Friday, December 16, 2022

beans and rotini soup!

Yesterday hit 70; today will barely make it to 60.
As for the weekend, we've got the mid-50's by day and 30's by night.
What does all that mean?
Soup weather!!!
Rather than head back southside to the Olive Garden, I thought I'd try my hand at pasta e fagioli.
I always have some kind of beans around, and some form of noodle, so why not?
And you know what?
It was fabulous!!!
I just may need to make a big batch of it and keep it handy.
Here's the recipe, and I'm putting it in the one place I know i won't lose it: in my blog.
(smile!)
 
* * * * *
pasta e fagioli a la faustina
 
2 cups of broth (fat-free, low sodium, chicken used)
1 large stalk of celery, sliced lengthwise, then into 1/2" pieces
12 slices of turkey pepperoni, cut into fourths
Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper and Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herbs, to taste
1/2 cup of beans (low sodium kidney beans this time, rinsed well)
1 serving of dry pasta (I used rotini this time) 

On medium heat, bring the broth to a boil.
While stirring, add the celery, pepperoni, and seasonings, then cook about 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans, let return to boil, then add pasta.
Stir occasionally and cook until the pasta is al dente (about ten minutes for the rotini).

Enjoy!
* * * * *
 
With the weather flip-flopping all over the place, it's a wonder more folks aren't sick.
Between COVID and Influenza A running rampant, if's not safe to regard a sneeze or cough as just part of a head cold.
Believe me, I'm doing my part at keeping myself, and others, well by having a mask wherever I go.
I wish more people would do the same.
Omicron has two Barbeque variants that make up almost 70 percent of all new cases here in the USA.
Yeah, I'm surprised that the media hasn't glommed onto that moniker, given the identities given to those variants.
Instead, BQ.1.1 is called Cerberus, and it's the more dominant right now. That's its spread in the upper graph.
The lower graph has the numbers for BQ.1, known in media speak as Typhon.
So, what does it mean?
Here's the gist: wear those masks, folks.
There are all kinds of respiratory nasties out there and you don't want them.
Also, make sure children wear masks, too.
As well as these grown-up diseases, there's Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and a particularly nasty streptococcus that's sending kids to hospitals gasping for air.
Very scary.
Just try to stay aware of those around you and avoid crowds when possible.
Does that mean I'm not going to the play at SavChTh this evening?
Of course not... but my mask will travel with me and go on when needed.
Happy holidays!

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