catch-up & recipe

Ok sorry I've been MIA. It's been tough to find time to post these last few days.

Here's how things have been:
Thursday, a.k.a "Nose Dive"
B: standard smoothie
L: standard blended salad
D: pizza, apple pie

E: none
Fuhrmometer: Potato

Friday, a.k.a "return of the Kale"
B: standard smoothie
L: standard blended salad
D: spicy red lentil soup, pumpkin pie smoothie

E: short walk/sprint with Cammie between downpours, 30 min Yourself!Fitness, 30 min treadmill
Fuhrmometer: Kale

Saturday, a.k.a "yesterday"
B: standard smoothie
L: standard blended salad
D: italian-ish stew, pumpkin pie smoothie

E: 60 min walking Cammie (two 1/2hr walks), 30 min Yourself!Fitness, 30 min bike
Fuhrmometer: Kale


Italian-Ish Stew
(This makes a ton of soup/stew, 8 to 10 servings)

1.5 lb (dry) great northern or cannelini beans
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
3 med white onions, diced
3 - 4 cloves garlic
2 15 oz cans no-salt diced tomatoes
1 small (2 oz?) can tomato paste
2 cups pearl barley
1 pkg Boca Italian Sausage
1 Tbl italian seasoning
1 Tbl basil
1 Tbl fennel seed
2 tsp rosemary
Water - a lot

1. Soak beans overnight, cook them until tender and portion out into 1 cup servings.

2. Partially defrost Boca Italian Sausage and then grind it up in the food processor until it is fine. Set aside.

3. Water-saute carrots, celery and onion in soup pot until they start to soften. Add in the tomatoes, garlic, and spices, simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Add barley and ground up Boca sausages and enough water to cover... I think I added *about* 10 cups and got a very thick stew-like consistency. Once water is added and soup is simmering, stir in tomato paste. Simmer soup until barley is tender but still chewy.

5. Portion soup out over the cooked beans into containers. Freezes very well.

The Boca Italian sausage is not really an ETL ingredient but when spread out over 8 to 10 servings is less than 300mg of sodium per serving (within ETL guidelines). It adds a great flavor to the soup!