Homemade Cream Of Mushroom Soup With Wild Rice Recipe

This has been one of the warmest winters on record in Pennsylvania, but just a few days ago the temperature finally dipped down below 10°F, just in time to make some hot comforting soup for winter! This recipe comes from my mother, who got it from her mother, and its another one of those family recipes that is not written down anywhere. We all know it by memory, but today I thought I would share it with you! Not a fan of rice? The wild rice is optional - omit it and you will have regular, rich & delicious cream of mushroom soup!

Ingredients 

4 cups of sliced, fresh raw mushrooms

1/2 stick butter

3 heaping tablespoons of flour

1 can (or 1 cup) of beef broth 

1 container sour cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked

1 clove of garlic, crushed (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)

Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash and slice mushrooms, and then place mushrooms in a large soup pot and cover with water and a little extra water (I use about 6 cups of water; if I am using more mushrooms I will increase the water a bit). Sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook on medium high heat.

Simmer mushrooms on medium high heat until mushrooms reach a rolling boil, then turn down and simmer over medium heat.

Add 1/4 cup (or more if you like) of wild rice to the simmering mushrooms. I usually add between 1/4 to 1/2 cup of rice.

Add one cup (or one can) of beef or chicken broth to the mushrooms. I use beef broth.

Continue to simmer the mushrooms, water, rice, and broth on medium heat. 

While the mushrooms are cooking, in a separate medium bowl add 3/4 container to one whole container of sour cream. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and two tablespoons of water. Whisk the sour cream, flour, and water together well and then set aside. 

In a separate, medium sized pot, melt 1/2 stick of butter over medium heat. 

Once melted and just beginning to bubble, add 2 tablespoons of flour, and whisk in quickly with a wire whisk, continuing to whisk, making a roux, while the flour/butter mixture begins to lightly brown. Whisk constantly and be careful not to burn the mixture! You will see it beginning to brown as you stir it on the heat. (see below)

Once it is a nice golden brown as in the photo above, remove from heat and carefully mix the roux into the pot with the mushrooms. It will usually bubble up when you pour the roux in with the mushrooms, so pour slowly! 

Now add the sour cream mixture to the mushrooms, whisking it together well. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, for another 3o minutes or until mushrooms and rice are completely cooked and tender. 

Serve with a crisp salad and crusty bread. Enjoy! 

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Enjoy your day!

Love, 

Laura

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How To Create The Perfect Meditation Space In Your Home

Those who know me well know that I suffer from generalized anxiety. Yup! Im an anxious person. I cant help it, I didnt ask for it, and for the most part I sure dont enjoy it, but its there and I have to live with it. Im the type of person who tries to take something negative and turn it into a positive, so I will admit that over the years Ive been pretty crafty with my tendency to be anxious, and I have often tried to creatively use it to my advantage. Given that its not overwhelming, some anxiety can keep me on my toes, help me be more productive, expand my thinking, push me to be competitive (even if its just with myself) it also leads me to be a bit more of a perfectionist with my work, and makes for some pretty interesting creative writing and heartfelt poetry.

But things that are tightly wound need to unwind, and even though there are a myriad of medications that you can take to help with anxiety, anyone who suffers from anxiety should know first and foremost any med-free ways that they could possibly help themselves. Deep breathing and meditation are two perfect examples. I probably could write forever about this topic (and I will probably write more about it in the future), but Im going to get to the topic of this post, which is how meditation can be beneficial to you, and how to create the perfect meditation space in your home.

Why meditate?
The amazing thing about meditation is that it is for everyone. Anyone can benefit from meditation, no matter who you are, no matter your age, or what type of work you do, none of that matters. Meditation is for everyone.

Most of us are constantly plugged in. We live in an era of being socially connected through technology and that is only going to increase over time. For all of the time that we spend plugged in, we need to increase our time that we spend unplugged. Kids today grow up with technology. They are born plugged in. Meditation is a powerful technique that you can teach your children to do early in their lives as a preventative measure to help counteract and deal with stressors that they will face throughout their lives.

Meditation is free and accessible. You dont need to drastically change your lifestyle to meditate. It costs nothing, you dont need to become a vegetarian or join a particular religion or anything like that. Dont know where to start? Check your local library for books, or even easier, go to Pinterest or Google for some quick starting advice. There are tons of guided meditation videos for free on YouTube to help get you started. As for finding the time to meditate, one of the best things to do is make it a part of your daily routine. Just as you set aside a few minutes every day to brush your teeth, it is just as easy to set aside a few minutes to meditate every day. Make it a part of your daily routine. Try first thing in the morning, or in the evening. Whatever works best for your schedule. Dont think you have time? Yes you do! If you have time to spend on Facebook or surfing the net, then you have time to spend on yourself. You have time to meditate!

"You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless youre too busy; then you should sit for an hour."   

 - Old Zen saying

One thing thats great about meditation is that you cant fail at it. If you find your mind wandering to that grocery list, just try to refocus and get yourself back on track. Dont worry about messing up. Results are nearly instant. You should notice a difference pretty soon after you start meditating. Within a few weeks you may notice that you are calmer, you have more energy and greater clarity, and have better control over your thoughts and emotional responses. In your everyday life you may notice decreased anxiety as well as sharper thinking skills.

First and foremost, meditation should be accessible. There are great pros to setting up a meditation space in your home, but keep in mind that you dont want to create a barrier (too much of an attachment to one space) which could deter you from meditating anywhere besides your meditation space. On a beautiful warm day, meditate in a park, the forest, or your own backyard. Keep meditation accessible. But today we are going to start with creating a little meditation space in your own home to get you started. Once you are in the habit of meditating and become more skilled in your meditative practices you may then want to try meditating outside and in places other than your home.

What is a meditation space?
A meditation space is an area in your home where you will meditate. Pick a spot that is quiet and peaceful, and that you can personalize.

Why create a meditation space?
Do you need "things" with you to meditate? Absolutely not. All you need to meditate is yourself. As a matter of fact, too many objects can be distracting. But having a special spot, especially when starting out, can be inspiring for you and can give you that encouraging little nudge to make meditation a daily habit. A meditation space serves as a sanctuary, an inspiring reminder that meditation is a part of your daily life, and creating a space that is purposefully peaceful, comforting and relaxing can make your meditative practice even more enjoyable. 

Check out these inspiring ideas, and use them for springboard to create your own peaceful meditation space. (click each photo for original source)

Mat, candles, mirror, plants...this looks like a tidy personal space

A cozy & colorful outdoor patio space

A peaceful companion - koi in a large jug with aquatic plants and river stones

Pillows and that window!

Peaceful candles glow

A breezy and open area with lots of plants

I love the scarves, curtains, and lights. This is a truly personal space!

Cozy and moody

Colorful bohemian style

Remember, there are no rules except for the ones that you create yourself! Here are some items that you may want to consider including in your space:

• A cushion 
• A mat or rug
• Something from nature; plants, stones, crystals, sand, pinecones, etc.
• Candles
• Incense

Enjoy your day!

Love, 

Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

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My Style Forecast for 2016 Part Two More Elephants

AAhh! These elephants are SO cool! I got so excited when I found these jewelry components, and I cant wait to make some new jewelry with them. They would look great on a brass chain, black cord, or even on some lengths of different colored silk ribbon...hmmm...already the wheels are turning. And I think they definitely would look fabulous with some stone beads. I cant wait to get started on them, but I have so much else I have to do! It seems there is never enough time to sit and actually fabricate many of the ideas that are in my head. Thats why its so important to keep a notebook or jewelry artists sketchbook as a place where you can jot down ideas and make quick sketches of designs when they pop into your head. More on that in another post, lets get back to those elephants. 

Theyre everywhere! Yes, theyve been hot early into and throughout 2015, but they are still going strong and I am confident you will be seeing lots more brightly colored & patterned tribal elephants all through 2016.

Be prepared to see more elephants in home decor, clothing, and crafts -and of course, jewelry. I think Ill turn my elephant necklace into a DIY tutorial to share on my blog with all of you...stay tuned! 

Have a great New Year!
Love,
Laura

Check out my new DIY jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

   

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Read More..