Summer, oh summer.

I feel like at least 60% of this blog is about how slowly or quickly life is moving by.  Its pretty lame.  So I'm just going to enjoy the 100 degree days we have had, hide my sadness of summer being half over (ahem) and be looking forward to everything else.
Coming up:  Mackie, Amy, Mom, Dad, Joshie and Sammie and heading to Milwaukee on Friday for an old fashion Ford Family trip!  It should be super awesome, I'm stoked.  We're going to the Sprecher Brewery for a tour, then to Art Smart's Dart Mart Juggling Emporium, not because I juggle but because its rad, then to Maders Restaurant for lunch.  Then on Sunday Mackie, Mary-Frances and I are taking our first ever girls trip!  We're going to to Wisconsin, and heading to Lake Lawn in Delevan, WI.

I wish Bill and I could afford to go somewhere this year, but once again its out of the question.  It sucks.

Anyway,  here are some thing that have happened this summer, all in photos, of course.

 My CSA from Angelic Organics - Yum!

 Some crazy chick on the back of a motorcycle on the Kennedy - WTF!

 BINGO with my neighbor friends - super fun!

 Lenny and Olive, cute as can be!

 Grilling with my neighbor Kyle - July 3rd 2012

 The loves of my life - my gorgeous, happy and healthy tomato plants!

 The most awesome pretzel ever at Genes Sausage Shop in Lincoln Square!

 Cute Face Lenny Alevizos!

 My first encounter with fancy ass doughnuts from Do Rite Donuts.

 Lex - looking dapper.

 Bill at Pitchfork.

 The good old Roseanne Family.

Planning meeting for Women In Film - the events I'm planning.

It's Fall Around Here!

It sure feels like it, although tomorrow its supposed to be 88 degrees!  My classes are going full force at Columbia, I have three sections of Producing 1.  My students are great, and I really think its going to be a great semester.  Lenny is adapting more and more each day, although we do toy with the idea of Doggie Day Care, for the days we are gone longer then eight hours, and Bill wants to get another dog so he's not alone.  Doggie Day Care is cheaper.

Regardless, back to the soup.  As soon as there is a nip in the air, I do what I do best.  Make soup.  I have more soup recipes that I can make in a year, but I also love winging it!
This evening last week, I made a spin on my grandma's zucchini soup - It was tomatoes (thanks CSA!), onions, veggie stock, cannelloni, garbanzo, and kidney beans.  And of course the most delicious spicy sausage from my corner Italian store, Fiore's.
We invited Lex, who said he was missing homemade soup and we chowed.

Fresh tomatoes!

Parmesan Rind is awesome in soups - freeze it when you're done with your hunk o' cheese!

Happy, full boys

I made my first tapenade, too! 

More Lenny, All the time!

Somehow this summer has come and gone.  Why is that?  Why are the best 3-4 months out of the year the ones that fly so fast?  It's a major bummer.  Warm weather, awesome CSA (thankfully have it until the end of October) and another shout out - best CSA ever!  Regardless, I have enjoyed many a pool day a la Darren's Chateau (in Lombard) and long walks with  my lovable Lenny!

Lots of fests, parties, music and fun.  But the theme of the summer is Lenny.  Lots of Lenny.  We hired a dog walker, my friend Amanda who is awesome and loves Lenny, and we also rely on our amazing friends.  Being a puppy (we still think 17 months or so) he needs to go out at least four times a day, and he only "goes" on walks.  Its rare he uses our wonderful yard.  I hope that changes in the winter time!

And he kind of still freaks when we leave.  He has locked himself in the hallway twice (although we keep the door closed) and in the bathroom, and I can't believe I didn't take photos of that.  He is into knocking his food over - pic to follow - but he has been super fun.  We do family walks at night, when somehow the city is so, so silent.  It's one of the reasons I love our neighborhood so much.  You feel like your totally alone.  You, the sound of your footsteps and his.  It's awesome.

Lenny's food scattered, note the over turned bowl.

Like father, like son.

My mom makes these dog toy pillows, and Lenny loves them!

What spice would you like?

I'm really a lap dog!

Lenny loves the frozen bison bones, just like his elder spirit dog Victor did!

Julie Is Cooking Part Deux.

So I signed up for a winter vegetable box.  Not quite a CSA, but a super affordable version of local, non-local and organic produce.  Two fruits (Bill and I don't eat enough fruit) and four veggies (we eat TONS of veggies) each week - pickup on Mondays.  I'm so excited about it because it means I get different things then what I buy at the store each week. And I get to try new recipes, like the one below.  And I love supporting a local business.  Read all about it on the Green Grocer's website. They're so nice and friendly - I'm happy to be doing business with them.

This week I got some radishes, spinach, sweet potatoes, an acorn squash, bananas and pears.  Awesome! 
So, tonight I went out on a ledge and made Sweet Potato and Sausage soup.  I haven't been eating much meat lately, but at the  Logan Square Farmer's Market Bill and I bought organic sausage from happy pigs on a happy farm.  Ironically,  I'm still struggling to eat it.

But, the soup turned out well!  Check out the pics below!

Happy Sausage from a happy, organic pig.  And a happy farmer - really nice guy!

Onions, garlic, red potatoes,  + sweet potatoes - before adding the organic veggie broth.

Finished product, mashed up the potatoes, added lots of paprika + pepper and a bunch of spinach!