Not Until Mr. Frodo Has Had Something To Eat

Today is J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday. It is a day that cannot go by without watching at least ONE of the LOTR movies. I chose Return of the King. What is it about third installments in trilogies: Return of the Jedi, Return of the King - both my favorites. I guess it has everything to do with the fact that the good guys do win.

Of course, I can't miss the opportunity to eat something decidedly Middle Earth-ish. This year I went with

Hobbit's Favorite Soup

Olive oil
One bunch of green onions, chopped
3 stalks of celery, sliced
6 c. water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
Salt and Pepper
2 t. each dried thyme and rosemary
1/2 t. anise seeds
3 bay leaves
Potatoes, cut into chunks (I used five large potatoes)

In a large pot, saute the green onions and celery in the oil until softened. Add water and bouillon cubes, potatoes, and pepper and herbs. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Puree a few ladlefuls in a food processor and return to the pot. Serve. Enjoy!

If I'd had time, a loaf of homemade bread would have made this awesome! Something crusty, I'm thinking. As it is, I made up a simple leafy green salad and store bought sliced bread to accompany it. We sat around our new dvd player that holds 5 dvds at a time, loaded it with the extended version of Return of the King and pushed play.

Yes, this is what I call living the good life. Good food, great family, fantastic movie.