Of snow and soup on a Saturday night

Our family tracks

Blake's fever went up to 104 degrees on Friday night, so soup making was put on hold.  Luckily, he woke up feeling much better and his temp was back to normal by lunch time.  Tyler and the kids spent the day building elaborate forts around the house.  From the pictures, it appears they had a good time.  

We went for a walk in the snow tonight.  I love how bright it is outside after a fresh snowfall.  After bundling up we were perfectly warm and the kids had a great time at the snow covered playground.  

While on our walk, we saw a snowman and we stopped so the kids could see it.  We stood there in the road, as I explained snowman anatomy to the kids..."Look guys, his eyes are made of pinecones!  He has a mouth!  Look at those arms, they're made of sticks!  Wait, what is that?  Oh my gosh, turn the stroller around- keep walking Tyler!"  

Tyler thought it was hilarious.  I have to admit that I laughed too, especially because I'm almost positive that an elderly couple lives in that home.  Do you think they made it?  Hmm...

After putting the kids to bed, Tyler and I got to work on a huge batch of chicken wild rice soup.  If you are from Minnesota, or if you have ever visited the state, I'm sure you've tried this soup.  The recipe that I use makes a huge batch and is easy to double.  I like it because it doesn't call for canned soup to make the base.  We estimate the amounts of vegetables, adjusting to our preferences.  I usually double or triple the spices, and leave out the sherry.  Sometimes I substitute olive oil for part of the butter, and milk for part of the half and half.   No matter what, it always turns out delicious.  One more tip for those of you with Bemidji ties: If you can get your hands on it, the Wallners sell the best wild rice.  Seriously.

You can find the recipe here. 

One more thing...

This is a conversation I had with one of my patients today.  The patient has a progressive disease and has had some very rough days lately, some days being unable to talk or control any of her movements.   When I went to see her, I asked how her day had been.  She replied, "Really good, I feel good."  I told her that I was so happy to hear her say that.  She thought for a minute, then said, "I do have one problem... I don't get enough chocolate in this place!"  Of all the things this woman could have complained about, this made me smile.  And yes, I made sure she got some chocolate!