Rainy, Chilly, Soupy Kind of Day

A couple of days ago, we had a crafty day. Daddy went out for the day and I told the girls they could make something while he was gone. The girls chose to make scarecrows. Really easy to make but some of the steps in the book were a little wonky. So I changed it up a little and we came up with these.
Get 2 sticks from the yard, one short for the arms and a long one for the body, the book said glue them together, but sorry, Elmer's glue doesn't have that strong of a hold and the girls couldn't wait until tomorrow til the glue dried. So, we tied the sticks together, criss-crossing the loops to make it sturdy. Cut the toe off some old socks and stuff a styrofoam ball inside for the head and then jam the stick up the head and tie the sock around the stick. Old ties that were cut up make the arms and the legs and scraps of felt make the shirt. The girls picked out buttons from my button stash and since the glue didn't dry fast enough, I used pins to stick the buttons on the face. I made little triangle hats from scrap fabric to cover the different color toe of the sock and viola! Scarecrows! They are all standing inside a heavy, empty vase near our Halloween decorations in the living room. We could have embellished them some more, but by the time we were finishing up, my patience was getting thin, with glue all over the place and Youngest getting cranky every time I took the glue, scissors, or pins away from her. The girls are happy with their creations, so I'm happy too!

Today was a rainy, chilly, kinda gloomy day. I like these kinds of days. These kinds of days always make me want to fire up the oven and make something warm and yummy! And that's just what I did! I made french baguette bread and yummy cheesy Broccoli soup for dinner. Mmmmm! Even the girls ate some and dipped torn pieces of bread in their soups. It's a good way to heat up the house with the oven going and I like knowing that pretty soon I'll have some yummy in my tummy!

Here's the recipe for the Cheesy Broccoli Soup if you want to try it yourself:

1 lb broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups vegetable broth

4 tbsp butter

1 bunch (6 to 8) green onions, thinly sliced, including green ends

5 tbsp flour

1 tsp dry mustard

1 1/2 cup milk

3 cups cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In medium saucepan, bring broccoli and broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.

In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Stir in flour and mustard. Slowly add in milk. Cook, stirring, until thick and bubbly. Add Broccoli and broth. Add cheese and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can add 1 grated carrot to the broccoli and broth for extra flavor. Serves 6.

Enjoy!