Cream of Chicken with Leeks

I have been playing with my kids this week instead of being crafty so I haven't actually completed anything new. I did however create a lovely soup recipe and I'll post that. You'll have to forgive me for once again not having pictures a la Pioneer Woman. Just trust me, it's worth it. And since it only takes 30 minutes to cook, you could say it's more than worth it.

Cream of Chicken Soup with Leeks

1/2 T olive oil
2 leeks, chopped
1 t salt
2 t minced garlic
2 celery stalks chopped
5 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c cooked chicken
3 carrots, sliced
3/4 c heavy cream
1 t chopped lemon thyme

heat the oil in a heavy bottom 4 quart pan. Add the salt, celery and leeks, cook over medium heat until tender and transparent. You want to sweat the aromatics, not saute them. Stir often and turn down the heat if they get a little color. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so to release flavor. Dump in the cooked chicken, chicken stock and carrots. heat to simmer and cook until the carrots are tender. Gently stir in the heavy cream, then add the thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. heat through, but do not let boil. Serve.

This soup is really heavenly. It has a distinctive flavor and is very different from your average chicken soup. It is very thin however. If you like your cream soups to be thicker, add 1/3 c flour with the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the stock to reduce the raw flavor in the flour.

Another dress

I had some fabric left from last year's Easter dresses, so I decided to whip one up for my Etsy's shop. This is Sarah's color scheme and the design from Libby's and Rilla's dresses.

I of course needed photos to post in the shop, so I asked Libby to be my "fashion model."

She jumped into the job with fantastic enthusiasm. She mispronounced model at least five times.
But she just kept posing.
and posing. Don't you think she did a good job?

Obsession

I'm working on another purse. I've modified the pattern I made for the last one to create a deeper purse with a new shape. This one won't be reversible; it's going to have organizing pockets because I'm tired of digging through a bunch of stuff to find my keys.

I'll of course, be making smaller bags to put stuff in my other purses. I've got too many that are just big open bags. I figured a bag for my lip glosses (something colored and something not) a nail file and clippers, safety pins (they are just handy to have around), etc. and another bag for things like gum, a pen, and that sort of thing would make switching purses a breeze and keep them all more organized. I just need to choose the fabric for those. Something neutral, but still cute, of course. I'll be using the square end style of bag to make it easier to get things in and out of these bags.