Last night I went to bed thinking how wonderful it would be to wake up in the morning and to not have to listen to or read about all the election ridiculousness.

I’m a smart person, I should have known better.

While I do really appreciate passionate people, the bitching that is going on out there is pretty out of control.

My personal favorites are the people claiming their lives are over or that they are moving to another country just because one man got re-elected.

News flash people. He is one man. You’re life is not over unless there is nothing else in your life but politics. You still live in one of the most amazing countries on the planet. We have amazing people, amazing places and amazing hearts.

While I am not a life coach, I do consider myself a pretty happy person. My advice to those who are on the edge after the election is to stop bitching so much, stop worrying your pretty little head over something you can’t control for another four years and START thinking about what you can do to make you a better, happier version of yourself.

Be a better person, a better friend, a better member of society.

That is all you can do.

If we all worked a little harder to be better, our nation will be better, brighter, healthier and happier.

I could be wrong. But I’m usually right. Just ask my boyfriend.

While you think about what makes you a happier, better person, I’ll share with you something that makes me a happier, better person.

Yummy, basic, homemade dressings make me happy and healthy. This red wine vinaigrette is my favorite. It is mild and goes with pretty much anything you want to throw in a salad.

And it’s pretty. Pretty never hurts.

You will need…

1/3 cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh black pepper

In a small bowl or mason jar, combine your ingredients.

Whisk if you are using a bowl or shake if you are using a mason jar until the ingredients are completely combined.

Drizzle on anything you like and just relax.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh black pepper

In a small bowl or mason jar, combine your ingredients.

Whisk if you are using a bowl or shake if you are using a mason jar until the ingredients are completely combined.

Drizzle on anything you like and just relax. 

I feel like cooking in my house has become something similar to grocery shopping with a small child.

There is a whole lot of “I don’t think I like (insert random ingredient here)” being thrown around.

Obviously, there are some foods that people just don’t care for. But I have found that for the most part, people who don’t like things just haven’t had them prepared well.

So it is no surprise that with my no-it-all personality, that converting people who don’t think they like things is my absolute favorite.

Last week when my dad asked what was for dinner and was told split pea soup he almost turned green. He protested for a good ten minutes about how horrible split pea soup is and how he wouldn’t be having any.

Then he saw and smelled the soup, and saw the delicious mushrooms go into the soup. The warm fresh homemade croutons were the icing on the cake.

Not only did he try the soup, he had multiple helpings.

And then had it for lunch the next day.

I may have had it for lunch the next two days.

But who is counting.

You will need…

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped  (I used shredded because I needed them for something else. Either will work.)

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leave

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

2 cups dried split peas

8 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 lb chopped Portobello mushrooms

2 cups homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot.

Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot and cook until the veggies begin to soften. About 7 to 10 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and add in the thyme, cilantro, bay leaf. Cook for an additional minute.

Then add in the split peas, the stock and the water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the soup to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook until the peas are soft, about 35 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining oil in a large sauté pan.

Add in the mushrooms and season them well with salt and pepper.

Cook the mushrooms down until they are very tender. About 10 minutes.

When the peas are very tender, remove the soup from the heat and remove the bay leaf.

Use a hand emersion blender to puree your soup. If you do not have a hand blender, you can blend in a blender or in batches in a food processor.

After the soup has been pureed, toss in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with a handful of croutons.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Portobello and Split Pea Soup 

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped  (I used shredded because I needed them for something else. Either will work.)

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leave

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

2 cups dried split peas

8 cups chicken stock plus

2 cups water

1 lb chopped Portobello mushrooms

2 cups homemade croutons

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot.

Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot and cook until the veggies begin to soften. About 7 to 10 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and add in the thyme, cilantro, bay leaf. Cook for an additional minute.

Then add in the split peas, the stock and the water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the soup to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook until the peas are soft, about 35 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining oil in a large sauté pan.

Add in the mushrooms and season them well with salt and pepper.

Cook the mushrooms down until they are very tender. About 10 minutes.

When the peas are very tender, remove the soup from the heat and remove the bay leaf .

Use a hand emersion blender to puree your soup. If you do not have a hand blender, you can blend in a blender or in batches in a food processor.

After the soup has been pureed, toss in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with a handful of croutons.