Friday, May 12, 2017

Friday Feels

Yesterday was a gorgeous, summer like day so on my way home I got off the bus early at a park called Liberty Park and sat in the grass and sun for awhile. I read through my Brenden Brazier book I had checked out from the library. I think Liberty Park is Salt lake City's second largest park. It's really beautiful, and I'm very lucky that it's only about a mile away from my apartment. We've gotten quite a bit of rain lately, so the grass was nice and soft between my toes. My toes don't touch the ground very often as I live in an apartment without much of a yard. And what little grass we have usually has a lot of dog poop so this felt wonderful. Back when I had yards and such you would rarely see me with shoes on.
On my walk home I saw this sign in someone's yard. It just made my day. Take that Dump and Dump supporters! Lately it's been really easy for me to feel very cynical and hopeless, but this restored some hope.
For dinner I whipped up this super simple but so, so delicious black bean and corn soup. I used black beans that I cooked from dry, leftover salsa and various spices. Black beans are one of the easiest beans to cook from dry besides lentils. They cook pretty quickly even if you haven't soaked them. I like to add garlic and cumin to the cooking water to make them extra flavorful! I also made baked tortilla chips for dipping, and of course doused the whole dish with green dragon sauce. Back when I was a nanny, I always joked that food was just a vessel for the kid to get ketchup in his mouth, and I believe I am now the same way with green dragon sauce!
Here's another picture of Etta giving me great face! Three in one week, that's a record. But this picture did take like ten minutes to take. As you can see by her ears she's kind of over it!
And here's Roxy just totally letting it all hang out! She was having the best nap ever, and could care less who sees her!





17 comments:

  1. Love that sign and great to hear that you are getting some decent weather. Black beans are my favourite beans but weirdly they are one of the hardest to find in the UK. No supermarkets seem to carry tins so you have to get them from independent health food stores. I've started cooking up a whole bag of dried and then freezing them in 1 can measures ready for recipes.

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    1. I wonder why they're hard to find? They're one of my favorite beans as well. I've been thinking of cooking big batches and freezing them them too. With other dried beans as well. I'm trying to cut down on cans and waste.

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  2. PS - great to see Etta getting photographed again. One day you should do a calendar of your cat photos. It would be a big seller!

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    1. She's been a little more agreeable with the camera lately and I love it! A calendar is a great idea! I definitely have lots of cute to work with!

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  3. I need to faceplant in that floofy belly right now.

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  4. Damn, Blake beat me to it! I also want to stick my face in that belly! So much belly! Soup looks delicious. It's been way too long since I've made black beans from dry. They're so much better! I'm also getting very addicted to Green Dragon sauce. :-)

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    1. I know,I love her belly so much!
      It had been awhile since I cooked beans from dry and I forgot how much better they are.
      I almost can't eat food without green dragon sauce. It's bad!

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  5. Omg I can't with that belly!! I can't face plant with the others because it would probably kill me with my allergies but I can't with the cuteness.

    I'm so glad you were able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather! It is so nice to be able to do that and reading a book in the park sounds pretty amazing to me :) I love that sign too!

    Great looking bowl as always :) You are rocking those bowls!

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    1. Reading a book in the park was really pretty great. I definitely need to do that more often.
      I'm definitely realizing that I eat a huge portion of my meals in that same bowl! Bowls have become my favorite way to eat food I guess!

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  6. Love that floofy belleh!!

    I don't get to spend too much time sitting in parks because I have to be wary of the sun, but on days when the weather and shade situation is in my favour, I love it!

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    1. I love her belly too! I'm sure they all get sick of my constant belly rubs!
      Sitting in the park reading really is a wondeful therapy!

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  7. There is a church in downtown that has these signs! They are also the same church that has done MANY programs for human/child trafficking education and prevention over the last year. They seem to be one of the better churches these days! But that is a rant for another day! LOL :)

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    1. I hear you on the church rants. That is awesome that a church would have those signs.

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    2. Oh! It was Instagram I must have mentioned that on your post!

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  8. Liberty Park sounds so nice! I always love seeing those signs! Your soup looks great, and Etta and Roxy are just too cute! :)

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    1. Liberty Park is so nice. It's big enough that you can find your own private spot which I love.
      That's the first time I've ever seen that sign and I hope to see many more!

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