Curried Carrot Soup for a Cool Winter's Night

I just made soup, whose recipe comes via the Food Network, and it's quite good:

Curried Carrot Soup (I've deviated from the original recipe)

1 1/2 lb   carrots (sliced to thicknesses from 1/16" to 1/4")
6 c.         vegetable or chicken stock
1-2 T       blend of cumin, turmeric, salt, paprika (ground)
1 med.    onion (I used a red onion), sliced and separated into rings
1 T          butter
2 T          EVOO
               Sour cream, for serving

Saute onion and carrots in butter and oil until fragrant and onions soften.  Add stock and spices, and turn heat to high, bringing mixture to boil.  Allow to boil for several minutes until carrots soften.  Instead of pouring the soup into a blender, I used a wand blender to make the soup creamy, allowing some small lumps to remain.  After blending the soup, I allowed the soup to return to a boil until it thickened slightly.  Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.  The sour cream helps to cool the soup sufficiently to eat immediately.

Kat did not have any, since she finished off a noodle soup that she'd had for lunch the other day while out with her grandparents (my folks).  They'd picked her up at the airport (since she was returning a day earlier than planned - her father cannot seem to keep to an agreed-upon schedule for his visitations).  The flight Peter and I took from Las Vegas landed later, at night (of New Year's Day).  It appears that in addition to limiting the cost sharing of K's care, Mark wants to maximize inconvenience to me (and therefore my family).  I am fortunate to have parents located near enough to cover for me at times like this.

Kat stayed with my folks in Murrieta while Peter and I camped out overnight in my until-then-unheated flat.  We managed to sleep with the help of my comfortable duvet which is at least five years older than Kat.  In the morning, I baked some savory muffins (cheddar and ricotta with red onion) for breakfast.  I then left Peter's house to go to Murrieta to visit with my sister and her husband.

We had a pleasant visit, and I was impressed with the activities she'd invented to introduce girls to electrical circuits.  After lunch, we talked for a little longer, then it was time to get on each of our ways.  Kat came with me and I drove back to Peter's, using his little car.

When we returned, I gave Peter his car keys, and he took his car to fetch his new reading glasses while I finished preparing the Rustic Rosemary Tart whose recipe I found online:

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/rustic-rosemary-tarts.aspx

Unfortunately, I'd made the rough puff pastry with too much water, so the pastry flattened underneath the filling and was a bit heavy along the edges, not completely separating into its intended fine layers.  I was impatient with the pastry, but now I know that for next time, which will not be long in coming, I'm sure, as there are other pastries that I'd like to create.

I'm looking forward to fetching this week's share from Be Wise, as there may be avocado as well as citrus, carrots, kale, onions, and radishes.  Yum.