the weekend

aaahhhh soup.

Friday. 

Saturday. 

Sunday. 

Weekend. 

(yes, I count Friday as the weekend around here....it's like "Weekend Eve")

I am so thankful for the weekend. 

After school and work and school and more school and homework and studying and blehck, my little family is back together again. 

I am thankful for loud music during Saturday morning chores. 

I am thankful for no schedule, no routine, no nothin.

I am thankful for friends who come to visit and eat delicious pizza with us.

I am thankful for staying up way too late watching movies and eating hot cinnamon brownies by the fire.

I am thankful for adorable kiddos in their Sunday best walking to church with umbrellas. 

I am thankful for electricity!!

Oh lights and heat how I love you. 

We went about 6 hours without power today, and BOY! We really take for granted how easy it is to switch on the lights, don't we?

I realize that just one week ago I declared my thankfulness for soup, but since I can't post without a picture, why not talk about soup some more! 

I love that on "soup nights" I don't even have to think about dinner or plan anything out that day. I love that I can just look at what I have on hand, stir it all together in a pot and have hot bubbling soup on a cold rainy night. 

Fall Veggie Soup

or "Butterfly Soup" as my kids named it

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup collard greens, chopped

1 cup winter squash, peeled and diced (any winter squash you have on hand--I used Red Kuri squash, but butternut, acorn, pumpkin, or any other winter favorite would work great)

2 cups (or 1 can) diced tomatoes

2 cups(or 1 can) cannellini beans
3/4 cups dried farfalle pasta (or "butterfly" noodles as we call them)

4-5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
S&P to taste


Saute onion, carrots, celery, greens and squash in olive oil for a few minutes. 
Add in garlic and S&P. 
Add in all remaining ingredients except for pasta, and bring to a low boil. 
When soup has reached a low boil, add in pasta and simmer until pasta is done, OR if you want your soup to simmer longer (I like to let it simmer for a while) cook until pasta is just underdone, and then turn soup down all the way and let it simmer until you are ready to eat and pasta is tender.

I love soups like this because you can add as many veggies/beans/pasta as you like for a very filing meatless soup. You can swap out the beans for potatoes, add extra pasta, or whatever your family likes. 


top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

What were YOU thankful for this weekend?