Spring Minestrone

I made this soup for myself tonight.  Reese is gone and the kids will eat something simple so I thought I'd try a new recipe out.  It was one of the best soups I've had in a long time.  Best part is that I will be eating it for lunch for the next few days!  It is meatless and full of yummy veggies, including asparagus.  I found the recipe here:  http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/05/08/spring-minestrone-recipe/  I just changed a couple of things in the spices.  You must try it! And if you are doing weight watchers it is 5 pts + for 1 1/2 cups!

Spring Minestrone

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb asparagus, cut into chunks (you could substitute green beans when asparagus is out of season)
6 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta (bowtie)
15oz can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas
3 carrots, diced
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh baby spinach
4 cups fat free chicken or vegetable broth
juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add onions and garlic to oil and saute until tender, about 2 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes, basil, bay leaves and oregano.  Bring to a simmer and turn heat to low, cover and simmer about 15 minutes.

Add peas, carrot,s asparagus and beans.  Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.

Stir in spinach, pasta, and lemon juice.  Cover and cook until spinach is wilted.

Lane's Field Trip and Another Season of Baseball

This is Lane's last week of school!  I am excited for him to be home for the summer.  His class went on a field trip last week to Mill Bay to explore the tide pools.  Estelle and I went just for a bit to check on him and Lane was loving it.  I found him and he said hi mom and took off again with his buddy.  They found all sorts of creatures!

 Giant Barnacles, maybe the biggest I've ever seen.

 Estelle loved exploring and being with all the big kids.  She had a purse full of rocks by the time we got home.

 They found lots of sea stars, fish, hermit crabs and some kind of weird giant millipede type bug, they were calling them aphids.

 Lane and our neighbor boy who he has become good friends with.  I am so thankful that Lane is really enjoying school here in Kodiak.  This is the first time he changed schools and I am so happy that it was an easy transition, an answer to prayers!

 Lane started baseball one month ago.  Last week was his first game.  I love watching his intensity and love of sports.  Kodiak is a little behind Coronado Little League :)  I love it, it is refreshing not to have the coaches and parents take 7 and 8 year old baseball so seriously!  But Lane is really good as a result of playing the last 3 years in Coronado.  He has had two games, he hit one home run the first game and two the second game.  Go Lane!  But my favorite part about watching him play is his great attitude and sportsmanship toward the other teams and his teammates!  He is such a good boy :)

Always in the ready position!