Stepping Out of the Box

We took a spontaneous trip across the state the other day. This is not something that we normally do, mostly because my husband never has any time off on the weekends. It was nice to pick a place far away from where we live, that neither of us had ever been to. I wish that he would have more weekends off, but in the world of retail, that is not going to happen any time soon!

I'll bet you're wondering where we decided to go? We went to Grand Haven, Michigan. This is a beautiful little town on Lake Michigan, not too far from Grand Rapids. And, boy did we have a blast!

The boys had fun playing in the sand! Alex even decided to make a sand angel.


They had fun playing in the water and the waves!





Alex killed some beach flies. Those little buggers bit hard too!!
Bug enjoyed flying his beach towel like a kite.

Enrique relaxed as the sun went down.

Then the boys built "lounge chairs" out of the sand to watch the sunset.

Then the sun went down over beautiful Lake Michigan.

Quick Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

1Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
6 - 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 - 14 oz cans vegetable or chicken broth
1 - 15 oz can chili ready tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: Green onions (minced), cheddar cheese, sour cream, or plain yogurt.

Directions:

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Saute the onions over moderate heat until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until the onions are lightly golden.

Puree 3 cans of the beans and the chili ready tomatoes, then add to the onions and garlic.

Add the broth, and remaining ingredients.

Simmer about 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve hot topped with one or two of the optional toppings. My personal favorites are green onions and cheddar cheese. Also, I like to serve sides of cornbread with this soup.

Serves: 6-8

ENJOY!!