Now that Alan and I are pensioners (yes, we’ve gotten our first Social Security check), we’re down to eating bread and cheese. Not really. Well, not only. However, we’re definitely noticing that we don’t need as much food, and simple/fresh/easily digestible is often more appealing than rich and heavy, particularly in this hot summer weather.
If any of you are thinking light and easy beats heavy and hard right now, please consider this:
Cottage Cheese Salad
(Per person)
On a plate, arrange:
A bed of lettuce greens
1 scoop of cottage cheese
Some sliced fresh fruit (I had an apple on hand, but pineapple, peaches, ETC. work great)
Some dried fruit (I had dried cherries on hand, but raisins, dates, currents, etc. are all good)
Sprinkle of nuts on top (I had some pine nuts, but pecans, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds . . . all yummy!)
If you serve it with fresh bread and butter and a glass of water, you’ve got a summer feast!
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
(Proverbs 15:17, ESV)
P.S. I’m going to start using the English Standard Version (ESV) more often, because—although the greatest percentage of the English-speaking, Protestant world still uses the King James Version (KJV)—I have many foreign blog followers, for whom English is not their native tongue, and the wording in the KJV is hard for them to understand.
When you were little, did you have a favorite soup? How about now? When I was little, my favorite lunch was tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, and this is still the favorite lunch of my youngest son’s lifelong buddy (who’s now an adult). Also, on our recent cruise of the North Sea, we were served tomato soup several times and discovered that it’s popular not only aboard ships but on land as well…from Iceland to India. Therefore, I believe it’s an international, inter-generational classic!
Alan and I have enjoyed many iterations of tomato soup, such as this unusual bowl of tomato soup with spinach and pasta. 
Tomato basil soup has become quite popular with hipsters and in upscale restaurants. My “Little Sister, Liz” made some from scratch last time I visited her in Washington D.C. , and it was outstanding!
However, I think possibly the best tomato soup I’ve ever tasted was served at Friðheimar, a restaurant near Selfoss, Iceland, while Alan and I were on the “Golden Circle Tour.” It was basically super fresh and creamy, with a swirl of yogurt and a sprinkling of parsley on top. Of course, I don’t know exactly what ingredients go into fabulous dishes, but I can usually come pretty close, so I want to share what I dreamed up, inspired by mulling over the delectable tastes and smells of that wonderful meal and dedicated to the memory of Iceland. If you’re the chef at Friðheimar and find this recipe, please feel free to share “the real” recipe with us. I looked online trying to find your recipe, but all I found were reviews that said things like, “the best fresh tomato soup I’ve ever tasted,” “we just instantly fell in love with the sweet’n’fresh tomato soup,” “simple but so tasty,” “amazing soup,” “gorgeous soup,” etc. That’s just the way we felt too! So, I tried, but mine is not as amazing as my memory of Friðheimar’s. Maybe I’ll write and ask him if he’ll share his recipe. Meanwhile, here’s a bright, healthy soup to warm you up on a chilly autumn day.
In a large stock pot, combine:
8large tomatoes, cubed
Simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat. 
Let it rest 15 minutes, then run it through a food mill or use a blender or immersion blender to puree. At this point, I believe Friðheimar must have run the puree through a strainer to remove skins and seeds, but I tend to think all sources of healthy fiber are good for you, so I didn’t. Suit yourself on this one.
Next, taste it, and possibly add more salt and pepper per your personal taste.
P.S.—In the picture above, I had stirred extra yogurt into the soup (trying to match the color I remembered and add protein), but it wasn’t as yummy with the yogurt as without, so I left it out of the recipe above. Tomato soup is very light, however, so it’s good to combine it with something like fruit and fresh bread with cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich so you don’t end up hungry in an hour! 🙂 )
With lots of little mouths to feed this month, I decided the best option would be to make a list of all the things my grandchildren liked best to eat, so one morning I asked them to name their favorite foods. Sophie (3) said, “Fudge!” Other items included chocolate chip cookies, salami, corn on the cob, cake, and rice, etc. 
After they ran out of ideas, I started asking my two little granddaughters if they liked certain foods. When we got to breakfast foods, they said they liked pancakes and waffles, but they were totally baffled when I asked if they liked French toast, which surprised me, so I asked their mother (who is European). She asked what it was, and when I explained it to her, she said, “Oh, yes! The children do like it, but we call it ‘Poor Knights’.” After a quick Google search, we learned that the recipe goes back to the 4-5th century, and it sounds like the name refers to something knights would eat when they had little else available. 
However, in modern times, Poor Knights (aka/french toast) is considered a treat —at least it is at our home—although I do often use it as a way of brightening up bread that is starting to loose its freshness. I suppose everybody who grew up in America knows how to make it, but just in case you’re from a country where it’s not on the menu, here’s the recipe:
Start with bread. It can be bread that’s been sitting around for a few days and is starting to dry out (although if I notice that happening, I store it in the refrigerator to keep it from molding). 
Prepare a mix of 1 egg whipped with 1/4 cup of milk for each 2 slices of bread. (Most children eat one, and most adults eat two, but you know your family best.)
Sprinkle the surface with cinnamon, dip in the bread slices, letting them soak for a few seconds on both sides, and then fry in butter (or oil, bacon fat, or whatever). Cinnamon isn’t necessary, but it really does enhance the flavor. 
Fry them until they’re golden brown on both sides, and serve them up with syrup. I suppose the poor knights of old didn’t have any meat to go with them, but a bit of meat on the side is always a yummy addition, although bread with milk and eggs is a perfectly nutritious meal! 
After a fabulous buffet one night at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando (where Alan’s conference was held), Alan and I both agreed that our very favorite dish had been the creamy mushroom soup. “Shocking!” I thought to myself. How could something so simple be so delectable? Well, after talking to the waiter, doing a little online research, and experimenting a bit, I’ve come up with a recipe that Alan and I think is at least a worthy competitor. Here it is:
2 T. (Tablespoon) butter (Melt in an iron skillet.)
12 oz. sliced mushrooms (any type you prefer; saute until starting to brown.)
3 T. flour (easiest if whisked together with cream first; I failed!)
Serve immediately, while it’s still piping hot.
For a nutrient-rich snack to replace potato chips with only half the calories and oodles of vitamins (A,K,C, B6) and minerals—and even a little protein thrown in for good measure, try baking kale chips. They’re actually a lot tastier than they look! If you haven’t already discovered this simple treat, here’s how:
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” (Proverbs 15:17).
Summer Setting 