I’ve been eating soup everyday for lunch lately, and I decided it would be best if I just made my own.  It would be healthier and more affordable.

Can of tomatos - $1.39 (the big 28 oz can)
Two cans of beans - $1.32
Pasta - $.32
One onion - $.34 (I’m guessing on this one)
Other ingredients - $.50

Total: $3.87  Makes 7 one cup servings.  $.55 per cup.  I eat two cups for lunch of the canned soup, but I’m not sure how much I will eat of the homemade.  Perhaps less soup will fill me up more.

The Market Basket cheap soup that I’ve been buying (cause it really does taste as good as Progresso) is $1.29 a can (16 oz).  $1.10 vs $1.29 sure isn’t that big of a difference.  But I was able to package up a soup for lunch tomorrow (I’m working at macy’s), I put two tupperware things in the freezer, each containing two cups, and then another cup is left over in a bowl in the fridge for someone else to enjoy.

Vegetarian Pasta Fagioli

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 4 teaspoons dried)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup ditalini pasta

1. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
2. Add undrained tomatoes, undrained cannellini beans, broth, parsley, basil and pepper to pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Let boil for approximately 1 minute and then let simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
3. Add pasta to pan and simmer approximately 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve immediately.

Makes seven cups of soup.

The process in pictures:

Making homemade vegetable broth!  I used one vegetable bullion cube, some carrot slices, and some onion peel, and added it to a bit over three cups of water.

Straining the broth so I would only get the liquid.  Dylan was my photographer for this shot.

Adding the spices.

Glass of wine while the soup simmers?  Don’t mind if I do!

The finished product.

And a close up.

This morning for my morning run with my dad, there was a bit of a mix up.  I had asked him what time he usually ate breakfast, and he said “around 7.”  So I said “ok, well, depending on when I wake up, I will either eat breakfast first (if it’s 9ish), or we’ll go running first and then I’ll eat.  I got up around 8:15, and my mom said my dad was still in bed.  So I ate breakfast.  Then, he came downstairs at 9:30 and was surprised to see that I was awake, and disappointed that I had eaten already.  He had been waiting for me to wake up, and had been lying in bed reading.  I didn’t know that, and thought he was just sleeping.  So he ate breakfast at 9:30, and we had to wait until 11 to run.  I did an extra mile today, and he turned around again at the .8 mile mark.   Here’s my route.

Once home, I took a shower, ate some soup, and headed out to Coraline.  I walked, and my parents and brother drove to the theater.  I was reading while I was walking, so I didn’t make it all the way.  My parents stopped me when I was about 2/3 of the way there, and my dad yelled out “This is as far as you made it???”  Luckily, there was a red light, and I shouted to him “What time is it?”  “1:25″ Uh oh!  The movie was at 1:30!  I yelled “Can I get a ride?”  And I looked both ways, and ran across the street and jumped into the car.  I wish I had made it the whole way (the reading slowed me down, says my mom), but I’m glad I got to walk a little bit of the way.

As for Coraline, the NY Times sums it up with ““Coraline” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). There are many scenes and images that are likely to scare young children.” Of course, there are many parents who don’t read (or can’t, for that matter), and didn’t bother to find out if this movie was appropriate for their youngsters.  There was a 3 year old boy sitting behind us who kept asking, “What does that say?”  “Who’s that?”  “Why is he sad?”  His mother didn’t once shush him or tell him to whisper, instead she answered all of his questions.  It was driving me batty, until finally the movie got too scary and they left the theater (minus the $10.50 they paid - HA!).  In front of me, there was a young girl who looked to be about 7 or 8 (which I would think would be old enough to not be scared at a movie rated PG), but she climbed on her mother’s lap and said “Can we go now, please?”  Like a trooper, the mother said “No.  Just close your eyes.”  I think I would have just said “Go wait in the hallway.”  And if the girl wasn’t there when the movie was over, it’s probably for the best (it’s amazing that I enjoy babysitting, isn’t it?  Nah… I’m all talk).   There was one point a bit later when the girl had resumed watching and sighed at one point and said “Whew!  That was close.”  I rolled my eyes, and thought “Really?  You thought the main character would die?”  The movie was good.  Not one I’d really care to see again, and I wish I had gotten to see it in 3D.  We were stuck with lousy 2D.  On a scale of 1-100, I would give it a 72.

Dylan and I made homemade bread for dinner.  It was delicious, as it always is.  I had Dylan bring home the bread machine from his apartment because he hadn’t been using it.  He has break coming up anyway (they do four terms, rather than two semesters, and they have a week break in between terms), so we can just keep it here until after the break.  I can use it to make rolls and pizza dough.  There is a “dough” setting, and then once the dough is done, you simply take it out, and shape it how you want for rolls or bagels or even Italian loafs, and then put it in the oven.  For pizza dough, you’d take it out and make the pizza on it, then put it in the oven as is.

I did my Federal taxes tonight (well…. I didn’t finish them, but I got close).  I’m getting $359 back from the Feds. Yay!  I could use the money.  I haven’t bought anything in a really long time, but I could use the money for my gas, phone, and car insurance.  I’m not planning on going shopping or buying anything in the near future.  In fact, I have a credit on my Macy’s card, and I called today and they’re going to issue me a rebate check for $54 because I’m not planning on using the credit to purchase anything.

It’s bed time, but I want a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats.  :(  But I’m not going to succomb!  I am stronger than HBoO (but not by much).