Love, Books, Photos and FOOD!

Hi, I'm back!  Now where was I...?

My husband and I celebrated our 9th anniversary last month at the Hard Rock Hotel.  Look how happy we are after 9 years...

It was fabulous!  The weather was gorgeous and we ate so many delicious things.  We decided to ditch the car and walk everywhere, which felt great.  We even partied like rock stars one night at Hard Rock's 207.  We're old, though, so we just danced, had a drink, and left after 30 minutes...

Let's see...what else?  I photographed my first wedding!

Wow, was that crazy or what?  I would have never survived if it weren't for the gorgeous and talented Tawny de Rue (who is also a major foodie, by the way).  We've been best friends for 30 years, and now we get to work together!  The wedding party was a ton of fun and so easy-going, they made our job easy.  Now I'm looking forward to the next one!

I bought a fabulous book today.  It's called The Foodie Handbook and it is full of fun and amazing pictures as well as recipes.  Granted, they're not vegan recipes but I don't mind taking the time to convert them and share them with you.  Check it out if you have time, though, because the pics will make you drool.  My favorite part starts on page 173 -  'Fifty Things Every Foodie Should Do, Or At Least Try, Once In Her (His) Life.'  How fun will that be?

Now that we're on the subject of food (FINALLY, right?), I want to tell you about the soup I made yesterday.  This pureed soup has not an ounce of dairy in it, but it is unbelievably creamy and delicious!  The best part is that it takes around 30 minutes to make.  No, no...that's not true.  The best part is that it tastes incredible!  Plus, it's a great way to use your spring veggies.

Zucchini-Asparagus Soup with Basil
Serves 3-4

2 Tbsp olive oil
6 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Cups low-sodium vegetable broth
10 sprigs of asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 1" pieces
1/3 Cup packed fresh basil leaves

Cook garlic and onion in oil in a medium soup pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add chopped zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.  Add broth and asparagus to pot and simmer, partially covered, until tender, 15 minutes.  Add basil and carefully puree soup with an immersion blender until creamy, about 2 minutes.

*The major player here is the basil so make sure it's very fresh and fragrant as this makes up a lot of the soup's final flavor.

The ingredients of this soup may sound simple and the cooking method very basic, but don't let that fool you.  I plan on serving this soup as a first course at my next French dinner party!