Just Another Manic Monday...Whoa Whoa!

It's just another Manic Monday, but after the Colt's defeat, I certainly don't wish it were Sunday!

In spite of having put the mattress warmer on the bed and dusting off the space heaters today, I, apparently, have yet to embrace the fact that the weather is now, more or less, cold. When I went to the cupboard tonight, there was not a bit of vegetable stock (nor chicken or beef) to be found. In the winter, a box of stock and a can of beans are staples on the grocery list, as imperative as bread and milk.

The lack of stock prevented me from making the soup planned for tonight's dinner, but E and I did concoct this tasty alternative....

We sauted garlic and onion in the soup pot, seasoning them with dried oregano, basil, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Then we added a jar of my grandma's tomatoes with the liquid. (I'm guessing one of her jars is pretty close to two cans of tomatoes.) Then we dumped in about a jar of water. E dropped in a bay leaf, and was totally perplexed by why we'd want leaves in our food. We brought this to a boil, then dumped in some dried mini-ravioli from Trader Joe's. (Dried tortellini would be just as good.) We added some more seasoning to add flavor since we weren't using any broth. Once the pasta was pretty well cooked, I scooped out a small bowl full for the picky toddler, then dumped in some chopped spinach, a bit of fresh basil, and sprinkled in some red pepper flakes. Serve once the spinach wilts. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese before eating.

(This made enough for the 3 of us, plus enough leftovers to pack a lunch tomorrow.)

And for anyone thinking, what the hell do you do with a parsnip, try this recipe my husband treated us to on Thursday night.