our first cold front of the year here in south Florida…the high was only in the upper 80s. I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from work today and saw pumpkins. I love the sight of pumpkins!
I love following your blog and hope you feel better!
Hi Beth,
Soup…not so much…
Candles…YES!
I am always on the lookout for a great smelling Fall candle. Today I lit a soy candle from Yankee Candle. It is the appple scent. I thought it would be a great smelling candle, but it really isn’t. I might have to return to the store. I love candles that really smell (not bad of course).What is the perfect candle? It is my lifelong mission to find out. I hope you feel better soon.
i cannot survive these days without my yankee candles burning. the pumpkin pie vanilla cupcake candle = better than satisfying a pregnancy craving.
really.
in fact, i’m thinking a good whiff of that candle might magically cure you.
Favorite soup? My mom’s potato soup. Its so bad that its good. Im not really a candles person, smells bother me sometimes…and I’m afraid I’ll burn my house down.
I’m sorry you’re sick
I too am pg, and fighting some weird seasonal allergies/sinus infection thing. I’m tired of chewing/sleeping/breathing/living with my mouth open. My favorite soup right now is roasted tomato and basil soup. Delish!
Oh I hope you feel better soon.
Being sick while pregnant is one of the worst things ever.
I like soup. Sometimes. I mean, egg drop soup at a Chinese restaurant is a must have. And have to have a little bit of tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. I enjoy beef stew, chicken & dumplings and potato soup (especially if there is cheese, bacon and tomatoes in it). But if I get to choose between soup and something else for a meal, I almost always choose something else.
Course, I love my family of Soups. But that wasn’t the question.
Wait, what was the question? <3
My favorite thing about Fall is Halloween, because Halloween means free candy. It’s like that holiday was made for me.
I am leaving tomorrow for a 4 day “Girls Weekend” at my Aunt’s lake house in Kansas. A much needed and deserved break!
I love what you have to say. My favorite part about fall is the softer sunshine. My favorite candle scent is Yankee Candles Macintosh Apple, perfume body by Victoria the soft vanilla and other keys are amazing, and the smell of freshly dried laundry.
I absolutely adore fall. The crisp air. cheddar potato soup. Fresh apples. colorful leaves. My kids in their jeans and hoodies with their hands in their pockets. Pumpkins. Everything except the knowledge that winter with its evils is right around the corner. LOL.
I hope you feel better soon!
We had a TON of rain on Monday and I have been trying to clean up my basement for the past couple days. FUN oh FUN. I am taking a break to read my favorite blogs.
I’ve been participating in You Capture I think almost from the beginning, and I love how it’s challenged my photographic skills (or lack of). Now I’m feeling guilty because I haven’t commented more – I enjoy reading your posts and think you have an AMAZING blog. Guess I don’t comment because you already have so many by the time I get around to reading, but I do appreciate you being here (and am so excited about your pregnancy even tho’ we’ve never “met”. Congratulations!)
What I love about fall is cool, crisp weather (I live in the South), and the anticipation of the holiday seasons on the way. And toasted pumpkin seeds.
I’m going through my first fall in Idaho. Everyone tells me that it is the best season here. But I think we jumped right from summer into winter! I hope fall comes back. I second the Yankee candles Macintosh scent. That is really fall for me. And my favorite soup is sweet potato with plain yogurt and chives. Hope you are feeling better soon.
I have to be in the mood for soup. Soup mood.
I do like candles, even though I know that they’re naughty for the environment and all that. I especially like the ones I have now which are merlot scented. You’d think that would be gross, candles like wine, but they’re really really yummy. But I don’t like perfume or smelly lotion of any kind. I guess my house can be scented, but not me…
What else? I wish I could make some sort of home video where I’m not really talking but the person behind the camera is talking and I’m mouthing the words. That’s my dream…
And I’m sorry you’re sick.
Howdy
I love Fall. It used to be because my birthday’s in September, but once you get *this* old, it’s no fun anymore. Mostly, since I live in Texas now, I like the 30 minutes of slightly cooler weather we will have.
I love soup. Thick, chunky, noodley, ricey soup. That someone else (my mom) makes. So yeah, since she’s in Canada and I’m in Texas, I guess I won’t be enjoying any of that
I love that there are fewer gross bugs around in the Fall.
I love that the kids get back into their school routines.
I love that it gets darker earlier. I love dark.
I love scented candles (Yankee: Macintosh, Home Sweet Home, and vanilla/cupcakey ones).
I love my 5 (too many!) kitties.
I love to read before I fall asleep.
Lordy, I wish I could think up something interesting or even mildly entertaining to tell you, but that’s all I got
I hope you’re feeling better!
Three fave fall things:
first fires in the fireplace
pumpkin pie candles from Illuminations
Bengal Spice Tea from Celestial Seasonings with honey and milk.
All at the same time, preferably!
I think about you every day. I say prayers for you and your little miracle every day. I have been so incredibly busy… with Janie having the great courage to end an unhappy marriage, helping Janie clean and fix and sell her home, supporting every moment of her divorce (very painful for her and her soon-to-be ex-husband… who is not a bad guy, but the absolute wrong guy for her), her move to NYC… just this past Sunday, and all the emotions that go along with seeing her leave. She is so happy, so smiling, so enchanted with the city… and that is really all Barry and I need to know, but oh, do we miss her. We all do. I help Audrey with her boys every day, so they saw Janie every day, too. They miss her very, very much. And this brings me to sitting here, all by myself, for the first time in I don’t know how long. Barry is at a meeting. Audrey is in NYC. I just dropped off her older two guys… I had them all afternoon. All the other grandkids are doing homework and getting ready for bed on this cool Fall night. And yes, I love Fall. I was born in the Fall… in October, so Fall is very special to me. My Mom tells me on every birthday that it snowed the night my grandfather brought my Mom to the hospital to have me. He packed her into his rickety pick-up truck, drove in the Michigan snow and dropped her off at the door of the hospital. My Dad was out-to-sea, and he wouldn’t see me for 3 weeks. I give my Mom so much love and honor for that night and morning. I was born at 10:36 am. I love Hot & Sour Soup. I had some tonight! I took Audrey’s older 2 guys to my favorite Asian restaurant and had my favorite soup and sushi and a Kirin beer. We all used chop sticks and laughed until our faces hurt because 4-year old Alex was using chop sticks to drink his water. I love that guy! I love apple picking and apple pies. Janie and Keith always have an apple crisp bake-off each Fall. I hope they do it this year, too. Jane is coming home for Columbus Day weekend… and Janie and my daughter-in-law are running the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. on October 26th. Barry and I are going to watch them… along with about 10,000 other runners. I’m serious. It’s that big. I love vanilla candles. LOVE them. I love raspberry tea. I’m thinking right now of brewing some tea… or cracking open a Miller Lite. Hmmmm. Tea or drinking alone… I’ll be right back. Miller Lite it is! I love clean sheets and the top sheet pulled right up over my ears. I love windows open in my bedroom… even on the coldest nights. Barry is a snuggle-bunny, so I’m cool with that! I love the moon. Tonight’s moon is shining right in my living room windows, and will hover over my bedroom windows tonight, too. I love laying in bed and seeing the moonlight through those open windows. I love super high heels. My Mom bought me a pair of super high bootie-type shoes last Spring, on sale, to wear this Fall and winter. I tried them on today and felt oh-so-freakin’chic! Maybe I’ll wear them to the playground tomorrow when I have William and Alex. Or maybe not. I love chrysanthemums. I have 2 huge pots of them on my front porch… brilliant yellow. They make me very happy. I’m thinking of sky-diving on my birthday…
Well, this is more than you bargained for! I hope you are feeling much, much better. I am thinking of you…
I love fall! And soup! But not candles. We’re a fire family. Safety first!
Actually, I made chili yesterday. It was amazing. Today was cabbage rolls. I love “cold weather” food. So warming and filling. Love it.
My favorite thing about Fall is the weather. Oh, the lovely, lovely weather! Today was the first day it truly felt like fall here in Florida. We can finally open the windows and go outside to play! My relatives up north have such a hard time wrapping their head around our weather, but it really is just the opposite of their seasons….
In the summer we are stuck inside. It is too hot to go outside to play. If we want to get out of the house we have to find indoor activities. The house is all closed up tight, and the a/c runs constantly. When Fall finally gets here we can open things up, spend our afternoons playing outside and truly enjoy the weather! I looooove fall!!!
I love Bittersweet. And pumpkins. And the pumpkin patch. I love apples from the farmer’s market. And applesauce. And crunchy fall leaves. And cool mornings and gorgeous afternoons.
I love summer the most of all but fall isn’t too bad here in Kansas.
I love food, soup qualifies. I’m letting my 12 week old sleep on his stomach because ohmygosh he sleeps so well on his stomach and even with the checking on him every twenty minutes I get so much more done. I never would have done that with my first. Today was the first cold day (high of 50) and I pushed my three in our triple stroller and wore the baby on a walk. It felt great. Now, I’m exhausted and I have to make dinner and I’m going to pull my usual chicken nugget and yam fries trick.
I think your fabulous! Wow. That was random. Feel better soon.
Hi Beth. I’m kinda new here. But I’m making chili tonight using a bunch of yummy veggies I got at the farmers market yesterday. So, I dedicate this pot of chili to you. Hope you feel better.
are you still sitting here reading comments? my husband is standing over my shoulder reading everything i write right now. my 4 nutty kids are running around the house and i should really put them to bed. i hope you feel better!
I am sorry you aren’t feeling well…and that it is a long time going. I hope you got some much needed rest today, and that the nurse has some ideas.
Chicken noodle soup, that is my favorite. I am making it on Saturday, it will be icky and rainy all day so the perfect day for it.
We found an apple-berry candle at Menards tonight that we LOVED. It is yummy!!
I hope you feel better!!!
I love Fall…got married in the fall, had my first baby in the fall and my birthday is in the fall! Love it!
Soup: my homemade chicken soup, tomato soup with saltines and good chowder are some of my favorites.
Candles: Yankee home sweet home and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day in Peppermint or Gingerbread
I’m breathing with my mouth open too….so annoying! Hope you feel better soon.
When I was a kid whenever I was sick my mother would make me Mrs. Grass soup. Now whenever I’m sick I HAVE to have it.It’s a comfort thing.
what am i up to? just tucked the last of the girls into bed. i love tucking freshly lotioned little girls into cool, fresh sheets. i hope they feel as yummy and safe as i remember feeling as a little girl.
now trying to gather the energy to pack orders. thinking of my baby on another continent and hoping someone showed him our picture tonight and whispered to him that we’re coming back as soon as we can.
i love soup. but, i must be in soup mood…and soup season. i’m allowing Fall to start for me in 2 days. i’m excited. we made our Fall to-do list tonight. ellie added that i allow her to have coffee. i think that’d be okay for a 2 year old for ONE Fall night.
candles….i adore. my favorite Fall scents are creamy nutmeg, frosted pumpkin, fall leaves and toward the very end of Fall….home sweet home. we have a shopping day to switch candy and candles every season. i LOVE that day.
i’m craving chicken and homemade amish noodles with mashed potatoes SO BAD, but refuse to give in…..for 2 more days. = )
hope you feel better. SOON.
Hands down apple cider is my favorite part of fall! If it’s warm apple cider even better. To improve that add some donuts. Then maybe just place me at an orchard drinking my warm apple cider, eating a donut and wandering around looking at the pumpkins and things for sale. I love that in the fall you can wear some jeans and a comfy sweater and look cute but be warm and comfortable at the same time. No bulky coats. Just jeans, sweater, warm apple cider, and donuts at the orchard.
I love Fall, with the exception of it still being way too HOT here for me. Today the high was 85 degrees and that is NOT Fall weather if you ask me.
I met Christy in San Antonio for lunch. It was a 2 hr drive for her and a 1.5 hr drive for me but so worth it.
My husband is in Africa (Angola, Nigeria) right now for work and he has been gone way too long. He comes home for one week then he is off AGAIN, this time a 3 week trip to Azerbajian (Turkish country), United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. Three effing weeks. Wow.
I am tired, so very tired and while I have blog posts that run through my head at 5 in the morning, actually getting time to write them when the kids are awake is non-existent. And after they are in bed I am way too tired. Wah, wah.
Hope you feel better!!!!!!
i do read you everyday, and although i know how comforting comments can be, since school has started back up, i seem to be running short on time. i was so excited to read about your pregnancy! congratulations!!! i do hope you start feeling better soon.
my favorite things about fall would have to be pumpkins, cider and birthdays! my birthday is in october, my mom’s is in october and my daughter was born last year october 10. october is a time for many birthday celebrations in my family!
Hi~ I love fall! The cooler temperatures and most of all I LOVE it when the leaves change colors. I take pics of the same trees every year, and I never get tired of them.
I am a soup fan. My favorite would be my mom’s Chicken Corn Noodle Soup. I have tried to make my own, but really it just tastes better when she makes it!
My favorite fall scented candle right now is Bath and Body Works “Creamy Nutmeg”. It is heavenly. Hope that you feel better very soon!
Hi ~ Blog stalker here ;~) Thought I would come out of the shadow and comment. I like certain kinds of soup… Panera Broccoli and Cheese is the best! Not a big candle fan but the hubby is ;~) As for something about me. I am going to see my biological dad tomorrow night… first time since I was 8 years old. Eek. Love the blog by the way.
You encouraged me to stop lurking!! (creepycreepycreepy) I love that in getting down to the comment box, all of the other reader comments made me hungry. I was going to say I am super-thrilled for chunky sweaters and knee-high boots. Which you can still totally pull off! Feel better