Our garden is changing.  We are cleaning out rocks and making the soil richer. 

 Our seedlings are beginning to grow and we will plant them in the garden.



Our School Needs Your Help Now!   You can support a great local school with a donation that will not cost you a penny!   Here’s how… Arizona allows you to pay part of your state income tax directly to your local school. Then, you use it as a dollar-for-dollar credit on your Arizona state income tax.  You decide where the money goes!   Make a check out to: Montessori de Santa Cruz. (A single taxpayer can donate up to $200 and married taxpayers, filing jointly, can donate up to $400.)   We’ll send you a receipt and tax form to file with your AZ state income tax.   Montessori de Santa Cruz is a 501(3)(c) non-profit PUBLIC SCHOOL.   Your tax credit donation will benefit the gardening and music programs at Montessori de Santa Cruz Free Public Charter School!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Violin Party - Sat. May 12

Broccoli Soup

Great way to get your kids to eat their broccoli!

Broccoli Soup

--1 qt chicken broth (or vegetable)

--2 cups milk (soy milk or other substitute)

--2 10 oz bags of frozen broccoli florets

--1/2 diced white onion (we used the green onions from the garden).

--1/2 t black pepper

--1/2 t salt

--1/2 t each thyme, marjoram & dill weed

--1/2 package instant mashed potatoes

--1 Tbs. butter (optional)

--1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional if you can’t eat dairy.)

For a southwest flavor, add a can of chopped green chili’s. 

Directions  

Mince the onion into really small pieces. (Try using a food processor.)

Add the onion to your crockpot, and top with the milk, broth, and spices. Stir in the two frozen bags of broccoli. [Or wash & food process 1/2 lb of fresh broccoli including the tender stems.]

Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. The soup is done when the onion is cooked nicely. To speed things up, just prepare it on your stovetop, in a regular soup pot.

For a creamier consistency, 15 minutes or so before serving, use a hand held stick blender to blend some of the larger broccoli florets. 

Then mix in the cheddar cheese. The cheese will be stringy and will stick to the broccoli florets---that's okay!

Then stir in the instant mashed potatoes, until it’s the consistency of soup that you like. Alternately, just keep adding mashed potatoes to turn it into a side dish instead of a soup.