Squee!!!

A herd of deer strolled through my backyard woods today. A *herd*. As in, more than one! As in, Seven, actually. Seven lovely deer. I'm glad Matt's not a hunter (no offense to my huntin' friends, though, promise!), 'cause I'm positively in love with all the wildlife back here.

Did I tell you about the goats? No, not in my backyard. There is a little backroad shortcut I take between the main road here and the next big main road over, and on this road there is a little vet clinic. And, in the vet clinics yard, there is a goat. Two goats, actually, and I get so excited everytime I see them, and no one is exactly sure why I find this so delighful (including myself). Anyway, I always say hello to the goats. Actually, I shout, "What up, GOATS?!" and make little horns on my head with one hand while driving with the other. When Matt saw me do that for the first time, I think it was also the first time he ever thought "what have I done?", but apparently I'm still cute enough that he can overlook it. I hope you can, too.

Okay, so we've covered goats and deer. Time for me to give you a recipe (what? yeah, I don't know how they're related either). Cheddar soup. 20 minutes. NOT HARD AT ALL. And, y'all, it's the creamiest, silkiest soup I've ever eaten. I cubed some pumpernickle , tossed in some melted butter, garlic powder, and kosher salt, and toasted the cubes in the oven for some yummy croutons to throw on top. Delightful, quick, and tasty, this will be great for lunch on this terribly cold weekend. Eat up, love ya!

Cheddar Soup
This silky soup is undeniably cheesy but not so rich you can't finish an entire bowl—and it takes only 20 minutes to prepare. While it isn't the best candidate for making in advance, if you need to, reheat the soup in a saucepan over low heat, whisking gently to prevent the soup from separating. Do not bring above a bare simmer.

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, minced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 small rib celery, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• Table salt and ground black pepper

1. Heat butter in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring to coat vegetables, until mixture begins to brown on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half-and-half and add bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Off heat, add cayenne and sherry; cool soup for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in cheese and thyme; season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

See you all Monday!