Sunday, April 29, 2012

Super Duper Yummy Veggie Soup

Fresh 
-->
Fresh Vegetable Soup
source: Lisa Hawks
Ingredients:
  • 2 T. oil
  • 2 c chopped onion
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 c chopped celery
  • 2 c cut green beans (frozen work well)
  • 1 ½ cups corn
  • 1 c sliced carrot
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. rosemary
  • 4 cans (14.5 oz) beef broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
  • 2/3 c uncooked macaroni
  • 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 2 c shredded green cabbage
  • Salt, if needed
  • ¾ tsp. pepper
  • 1 c grated parmesan cheese 
Directions:
  1. Saute’ onion and garlic in large pan. 
  2. Stir in celery and next 9 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 min. 
  3. Add tomatoes, macaroni and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. 
  4. Add cabbage, salt and pepper; cook 5 min. or until cabbage wilts. 
  5. Serve with cheese.

If You Like the Hunger Games, Try These!


Unwind 
by Neal Shusterman
The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.


Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born

Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.     When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.


Uglies 
by Scott Westerfeld
Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that? Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.
But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.


City of Bones
by Cassandra Clare
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Perfect for summer!

Icelandic Cucumbers
source: Lisa Hawks
Ingredients:
  • 3 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 c white vinegar
  • 1/2 c water
  • 6 T. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
  1. Mix all but the cucumbers in a tall jar or bowl.  
  2. Add the cukes, cover and refrigerate overnight.
**We LOVE these! Especially delish with fresh cukes from the garden... Such a great summer snack!

If you ever try one of our recipes we would love to hear your feedback! Let us know if you like them or if you make any changes! We love comments! :)

Followers

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...