Recipe for a weekend warmer

We’re trying a new approach to the blog this week! As it’s getting colder and more wintery with every passing day here in Victoria, we thought some focus on snuggling up and hunkering down this weekend, wouldn”t go amiss.

In light of this we’ve found a Canadian music website packed full of interesting stuff for you to read and relax with, and we’ve come up with an easy recipe for a great wintery soup too.

Chop up the ingredients before clicking through the links and it can bubble away whilst you’re reading. By the time you’re done, you’ll have had food for thought, the house will smell great and there’ll be something warming and delicious to eat whilst you indulge yourself in some dedicated downtime.

So here’s the recipe:

• 600 grams butternut squash or pumpkin (prepared weight)
• 1 handful fresh coriander to garnish
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 large carrots (roughly chopped, always music to these ears)
• 1 large potato (roughly chopped too)
• 500 ml of stock (veg or chicken)
• salt (to season)
• pepper (to season)
• 150 ml cream (up to you how much)

Method: Chop everything up and pop it in a pot – don’t add the fresh herbs yet – then leave it to simmer and soften up whilst you’re reading, and then whizz it up: bingo! Add the cream if you’re having some, top it off with the herbs and consume with crusty bread after a long walk; after an indulgent kip on the sofa. or, if you’re off to work, have it when you come home. It’ll taste even better. The world’s your oyster, well, your butternut.

And here’s the brain food bit.

These articles were both published on the website of CBC, based in Vancouver, Canada, together with several others compiled for their focus on music as part of Science week. The first one ‘How Music Works: How does the Human Voice Work?’ is not only a fascinating read about the dynamics of something most of us take for granted, it’s got a video close up of some singers’ vocal cords working and everything!

The second short article is ‘How Music Works: why do you sound better when you’re singing in the shower?’ which exposes the science behind the reason we really all do sound more divine when we sing in the shower.

You’ll see a whole heap of other interesting posts to read, too, such as why some people get the chills when they listen to music. And there are also links to music from all sorts of genres too, so you’ll be able to while away as much time as time allows…just don’t let that ole soup stick! We’ll link these articles on the CMVic website too, as they’re great for future reference.

Keep warm, bon appetite and a happy weekend from the team at CMVic. (let us know how your soup turns out…)