Thursday, October 28, 2010

Soups on!





I have no idea when the first time I made this soup was. But over the years I have morphed the recipe so much that I think it might just be my own.

Italian Bean Soup
1 tube Jimmy dean sausage (the original recipe calls for wheatberries-but I thought it needed meat instead)
brown it in in a skillet
and then add
1 mediam carrot minced
1 rib of celery minced
1 onion minced
OR just buy the Mirepoix (Mirepoix is the French name for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery) at trader joes in the fresh produce-a real time saver!
Sautee that up for a little while and then dump it in your crock pot.
Then add to crock pot:
I cup dried navy beans (I put them in three cups of water overnight)
4 Large garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cans of diced tomatoes with basil
1 can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
add water as needed
And just today I added that Red pepper tomoato soup in the box that you can get at trader joes, Costco or the Green Barn. I just wanted it to be alittle creamier. About half the box.
Garnish with cilantro, sourcream and cheddar cheese.
So basically I took a pretty healthy recipe and made it yummy!
Let me know if you try it:)
Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Great News!!!

Remember this? Well today we got great news! Levi and Hana retook the High School Proficiency Exam or HSPE this summer. And well they not only passed but passed with FLYING COLORS! Both scored in the highest level. We are so proud of them! Soon we will receive Levi's diploma and Hana can relax and enjoy her senior year. But It is making me wonder about the efficiency of the proficiency test. I hope our government does away with such tests. No one test should have that kind of power! Thank-you to all of you prayed and had such kind words of caring for Hana and Levi.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Fall is in the air and that's OK with me.

I took a walk to the green house and saw some amazing colors. Did anyone buy mums this year? I think they are pretty.






Dusty miller.. the only living thing from summer...
The grapes are growing and the view from the top is spectacular!
One incredibly handsome and happy dog!


Keep this little guy in your prayers. He's my super hero:)
Thanks for stopping by!