Soupe a l'Oignon

French onion soup is the greatest creation ever. 

Ever!

Seriously, ever.

And, I wish we could get my dad on some sort of video-blog-comment because he would authoritatively assert that I wouldn't touch a onion with a ten-foot pole for the first 20+ years or so of my life. 

It really is somewhat astounding that I love French Onion soup so much. 

And I really do,

Love it SO much.

So, imagine my complete delight when I saw Smitten Kitchen's blog post a couple weeks back with French Onion Soup as the title.

I smiled and I thought, I knew I loved her for a real good reason.

And then I read the first sentence and realized, we are in fact, soul sisters:

I’m firmly of the belief that no matter what ails you in the realm of the kitchen, onion soup can cure it.

Remember that funk I referred to last week? 

Yes, well this sweet recipe pulled me right out.

Onion soup can cure it...

amen sister!

(I was gonna go all vegan on it and use vegetable broth and omit the cheese but then I decided to not be so lame and go for it with the beef broth and gruyere...good call K!)

 (I cannot look at this and not feel intense love for my beloved Swiss Family Hinson:)

 (O&M feel the same way about onions that I did @ their age so they just stuck with the cheese)

Woody, my tight-lipped-food-praise-giver, said it was the best French Onion soup he's had in his life. 

Word.

Happy Easter!

 (checking the loot after the egg hunt Saturday)

 (decorating the cookies to go on the cupcakes...4 were eaten today (of 24) and the rest are going to Woody's work tomorrow along with the candy stash...sugar detox starts tomorrow:)

 (going to church)

 (our only picture @ church...I really wanted a family shot, next time)

 (preparing to poach the salmon:)

 (no pictures of the tasty feast but here are the washed dishes)

 (what are you doing Maya?)

 (oh, sleeping:)

Hope your Easter was special too.

The best thing I ever did

was marry Woody Myklebust.

Thanks.

I felt like gushing.

Also,

after all this time,

this salad dressing still knocks my socks off.

I make it almost every week and the week's I don't, I miss it. Bad.

The days I bring it to work for lunch are my happiest days. I love knowing it's sitting in the fridge ready for me to devour whenever the lunch bell finally rings.

It's scrumptious.

I follow Smitten Kitten's recipe (she doubles the miso and sesame oil) instead of GP's.

You start with the three ingredients up there: carrot, shallot, & ginger. 

Next, puree:

Then, add all this stuff (~2T of each)...

You end up with this.

Mmm, mmm, mmm!

I've actually been in a super duper uber cooking funk lately. For a couple of months actually.

I haven't wanted to shop for, prepare, cook, serve or clean up food. At all. Thus, we haven't been eating all that great. Just super boring quesadillas, bean numbers, pasta numbers, etc. Lame.

I think I've been lacking some inspiration.

But this past week I read here and here about this woman's new cookbook.

So I checked out these two from the library today (her older ones) and am already feeling some culinary inspiration...

I'll share my good findings.

Happy Earth Day.

[And it's Good Friday. Ten years ago I was in Guatemala for Semana Santa. It's amazing (and sad and somber); so grateful for that opportunity.]

Easter preparations...