Hot Tropics Tomato Soup

Ideally, I would have picked the tomatoes for this soup and stewed them down on a low simmer. I would have caught & plucked the chicken used for broth and set that on another low simmer. Not neglecting to milk my pet cow and a few coconuts too, I would have made sour cream, cocount milk and even the Cheeze-It ™ crackers from scratch. Eventually, finally, bringing it all together in a savory combination in one pot. 

This is not an ideal world. 

I have four children. (who all want something different for lunch, mind you)

I homeschool. (so I know about the dangers of using canned foods, I know!) 

I kill plants. (No tomatoes would have likely made it to the picking stage under my care)

I don't know that the cow would be that much safer. 

If I were close enough to a coconut tree to climb it, I wouldn't be rushing back to the house to make soup... (or climbing it either...but that is another story about how long it has been since I've been in the beloved Keys...and if I tell you THAT story, it will mostly sound like whining and I will become listless in my longing and neglect the reality of Everyone's Laundry...) 

Therefore: 

One can of coconut milk + One can of Harvest Orange Tomato + 1/2 Can of chicken stock= Tropical Tomato Soup

But, you can improve on this if you have the right ingredients.

(which I did, thanks to Chinese New Year)

Tropical Tomato Soup + Sriacha = Warm Tropics Tomato Soup...or Hot Tropics if you add a lot... Sun Burnt Tropics if you add half the bottle... and so forth. 

This was my lunch... and it was tasty.

 All of a sudden, my children decided they didn't want chicken fingers. 

They wanted soup too. 

So

I

 was 

 forced 

 to 

 share!

Don't you hate it when all those lessons about doing the right thing come back and steal your lunch? 

Flowers for Micah's Place

The first sample flower  became the property of Riley.

Logan's Sunday School Class made care packages for ladies in the care of Micah's Place. We spent Saturday cutting out a million-dozen (it's a real number) circles, large and small, from decorative paper then assembling them into flowers for the packages. We used a pattern found online.

(Who doesn't love Pinterest? )

Flowers in progress

Flowers closer to the finish

Flowers ready to be shared

Logan was unable to go to the assembling party, but that's another story. The girls were able to give much to the ladies and experience the Gift of Giving to Others. Logan was happy to get to share in the effort.

SS Teacher Connie shared a photo of the care packages all ready to go 

Unicorn Milk

Riley brought her cup to me "More Unicorn Milk? " 

I corrected her manners, having her ask "More Unicorn Milk, PLEASE?"

I filled her cup with goat milk and sent her happily on her way.

Later, as we were watching 'Tangled' (for the 37 millionth time), for the sake of continuity, I pointed out a goat from one of the scenes and asked "Is that a unicorn?"

'Mmm-Hmm!' she nodded affirmatively.

I guess they DO both  have a horn...or two...on their head.

She has since heard us refer to goat milk, and will ask for it properly some of the time. Other times she sticks with the unicorn story. 

I bought the first quart of goat's milk assuming I would be looking for ways to sneak the majority of it into cooking & baking. I didn't think she would finish the first sippy cup full. I never thought she'd come to prefer it. 

Last night, she tossed a cup of cow's milk my way and called after it 'Goat milk....pweeeze?!'

Go figure. 

One quart of goat's milk is the same price as one gallon of cow's milk. 

She has seemed to have a better appetite and less tummy upset... and she has slept soundly through a few more hours than usual... maybe the magical properties of 'unicorn milk' is to thank? 

Perhaps that is also why I'm not correcting her on the 'unicorn milk' thing ...even encouraging it a bit...it makes it sound more exotic, worth the quadrupled cost...and the very compliant toddler.

Besides, it's just too cute.

Two asides before I close:
First~I showed her the picture of a real goat this morning, to which she exclaimed: "PUPPY!"
(True Story) 
And second~  yes, I have tried the goat milk. And no it isn't terrible... really.

I believe it was the picture on the front of this carton that led her to believe she is drinking unicorn milk...though this goat has no horns to speak of.