Spider Web Studies, I Wanna Be Sedated and Speedy Tuscan White Bean Soup

Hello lovely readers, welcome to the weekend blog post. I hope you caught some of the gorgeous winter sunshine that we had today! Tonight I give you "Spider Web Studies, I Wanna Be Sedated and Speedy Tuscan White Bean Soup." Happy reading xo♥
Spider Web Studies
On a misty winters morning, the spider webs in our garden were glistening with dewdrops. I want to show you all some of the images I captured. 

The dewdrops caught the morning sunlight and look like tiny jewels suspended in the spiderwebs. 

Nature is just so beautiful sometimes don't you think?  
I Wanna Be Sedated
The first Ramones song I ever remember hearing was "I Wanna Be Sedated." Sadly this week, the last surviving member and original drummer of the pioneering Punk band The Ramones, lost his battle with cancer. Ramones Lead vocalist Joey passed away in 2001, Dee Dee passed away in 2002 and Johnny passed away in 2004. There is a great article on Triple J here : 
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/s4045059.htm
Some interesting Ramones trivia... 
1. All members of the band adopted the surname Ramone although they weren’t related.The Ramones finally disbanded in 1996 after a show at the Palace in Hollywood.
2. After 2,261 shows The Ramones called it quits in 1996. Their last Australian visit was in 1994 as one of the headliners of the Big Day Out 
3. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Readers, I hope you enjoy this fine video clip 

"The Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated."

Speedy Tuscan White Bean Soup

This soup is just delicious. Hearty yet light, perfect for a quick winter mid-week dinner. I didn't have Cannellini Beans in the cupboard, and substituted tinned Butter Beans instead. I also used lean bacon instead of Pancetta. The fresh time and squeeze of lemon really add another dimension to this soup. You can find the original recipe here: speedy tuscan white bean soup

Speedy Tuscan White Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, trimmed, halved, washed, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large sebago potato, peeled, chopped
2 x 425g cans cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1 litre salt-reduced chicken stock
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 teaspoons lemon juice
4 slices pancetta lemon wedges, to serve

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek is soft.

Add potato and beans. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock. Increase heat to high. Cover and bring to the boil. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from heat. Stand for 10 minutes.

Blend or process half the soup until smooth. Return soup to pan. Add thyme and lemon juice. Return to heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a frying pan over high heat. Cook pancetta for 2 minutes each side or until browned and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Break pancetta into large pieces. 

Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with pancetta. Season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

That wraps up the weekend blog post dear readers, I hope you enjoyed "Spider Web Studies, I Wanna Be Sedated and Speedy Tuscan White Bean Soup." See you all on Wednesday for a new Wednesday Wishes blog post x