Month: May 2016

From Lola with Love

Hi everyone! It’s me, Lola. I haven’t posted on my fur mom’s blog in a while, so I figured it was time to share some pictures.

Have I mentioned that I’m a pretty relaxed little gal? I’m content to sit around and watch my fur parents eat dinner each night. This is one of my favorite sitting positions…

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My fur parents laugh at me for some reason? I don’t get it.

Anyways, I sat on my fur dad’s lap the other night and it was awesome. I usually snuggle with my fur mom, but she was out pet sitting that night. I get kind of huffy when she comes home and smells like other dogs. Rude.

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The only time it’s okay with me that my fur mom pet sits is when she brings my friends over for a play date. This week she brought Haley over and we went on a walk. We’re basically twins, except her fur is brown and mine is black.

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Wherever there’s food, I’m there. My fur mom was eating her lunch on the couch the other day, so I hopped up next to her and waited patiently to see if she would feed me any crumbs. Sometimes I get lucky, sometimes I don’t. I never steal food, though. I used to back in the puppy days. I’m way more sophisticated now.

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Well, I better get going. I have a long day ahead of me. I need to eat my breakfast, nap, and protect the house while my fur parents are working. I’ll leave you with one last picture of me. I was on a walk this week and just wanted to soak up the sunshine.

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It was a great day. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

From Lola with love ❤

Chickpea Soup

It has been a long time since I last shared a recipe. Probably a few years. This soup is too good not to share, though! I found the recipe in a Rachael Ray magazine and have adapted it over time, making it my own.

Chickpea Soup

Jimmy and I recently had my father-in-law over for dinner and he kept raving about this soup. He’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so I took it as a compliment. He even said the soup tasted like it should be in a restaurant.

It’s certainly not the most beautiful soup, but the combination of rosemary, tomatoes, and chickpeas give it a lovely rustic Italian taste. It it easily my favorite soup, and I make it regularly.

Chickpea Soup 1

Chickpea Soup (adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 Tbs dried)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cans (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat and add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, kale, rosemary, and crushed red pepper. Sauté until tender, 8-10 minutes.
2. Stir in the broth, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Puree the soup until coarse in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
3. Return to pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.