mmmmm, mondays: black bean soup with cilantro-lime cream-- guest post: vibrant grace

guest blogger: vibrant grace
when i met nellie and chach last fall, i immediately developed a blogger crush on both of them and wanted to partner up and actually be their third boob... that is until i understood the story behind "the third boob" and was thus traumatized for life. they noticed the wide-eyed look of shock and horror on my face and said "oh wait, you don't have children yet, do you?" when I told them that i didn't, they exchanged a quick knowing glance and declared they wouldn't tell me any more stories for fear that i would decide never to have children. i gave them permission to fill me in on all the necessary details... in the future, once its too late and i'm already prego. until then, i'm continuing to live my life in blissful naivete (aside from the irrational fear of growing extra boobs).


so while nellie is getting ready to bring a new little life into the world, and surely gaining more experiences to traumatize me with in the future, i'm blessed with the opportunity to guest post on the third boob. since i can't share my own experiences of motherhood, i decided to share something from my kitchen.


black bean soup with cilantro-lime cream

soup ingredients:
black beans: either 3 cans or 1 lb dried
4 cloves of garlic
2 chopped onions
1 chopped green pepper
1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro
olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh oregano
(jalepeno, if you like extra spice)
2 bay leaves
2 tbs. cumin
bacon (pre-cooked and crumbled)
1 3/4 c. chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste


cream ingredients:
1 carton of sour cream
2 tsp. lime zest
lime juice
cilantro


directions:
in a food processor, puree garlic, onion, green pepper, and cilantro.


in a large pot, heat olive oil, oregano, (jalepeno, if using), bay leaves, and cumin. add the veggie puree and saute for about 10 minutes. you'll be able to smell when it's ready. add beans and chicken stock and simmer for 2 hours if dried or at least 30 min if using canned beans.


while the soup is sauteing, put the sour cream into a bowl and zest a lime over it. cut the lime in half once zested and squeeze juice into the cream. add in some cilantro and mix it all together.


remove bay leaves from the soup. puree soup with an immersion blender to thicken the soup, but leave it a bit chunky. add in the crumbled bacon pieces and season to taste with salt and pepper.


serve the soup with a dollop (or more, clearly I love it!) of cilantro-lime cream. i highly recommend enjoying this soup with cheesy cornbread. yum!


special note, particularly for nellie: i told my sister about this recipe when my nephew was still an infant. she said that it sounded delicious, but refused to cook any overly beany dishes while he was still breastfeeding and/or she was still changing his diapers. just wanted to toss that warning out before you try the recipe. you're welcome.


hope you enjoy it and please come visit me over at vibrantgrace.com

grace writes about faith, fitness, and finances... with a bit of humor and inspiration thrown in for good measure. you can find her over at vibrant grace or follow her on twitter @vibrantgrace.

take a moment and envision hunger (guest post by ruthi solari from super food drive)

as we enter the holiday season where food drives and donating to those less fortunate is more prevalent, please take a moment to read this inspiring and insightful post by ruthi solari at superfood drive. i know that it has caused me, for one, to re-think what i define as "helping" those less fortunate than me is. i hope that it will give you an "ah-ha" moment too.

the opposite of hunger is not "full." the opposite of hunger is "healthy food."

take a moment and close your eyes. try to remember some of the main items that were in your grocery bag the last time you shopped for a week of feeding your family. what did you buy to put in your children’s lunches? what did you bring home for family dinner? how about breakfast?

now clear that image from your mind and take a moment to envision this: you are a single mom with three children to feed. your utilities bill has gone up and you have to save money where you can, so you head to the local food pantry for some food assistance. you wait in line and receive your bag of food for the week. inside the bag, you have canned beef chili, a few packages of top ramen, boxed macaroni and cheese, some jiffy peanut butter and a few more odds and ends. you are invited to a grab a “produce bag” on the way out, which contains 5 onions and 6 potatoes.

if this is the food that you had to use to feed yourself and your family for the coming week, how do you feel? do you feel different than you did thinking about the food you hand-selected to feed your family? many mothers don’t have a choice about what items to feed their children.

feeding america reports that 1 in 6 americans go to a local food pantry for food assistance. nearly 14 million of these are children and over 3 million are children ages 5 and under! we all know that proper nutrition is vital to the grown and development of children. this is why superfood drive seeks to transform local food drives, national food banks and global humanitarian aid into being providers of nutrient dense non-perishables; food that promotes health and well-being.

SuperFood Driveis a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to fighting hunger and obesity in america by getting healthier food into food banks nation-wide. it is the small changes that make a significant difference in the health of the food bank recipient. we encourage the donation of black beans instead of refried in lard, fruit canned in its own juice instead of high fructose corn syrup, and whole grain cereal and snack options.

what can you do to help give the gift of health? here are a few ideas:

1. over the holidays, hundreds of organizations host food drives (banks, schools, grocery stores, places of worship and community centers). be a healthy food advocate and turn your local food drive into a Super Food Drive by encouraging the donation of nutrient densenon-perishables. click here for shopping lists and educational materials to help promote.

2. we have an awesome service-learning program called SuperKids for SuperFoods. this program encourages middle and high school students to fight hunger with healthy food by hosting their very own Super Food Drive. we have educational materials and a tool kit for any parent or teacher to take leadership and help today’s youth understand the importance of eating healthy food for themselves and americans in need. click here for more info about SuperKids for SuperFoods

3. donate healthy food the next time you give to a food drive! check out our list of “most needed SuperFoods” and use this list to both stock your own pantry and give to those in need.

4. sign up for our newsletter, “like”our facebook page and follow us on twitter (@SuperFoodDrive). join our efforts to give the gift of health!

To learn more, visit us at www.SuperFoodDrive.org

ruthi solari, founder and executive director