Soup du Jour

I've still been trying to keep on making a meal per week for my husband since he works hard for the money.  So hard for the money...   So, between relying on meals I make all the time (tuna fish casserole~ my favorite go-to dish) and pillaging Pinterest for meal ideas, I feel like a little chef.  Here's a couple of things that have inspired me~

*click the picture to go to the source*

This yummy treat is a french toast sandwich filled with sweetened cream cheese (using "sugar powder" as one of my french friends calls powdered sugar) and blueberries.  I made my version of this last week but had to substitute some ingredients based on what we had.  I made french toast using my husband's delicious baguettes.  We had some mascarpone cheese left over from an Italian food night so I used that as my spread and sweetened it with honey.  Our blueberries had started growing some friends (re: they were fuzzy) ~ so I sliced up some banana as our fruit filler.  It was a real treat, and it's fun to have a new way to enjoy french toast without syrup.

*click the picture to go to the source*

Tonight we are going to enjoy this quick and easy black bean soup.  We had most of the ingredients on hand (Kyle picked up some feta while picking out a fancy cheese to enjoy from Fresh Market).  In place of chili powder, we have a super spicy mix of peppers that were dried by Kyle's mom and then ground by Kyle in the food processor.  Don't inhale or touch your eyes when handling this super hot treat.  I left out the cilantro since Kyle and I aren't huge fans.  I also ditched the chives but would probably splurge on them if we made this for family or friends.  How I miss our little French herb garden~ remember when we could enjoy fresh herbs any time we wanted to?

Basil and parsley galore~ it was all ours.

Chives, rosemary, and thyme~ so much flavor in such a small box.

It's a shame we have an all shade no sun porch... Back to dinner! 

My modern day cookbook~ I copy and paste a good number of recipes into notepad and increase the font while enjoying a scenic shot from Strasbourg two winters ago.

One of the last times I'll be able to dress my little boy in flowers~ I love my girly apron.  I'll be glad to have my tiny kitchen companion seated a safer distance from the stove very soon.

It may not look crazy delicious here, but it is super good.

Topped with feta, this is comfort food central.

Hopefully I'll be able to be handy in the kitchen once the baby is here, but I make no guarantees to be a consistent cook in the weeks to come (sorry Kyle).  Only time will tell on this matter...