I’m up early, this overcast Monday morning, preparing vegetables to make a Vegetable Beef Soup. Now, there is nothing wrong with a good beef soup……….I like cutting up the fresh vegetables and browning the beef and adding the spices and letting it simmer all day. Then into the fridge it goes, because most soups and stews are better, in my opinion, if they are left to meld at least one night. It just blends all the tastes of the seasonings and the sauce gets thicker. Then I’ll serve it with a hot cornbread full of spicy jalapeños…….yummmmmmmmmmmm! But, it also reminds me, soon, I will be aboard the Regent Seven Seas Explorer again, going out to sea……..
Eating cheesecake for breakfast if I want to…………..
And dining in a different restaurant every night…………
With plenty of desserts to choose from any time of day………..
and eating steak in the best restaurant ever!
and just floating along the ocean to my heart’s content………
and eating Chinese cuisine in the Pacific Rim Restaurant, where you sit under giant lamp shades……….
Or go to the Compass Rose Restaurant to enjoy just about any food specialty……..
The Sette Mari Restaurant is strictly Italian fare…..
always set so beautifully with fresh flowers…….
I have to admit they even made a plate of tomatoes look elegant!
I took some Cooking Classes…….The classes offer insight about the foods from the countries we would be visiting. “Mastering the Art of Fire and Grill,” was about spices and cooking on a grill, not just backyard grilling, but really fooo-fooo stuff to me! Ever so tasty! We sipped selected wines that would pair well with our meal………I’m in la-la land, just thinking about it!
It won’t be long before we are off again and I am ready! Until them, I’m dreaming and cooking the days away!
Smiles all around for the Weekly Smile! What made you happy this week? If you would like to post your Weekly Smile, look HERE! See you next week!
ThatTravelLadyInHerShoes 
The first of two cataract surgeries last week made me smile! Crazy? Nope. The results will be stunning — clear vision again. But a week of various homemade soups for chilly winter nights made both Hubby and me smile. I, too, prefer to make these with fresh ingredients with boxed broths the only store-bought items. Oh, and wine, of course. And my own dried herbs from summer gardening.
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Oh cataract surgery does make a big difference! I couldn’t believe the colors I had been missing! Stay well! Cady
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Nothing like a good vegetable soup on a chilly day. Sounds like the cruise ship is your destination! Where is the ship taking you! Nothing too snazzy for me this week but the weather should be good so maybe I’ll sneak off to the nursery and dream of a beautiful garden!
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Oh, I too am ready for a good workout in the garden! I think Spring is my favorite season! I love looking to see what is slowly emerging or hiding under the leaves. I think it is a miracle that plants return since we have such hot, hot humid weather…….When we go on vacation, I like the traveling the best and meeting new people. Cruising is just darn convenient! Fly first class to the first destination and then just relax and let them pamper me! This year we will be starting out in Istanbul, Turkey (where we have been to before) so we won’t fly out early to see the sights and then 5 weeks later we arrive in Barcelona, Spain! Going to other places in Turkey, a lot of Greek islands, Malta, Crete, Rhodes, and then Athens for four days. Then back out to sea to Cyprus, a week in Israel, then Alexandria, Egypt, some more Greek Islands and then Barcelona! We have found in our old age cruising is just right for us, small ship, 500 passengers……..no kids. They offer history sessions so you get familiarized with the countries’ history and traditions before you arrive in port. AND my favorite, favorite is the in-home, cultural tours, to meet the folks and talk with them, one-on-one about their countries! We have the best time and yes, the food makes it worthwhile too!
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I agree, it takes soup, stew or chili a day or two for all of the flavors to blend together. Your soup looks good.
It sounds like you are one of the people that like cruises for the eating pleasure… All of those dinign choices does sound good.
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No, we like the traveling the best, but the food is a bonus! Ha Ha!
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Hello.
Yummy, yummy. We have once in a week vegetable soup day. If I would be there, I would love to taste. all desserts and soon as a result I would have to buy new looser clothes. 🙂
Have a wonderful day!
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You know we gain about 5 lbs on the cruises and I am always amazed it is not more! We do a lot of walking and exploring and seeing everything when we get off the ship for the excursions and usually spend about 8 hours off the ship everyday. When we we get back home it is back to fruit and vegetables and smaller portions to get that 5 lbs off!
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