Soup's On

Well, tomorrow is a big day. As part of the Immersion, we are in a study, and every eight weeks we have blood work done to measure our cholesterol, and LDL, as well as the BMI and weight. I am a little nervous about one thing; the scale. Only because I am becoming obsessed with the scale and have my own at-home scale calibrated like a Swiss watch...same scale, same time of day rule. But, I am a vegan not to just lose weight. I am a vegan to feel better about myself--not just in the vain sense, but in the overall mind-body way, and it seems to be working! And truth be told, if my cholesterol is less than 150 tomorrow, I am calling CNN. Not really, but someone needs to know the empowerment factor in being vegan! I feel like a caped crusader. Like, I can leap tall buildings at a single bound.

In the kitchen, I am trying to kick it up a notch, and although I am a good cook, I am using recipes from different sources each night in the kitch. Sometimes, my own food tastes the same...you know, garlic, onion, spieces, etc. If I am out for dinner, the next night, I try and re-create the same dish in my own house. Seems to be working.

I went to a vegan potluck at work the other night, and Tahirah Barnes made a delicious kale and white bean soup. I was REALLY proud of her, because she is not vegan, but she converted a recipe to be vegan, and this is what she made. In her honor, I am calling this "Tahirah's Kale and White Bean Soup."

On the "very good" scale, it is a "very-very."

Tahirah's Kale and White Bean Soup

Head of Kale, finely chopped (make sure to remove the center stem)
2 quarts of low sodium vegetable stock
4 cans of cannellini beans (no salt added)
One small (12 ounce) can of San Marzano tomatoes (rinse them to remove added salt)
8 cloves of garlic, minced
Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Add all of the ingredients in a soup pot. I would suggest rinsing the beans with water, first. Cook until the kale is done to your liking. This really is a "20 Minute Soup," but tastes MUCH better the next day.

With a nice hunk of whole wheat bread and a delicious salad, you will think you are doing some fine vegan "dining out." Really, a nice and quick meal.

Thought for the Day...

I was driving the other day and chuckled when I read, "Things may be closer than they appear," in my side view mirror. It made me think that sometimes a situation is really awful to me, but the reality is that it is never as awful as it may appear. So, "Keep a bright light," and check your side view mirror often. Things are not as bad as they seem. :-)