Soup for a winter's day in my Sheffield soup-maker.

It is winter in New Zealand. For Auckland, that means we feel cold when the sun is hiding, it is grey and drizzly and the temperature is about 12-13C. The 'southerners call us names, but we are pretty hard-skinned about that---eh, Cantabrians! It doesn't matter where you live when it comes to 'comfort food' and if is healthy to boot, then we are all winners. Try this one out. OK, Fist, go and buy your Sheffield soup maker. I got mine online and it a fair bit cheaper that way. I saw what I paid $76, about $25 cheaper than from a store. Yes, it's a 'cheepy' and if you treat it right (and not do what I did with the first one I brought--causing the power to crash three times!) it more then does the trick. Take a head of broccoli, some cooked pumpkin, a can of chickpeas (drained), a generous spoon of stock powder-- any sort will work, a small teaspoon of curry powder, white pepper and salt if you wish. I also added a tablespoon of low fat cream cheese. Top the mixture up with water, to the mark on the side (or you will blow it up like I did previously with the first one I brought!) Turn it to smooth or chunky and let it rip. 30mminute later you will have a lips-smackingly great soup. You will want to curl up with a book and sip away on your soup. The world is good, except I have to go out again soon to meet a client, then of course, take Perdy for yet another walk. What the hell is winter to her---just another day!