Black Bean Soup Recipe

Last weekend, I made a black bean and tomato soup. 
I had been craving one for some time and when I want to make something like that, when I haven't ever made it before, I will often google search for recipes and then look at about four or five recipes that look good. 
Then I just pick and choose a little from this recipe and a little from that till I get what I think will be what I am looking for.
I found some good basic steps and ingredients here, here, and here.
This is what I came up with for my own version of this soup.

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 ½ -2 cups vegetable broth
6-8 Roma tomatoes
1 onion
1 celery stalk
2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ -1 tsp cumin
½ -1 tsp chili powder
½ -1 tsp oregano or mixed Italian seasoning
salt
pepper

Juice from one lime
chopped green onions
half an avocado, diced

Okay so the biggest step is roasting the tomatoes.Slice them into quarters lengthwise. Also cut up onion and celery (I cut into large chunks so they wouldn't burn when roasting) Toss, in 2 tbsp of olive oil a sprinkle of salt and the oregano/Italian seasoning. Roast for about 30 minutes @ 350, then add the garlic in and roast for another 20-25 minutes.

Once roasted, add vegetable stock to the pan to scrape up all the roasty bits. Then, transfer it all to a large soup pot. Here I used my handy dandy Cuisinart stainless steel hand blender, using just a few pulses to blend things up a bit.

Then I added the rinsed cans of beans. I've cooked kidney beans and navy beans from dry, but I have yet to try black beans. Comes down to saving time really, when I use the canned variety.

Add in the spices and mash about half of the beans (or use the blender).

Bring to a boil and then lower to simmering for about 20-30 minutes, adjusting salt, spice and thickness (by adding more water or veg stock) as needed.

Serve in bowls.
I offered the lime juice, green onions and avocado on the side to add as desired.  I also think it would be nice with the bacon, but was serving a vegetarian guest.  Sour cream and cilantro would be nice additions to top it off with as well.  Perhaps I'll try that next time.

Yummy! I loved this soup and will make it again soon!

22 Things

Lists!
Oh,  I do love to make a list.  
And I just found another great opportunity to make one!!

Angie, over at Write Me Happy has issued a creative challenge called 22 Things, which is a means to accomplish BIG things through small steps.

So, here is my list.

The one that came right off the top of my head with out any editing or shuffling of order of importance or anything like that.

1. Move a little bit more each day (stretch, walk, dance)
2. Listen to music more often
3. Practice my guitar, daily
4. Drink more water
5. Do my vocal training exercises more often
6. Sign up for voice lessons
7. Organize my songs into folders (computer)/binders (hard copy)
8. Finish putting together another copy of a children's book I wrote into 12x12 scrapbook
9. Mail a minimum of 3 cards per week
10. Make cards weekly, set aside an hour or two on Sundays
11. Take better care of my fingernails
12. Book an appointment for a pedicure (use christmas gift certificate!)
13. Make one date per week with a friend for lunch or tea
14. Start blogging more about music
15. Start blogging some recipes
16. Work on making a scrapbook again.
17. Start recording songs and story readings for a gift for a special little girl
18. Have more family outings (weekly)
19. Be more physically active as a family
20. Join a choir
21. Find a songwriters group to join
22. Play with clay (plasticine)
23. Get a new journal
    I added that last one in because, I was making the list in my journal and had reached the last page!

Afterwards, I got looking at my list and I started judging it.
Wanting to tweak it. 
Change it. 
Make it more appealing.
(Why is spending time with my family so low on the list? How could I neglect 'practicing with my brother for our planned open mic night?' I didn't include any steps to finding a new full time job, which should be a priority for me right now in order to pay the bills).

And then, I went blog surfing. I went to visit Pauline at journal illustrations and musings and read this lovely post.

I could see a similarity in her description of resisting the urge to change what she didn't like about her painting and just let it be and become what it will.
I then decided to leave my list alone.
It is what it is.
It came to me in that order for whatever reason and I'm not going to judge it, or change it, or add to it right now.
I think sometimes I just try to do to much at once.
So I'll stick with this list a while and see where it takes me.

Thanks Pauline!

Oh, and then, I ate some chocolate!

A Friend, Food and Fun-Filled Weekend, Also, Menu for March 12-18

Lunch on Saturday

Last week's menu was another success. I did make a couple changes however.
I made a black bean and roasted tomato soup to go with the quiche on Friday.

And instead of sun brown rice and roasted veggies with the trout on Saturday, my wonderful husband made a veggie stir fry with Asian eggplant, zucchini, onions, beet greens, celery and peppers (red, green and yellow!) and served that over bean noodles, yummy!

He also made a little saucy side dish of okra with tomatoes!

I might mention that my husband was a chef in a previous life for about a dozen years.
I might also mention that we had an old friend visiting us this weekend and this is a friend who appreciates good food and also enjoys cooking.

I might also mention that this friend came bearing abundant gifts of fine wine, cheese, bread, tea and chocolate!!! (Now that's a good friend indeed!)

We enjoyed a lovely lunch on Saturday (see photo above) of seafood salad, bread, cheese, strawberries and champagne! We ate this while geeking out on our computers. It was a trial; we decided to play a game of scrabble via facebook, while in the same room. It was fun!

Sunday, it was just me and hubby for dinner as our little Sugar-Plum is still visiting at Grandma's with her cousin. We ate leftovers of everything! Which leaves the Beef Ginger Stir-Fry available for this week's menu.

I expect this week to be a bit crazy as it is the March Break and our days are in a bit of flux, trying to solidify plans with friends for playdates and get-togethers and outings.

And, it's also my birthday on Wednesday.

So as always, the menu is open and subject to change.

Monday~ still finishing up left overs, Bean Soup, Trout and Noodles.
Tuesday~ Turkey Gumbo with Crusty Rolls
Wednesday~Birthday dinner out
Thursday~Ginger-Beef Stir fry over sun brown Rice (vegg incl: onions, peppers, celery, carrots, asian eggplant, zucchini, garlic, ginger)
Friday~Beet and Lentil Salad, Roasted Potatoes, Carrots and Parsnips
Saturday~ Dinner out again (more birthday celebration!)
Sunday~ Large Caesar Salad w/ BBQ Chicken and Pasta

Movement Practice in March

I am participating in Jamie's Movement Practice in March over at Jamie Ridler Studios

If anyone is interested in joining in, feel free!
Today I went for a 20 minute walk!

http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/develop-a-movement-practice

Menu for Week of March 5

Here is a photo of last Thursday's meal of vegetarian chili-cheese nachos

with spinach, strawberry, pecan salad.

Last week's menu plan went over well, and so I am encouraged to do it again!
And a piece of good news as well. My sister-in-law's partner gave me an

external keyboard, so typing up my posts is so much easier to do now!

This week we will dine on:
Monday~Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Green Beans
Tuesday~Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Tomatoes, Baked Beans
Wednesday~Pepperoni Pizza, Caesar Salad
Thursday~Vegetarian (TVP) Tacos
Friday~Potato-Leek Soup, Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche
Saturday~Grilled Steelhead Trout, Sun Brown Rice, Roasted Veggies (peppers, sweet potato, onions, zuccini, mushrooms)
Sunday~Ginger-Beef Stirfry with lots of Veggies over Rice Noodles

I also found a couple of recipes through some other blogs that I'd like to start incorporating into my menu plans and I also do plan to begin including some of the recipes for some of these options you are now seeing in my menu plans. One step at a time!

Beet and Lentil Salad

Crispy Baked Onion Rings

Tomato & Pesto Soup

Please feel free to share or link to your favourite menu plans or recipes. I'd love to read them!

These Are a Few of My Favourite Things

Our darling pussy-cat, Domino. So adorable!


Now there's that handsome face!

A few of my current favourites to listen to.

Adele was a Christmas gift and the others are friends and relatives.

who also happen to be awesome local musicians.

The Express & Co

Melissa Payne

The Stone Sparrows

My living room where I was hanging out on Friday night,

listening to those recordings via my laptop

as well as journaling and playing my beautiful new guitar.

Watch now for weekly updates of,

"These Are a Few of My Favourite Things".

Please, also feel free to share a few of YOUR favourite things

or post a link to your display of them.

Menu For This Week

I did it!!! Finally, I wrote out my menu plan for the whole week!

This is what we've had and will be having this week.

Monday~ Dahl appetizer, Vegetarian Chili, crusty rolls

Tuesday~BBQ Ribs, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Curried Butternut Squash, Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday~Spaghetti and Meatballs, Broiled Goat Cheese, Tomato and Basil Egglplant

Thursday~ Vegetarian Chili Cheese Nachos with Spinach, Strawberry, Pecan Salad

Friday~ Roasted Chicken with Brown Rice, Green Beans and Carrots

Saturday~ Dinner @ my sister-in-laws (Grilled Salmon, Potato Soup, Ceasar Salad

Sunday~ Whatever, eat up leftovers, make yourself a sandwich.

My goal is to ideally post my menu for the week on Monday. That is what I WILL post this coming Monday.