By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
I have quite enjoyed the snow these past very days because guess what? Frozen ground does not make mud!! But the rains cometh and I will be in for a mess because the back yard is nothing but holes and dirt. I don’t think I will be wasting much gas this summer mowing it because there is no grass left. If I had a couple goats or groundhogs maybe I could understand. Momma Said, “You have to play the hand you are dealt.”
I wouldn’t trade them for the world but sometimes I need a break. I just wish I had a place that they could run and get rid of some energy. I really wish our town had a fenced in dog park so the pooches could be let off leash safely. I am fixing up another vehicle so I can take them out to the woods and not get my truck all muddy and wet inside.
It will be great and I just hope I can find a place where they can run, get in the water if they want and maybe even chase a squirrel, hopefully not catching it of course. I don’t need that on my conscience. People want the best for their children and so do I. Mine just have four legs instead of two and don’t cost a fortune to send to college.
My love for animals started at a young age and just progresses with age. I never could stand to see an animal in pain and was always trying to save something. I still do to this day, I have lost count of the animals I have rehomed and saved from a life of suffering. I wish I would have followed my instincts and went to college to become a vet. I think I would have made a good one. Maybe in my old age I will go to work for my niece when she graduates from veterinary school. Momma Said, “Never too late for an old dog to learn a new trick or two.”
French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 Large Onions, Peeled and Sliced
- 6 tbsp. of unsalted butter
- 6 cups of beef broth
- 1 cup of red wine of your choice (optional)
- 1 tsp. of dried thyme
- 2 tbsp. of brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large cloves of crushed garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 – 4 slices of French or Italian bread
- 6 to 8 slices of Swiss cheese. Grated cheese works well too.
Directions
Slice the onions and place them in a bowl.
Add the butter to a pot over medium-high heat and allow it to meltdown.
Place the onions in, stir, reduce the heat to low, place a lid on, and allow them to cook down, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.
Pour in the beef broth and wine, followed by the thyme, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, and bay leaves.
Stir, bring to a boil, reduce the heat once again to low, place a lid on, and let it simmer for about one hour or until the liquid reduces.
Ladle the soup into 4 to 6-inch ramekins, cut the bread to size, and place over the soup submerging it a little.
Lay the cheese over the top.
Broil for about 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.
Garnish with the green spring onions or chives and serve immediately.