In one of the books that I read recently, I read something that made me pause. I can’t remember exactly what it was lol but I remember how it made me feel and what it made me realize, an aha moment if you will. My mindset used to be that of someone that was super competitive. I wanted to get the blue ribbon, to be the winner. MS has totally changed that mindset because now, I have to work SO hard just to do the small things in my life. For example, these days I count it as a win when I have enough energy to shower or my hands feel good enough to wash my hair, or when the water hitting my skin doesn’t feel like glass shards shooting down on my sensitive nervy skin! It’s a double win if I have enough energy to stand and not use my stupid shower chair. I still like winning it’s just that my goals are TOTALLY different.
You see, I am no longer participating in the rat race of life. I am no longer running my ass off to be at the front of the pack, I just was to cross the finish line. I’m playing for a participation ribbon. I just want to be involved in the life I have created as much as possible, feeling as well as I can. It takes a lot of anxiety out of things, but also adds a whole new one.
But, I haven’t had the energy to think about anxiety because I have been super tired lately, my hand has had a lot of spasticity and don’t get me started on the brain fog, lightheadedness, word recovery, and swallowing problems (that’s what she said, I’m sorry, I can’t help it lol). In the northern hemisphere, The October Slide is a term used by the chronic illness community to describe the worsening of symptoms such as pain, fatigue, brain fog, and lightheadedness and/or dizziness that happens in the fall months. This is all believed to be triggered by constant barometric pressure fluctuations, cooler temperatures, seasonal/school stress, diet changes (comfort foods), lower levels of vitamin D due to less sunlight, and seasonal allergies and illnesses.
Next week I have my biannual infusion, my DMT, the disease modifying therapy I do to hopefully prevent progression. I hope that one day they will have a medicine that will be able to fix the damage that has already been done to my brain and spine. Maybe one day I will even be able to get back into the race.
On Wednesdays we wear pink and on Thursday, we eat soup! HA HA no for real, we do. Thursday is our day of craziness. It starts early as both the Kids are in early morning jazz band (at different high schools), then after school the Kids have robotics, curling, hip hop, gymnastics, work and saxophone lessons. Every Thursday night from 3:30-9:00 the Kids are in and out of the house and Ninja is dropping Kids off at their respective commitments (my eyes don’t let me drive at night any more, thanks MS). So, we try to have a pot of soup on the stove for everyone to have either in a thermos or in a bowl on the way to the dance studio lol. These are some of our favourites so far this soup season.
I bought a little ham for a recipe only used a bit of it and froze the other half so we could make this Ham and Bean Soup later, and now, it’s later! This was so easy and tasted so good. I felt totally satisfied after a good hearty bowl of this yummy soup.
I LOVE beef stew. This Hungarian Goulash takes my stew and gives it a twist with delicious caraway seeds and Hungarian sweet paprika. OMG, Ninja and I just moaned while we ate this lol. The caraway brought me back to my Granny’s house when I was a kid. Needless to say, there were no leftovers
SBean is going to turn into a potato. LOL or at least that’s what we always say to her. She will come home and make herself a baked potato. She wakes up and makes herself a baked potato. Everywhere we go to eat she asks for poutine or a plate of mashed potatoes. I know, it’s weird. She may love potatoes but she does NOT like soup. So I got a little sneaky and we made this delicious Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup and she LOVED it! Winner winner, soup for dinner!
Ham and Bean Soup
4-6
servings10
minutes25
minutesIngredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
dash of crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked ham, chopped
1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Navy Beans, rinsed and drained
salt and black pepper, to taste
fresh parsley, for garnish, chopped
Directions
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Add the broth and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in the ham and beans. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the bay leaves and ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Hungarian Goulash
4-6
servings10
minutes2
hoursIngredients
1 lb beef chuck, cut into small cubes
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, sliced
2 red bell peppers, chopped
4 cups beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley, for garnish
Directions
In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic, sautéing until they are soft and translucent.
Add the beef cubes and cook until browned on all sides.
Stir in the paprika and caraway seeds, cooking for another minute to release their flavours.
Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnished with fresh parsley.
Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
4-6
servings15
minutes45
minutesIngredients
2.5 lbs (6-7) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed into ½-inch pieces
1/4 cup butter OR 3 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
5–6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups marble cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika
Garnish: Cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, Sour cream or Greek yogurt, fresh green onions or parsley
Directions
Peel your potatoes and chop them into uniform ½-inch cubes. Rinse the cubed potatoes under cold water to remove excess starch – this helps prevent the soup from becoming gummy. Set aside.
Place a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter (or olive oil/butter combination). Once the butter is melted and shimmering, add the onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, but not browned.
Add the garlic to the pot and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed onions and garlic. Stir continuously and cook for about 1-2 minutes to create a roux, which will help thicken the soup.
Add the rinsed and drained potato cubes to the pot. Stir and bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Carefully insert an immersion blender into the pot. Pulse several times until about half to two-thirds of the soup is blended and creamy, leaving some noticeable potato pieces intact. Be cautious of hot splatters.
Reduce the heat to low. Slowly pour in the milk (or half-and-half) and heavy cream, stirring constantly. Add the parsley, green onions, and thyme (or dried thyme). Stir well to combine. Allow the soup to heat through gently for about 5 minutes – do not let it boil.
Remove the pot from the heat completely. Gradually add the shredded cheese, a handful at a time, stirring continuously until each addition is fully melted and incorporated before adding the next.
Taste the soup and season generously with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika if desired.
Garnish with your chosen toppings like bacon, cheese, sour cream, and/or fresh green onions.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #443 Since You’ve Been Gone. We get together immediately upon Chris’ return from Vancouver. Topics: door lock, Ladybug, another waiting room incident, Library Board, live comedy, racing, good food, whiskey, SOW, album anniversary, & the Blue Jays.
Thank you to A Pinch of Joy and to Huisvlijt for featuring my Fall Baking post at their Busy Monday Link Party and Home Industry Link Party last week.
This week was a whirlwind. For Dad’s birthday we planned a weekend getaway in Vancouver featuring all his favourite things! Day 1 was spent in New Westminster tasting wine at Pacific Breeze Winery, craft beer at Steel & Oak, dinner at Piva, the Jays game at the local pub, and then TJ Miller at The House of Comedy and a good night sleep at The Met. Day 2 was the BIG present from all of us, tickets to the Canucks game! They started with breakfast at The Boathouse then racing at TBC Indoor Kart Racing and then craft brew at Dogwood Brewing then a hot stone massage and a room upgrade at The Wedgewood Hotel followed by dinner at Blue Water Cafe, the game and then a scotch tasting at Cask. Breakfast the next morning was at The Bellagio and of course a trip to Vancouver wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the candy gas station! Happy 70th birthday Dad, we LOVE you!
8 thoughts on “The October Slide & It’s Soup Season”
All those soups sound so good. We used to make soup on Sundays and I loved having leftovers for lunches at the beginning of the week.
That’s smart! Also a great way to use up all those end of the week veggies in the fridge!
I have a very dear friend who has MS too. She told me this week how she finds it hard that she can do so much less than she used to. Your post made me think of her.
You are a good friend for listening to her, it’s hard to be vulnerable, she must trust you. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
I love a good soup recipe. We are heading into BBQ weather here, but the weather is a bit crazy so we will have a few more cool days too.
My In-laws got home from Australia last week and said the weather, the food, and the hospitality was wonderful! Enjoy the sunshine!
that potato soup looks wonderful! As Marg says above,we are heading into a hot and stormy summer (those hailstones last weekend!!), but these soups look good enough to eat anytime. Wishing you all the best
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
I agree, I’m a soup girly in all the seasons. As we get down to cool temperatures in the evening though, I’m a wee bit jealous of you guys going into your hot season lol. Enjoy the sunshine!