CSA Vegetable Soup

So far this "not eating out" thing hasn't been too hard for me.  What HAS been hard is trying to make healthy, from-scratch meals instead of eating hummus, pita, cheese and olives for dinner.  Now, I know that hummus and cheese isn't necessarily a poor choice when you compare it to Big Macs and Papa John's, but they are very calorically dense and it is difficult to get full without eating way too many calories and fat.  This is my challenge.  How do I motivate myself to dedicate a few hours each week to cooking?  It shouldn't be too hard.  I've always loved cooking.  But as soon as the voice in my head says, "You HAVE to do this!", that's exactly when I DO NOT want do it.  It's like I'm a bratty sixteen-year-old on the inside.  Arrgh!

However, I have heard that awareness is the first step to recovery.  So after I ate my cheese and hummus, I put on my big girl pants and made a big pot of CSA Vegetable Soup.  We picked up our preserved harvest CSA from Avalon Acres.  We received some great grub including canned tomates, canned corn, canned green beans, popcorn, whole wheat pasta, strawberry preserves and pickles.  We also received fresh sweet potatoes, acorn squash and a giant winter squash with a crooked neck.  So into the soup went the corn and green beans, a quart of tomato juice from a previous delivery and two pounds of lean ground beef from our Peaceful Pastures CSA.  I also tossed in plenty of carrots and celery from our Bountiful Blessings CSA.  It feels great to be supporting so many local farms!

I feel prepared for my week now.  I have a triple batch of oatmeal made for breakfasts.  The soup and a bean and rice salad for lunches/suppers and home made no-knead bread.  You can find the recipe for said bread at www.eatlikeyourgrandma.blogspot.com.

Who wants to come over for dinner?

Kristie