12.14.2014

weekending :: exchanges










this weekend was pretty much all about food.  about food and about spending some time in the company of others who ended up in the same place(s) as me with the main intention of swapping some food.  on saturday I hosted a small group of women for a soup swap, and this afternoon I attended my first ever cookie exchange.  so, on the one hand, my fridge is now filled to the brim with about 2 and a half gallons of various kinds of soups in jars.  jars that honestly, are unlikely to make it to the freezer because I am happy (thrilled, really) to have soup for lunch and dinner daily until the soup runs out.  on the other hand, my countertop is heavily laden with enough cookies and yummies to more than throw off all that soupy-nutritional-powerhouse-goodness.  I'll take it.  and I suppose I'll share the sweets.

my contributions to these happenings were a roasted butternut squash soup with coconut milk and nutmeg and a bunch of other goodies, and some chocolate-peppermint meringues.  I've already had a bit of chipotle black bean soup and a soupe au pistou a la Julia Child.  yumyumyum.  and maybe also a taste of peanut butter cookie, rocky road brownie, and glazed shortbread with rosemary and red peppercorns.  let me just say that this cookie swap was no joke.  said glazed shortbread (they are the trio of lovely round, glazed cookies with various toppings in the photo above) were made by one of the owners of the amazing and extremely popular French Broad Chocolate Lounge.  it happens to be my favorite place to go for dessert in Asheville.  it happens to be just about everyone's favorite place to go for dessert in Asheville, actually.  so, you know- the cookies are good.  there were other cookies made by other professional baker types as well.  I met a woman who lives in the same town as me whose blog I've read here and there.  turns out we have several (in real life and online) friends and acquaintances.  so happy to have made the connection.  the host of the cookie exchange was Ashley English (she made rosemary/orange shortbread cookies from her book Handmade Gatherings)- a very talented local author/cook/homesteader extraordinaire who is as lovely and gracious and warm in person as one would expect she may be after reading her blog and books.  it was a lovely, lovely time and I am so happy I was able to attend.  Claire stayed with papa while I went, and I will admit I am rather proud of braving it on my own, without the little one as an automatic-conversation-starter/diversion-if-needed.  I'm enough of an introvert that going to a gathering where I don't really know anyone and am just barely acquainted with the host is, well, a brave thing for me.  but I did it and it was great, and the group of women there couldn't possibly have been more inviting.  and my goodness the abundance of treats that are now in my possession!  (locals- who wants some goodies??)

also this weekend, we went for our annual Nutcracker viewing, and it was the best one yet.

and now, let the eating commence! (er, continue)


*weekending with Karen

19 comments:

  1. Wow, good for you to get involved with the swaps a great way to meet new people. Looks like some great swaps were made such a good idea.

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    1. I do love a good swap! and I'm certainly liking the ease of simply pulling out another jar of soup at meal times.

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  2. My children and I swapped cookies this weekend, but a soup swap? Oh yes, I must host one of those. I love the idea of eating soup for lunch and dinner until it runs out, enjoy.

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    1. I feel it's a good balance to the cookie swap ;)
      hearty soup, sugar. hearty soup, sugar. repeat.

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  3. Oh, those cookies look divine. And not having to cook for a whole week this time of year is a treat indeed!

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    1. yes and yes! I shared a good deal of the cookies with my mom today, but still have loads of shortbreads and various gingery morsels to go through. plus the rest of a batch of peppermint bark I made last week….. and so the soup being around helps balance that out ;) I do love reaching into the fridge and simply pulling out another jar of delicious soup at meal times!

      just peeked at your blog- I'll definitely have to visit again but will say quickly that I visited COA a couple times many years ago thinking I may want to attend. wow, what a BEAUTIFUL campus, and a beautiful area in general. I ended up at the land-grant ag/environmental school at Rutgers, at the time called Cook College. But I've been back to Mt. Dessert Island many times since and consider it a favorite place to go for sure.

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  4. I wish I was in your town, at these exchanges! You live in such a nifty place and you have so much fun. I would eat soup every single day of my life and then eat cookies as well.

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    1. Oh Karen, you'd be a most welcome participant, to be sure! I bet you could throw together a good little swap gathering….

      me too!

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  5. What a wonderful idea - both cookies and soup swap <3
    Perhaps I could try this out together with a creative day and well knowing people are very busy.
    Enjoy all your soup.

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    1. now enjoying it is the easy part! I've made it through half of them and may put a couple jars in the freezer for another day~

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  6. So fun. I am attending a cookie swap this weekend and although it is not going to be a big one it is a lot for me to go too. I would rather be home in my pjs with twinkling lights on and candles burning :) I am still trying to decide what to bring. I need 6 dozen cookies. Anyway i enjoyed this post very much. have a beautiful evening and thanks for sharing your weekend with us!

    Janet

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    1. I hope you enjoy your swap this weekend, Janet! while I always feel the call to stay home by the fire, I seldom regret venturing out, especially when food and a group of lovely women are involved! good luck selecting a cookie- surely there is no wrong choice.

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  7. Heard great things about Ashley's cookie exchange! What a great group of cooks/bakers!
    I loved being at the soup swap. Great spread, women, and soup. Thanks you!

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    1. thank you so much for coming, Molly! next time I won't forget to ask everyone to bring copies of their recipes! hope you are having a great time out on the coast :)

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  8. All I can say is Yum, yum yum, yum,yum.

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  9. Oh Yes how did you like the mostaccioli that Lisa brought? She used my recipe. They are my most favorite cookie. The recipe will be on my blog tomorrow.

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    1. I actually haven't tried it yet! sounds crazy, I know- but we have so many cookies and I was saving those and some of the shortbread because I had a feeling they'd be favorites ;)

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  10. They stay good for a while too. As long as they are in a tin or other container. :)

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thanks for taking the time to read and comment~