A little twist on my blog...

Brian, my wonderful husband, got home yesterday after being gone for just a week. Since it is St. Martin's weekend there was a parade through our town, and he wanted us all to go. It was very cold, and I thought it would not be quite as fun for Genevieve for multiple reasons. So, I stayed home with her, and Brian took Hannah all bundled up with her lantern. So, the following is written by Brian about their evening:

I love autumn... all the leaves have changed and most
have fallen and cover the pavement, I lit the first
fire in the fireplace today (in the 30s), we had fall
soup for dinner, and I took my daughter to the St. Martin's day
procession in our town.

All of the kids in the village kindergarten made paper
lanterns, so I walked with Hannah and her lantern to
the town square. A large crowd of ~ 200 (~1/2 of the
town) gathered at the church and we all lit the
lanterns and they sang songs about St Martin (auf
Deutsch) and we walked in procession all through town,
stopping every once in a while for the priest to speak
and the local club orchestra to play and everyone to
sing. We ended up back at the church, where we all
gathered around a big fire pit and the kindergarten
kids did a skit about St Martin. Then we all had
glüwein (glow wine - hot mulled wine) or kinderwein
(non alcoholic mulled something or other) for the kids,
pretzels, and waffles and sang more and the kids ran around.

Then we walked home and Hannah and I had a
"chocolate tea" (hot chocolate) and sat in front of
the fire.

Well, I am so glad that they had fun and enjoyed some father daughter time together too. Here is the recipe for the Fall Minestrone soup that he mentioned. It is my absolute favorite food for fall chilly weather. I found the recipe a long time ago in a Cooking Light magazine and have made a few changes over the years. I hope someone else enjoys it too! It is quick, easy, healthy, and delicious! Let me know if you try it!

Fall Minestrone Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large baking potato, cubed
1 cup (1-inch) cut frozen green beans
1/2 cup diced or shredded carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped spinach
1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add spinach, orzo, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with lots of Parmesan cheese once ladled into bowls!