Rain.
Yes, rain makes the flowers grow. Yes, rain is good for preventing droughts and preventing some crazy heat waves, and I certainly prefer rain over tornadoes...
But today rain made for a lazy day off and a longing for walking weather.
After filling out some forms for work, setting up appointments and finishing chores, I settled down to do one of my favorite things--peruse recipes! As I was writing down ingredients I would need to purchase, I kept asking myself "Do I have thyme?" "Did I keep the rosemary?" and it occurred to me that I am not quite clear on my own herbs and oils. So, I used my free time to drag them all out of the cabinet, categorize them, alphabetize my list, and put them back. I should have taken a before shot, but here's my after:
At least the cooler weather makes soup season last a bit longer. Yesterday's soup was Easy Black Bean which I like to refer to as "dump ingredients in a pot and boil". It was the perfect lunch to pack and take along with me to visit my brother as he recovers from shoulder surgery. The side is a crisped up rice tortilla, lightly salted.
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Easy Black Bean Soup
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1/2 box of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can fat free re-fried beans
1 cup water
1 small jar fat free garlic salsa
cilantro (for garnish)
scoop of TJ's fat free sour cream for the top
pour in a pot and boil :) makes 4 servings
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Today's soup: Broccoli Potato
1 tsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, peeled & chopped
1/2 box reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 package frozen broccoli (or 1 bunch fresh with stems removed)
1/4 cup fat free half & half
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar*
You heat the oil in a saucepan and cook onions until they're softened. Add the garlic and heat a minute more. Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and broccoli and heat to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove some broccoli, and simmer a few minutes more. I used my hand mixer to puree the ingredients left in the pan, and then added back the broccoli I had removed, the half & half, salt, pepper, and cheese.
Makes 4 servings
* I made the mistake of using a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack...and I think sharp cheddar would have made a huge difference taste wise. Perhaps some curry powder or ground mustard would have jazzed things up too. It was an OK soup, but it needed more flavor. I'll play with some other spices in the future.
** New note on this-- today I added a wedge of laughing cow light blue cheese when heating it up, it made the difference. If you don't like blue, it comes in swiss, chipotle, and toasted onion.
Here's hoping for sunny skies tomorrow!
Yes, rain makes the flowers grow. Yes, rain is good for preventing droughts and preventing some crazy heat waves, and I certainly prefer rain over tornadoes...
But today rain made for a lazy day off and a longing for walking weather.
 |
| Jake, lazing around...longing for some outside play |
 |
| The spices and my alphabetical list :) |
Easy Black Bean Soup1 can black beans (rinsed)
1/2 box of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can fat free re-fried beans
1 cup water
1 small jar fat free garlic salsa
cilantro (for garnish)
scoop of TJ's fat free sour cream for the top
pour in a pot and boil :) makes 4 servings
Today's soup: Broccoli Potato
1 tsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, peeled & chopped
1/2 box reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 package frozen broccoli (or 1 bunch fresh with stems removed)
1/4 cup fat free half & half
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar*
You heat the oil in a saucepan and cook onions until they're softened. Add the garlic and heat a minute more. Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and broccoli and heat to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove some broccoli, and simmer a few minutes more. I used my hand mixer to puree the ingredients left in the pan, and then added back the broccoli I had removed, the half & half, salt, pepper, and cheese.
Makes 4 servings
* I made the mistake of using a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack...and I think sharp cheddar would have made a huge difference taste wise. Perhaps some curry powder or ground mustard would have jazzed things up too. It was an OK soup, but it needed more flavor. I'll play with some other spices in the future.
** New note on this-- today I added a wedge of laughing cow light blue cheese when heating it up, it made the difference. If you don't like blue, it comes in swiss, chipotle, and toasted onion.
Here's hoping for sunny skies tomorrow!
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