Spreading Joy—Day 22 – 12-8-10 & Day 23 – 12-9-10:

The last couple of days I’ve been trying to follow Doctor’s order…stay off of my feet… but daily chores need attending to.  I went to the grocery and the familiar tinkling of the Salvation Army‘s bell presented another opportunity to give.  We still need to eat…so I made a yummy Roasted Vegetable Minestrone soup from The Pioneer Woman‘s blog.

Ingredients

• 2 whole Zucchini, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
• 2 whole Summer Squash, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
• 8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Stems Removed And Quartered
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons (additional) Olive Oil
• 2 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced (not Peeled)
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 stalks Celery, Sliced (leaves Included)
• 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cans Cannelini Beans, Rinsed
• 1 cup (heaping) Cut Green Beans, Fresh Or Frozen
• 1-½ cup Medium Or Small Pasta Shells, Uncooked
• 1 can (14.5) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• ¼ teaspoons Turmeric (optional)
• Parmesan Cheese, Shaved

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Toss cubed zucchini, squash, and mushrooms in a bowl with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Arrange onto two sheet pans (to avoid crowding) and roast in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until brown and black parts begin to show. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and celery and stir to cook for 3 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.

Add cannelini beans and green beans. Cook on low for five minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional five minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir, and cook for an additional five minutes on low heat. Check for seasonings, adding salt, pepper, and turmeric.

Add roasted vegetables at the very end. Stir and allow to simmer and heat for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to check seasoning! Add more broth if necessary to increase liquid amount.

Serve with Parmesan shavings and crusty Italian bread.

I’ve been planning a surprise birthday party for my son…he’ll be 23.  Every year from the time he was 4 yrs. old until he was 12 yrs., I would have a party with friends for him, but he’s never had a surprise party.  He knows family are coming.  I’ve never had a birthday party…even as a child…so it’s nice to give that gift to someone you love.  I haven’t seen some of his friends for a few years, or talked to them, so it was odd to hear their masculine “grown-up” voices on the phone.

To change the subject…we’ve been undecided as to whether we should neuter our puppy-Jake.  My husband was afraid it might alter his sense of smell, which is not good since he’s a hunting dog.  You may wonder how the two are connected–me too?  The Vet said a lot of men have a difficult time emotionally with the thought of their dog loosing his manhood!  Anyway, Jake was trained on the invisible fence…but now he runs outside of it every day for a little jaunt.  He also chewed a hole in one of my bras yesterday and ripped a blanket from Peru.  He has plenty of toys and chew bones.  He also won’t come to us when we call him (unless he feels like it).  I’ve watched plenty of episodes of the Dog Whisperer, but we think it’s time to bring out the big knives!