[Boomer]

It has been a cold, snowy, icy winter here in Ohio. We decided to take on a building project which made it impossible to leave and spend some time in the sunshine. But that’s OK. It’s all finished now. And I like it a lot. I just call it my Florida room.

But while all this work was going on around me, I did not move myself around much. And I started to mainline mashed potatoes. So I decided to get out the Wii Fit. But that thing called me names and then it lied about my age.

But maybe there is hope. Don’t know yet. But maybe I can bring it back from the brink.

The other day, I found what might just be The Diet Soup of My Dreams. It was in that "Women’s World" magazine that is in the grocery store line right next to the "National Enquirer" that I always read while standing in that line. Yeah, I know. I posted a diet soup recipe on here several months ago. That was the Valerie Bertinelli one. But that one did not last long in my life. It just didn’t taste good and I kept wanting to add sausage to it.

But I made this one yesterday, and it tastes good and it also stays with you a while. And it does not seem like diet soup, even though the article in the magazine refers to it as “Extreme Diet Soup.” That’s hype for the magazine cover. There is nothing extreme about this soup. This is something you could keep in the fridge and have ready to eat when you find yourself starved and looking around for those Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies that you told your husband to hide. (And there is nothing thin about those cookies.)

So that’s what is going on and now here is the recipe. It looks long but it makes a lot. Actually it makes a 55-gallon drum full.

2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 large white onions
1 and ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast, diced
1 large carrot, finely shredded
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper with seeds, minced But about this pepper: I have a fear of jalapeno peppers. Too hot for me. This is part of the hype of this soup though. It is supposed to increase metabolism. I will take my chances. It’s still better than what I usually grab for lunch. Anyway, I used a red bell pepper. Sweet thing.
2 tsp. minced, fresh thyme OR oregano (or 1 tsp. dried thyme Or oregano)
8 cups fat-free natural chicken broth
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
6 packed cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 large tomato, finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
7 T. grated Parmesan cheese or to taste
Lemon wedges (optional)

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add chicken, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through and onions are lightly browned. Add carrot, garlic, pepper, and whichever herb you picked. (I picked thyme.). Cook another 2 minutes. Stir in broth. increase heat to high. Bring to boil. Add beans, spinach, and tomato and bring back to boil. Then turn off the heat. (Add the cheese when served. Add salt and pepper and a squirt of lemon if you want to.)

You can see that this soup packs a nutritional wallop. And it has some actual protein in it.

So I will see what happens with this. Maybe confessing on here will keep me motivated. I will not post pictures. That’s for sure. But I will see how it goes. And I might let you know. That's not a commitment or anything you understand.

And…….does anybody have a great recipe for…….ohhhhhh……maybe cream of mushroom soup or that thick wonderful potato soup?

Boomer Butterball