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I have been in such a soup and stew mood lately. Today I made African Peanut-Potato stew. It was so incredibly tasty. I can’t even believe how good it was. I wanted something warm and hearty (and healthy – we’ve been eating a LOT healthier lately) and oh my goodness it was perfect!

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 14.5 ounce cans chopped or diced tomatoes
2 14.5 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8oz green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces (fresh or frozen)
2 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup natural peanut butter

Directions
1. In a large pot, mix 1/2 cup water, onion, jalapenos, ginger and garlic on medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
2. Add cumin, cinnamon, salt, red pepper and coriander. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, green beans, vegetable broth, and peanut butter.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium/low heat and cover the pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
5. Let it cool, then eat and enjoy!

I cooked it a bit differently and altered the ingredients a bit.
You can also use a pressure cooker but I prefer to use a stovetop.
Source: fatfreevegan.com.

I had a pretty awesome day today! However, my mind is only working in tiny little snippets so I’m going to make a little list of thoughts since that is how I’m functioning. Enjoy!

• I cantor (lead the song) at Mass. Today at Church a woman came up to me after Mass and told me that the sound of my voice reminded her of Heaven. I know that she meant well and it was such a nice compliment but I just wanted to blurt out, “Oh really? Have you been there? What’s it like?” Instead I just pointed to the organist and complimented her because my organist is incredibly talented and I love her.
• Josh and I went to go see Shutter Island tonight and I loved it. I won’t spoil it, but for those who have seen it… HOW AWESOME WAS THE VERY END, HUH? Please tell me that you understood the last minute of the movie. Some people I spoke to didn’t and it made me facepalm. You know… smack the palm of my hand right into my face in frustration.
• I called my mother today to talk to her and she was busy and couldn’t talk to me. It’s funny because I never call her and she ALWAYS wants to talk to me. Oh the irony. I just stared at the phone thinking to myself… “Did that really happen?” I really wanted to talk to my Mom, damn it!
• Is it bad that I have a list of 10 blog posts that I want to write already in my head?

I really didn’t expect a snow day today. To be honest, the snow really wasn’t that bad. I guess the snow just had the worst timing ever. The roads during the morning commute were horrible enough to close the schools. I got a call around 5:15 this morning with that good old recorded message telling us that the schools were closed. I nearly thought I was dreaming, though. I was so half asleep that all I remember was telling Josh that it was my birthday because the clock said 5:18 and my birthday is May 18th. Yeah, I am not really good at waking up. It’s okay to laugh at me.

I went grocery shopping and I decided to make the soup again that I made yesterday. I decided to make it my own this time and it turned out rather good. I added new ingredients and adapted it to be my own recipe. Josh helped too. I think I might make it one more time over the weekend and then share the recipe here. I am excited.

Josh made me a banana smoothie! What is your favorite drink to enjoy by itself?

I feel like my blog is nothing without pictures.