Soup and Sledding

It's been a beautiful, sunny day today.

Nic, Kristiina and the kids came over, and we headed over to Anderson Pond for some winter fun...

 We're going on a sledding/skating adventure!

 Oooh, the wind kicked up and Kingston was happy to wear grandpa's scarf for a face mask.

 We're having a ball!

 He just came down the hill, spinning and laughing. "....again!"

 Preparing the pond for a bit of skating.

 Kingston helped, too.

 Then grandpa gave him a ride on the shovel.

 Okay, back to helping.

 Sweet little snow bundle.  He loved playing in it... and happily kept that mask on all day.

 Father and daughter enjoying a chat on the pond's very tiny island.

 See that little figure out there on the horizon?  It's Nic skating...

Here's another way we had fun... only Nic did this one, but Joe would have been happy to!


All the while, I wore Aria on my chest in the carrier, nestled beneath my coat.  She slept the whole time and probably never knew we were outdoors!

The kids headed home for a late lunch and naps.

I made some black bean soup with just enough heat to compliment our outdoor fun.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups chicken broth (I always have homemade bone broth in the freezer)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
6 cups cooked black beans
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Leaves from 6 or 8 stems of cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Serve with sour cream and grated cheddar

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Great day... and we're headed over to their place for dinner tonight. {smiling!}

My favorite thing to do is to make memories with them.