Chicken Enchilada Soup

3 cups medium enchilada sauce

3 cups spaghetti sauce

3 cups cubed raw chicken

3 cubes chicken bouillon

6 small carrots

5 medium size potatoes

½ cup quinoa

1 small onion

2 jalapeno peppers

2 cloves garlic

Mince and sauté the onion, garlic and jalapenos in a little EVOO.  Cut the potatoes and carrots into half inch cubes.

Put the sauces, the chicken, bouillon, and onion/garlic/pepper mixture, into a large cooking pot. Heat to nearly boiling and then simmer on low for about 2 hours.

Put the carrots and onions into the soup and cook for one more hour.

Put the quinoa into the soup and cook for an additional half hour. If the soup is too thick, add water and simmer for a few more minutes.

Top the soup with avocado slices.

You can diminish the spiciness of the soup by deleting the jalapenos and using mild enchilada sauce.

Life is what happens while you are making other plans.      John Lennon

Blueberry Rum Custard

Somewhere between a dessert and a Jamaican vacation is the blueberry rum custard. It is lighter than cheesecake and melts on your tongue.

Crust (optional)

Phyllo dough

Melted butter

Layer # 1:

16 ounces of Ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup raw honey or brown sugar

1 cup fresh blueberries

Top layer:

8 ounces of mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons of spiced rum

1/3 cup raw honey

Layer about 6 sheets of phyllo dough and butter in the bottom of a 9” x  9” glass baking dish. Mix the ricotta, vanilla, eggs, berries, salt and sugar and pour over the phyllo layers. Bake in a 325 oven in a water bath for about 45 minutes or until solid in the middle.

While the first layer is baking, mix the mascarpone, rum and brown sugar or honey. Stir well and set in a warm place. When the baked layer comes out of the oven, gently spread the mascarpone mixture over the ricotta layer. Put back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool for about 2 hours and cut in 2 ½ inch squares. Whipped cream is a great topping.

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.         John F Kennedy

Kabocha Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is a favorite of nearly everyone; the addition of the winter squash creates a slightly new flavor without masking the delightful tanginess of the tomato.

2 cups steamed kabocha or other winter squash such as acorn, hubbard, or butternut

2 cups canned crushed or stewed tomatoes

2 cubes of tomato or chicken bouillon

2 Tablespoons pureed onion and garlic that have been sautéed in olive oil.

2 tablespoons dill weed

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup whole milk or full fat coconut milk

Not all squash is equal in water content. If your soup is too thick, simply add some water.

Add all ingredients and blend with a hand blender. Heat and stir over low heat. Serve with croutons, crackers or sourdough bread.

‘Rejoice at your life, for the time is more advanced that you think.’ - Lau Tzu