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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Blog Anxiety and Broccoli Soup

Blog Anxiety: I never thought about it, but now I have it. You see, my blogpal, Funny About Money, wrote a post about laundry detergent, which mentioned my post about laundry detergent. Or, more accurately, the fact that we need little, if any laundry detergent. Anyway, her post was picked up by some video, which has gone viral, and now Funny is, I hope, well on her way to fame and fortune.

I'm not linked on the video, but I AM mentioned, so I'm getting more traffic than usual. Just a little. And I'm not heading to fame or fortune, though either would be nice. Especially the fortune, since I'm rather reclusive in real life.

What is most likely is that these readers will take a look and never return. Oh, how I hate rejection! (Then why did I choose to enter a field where every endeavor, including the initial job search, is marked by about a 98% chance of rejection?)

I would love to think of a post topic that would make all these visitors return. But, like other such moments, such as when I was mentioned on an artistic homekeeping site (pretty funny, since I am a messy person), such fame is fleeting. And, of course, I am somewhat paralyzed by the desire to write a killer post.

Oh well. Let me tell you about this broccoli soup I made last night. It is originally from Martha Shulman, but I don't know the exact source, since I scribbled it on a piece of paper. This is one of those recipes that seldom makes it into cookbooks, because it is so simple.

1. Simmer some (I used 4 biggish ones) garlic cloves in water (about 7 cups) for around 15 minutes.
2. Add some olive oil and thyme.
3. Add a bunch of chopped broccoli and around 1/4 pound of pasta.
4. While this is simmering, beat two eggs and stir in some parmesan.
5. When soup is done, stir in the egg mixture. Keep stirring.
6. Serve with croutons--or as I do--good bread toasted and rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with olive oil.

P.S. This needs quite a bit of salt.

That's pretty much a stone soup. Interestingly, a friend whose mother was born in Italy told me about a similar--and even simpler--soup. You just boil some chopped zucchini in water and add that egg mix. No garlic? No, he said.

Do you have any recipes for stone soup? Do you have blog anxiety?

11 comments:

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Blogging is not without anxiety...I feel your pain!
It is us putting ourselves out there and the masses either take it or leave it...the broccoli soup sounds good!

materfamilias said...

I know this feeling precisely! Everytime one of the super-bloggers nods in my direction(Last week it was Imogen of InsideOutStyle), I get all kinds of visitors yet rarely any comments. It's as if hundreds of people were walking by just outside my French doors, peering on, but not stopping to say hello. And just as if those peering in my windows happened to catch me on a day when the table's piled with miscellanea and the cat's hairball is still in the middle of the kitchen floor, I never seem to have a great post up when the cyber-traffic starts.

I'm sure your visitors will be quite happy with this recipe, though. I have no broccoli in the house right now, but I'm thinking I could substitute that head of cauliflower . . .

Frugal Scholar said...

@hostess--It is good, if you are in the mood for a humble soup.

@mater--There is a better cauliflower soup. Saute an onion with some paprika. Add chicken stock, potatoes, and cauliflower. Puree when done. Top with cheddar. Thanks for commenting. I read your blog often, but seldom comment for some reason...WHY?????

♥Frann♥ said...

*Stopping by to wish a great day and many blessings.*

Duchesse said...

I don't even look at my blog traffic. After years of writing to deadlines, for specific audiences, it's pleasant to write what I want.

Duchesse said...

What annoys me are spammers like the person who "stops by to wish a great day", an unvarying message left on many, many blogs. Not civilized blogosphere behaviour.

Unknown said...

hi there!
i don#t blog so i no nothing about bloggers anxiety...
stone soups, however....
like many grain things with milk (cook rice or pasta or buckwheat or barley, when it´s done or almost done, add some milk or cream, season with salt, rice and pasta with some sugar also, other mentioned things with some pepper.
to barley or buckwheat soup u could add a bit potato cubes)
Also a carrot-rutabaga puréed soup, for what u need those two, an onion would be nice, and garlic, plus some spices or something...
or potato-leek soup
or potato-zucchini soup
and so on. i love "stone soups"!

Anonymous said...

I found your blog through a Gai Shan Life, and just wanted to let you know that I will be trying out broccoli soup tonight! :)

Frugal Scholar said...

@Duchesse--I always admire your attitude.

@klaarika--I've never tried rutabaga, but will if my grocery carries them.

@aspiring--Thanks for the comment. I hope you like the soup. It is very plain...but good.

BG2.0 said...

Rutabega=yellow turnip=swede. Your supermarket will have it, wax coated. Peel, chop, boil, mash, enjoy.

I caught on to you via the detergent cite and am now an RSS viewer.

I tried to blog when I traveled, thinking family and friends would be interested and that it was cheaper than phones or postcards. Sadly, only one reader, so I stopped. Guess I misjudged my audience.
Thanks for your blogging!

Frugal Scholar said...

@BG2.0--Thanks for all your comments! it takes a while for people to find your blog--give it another try.