As I sit here at my desk on Thursday, Jan. 25, a whole flock of robins just landed in the front yard. I hope it is a precursor to spring. I know they always come back before the snows are finished but it is a breath of fresh air just to see them. Momma Said, “The early bird gets the worm but they are all still frozen!”
They are busy moving leaves and mulch trying to find something to eat. They look like an army of little construction workers out here mining for gold. They are around the entire outline of the flower bed going through loose debris looking for a worm or bug. One finally found a worm and three of them are fighting over it. I guess they all aren’t frozen after all.
It is not that it has been a bad winter so far, but for some reason it has just been so depressing for me at least. I am a child of the sun and I miss it terribly. I just hope we don’t have a wet spring because I have had enough of muddy dog to last a lifetime. Momma Said, “I think that is what I will change her name to, Mud Dog.”
I didn’t feed the birds this year because of, Tina Marie, the cat being around. I didn’t want to tempt her into doing murder. Last year she would hide in the flower garden and pounce out trying to catch one. She finally resorted to the butterfly bush and caught a lot of butterflies instead. Momma Said, “I was not happy with her but what can you do, it is the nature of the beast.” She is fat and sassy and Papa Joe is taking good care of her.
SLOW COOKER HOMEMADE MINESTRONE SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 1 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 4 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 sprig rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups zucchini, diced
- 1 1/2 cups tubular (ditalini) pasta
- 1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
- 2 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- Finely shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving (or Romano)
DIRECTIONS:
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato pesto, parmesan rind, vegetable stock, water, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
- Add in red kidney beans, great northern beans, zucchini, and pasta and cook on high heat for an additional 20- 25 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in the spinach and green beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes until heated through. Serve warm topped with parmesan cheese and garlic toasts.