On a soup kick

I've never been much of a cook, but the few things I know how to make I do make well. I am happy to say that I have finally nailed making soup. It's something that has been very hit or miss for me in the past, but I think I finally know what I'm doing. Generally speaking, I do not do recipes. Not unless I'm baking. This is sort of my downfall, but sometimes it works in my favor when things turn out well. I think it's maybe because I'm picky and only like certain foods combined with certain other foods, so it's hard to find recipes that work for me. I don't know. I also like to keep recipes pretty simple. More than 6 or 7 ingredients is just too many. I have almost no counter space for preparation. I watch a lot of those cooking challenge shows, like Chopped and Iron Chef, and I really think I'm becoming a better cook just from watching them and picking up little tricks and hints.

I have all kinds of soups planned for the next week. Tomorrow I'm making smoked salmon chowder with potatoes, corn, and carrots. I'm also planning a broccoli cheese soup, and a lentil soup with veggie beer brats, dark beer, and fennel. I have to see if we have a crock pot somewhere. Jeremy thinks we might have one, but he's not sure. I seem to remember it being in the cabinet by the fridge. Hmmm...

I went back to the dentist today and got four more fillings. It was initially painful when the novacaine wore off, but it's much better now. I think I might actually have a loss at the weigh in tomorrow. That would be nice.