Streaking with an Asterisk*

Saturday was a cold windy wet day. There were even some snow flurries, but nothing stuck. We all know what this weather means....soup season is here. I must admit I am not obsessed with soups, but they are definitely growing on me. When I saw this recipe it went to the top of my must try list. Spicy Chickpeas, Coconut and Tomato Soup. When I share a recipe I try to credit the original source. In this case I found the recipe on a blog named Julian the Thinker. That blogger linked the recipe back to another blog that appears to be written in Polish. The soup is called Pikantna zupa z cieciorki dla leniuchow. The ingredients do not by any stretch sound Polish to me, so I am guessing the recipe has another source, but I am at a dead end due to lack of Polish fluency.

Like most soups it tasted even better the next day.The soup is supposed to be sprinkled with parsley, but you know I always have cilantro on hand, so cilantro it is :)

I made a double batch of the soup. If I do that again I think I will only use 1/2 the turmeric, but other than that it was a nice change of pace for a tomato soup and tasty with a pita bread.

I think my niece is officially nesting. She decided to make a bunch of meals to put in the freezer for easy eating after she has the baby (just about a month away). I spent yesterday afternoon helping her make three meat lasagnas, one butternut/spinach lasagna, one spinach/mushroom lasagna and three shepherd pies. She still has several recipes on her list, but we definitely made a dent during our three hour cooking frenzy!

Stocking up their brand new freezer. The two veggie lasagnas are new recipes so it will be awhile before we know if they are good. In the meantime, if you are interested here are the recipes....Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna and Butternut and Spinach Lasagna. Funny thing about blog names. The second recipe came from Julia's Album, but the whole time I was looking at the recipe on my phone while we were cooking I thought it said "Julia's a Bum." It wasn't until I pulled it up on my computer this morning that I saw the true name...time for new glasses??

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Now about that asterisk.  I have been so proud of my streak - I have done it no matter what, every day for 75 days. Yesterday I was just about to head out for a lunchtime walk when I got a call about a "Chemistry binder emergency" that involved me rushing the binder from its house to the high school instead. I left the school to go to my niece's to cook. When I finally got home from the three hour cooking frenzy, my feet/legs were in quite a bit of pain. I ate a fried egg sandwich and put my feet up for a few (planning to march to a tv show after I'd rested them). However, the next thing I knew it was 1 a.m.!!

Sooo...technically, I didn't get my walk in yesterday. I did walk first thing this morning and saw this beautiful sunrise :) And I had my best mile in a long while - 16:26!

I plan to walk again later today. If I do I will be adding a star to my streak chart for both days. I do understand there will be an asterisk on my streak (like I was on steroids or cheated a bit), but I am still proud of my accomplishment so far and will finish strong.

Today is a bittersweet day for my husband. He has been driving the same bus route for the past five years. After the Thanksgiving break he will start his new route. Although he is excited for his new route, he is sad to leave this group of kids.One little 2nd grader broke his heart when she cried all the way home the day he told them he was leaving. We rarely go anywhere local and don't have kids running up to say "hi". Our fridge always has pictures and the notes the kids give him, but this week it has been really filling up. I love the impact those kids have had on his life and I think he has had the same on them.