My guest chef

I can not take any credit for the following recipe except for the fact that I gave birth to the girl who prepared it. My daughter who had been opposed to cooking for many years decided it was time to prepare herself for the day she might need to feed herself and a cute family. She now cooks dinner every Wednesday, and now Wednesday is my favorite day of the week. When someone else decides the menu, you just might find yourself eating something that you never thought would be tasty. Adding fresh chopped avocado to a bowl of hot soup would have seemed odd to me, but my daughter thought it would be yummy, and she was right!

Veggie Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cans chopped green chile peppers

3 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth

1 can corn

2 cans black beans, rinsed

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed

2 avocados, diced

tortilla chips

1. Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat, stir in onion, red pepper, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.

2. Add tomatoes, chile peppers and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low. Add corn, black beans, and pinto beans. Stir and cook for 5-10 minutes.

4. Garnish each bowl with avocado and chips before serving.

5. Try to get another member of your family to cook tomorrow.  :)

New Year, New Do

I heard the phrase New Year, New You so many times last week that I began to get a complex about what was wrong with the old me. If I made a list, it would probably include significant items such as needing to be less judgmental to something as frivolous as needing a change in the way I do my hair.

I am always looking for something a little different, but when my hairdresser asks, “What are we going to do today?” I panic and don’t want to do anything too drastic and leave with just a trim. I want something different, up-to-date, and new, but my hair seems to always end up looking the same. Something I believe Donald Trump and I have in common.

Saw an ad for his new Celebrity Apprentice and the only one I recognized was Clay Aiken. It was just a quick peek, but I just assumed that if you were a celebrity, people shouldn’t have to wonder why you were famous.

I did recognize other Idol alum during the recent CMA awards but was saddened to see how ridiculously thin Kellie Pickler, Carrie Underwood, and Lauren Alaina have become. I thought Lauren was so cute with her curves.

Speaking of starving yourself, I bet Warren Jeffs’ followers wish his hunger protest had a different end result now that he has banned toys, sex, and anything that might seem even slightly fun.

Unlike Mr. Jeffs, JLo and Marc Anthony won’t be serving jail time for their respective relationships with their barely old enough lovers, but it sure does seem just a little bit creepy.

Several other not-so-surprising Hollywood break-ups occurred recently. Katy Perry and Demi Moore once again find themselves single. And their former men, well, a little advise for the new year, they each could use a new do!