Stone Soup--(they stole my name)

Before I tell you about how my name has been stolen, let me tell you this:
LONG BLOG ALERT. I've incorporated 2 or 3 things in here.

Here's my story.....
Every Friday night, if we have no plans, and if our friends, the Milton's, have no plans, we eat together. I'm not sure how this tradition got started... it just did. And yes, it is EVERY Friday night of the year, unless we are busy or gone.
Some people (other friends of mine) find this odd. Odd that we set up schedules like that I guess....odd that we just don't stay home and do nothing. I like "nothing", don't get me wrong, but it's got to be such a tradition that it seems normal. 2-3 Friday nights a month, we are always together.
One of my favorite things that Robbie makes is her signature salad. (these pictures aren't so great--sorry)
Robbie doesn't' follow a recipe for her salad, she just makes it up, but it's one of my very favorites of all time. She has 2 different variations. (and then she opens a bag-o-salad for the men, as they are not too fond of her salad, but I could just eat it and some bread and cheese and be happy )

Robbie's salad

#1
Romain Lettuce--torn
green onions--sliced
cilantro--to taste, but she uses a lot
fresh ginger--to taste
avocado--sliced
grape tomatoes--halved
Parmesan cheese--fresh, shredded

#2
Romain lettuce--torn
Field Greens or Spring lettuce mix or baby spinach
avocados--sliced
sliced almonds or walnuts
blue cheese crumbles OR Parmesan Cheese
grape tomatoes--halved
green onions--sliced
dried cranberries

The Dressing for both variations
garlic infused olive oil
seasoned rice vinegar
a smidgen of sesame oil
Greek seasoning

She doesn't mix it in a bowl or shaker either, she just "eyeball" pours it on top and mixes the salad together. Then it is my job to taste it and tell her if it needs more rice vinegar, or Greek seasoning, etc.

It's a great job!

Our Friday Night Table (not at my house...at their house)

And seriously...this is what I could have an be satisfied (maybe it's just the good company that makes it so good)

Salad, cheese and bread....

And now..... the story of my soup shop.

My last name is STONE, I've always wanted to have a soup shop.

I used to be a Children's librarian and there is an old Children's Fable called "Stone Soup". I wanted that as my name, the name for my soup shop... Stone Soup.

While I was away from my home town (I've been away for 30 years) , someone opened a soup and sandwich shop called "Stone Soup".

We moved from the Tri-Cities, WA in 1979 to Walla Walla, WA, where they then opened a soup and sandwich shop called, "Stone-Soup".

It is following me!! Saying...this could have been yours, this could have been yours.

When I was in Washington a couple of weeks ago, my mom wanted to take me there for lunch. It was my first time (her's too). We ended up taking the whole family almost.

The soup of the day....when I went with my parents and brother and sister in law 2 weeks ago, was "Cream of Asparagus".

I have to give the Stone Soup people credit, because it was REALLY GOOD!! And they sandwich was a south-western turkey. It was really good too.

I'd go back to their silly old soup shop! (even if they stole my name)

I have no idea about this picture...except if you look down on the right, you can almost see the copy of "Stone Soup" sitting there....

My little brother, bringing back the drinks.

Outside again ...they probably should cut back their trees, but I love trees so much, I don't want them too.

It just so happens that "Stone Soup" is located two doors down from the Book Worm. My favorite independent used/new book store. I usually go to the one in a town across the river tho, so I was excited to see this one.

Two of my favorite things SOUP AND BOOKS. SIDE BY SIDE!! (is this heaven?)

Getting the obligatory family photo in front of my soup shop....

(hurry up dad... hurry up)

(I don't think my family understands my blogging )

Another shot of Stone Soup, while waiting for my dad.

Hooray! A family photo. (kind of . Minus my nephews who were in school)

On to my husbands' side of the family.

Let me back-track just a bit.... I was up in Washington for my nephew's graduation and to check on my dad, who had just gotten out of the hospital.

Both our families live in the same area.... and they love us sooo much. (we love them sooo much too ) We are very popular when we are up north.

(I'm sure the siblings are annoyed at the fact that our parents kill the fatted calf when we come home. I have one brother, the handy man has 13 siblings, including whole, halve and step siblings)

MaGills. It's a great place to have breakfast. My in-laws love it.

Their breakfast menu has 10 pages....10 PAGES.

This was my breakfast scramble....with potatoes and bacon and cheese and ...it was really good. I couldn't eat it all.


Random shots of Magills.

and a random one of my in-laws visiting outside of Magill's after breakfast

With my husband's family it's always a production. And I mean that in the nicest way. I love it. I love the feel of a big family.

But on this day, only 13 people came to join us for breakfast. We went early, because the Handy-Man and I had to drive 8 hours back to Nevada, so most of the family couldn't raise their lazy butts out of bed.

But so early, that the waitress wasn't' ready for a 13 person set up.... she was all alone (and I think it was only 8:00 ) so we helped her set up our table and helped her pour coffee.

It's so different for me (although I am used to it now) having only 1 brother (and what great times we had/have ) and a non fix-it dad (we called the repair man at my house, growing up. LOL ) to have "fix-it" relatives...and a lot of them at that. At one of my kids graduations, the brothers just took out my sliding glass door and fixed it. It needed fixing, and their big brother, the Handy-man hadn't had time, so all of the sudden I noticed the door was out and someone was a the hardware store and low and behold they fixed it!!

So, setting up tables and pouring coffee is nothing.

I like my family. and I like my husband's family.

(even the lazy ones who didn't get out of bed to say goodbye to us)