Red Birds and Pea Soup

Joplin MO

Description

So I got up this morning and made a pot of coffee. It was clear and bright with the snow still thick on the ground. It's a bad deal for song birds. No insects around and any seeds and acorn bits are buried. So they sit in their nest and wait for it to thaw or they expend what little energy they have left, to find scraps in bird feeders. I keep my feeder full. I can watch the red birds eat while I sit on my sofa and sip coffee. Yeah, I feel smug about that. (grin) I'm making Split Pea Soup for you today, but you won't show up. One Tuesday you were so sweet, honest and vulnerable, then the next, you were so cold and distant. You could not make eye contact with me. I doubt I'll make this soup again but here is the recipe: 3 cans of strained whole peas into the blender. Save a half cup of whole peas to add later. Put in some olive oil and corn starch to thicken it up. Last night I boiled a potato which is cut up into thumb nail sized chunks. One cup of ham chunks about fingernail size. One baby carrot shredded with a potato peeler for that splash of color. Bring it to a rolling boil in Le Creuset then cover it and let it cool. This step locks in the flavors. When it is room temp bring it up to serving temp. Then I ladle it into white ceramic bowls that have tree leaves in bas-relief. I confirm its tasty when I put some in my little doggies bowls they and slurp it up and snort like piglets. Just like the red birds at my feeder.