One Sunday morning after a far too-late Saturday night, I was feeling the need for a little comfort lunch food. I had a container of mushrooms and not much else in the fridge, and decided to concoct a vegan version of cream of mushroom soup. This one got a standing ovation from my daughter, so I thought I’d better record the recipe so I could try to repeat it. Ingredients: 1 tbsp of coconut oil 1 jumbo or 2-3 regular size cloves of garlic 1- 8 oz. package of white mushrooms, chopped 2 ribs of celery, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 2 tbsp whole wheat flour 1 tbsp arrowroot (natural thickener, find it in a health food store, or use cornstarch in a pinch) 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tbsp mirin (japanese cooking wine - Planet Organic carries this, but you can also omit it and double the balsamic) 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp dried thyme 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth   To prepare: Melt the coconut oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Saute the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and celery in the oil until veggies are softened and the mushrooms start to release their liquid. In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot, flour and 1/4 cup of the stock. Once blended, add to the mushroom mixture and stir. Add the almond milk and stir until a bit thicker, then add mirin, balsamic, and remaining 2 & 3/4 c. stock. Add salt, pepper and thyme and stir, bringing to a low boil and then reducing to a simmer. Remove from heat and blend in batches until smooth. Delicious with garlicky croutons or a crusty bread on the side. Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 8 & 9. For information and recipe ideas, visit her website....