Tuesday, January 06, 2009

"When it rains, it pours!"

Well...remember my wonderful posting (back in August) when I announced the Farmer's Almanac's forecast for our area?!? Welp, they were right! A "brisk and wet winter" we have had!

Overall, it has been chilly, and it has rained and rained and rained! (I was expecting more snow, but the winter's not over just yet!) And just when you think it's rained all that it can rain, here rolls in the fog! Although I'm not really complaining, for I do have to say that the weather does make for a cozier home, and we have enjoyed snuggling, getting back into reality with school and house work! And I have loved every minute of it...up until yesterday afternoon!

Thinking about preparing supper, I walked into the kitchen and heard water moving...other than the rain falling outside! Yes I could hear water moving....it was in the basement!! So we called Daddy at work (isn't it nice being the weaker vessel/damsel in distress?), and he came on home to find that the basement was flooded and was filling up faster than the sub-pump could rid us of the water! [My husband informs me that it's actually called a "sump-pump." Oops...Did any of you gals notice?] Thankfully, I have most of our items in Rubbermaid boxes....Go, Rubbermaid and Sterlite! And Ricci's tools are up on shelving! But our sweet hubby/daddy got to work with his shop-vac (Dad, that Christmas gift you gave him ten years ago sure has been helpful over the years, but this beats all! Thanks again!), and Ricci worked most of the night from the moment he walked in the door. Knowing that he was wet and cold, I made a copycat recipe of Panera's Broccoli Soup, and I convinced the poor guy to come inside to have some soup...hmmm! It was so good! (Recipe at the bottom!) He sat down for about ten minutes to eat and pray with the girls before they went to bed. Then he immediately got back to work, but it only went from bad to worse!
Lovey, one of our two little night-owls, had rejoined me back downstairs (she "can't sleep with all of the quiet!"), so after hanging out with me for a while, I was about to take her back upstairs when we heard a terrible, terrible sound. It was a sound that you know something big is wrong....Eric came running up to ask me and Lovey if we were alright, so between the three of us we located where the sound happened. It was actually a heavy, thick drain that had ripped off the side of the house, taken some tree limbs and was resting on the telephone, cable lines above Eric's car. We moved his car, and I forbid him to touch any of it....remember, it's still pouring down rain while we're standing out there in the dark watching one thing after another happen! It really was so bad that all we could do was stand there in awe and laugh to keep from crying!

Ughhh...of course, Ricci can't go to work today (Yeah!) until we get something settled (no pun intended)! I'm sure that others at his office are in the same boat (again, no pun intended!), for the rain and flooding is all that's on the local news. Many of the schools are even closed! (Usually, that's to my girls' advantage, but today that's not going to benefit them...sorry, girls!)

And thankfully, today it has quit raining, and the temps are just dropping (brr!) while it's very windy....supposed to be helpful in drying us out! And the creek running beside our house (with its waterfalls) are just amazingly beautiful to hear and see!

If you're chilly too...and don't feel like running out to Panera, here's you a good copycat recipe! We all loved it! I was hoping that there would be leftovers; however, there weren't! So this recipe is so good that you might consider doubling this!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
Very good soup...serve with crusty bread.

1 tablespoon melted butter (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli
1 cup carrot, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I chose not to use this)
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
2. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
3. Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg.

5 comments:

brite said...

Funny you should post this recipe...this is just the thing I've been looking for. Thanks!
And when I told Warren about the basement he said, "I wish they would've called me to come and help!" So keep that in mind for next time (hoping for your sake that there isn't a next time, of course)... -Brite

Nekey said...

Oh yuck.. I'm so sorry. I would have been frantic... Thanks for posting the recipe!

Jonesey said...

Oh, sounds horrible Stephy.

I confess I noticed the "sump-pump" situation because we had one in Philly that would go out with the power? And I could hear it pumping the water out when it rained. I thought when you said "sub-pump" that I had been saying it wrong all those years :)

Thanks for the recipe.

Anonymous said...

I know the soup must have "hit the spot" after working in the water and cold! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Anonymous said...

Steph,
I was doing some catch up reading on your blog. My goodness! Hope everything is back together at this point. And thanks for the recipe!

Wasn't today just beautiful? After the freezing temps we've had, it was so refreshing.