ok, this one really is the last soup of the season

We've had some weird weather the last two weeks--like Spring and Winter have been playing tug-of-war. Snow, sun, snow and then more sun. It just happened to work out that it snowed Monday and I'd already planned to make one more soup: Slow-Cooker Chicken and Gnocchi. We don't use the Crock Pot nearly enough; I had to dig it out of the back of a cabinet behind all the cookie tins. But it was worth the sore lower back to make this soup. I'd never had gnocchi until I made this soup for the first time a few years ago--or used the new Crock Pot, for that matter. I still haven't made any other dishes with gnocchi; I should amend that sometime this year.

But anyway, to the soup: it's hearty, with plenty of chicken and vegetables (although I could have used some more carrots), and the thyme works really well with the gnocchi. By the way, if your gnocchi tastes kind of tart it hasn't cooked long enough. That's what happened to me the first time. I'm glad I didn't let that dissuade me from trying again.

And of course there's the obvious benefits of a slow-cooker meal: less work and fewer dishes. I even cut up my vegetables the day before when I had a free moment. I highly recommend this soup; it's one of my favorites.

And that closes the book on another soup season. I can't wait to try some new ones this fall.