Navy Bean Soup

This Navy Bean Soup is just like my Fifteen Bean Soup, except I add a bay leaf. 

Basically:

• 1/2 bag of navy beans- look for pebbles and rinse
• 1 -15oz can of tomato sauce
• 2 cans of vegetable broth or 1- 32oz carton
• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 bay leaf

Cook in a crock pot on high for 5 hours and let sit for 1 hr, if you can wait that long.

Lenten Meal Plan, Week #6

 Lenten Meal Plan Week #6

 

 

 

 

SUN-  Cincinnati Style Chili and Pasta , Fried Zucchini
 

MON- Baked Potato and L/O

TUES- Baked Tofu and Rice (didn't get to it last week)

WED- Potato/Zucchini Fritters

 

THURS- Pierogies

 

FRI- L/O

 

SAT- Shrimp and Rice

Fifteen Bean Soup Takes Fifteen Minutes to Prepare (but 5 hours to cook in a crock pot)

This soup is a Lenten staple for my husband.  I rotate this and various bean dishes throughout Lent so he doesn't get too bored. 

 

• First I want to be sure there aren't any pebbles in the beans, so I pour them onto a plate and search through the dried beans.  I use 1/2 a bag of beans (because he's the only one who will really eat this.)

 

 
 
• I pour them into a bowl, rinse them with cool water and put into a crock pot.
• I turn on the crock pot on HIGH and add:
• 1 can tomato sauce (or one small can tomato paste)
• 2 cans vegetable broth (Lately I buy the box of broth and measure it out in the tomato can.)
• chopped vegetables: 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks and 1/2 onion.

 





 

 

 

 

 

Add seasoning to taste... but add salt towards the end.  The vegetable broth has plenty of sodium.

If you like it soupier (not sure that's a real word) add more broth or a cup of water. 



Lenten Meal Plan- Week #4

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

 

What continues to surprise me when I meet an adult who doesn't keep the fast is his justification for his choice, "We didn't grow up fasting."  "We didn't grow up fasting" is not a justifiable reason to ignore the fast.   It shows no growth, no initiative. It's a terrible answer. But, it is an honest answer.   And it even gives me greater momentum to encourage all of you to teach your children to fast. If you don't teach them to fast, there is a greater risk that when they get older, the will not fast and they will miss this blessing, this gift from God to repent.  There are several ways to teach children to fast that won't starve them or rob them of their necessary nutrients.  Talk to your parish priest for some ideas that can help you  offer your children a successful experience. 

 

We have just completed three weeks of Lent and have four more to go! Our Journey is half way over. This is a good time for us to stop and ask ourselves:
 

·   "Have I tried my best to get to the extra church services?"

·   "Am I planning my meals so I can have a successful fast?" (french fries and spaghetti more than twice a week is not a successful fast.)

·   "I have been overly distracted with food that I've neglected to be charitable?"

Most importantly...

 

·   "Does my life (or behavior) look any different than it did 3 weeks ago?"
 

These are good questions that I'd like to encourage you to stop and ask yourself.

 

This Week's Meal Plan

 

This is what I am planning for this week!

 

 

 

 

SUN- Bean Soup and fresh bread. 

MON- Shrimp and Rice and a Salad.  

TUES- Baked Potatoes with Veggie Chili and Cut Vegetables.

WED- Pierogies with Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms

THURS- Veggie Soup and Fried Zucchini

FRI- Morning Star BBQ (Meatless) BBQ Ribs and Potato Pancakes

SAT- Lenten Dolmathes (still didn't get to them last week) and Briani so I don't have to cook on Sunday.