Happy 2nd Birthday to Titus!

 

Beautiful Sunrise

This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunrise... it reminded me of what a wonderful Creator we have!

"Let us acknowledge the Lord;

    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Hosea 6:3 (NIV)

Easy Peasy Brownies

The brownies are in the oven and they smell delicious!  I am a big fan of making things from scratch but once in a while it's good to be able to make something that doesn't take much time but is still quite delicious.

One of those things I indulge in once in a while are No Pudge Fudge Brownies.  They are super east to make and give you great results in just 30 minutes.

All you need is a box of the mix and a 6 oz container of plain yogurt ( I used fat free Greek yogurt).  Mix them together.  If it seems really dry at first just hang in there... it takes a bit of stirring to come together into a nice batter.  

But no worries... I just see that as an opportunity to burn a few calories before eating the brownies!

Pour into a pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.   This time I tried something just a little different and put scoops of batter in an individual size brownie pan.

 And last but not least don't forget to lick the bowl clean!!!

    Enjoy!

Spicy Vegetable Lentil Soup. {An easy and delicious soup!}

Happy New Year!  The holidays have come and gone.  Can you believe it!  Hope yours was filled with family, friends, and many blessings!

If you are like me and are now looking for a good, easy, warm, comforting soup I have just the recipe for you.... and it's low in calories (about 94 calories per cup) which always makes me happy after the many delicious and rich foods I've consumed in the last couple of weeks.  (Sorry about the long run-on sentence!)

My mom sent me this recipe a few years ago and I have made a few adjustments to my liking.  It's called

Spicy Vegetable Lentil Soup.  Makes about 10 servings

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 stalks Celery, chopped
3 Carrots, chopped
1 red Bell Pepper, chopped
5 Garlic cloves, sliced
1 quart Chicken Broth (low sodium)
4 cups Water
1 cup dry Lentils
1 can crushed Tomatoes (28 oz)
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Stir in celery, carrots, garlic and bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add in all remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.  Remove bay leaves before serving.  Enjoy!

If you are like me and like to have ready to go soup, place in individual containers and freeze.  You'll have yummy soup ready in no time!