I’m still here

Hello internets! So sorry that I’ve been away from the computer for so long. I am so behind on reading all of your lovely blogs, and I’m obviously behind on updating my own. It seems there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and now with the holiday season upon us, our calendar keeps getting more and more full. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily, unless you’re waiting impatiently for my next blog update (as I know you all are). 😉

What can I tell you about? Well, this past weekend we had a wonderful time visiting with a couple of Justin’s brothers at Christmas in the Park in San Marcos. There were tons of Christmas lights, lots of Christmas songs, and food, food, food. I had to have a pink cotton candy and a freshly dipped corn dog, and we even brought our own thermos of Mexican hot chocolate to sip during the various Christmas shows. Afterward, we all headed to a little pub on the town square for some drinks and good conversation. It was a fabulous night.

On Saturday, we headed over to Chad and Lindsay’s for their housewarming party, which was loads of fun. We met some great people and re-connected with a few we hadn’t seen in a while, and enjoyed the warmth and coziness of my friends’ new home. Later that night, we stopped at Star Seeds Cafe for a late dinner with our friend Jerry, and though my meal was fine, it wasn’t great…we won’t be returning.

I was going to show you all my fabulous mail, but then I realized that I had already linked to the goodies I had ordered in a previous post. I received my prints from etsy and my obi from my friend Leya, and I’m totally in love with them! I just have to say that the obi is insanely gorgeous…the details are perfect, the stitching is sublime, and the colors…wonderful. If you need a lovely accessory to add to your wardrobe, you should seriously check these obis out. I did receive a nice letter from my friend Connie in Boston, and she included the cutest little Japanese notepad! I just drool over all things paper, so I loved it. Oh! And this weekend I found a Jill Bliss journal at Whole Earth Provision Company downtown, and I am just ga-ga over it. Just writing in it is a treat, as each page has her lovely illustrations and variations between blank pages and graph paper (my favorite!).

I’ll update again soon on a few things (I hope):
**Galaxy Cafe, or my favorite place ever
**My new food processor and the amazingly easy pizza dough I make with it
**Christmas cards in the works
**Knitting projects

For now, I’ll leave you with this wonderful recipe that we made on Sunday night. I forgot to take a picture of it, but it’s still worth blogging about…super-easy and deliciously comforting.

Southwestern Tomato and Pinto Bean Soup

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans vegetable broth
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can Muir Glen Fire-Roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 (4 1/2-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish
  • 2 chalupa shells or a handful of tortilla chips, broken

Mash 1 cup of beans in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add mashed and whole beans, broth, tomatoes, chiles, and cumin; bring just to a boil. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with broken chalupa shells and a squeeze of lime.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Adapted from Eating Well magazine.

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