Fall at the Gardens

I went to Meijer Gardens yesterday. I haven't been there since August and wanted some good autumn photos. What better place to take them?!

Here's a sneak peek at the Japanese Garden, set to open June 2015.

 Inside and out they are showcasing mums. However, outside they haven't fully bloomed, so here's a good photo of the indoor display.

 Here's the Michigan farm.

 This statue is by the farmhouse. 

 I like the palette of colors and the reflection in the pond.

 That's the statue of Eve by Rodin. I like how she's framed by the trees.

 This is inside the gallery, the showcase for ArtPrize at the Gardens. This piece is part of the wall.

 Here's a different angle to help you understand it. 

These bricks are made from clothes, pressed into the shape of a brick. They were then stacked to look like a house that had been damaged. You can read the artist's statement here. I hope you'll take time to read it, she makes a fascinating statement.

I hope you enjoyed my visit. (And photos! I know, I'm shocked too!)

Soup's on!

Fall is here. It seems as though overnight the leaves changed color, bursting into their golds, oranges and reds. Artprize is almost over in downtown Grand Rapids. I still haven't looked at the top ten list, but I know I did get to see a couple of them.

I've also been to Meijer Gardens to see their Chrysanthemums and More! exhibit. Here are a few pictures:

Fall is also my favorite time to start making soups. I was just telling someone that the other day, and they asked why I don't make soup in the summer. I enjoy most cream based soups and while some of them can be served cold, I like my soup hot. Fall is the perfect time to enjoy a bowl of hot soup.

I found a new cheesy potato soup recipe, so I decided to try it on Monday. It is very good, but I already modified it. It's pretty basic; a carrot, herbs, frozen mashed potatoes (to make it simple), milk and cheese.

I started out by making my own mashed potatoes. That's just as easy. Plus I had potatoes, why would I buy a bag of frozen mashed potatoes? (Again, the recipe is to make life easier, but I have nothing but time, so I don't mind complicating the recipe.)

Oh, and it called for ham.

No onion? Of course I added an onion. What's a soup with carrot but no onion?

The recipe suggested cheddar or gouda. I had some gouda, so I decided I would try that.

While I was shredded the gouda, that's when I got in trouble. The cheese, at one point while I was grating it, stopped moving. My hand, specifically my thumb, did not.

I looked down. Yes. Yes, I had just grated my thumb. I think I said, "oh. This is bad." Bill has learned to listen for these quiet, more subtle cues that something has just gone wrong. When the injury is not serious, I tend to shout and make a bigger deal about it. Because I has chosen the quieter route, Bill looked up from his chair in the living room, where he has a direct line of site to the stove and more importantly to where I was standing, looking a little pale.

Then I think I said, "I'm gonna need a band aid".

Fortunately there was no skin in the cheese, because it was still attached to the "grater" shaped cut on my thumb.

The soup was good. Very good. My thumb is healing. Slowly.

There will be more soup. Fall Harvest soup; it has butternut squash, a potato, carrots, a granny smith apple, it's all the flavors of fall in one soup. Chicken Tortilla soup, chili, ribolita, broccoli and cheese, French Onion soup and more. Oh my!

Happy Fall!