With love- Lentils. xoxo.

It's snowing today!

What a perfect opportunity to share an inspiration for a yummy lentil soup. Lentils are a scrumptious, high-protein, easy, and versatile legume that you simply must try. I was so in love with this concoction, I even ate it for breakfast the next morning before work at the high school cafeteria. At 5:30 am. And you know what, it kept me full much longer than a bowl of cereal does!

I used brown lentils, which tend to hold their shape more than red or orange lentils. First, I sauteed diced onion, celery, and carrot (if you want to be snooty, you can call that 'mirepoix,' pronounced "meer-pwah") along with garlic on medium heat for a few minutes. I added in about a cup or more of chopped mushrooms. Next, one of the crucial ingredients... 1/4 cup red wine. Let that simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes... you will be glad you did! Then, I added in my next crucial ingredient... 1 tablespoon maple syrup! That bit of New Hampshire's maple goodness brought through just a teeny bit of sweetness that changed the flavor composition of the whole pot. I added about 3 cups of vegetable stock, and about 1 cup of lentils (rinse those first). Simmer and simmer for about 1 hour. The good thing about brown lentils is they cook in basically 20 minutes, so you don't have to let the soup simmer for an hour if you don't have the time. Before you dig in... stir in handfuls of torn fresh spinach leaves. (Or cooked collard greens, if so inspired!) Oooo my is this one tasty and amazingly healthy soup!

So steamy!

Last week was a special week, 1) because I made this soup and ate it for breakfast; and 2) it was my friend and fellow intern Fionna's birthday; and 3) it was Pumpkin Fest here in Keene! Any special week (and any week at all, really) calls for one of my all-time favorite snacky snacks, Sugared Walnuts. I got this recipe from my mom, but she makes it with pecans. (Pecans are not my favorite nut. And I also don't like that they can be pronounced 2 very different ways. But feel free to use them if you so desire!) Some of the interns had a birthday party for Fionna and pumpkin carving party last week, so I made a batch. They vanished. Here's the recipe:

Sugared Walnuts
Beat 2 egg whites until frothy. Add 1 tablespoon water, beat in. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt. Toss 1 lb walnuts in the egg white mixture and toss to coat. Then, toss egg-y walnuts in the sugar mixture, stir to coat. Spread nuts on a greased baking pan, and bake at 275 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

YUMYUMYUMYUMYUM

I hope you enjoy these tasty fall treats. Both have helped feed my body and brain through the first 9 weeks of my internship! Tomorrow is my last day of my food service rotation. This week I have been waking up at 4:00 am to get to work at a preschool nutrition site in Manchester! (Note- human beings were NOT meant to wake up at 4 am for anything, especially work, which is perhaps why I accidentally missed my alarm by 2.5 hrs and was significantly late today. Oops.)


Next week, I move into many months of my community rotation, until I start clinical in April. More adventures to come! Now go cook something delicious!