White Bean Pasta

White Bean Pasta with Broccoli

½ lb. pasta

½ red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 head fresh broccoli, chopped (or 2 c. spinach, chopped)
1-15 oz. can Great Northern beans, drained & rinsed
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes (&/or ½ c. sun-dried tomatoes)
1 can tomato sauce
1 small can sliced black olives (optional)
1 Tbsp. dried basil
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
Lots of freshly ground black pepper


Prepare pasta al dente according to package directions. Sauté everything (except pasta) for 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender, but still slightly firm. Toss with hot pasta, top with fresh ground pepper and serve at once.

Lentil Barley Soup

I posted some pictures of my Lentil Barley Soup on my Facebook page yesterday and a few of you asked for the recipe...so here it is:

Lentil Barley Soup
I love this easy soup. When I don't have a dinner plan, this is easy to throw together because we always have these simple ingredients on hand.

9 c. water (or 4 cups veggie broth + 5 cups water)
1½ c. uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed
¾ c. uncooked pearled barley, rinsed
4 ribs celery, sliced
6 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp ground cumin
A handful of chopped greens (kale, spinach, etc…) (optional)
One large tomato, chopped (optional)
The juice of one lemon (optional)

In a large pot, add all ingredients (except greens, tomato, and lemon juice), cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. Stir in chopped green, tomato, and lemon juice. Serve warm.

Strange things happen...

So…I’m in Florida…by myself…and it’s strange. I don’t think I’ve been alone – anywhere – for more than a couple hours for, well, I don’t know how long. Strange things happen when you’re alone in another state. For instance, I read the newspaper. Those of you who know me will understand how rare this is – that I would be informed about anything via a newspaper. So on my way out to dinner, I grabbed the USA Today. Now here’s the kicker: I read the sports page. Now that, folks, is unheard of!

Why, you ask? Because in the middle of the Tim Tebow article on the front page (which I also read), there was a little blurb that said, “Ravens’ Lewis spreads gospel about nutrition, 1C”. So I pulled out the “C” section and began reading the sports page for perhaps the first in in my whole life.

It seems that Ray Lewis, a 36 year old NFL player, is big into health and nutrition. Apparently, his “obsession for healthy eating is notorious in the locker room.” His grandfather used to tell him that to keep a car going for 500,000 miles “you have to take care of the engine.”

Lewis says, “It’s the same thing with your body. If you clean your body out so that it is not fighting against you, you rest better, think better and you’re always light on your feet. I haven’t had as much as a cold in three years. Bottom line, your body is a temple, and you have to treat it that way. That’s how God designed it.”

Amen to that, brother!

Read the rest of the story at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/ravens/story/2012-01-11/ray-lewis-cover-story/52528362/1