Book Excerpt

"When my body is buried in the ground, I want all the angels to say, 'She shouldered her burdens with great strength, maximized her opportunities to bring glory to God, and squeezed every blessing out of life that her Creator intended her to have.'"
- Shannon Ethridge in Completely His

Pasta Fagioli

I came across this hearty soup recipe on the AICR (American Institute of Cancer Research) website, then tweaked it a bit.  They have a wonderful collection of healthy yet delicious, colorful recipes, and have recently published The New American Plate Cookbook. 

My friend Glo tasted this soup, and said, "Oh my goodness!  YUM-O!!!! Delish! Amazing!"  My friend Amy made it and said it was fabulous; her husband loved it as well.  So, you may want to consider joining the fan club for the recipe, the website and the cookbook.  :)

"Pasta Fagioli" simply means pasta and beans.  This recipe doubles nicely.

Pasta Fagioli

1 T. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium stalks celery, chopped into 1/2" pieces

1 1/2 t. dried Italian seasoning

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 t. sea salt

1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (8 oz.) can tomatoes, chopped

1 c. uncooked whole-wheat rotini pasta

2 c. fresh spinach or Swiss chard, chopped

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans

2 t. dried parsley

2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large saucepan.  Cook onion, garlic, celery, Italian seasoning, red pepper and salt until onions are tender.  Stir in broth, tomato sauce and tomatoes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer approximately 20 minutes.

Add pasta and cook until tender according to package directions.  Add spinach, beans and parsley.  Stir gently for a few minutes until spinach wilts and mixture is heated through.  Serve with grated cheese on top.

Makes 6 servings.

Scottish Crackers

I was so excited to find this recipe!  I've been trying to avoid refined flours and unhealthful fats, so that means I've been cracker deprived for quite a while now.  These crackers satisfy that craving!  Plus, they're easy to make. 

Scottish Crackers

Source:  adapted from The New American Plate Cookbook

1 1/3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats

2/3 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 t. sea salt

3 1/2 T. olive oil

3/8 c. water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse oats until they resemble very coarse flour.  Add flour, salt and olive oil.  Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Transfer mixture to a medium bowl.  Stir in just enough water to make the mixture cohere like pie crust dough.  Form the dough into a ball.

Using parchment paper, roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/8".  Place parchment paper on cookie sheet, and bake about 12 minutes, or until lightly colored.  Remove from oven and cut into 1 1/2" squares with a pizza cutter. Turn over the crackers and bake about 12 minutes more or until lightly colored on the second side.  (Do not allow them to brown.)

Transfer crackers to a wire rack and cool completely.  Store at room temperature in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid for 3-5 days, or freeze.

Living

"Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, 'Oh no, she’s awake!'"
–unknown (from Rose C.)