dec 2 - well worth the wait - the christmas cactus........ and a soup

i started to notice the first signs the first week in november

every day more and more would appear

until finally the plant explodes!

sadly some blooms are already starting to die. i absolutely adore the christmas cactus! all year i basically forget about it. its just another green plant i faithfully water. then in november i'll catch a glimpse of a bud and suddenly i remember that it will soon explode into a firework display of blooms! its crazy really - how it just knows when to come out and does so without being coaxed. then when its done blooming - it goes back to sleep until next year......

i think its pretty cool.

the easiest butternut squash recipe in the world

i overheard someone talking about this soup this morning and i thought about it all day. i couldn't get to the grocery store fast enough to buy squash.

• 1 pkg peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1 32 oz carton of veggie broth
• 1 apple
• 1 onion
• seasonings (i used salt and nutmeg)

throw everything into a pot and cook until soft. puree and eat.

i have a huge bag of dried shitake mushrooms in my pantry. i grab handfuls of them and throw them into whatever i'm cooking. i grabbed a handful and threw it in this soup too. i liked it - b/c i love mushrooms - but honestly i think it would have been just as good without the mushrooms.