It’s that time of year again. Resolutions, goals, promises and changes consume us all as we move into a brand new year. I like to give the holidays my full, undivided attention, so it usually takes me a week or two into January before I’m ready to start thinking ahead.
Just like the past four years, I’m continuing Chris Brogan’s practice of selecting My Three Words to guide my year. I like this method so much more than resolutions and goal setting. At the core, it really is a type of resolution and goal setting, but choosing the words has this unique way of being general so that it can apply to many areas of your life while also giving focus.
I have to admit, while I feel like I accomplished my three words last year, December came and I thought – whoa, I barely revisited these words throughout the year. So in 2016, I’m also going to work towards regularly revisiting the words to check my progress throughout the year. Below are the words I’ve chosen in the past.
2012 – Progress. Learn. Honor
2013 – Be. Create. Grow.
2014 – Recreate. Plunge. Pause.
2015 – Sustain. Reach. Separate.
And for 2016 I’ve narrowed it down to:
Stronger. Do. Reflect.
Stronger. I got away from the all-verb words this year. Strong and stronger have become my meditation words because they encompass so much of who I feel I am and who I want to be. This goes for everything from my career to my health. I want strength training to take a higher priority in my fitness plans this year. I want to get stronger in so many different skill sets from my photography to my writing and even to my design and decorating abilities.
Do. I spend a lot of time thinking about things and planning for them. I mean a lot. This year I really need to remember that nothing is going to happen or change unless I actually do something. It’s time to set many things I’ve been thinking about into action.
Reflect. I pushed myself really hard last year and I felt fortunate to have a lot of great opportunities come my way. This goes for my work and my life in general through travel and exploration. Sometimes I think I overlook how far I’ve come. I need to spend a bit more time reflecting on that and being grateful for it.
Fake Food Free is going to remain a priority in the new year. Mainly because I have fun with it. So that means the recipes are going to keep coming. And they are what I hope will be creative recipes that spark your interest. Some will likely be a little challenging to help me develop my cooking skills and others will be super simple to make all our lives a little easier.
Kind of like this soup.
I love creamy mushroom soups. I’m not at all opposed to cream, but I rarely have it in, so I’ve found thickening up stocks can give that feel of a creamy, hearty soup. This one comes together in mere minutes.
Instead of the earthy herbs like rosemary and thyme that I often use with mushrooms, I decided to make it more refreshing with some dill. I wasn’t quite sure of the combination, but it turned out to be a winner.
This is a great soup recipe that you can turn to throughout the cold winter, but as we move into spring it will be equally deserving of a spot at the table.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 16 oz. white button mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
- 4 cups stock or broth (veg, chicken or beef)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Fresh dill for garnish
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 3 or 4 quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and shrink in size.
- Transfer the mushrooms, onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pot. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk for 1 minute to form a paste. Whisk in the stock, 1 cup at a time, until no lumps remain. Increase the heat slightly to bring the stock to a simmer. It will thicken a bit as it cooks. Simmer, whisking often, for 5 minutes.
- Stir the mushrooms, onion and garlic into the stock. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill and the salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm sprinkled with chopped fresh dill.
- *Add the salt a little at a time and taste as you go. The amount you need will depend on your stock or broth. I typically use homemade stocks that are very lightly seasoned or store-bought that is low or no sodium.
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This soup looks wonderful, Lori. I absolutely love the lighting, what a great atmosphere you created! I like your 2016 words, especially “do.” That is something I really need to remind myself of as well, thank you for the inspiration and Happy New Year to you! 🙂
Thanks so much, Nicole! I really appreciate your comment. Cheers to us putting more DO in 2016!
This is beautiful, Lori! The words and the photos! As for the photography, you really nailed this one–the shot with the white background looks like something I’ve seen Diane do! It’s really awesome–and that spoon! Swooning! Your words are really a wonderful method to focus on goals in a very healthy way. Of course “do” is perfect…but I’m going to give this some more thought and come up with my own!
Thanks so much, Tracey! I think backlight with soup is fun to play with. I got super lucky with some vintage spoon finds last year! It took me longer than usual to come up with my words this year. I need to remember to revisit them to stay focused.
What a beautiful post – the word and photos — I could really use a bowl of that soup right now! Your words are inspiration — like the others above, I too need more “do” in my life! Cheers to you. Well done.
Thanks so much, Bernie! Do seems to be the theme for 2016!
I never do review but Lori this is the best soup my husband and I have ever had!! We have made it twice and can’t wait to make it again!!
Hi Chassidy! It is so kind of you to come back to comment and let me know that. I really appreciate it and I’m so glad you like it!