This week was a pretty typical week at school. My kids were surprisingly relaxed after the break - I didn't really have any behavior issues, which is not normally the case after so much time off from school. Usually I have to "re-train" them! I also gave all of my classes tests on Friday, which is my favorite type of day. My kids are quiet, busy, and easy to manage. I just have to walk around making sure no one is cheating. We did get an unexpected extra holiday when school was cancelled on Thursday for "ice" and "freezing road conditions." I put those in quotes, becuase when I woke up and took the dogs out, nothing at my house was frozen! In fact, I had wet grass and puddles in my backyard. However, I'm sure there was some type of treacherous conditions out in my school district, because our superintendent always makes sure there is a very good reason before closing our schools. Plus, it seemed like every other school district was closed as well. So, I was able to sleep in, run errands, and finally take down my Christmas decorations. If you don't know why my decorations were still up, read my last post! I am so glad to have that chore done, but now my house looks so sad - I miss Christmas! This also meant I had one less item on my list for this weekend, giving me time to work on other fun stuff, such as keeping my resolution to keep my blog updated.



In other news, Neal and I made an awesome soup this week - Spicy Bean Soup from Giada de Laurentis (Everyday Italian on the Food Network). It was delicious and very spicy. Before I give you the recipe, a few tips:

• Be careful with the coriander. If you use too much, it will bring out too much spice from the other spices.
• Don't add extra crushed red pepper if you don't really like spicy foods. Neal always adds extra crushed red pepper to everything, and this time he was sweating from the spice.
• Make sure to give the soup plenty of time for everything to soften up and blend.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, optional
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 (11 1/2-ounce) can tomato juice
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (3-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried green lentils
• 3 cups broccoli florets (frozen or fresh)
• 2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 2 yellow crookneck squash, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, tomato juice, tomato paste, cheese rind, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the broth, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, and lentils. Stir in the broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender and the mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Season the stew to taste with more salt, if desired.

Ladle the stew into bowls. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and basil, and serve.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did! This is also a great meal to make as a couple - Neal and I split up the prep duties, so it was much easier.
Have a great week - here's a picture of our dogs in their winter coats! Too cute!