Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Fun day at the Houston Zoo!

Today was such a beautiful day here in Houston, I decided to take Dominic to the zoo. Most of the animals were out because the weather was so nice. Here are a few pics:

On another note, I know I've been slacking on my blog posts lately. I promise, they'll pick up soon. I've been really super busy, but will devote more time to my blog soon, I promise! Thanks for your patience!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Homemade white bean and vegetable soup - Yummy!!



I started a juice fast 21 days ago. I never thought I would make it past day two, yet here I am 21 days later.

I started this fast to get healthy and try and rid my body of allergies. I also thought if I lost a few pounds, that would be an added bonus. Well, here I am 21 days into this fast and I'm feeling healthier and I've lost nearly 15 pounds.

I really only had juice the first 7 days. I started making homemade soups by the second week. I was only making lentil or split pea soups and juicing those. I typically make a large pot and can eat on that pot of soup for several days. Today, I made a white bean and vegetable soup. Here's my recipe:

You'll need the following items:

1 Bag of navy/white beans
3 cans of chicken or vegetable stock and 3 parts water (one can of water per can of stock)
Carrots
Broccoli
7-9 cloves of garlic
Leeks or onions (add however much you like)
Mushrooms (I buy these in bulk). I used 2 large mushrooms and cut them up into small pieces
5 stalks of asparagus (cut into small pieces)
Salt and pepper (as much or little as you want)

I usually just add all of my ingredients and turn the burner on high. I place the lid on the pot. Once the soup starts to boil, I turn the heat on medium for awhile. Then on low for about an hour. Stir every now and then.

You can add in potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, celery-whatever veggies you like. Split pea and lentils cook faster and do not take as long to soak. Those beans only take about 45 minutes to soak.