You Must Keep Moving

Life is like riding a bicycle

in order to keep your balance

you must keep moving!

 

 

Another busy day in a busy week.  The best part of today, is the cloudy day.  I LOVE cloudy rainy days.  Nothing is better, to me, than being cozy in my house.  It was a little bit cooler today,

 so that made it even better!

To celebrate the cooler weather today, I made soup and cornbread for dinner.  It was delicious!

 

Lentil Soup & Cornbread

Lentil Soup Ingredients (plus you need some thyme - fresh or dried).

 Cornbread ingredients.

Finished Cornbread - it was extra yummy tonight :)

This is my cornbread snack while waiting on my husband to get home from work for dinner.

It was very delicious with a little butter!!

Dinner - Lentil Soup & Cornbread

 

Lentil Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 lb. lentils

10 cups chicken broth (I use Knorr cubes and water)

4-6 springs thyme (or a tsp. dried)

2/3 c. elbow macaroni

shredded parmesan cheese (for garnishing)

 

Heat oil in dutch oven - saute carrots, onions, celery, garlic, salt & pepper until tender (5-8 minutes). Add tomaotes, and cook until tender and starts to break down (8 minutes). Add lentils, mix to coat.  Add broth & stir. Add thyme, bring to boil over high heat.  Cover & simmer over low heat until lentils are almost tender.  30 minutes.  Stir in pasta & cook about 8 minutes.  Ladel & sprinkle with parm cheese to serve.

 

Cornbread

Preheat oven to 425 degrees - you want it nice and hot before you put in the pan.

 

2 cups cornmeal mix (I use white, but you can use yellow)

1 egg (if using an extra large egg, otherwise use 2)

1 1/2 - 2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp. sugar

2 Tablespoons solid vegetable shortening - heated

 

Mix all ingredients except shortening until well blended.  It depends on how humid the day is or how the cornmeal absorbes the buttermilk as to how much you need. It needs to not be thick and easily stirred and easy to pour. 

Heat 2 T. of shortening in an 8-inch cast iron skillet (you could use a round or square cake pan).  I heat mine on top of stove until the shortening melts.  Pour hot oil into batter and mix well.  Then pour batter in the hot skillet. 

Put skillet in oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

 

I hope that the month of October has been pleasant for you so far.   I have had a fun time trying to blog each day in October!

Until tomorrow!

~ Joeby