Brilliant Meteor Shower Tonight & A Soup Recipe to Stay Warm!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Tis the season for holiday programs and I am getting ready to go to my oldest daughter's chorus performance. Thank goodness Megan got her Grandma's voice. She is a wonderful daughter and an amazing singer. Before we go out I wanted to make sure you knew about what is being called the year's most brilliant meteor shower by astronomers. Throw on some layers and head outside. You could see 1 to 2 shooting stars per minute. Find a dark spot and look east-northeast. I like going to the beach! What makes this meteor shower different is that it is known for slower moving and more dazzling displays of meteors. You also do not have to wait until midnight to see them. They are out early and often. This display is caused by an asteroid that apparently broke up and it is a fairly new phenomenon. It has only been around for about 150 years and it is getting more brilliant every year.  It has what is called earth-grazers or shooting stars that like to come closer to the ground before the atmospheric friction causes them to fizzle out. Some of these shooting stars will look like you can reach out and touch them. Get out and enjoy.

We all know it is cold outside and to protect the pipes the next couple nights. I will not harp on it during this blog update. I will talk about solutions and my Mom has one for all of us. I wanted to thank her for lunch today and the Easy Chicken & Tortellini Soup. This is my bowl of soup after 30 seconds. Yes, I need to slow down when I eat, but it is tough when it is soooooo good! Here is a recipe my Mom would like to share with all of us.

Rotisserie chicken is the secret to this rich soup.
3 tablespoons of olive oil, not extra virgin
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
Onions, diced
16 oz. package sliced white mushrooms (optional)
32 oz. package chicken broth
29 oz. can diced tomatoes
16 oz. chopped spinach, frozen
20 oz. package 3-cheese tortellini
all-natural rotisserie chicken
shredded parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook slowly until translucent, about 10 minutes. 2. Add mushrooms if you like them and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. 3. Increase heat to high and slowly pour in broth and diced tomatoes with liquid. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 4. While soup is simmering, dice chicken and set aside, discarding skin and bones. 5. Add frozen spinach to soup, raising heat to keep at simmer if necessary. Cook 5 minutes. Carefully add tortellini, cook 5 more minutes, and then stir in diced chicken. 6. Serve immediately, topping each serving with freshly grated parmesan.

Thanks Mom! Everybody stay warm, off to Fruit Cove Middle School! Please send pictures of shooting stars if you see any! THANKS.