I have two different sets of friends who are in the process of adopting, and I am so excited and happy for both of them. I was honored to complete a survey and let their different agencies know how wonderful each of them are. I also have a younger friend whom I have worked with since she was in the children's ministry that I be-freinded, and she let me know that she is now expecting. She is young and just beginning in her future, she will be giving her baby up for adoption, and she is very upset about it. She will be graduating and heading off to college, and she had no family support to help her raise a child, so it is the best thing for her baby, it just hurts her to have to make that choice. We are not the family that will be adopting that little blessing.
I'm here in full support, excitement and encouragement for all of my friends, but the baby shower for one of the families was this weekend, and it just hit me; overwhelming waves of "I wish that was me." It's enough to drive me crazy, I can't share that with others or I'll never be invited to parties again. In the true spirit of the moment I stayed home and hung out with my little doggies, they love me even when I'm in waves of sadness. Tears really don't wear well to parties, generally smiles are preferred facial attire.
So, today I made my PCOS version of comfort food. I pulled out the crock pot and threw in my dried black beans, and some chicken stock (low sodium of course). Since it took me until noon to decide to do this, I cranked the heat on high, and then I waited. I had just received our new travel bags, so I packed my husbands toiletries and mine into our respective bags and had a great time throwing old things out.
After a few hours I checked on the beans and they were soft, so I rinsed and drained them. Now the recipe that I made has been a favorite from my 5 Ingredient 15 Minute
Cooking Light cook book. The cookbook does assume that certain seasoning are pantry basics, and do not count towards the 5 ingredient list.
Black Bean Soup with Sausage
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Yield: 6 Servings
Cost per Serving: $1.53
Cook Time: 6 hours
Yield: 6 Servings
Cost per Serving: $1.53
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 (15.5 oz.) cans black beans (I used the dried beans, which are less expensive and bring the cost per serving down.)
- 1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 (3 oz.) hot Italian sausage links (I use the L.F. Turkey Kielbasa sausage)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- (I added 2 bell peppers, one red and one green, chopped)
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
Warm oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.Combine onion mixture, beans (with their liquid), salsa and chicken broth in a slow cooker. Stir well and cook on low for 5 hours.
Stir sausages into bean mixture in slow cooker and cook for 1 hour longer. (I have been cooking the sausage first to brown it, and then adding it into the slow cooker already chopped and browned.)
Using tongs, remove sausages to a cutting board, cut into bite-size pieces and then return to slow cooker. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup hot in bowls, with chopped avocado and a dollop of sour cream on top, if desired.
Nutritional Information
- Calories: 635
- Fat: 11g (sat 3g)
- Protein: 38g
- Carbohydrate: 101g
- Fiber: 29g
- Cholesterol: 21mg
- Sodium: 025mg
All You, SEPTEMBER 2007
This is typically served with quesadillas, I'm avoiding gluten for a bit, and my hubby wanted corn bread, so I made corn bread muffins. Here is another version you could try if you would like to experiment a bit.
Spicy Black Bean-and-Sausage Soup
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and divided
- 2 1/2 cups water, divided (I use chicken stock when I can)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 6 ounces turkey kielbasa, diced
Preparation
Place 1 cup beans and 1/2 cup water in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. (I don't do this, I leave them all whole, but I like a clear broth)Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sauté 4 minutes or until onion is soft. Add bean purée, remaining beans, 2 cups water, chili powder, and next 4 ingredients (chili powder through garlic); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in turkey kielbasa; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
Nutritional Information
- Calories: 291 (26% from fat)
- Fat: 8.3g (sat 2.6g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.5g)
- Protein: 17.8g
- Carbohydrate: 38.9g
- Fiber: 7g
- Cholesterol: 23mg
- Iron: 7.8mg
- Sodium: 789mg
- Calcium: 72mg
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 1998
It's been a long day, and I'm worn from all of this, but It seems that if my family would really like to know what's going on, and why we don't have a family yet, and how I feel about all of this, I really should share it. I usually don't, I like to remain positive, and keep the faith. It's only fair though, to let you in on one or two of those days where I just feel out of sorts, and upset, and I wish that things were different, and that we were the one's celebrating along with our friends. I will share my little doggies love and support with you all, and if you can keep a secret, they really like to help me in the kitchen.
They like to guard the floor beneath the cutting board, and keep it clean for me. Only that section though, because they bring in all sorts of mud after they have been out side.
Well, dish yourself up a bowl of comfort and sit back and relax, it's going to be a wild weekend.
