On joy

I'm totally committed to joy these days!

It sure is the most easily done commitment I've ever taken. Sliding down the slope of joy to land in giggles in the fluffy clouds of impermanence!

So I moved into this new attitude.

It came about slowly. I thought of joy for days. 

Then the phone rang and I was given the biopsy results from a skin tag that had been removed a week ago. Yes, I finally have skin cancer. As I shared this with family, I found how many other people had had the same thing before. But nobody talked about it, so I didn't have a clue. Geese. Still the stigma. It's a disease. It needs care. And the feelings of mortality facing me are perfectly normal. But I like going back to finding joy...as well as sharing it.

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Feedback on fixing yesterday's recipe of Green beans and Potatoes. My potatoes were small yellow ones, which I cut into bite-size chunks. But they still didn't cook in the time frame of the recipe...it took an hour simmering them. The green beans were overcooked as a result, as well as the wonderful sauce had almost dried out. I should have added more water before serving...but by then I wasn't exactly hungry, thus the small serving. Taste? Delicious.

Plans next time: have the can of white beans...again I didn't have any. Cut potatoes smaller, or don't use refrigerated ones. Cook on stove rather than in crock pot...there wasn't easy control of temperatures changing from a boil to a simmer. I had only choice of high heat and then slow cook. 

Next recipe I'm going to try...

Sweet Potato lentil soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry lentils rinsed and drained
• 1 yellow onion peeled and finely chopped
• 1 sweet potato large, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup fresh spinach roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced carrots and sauté until slightly golden and softened, about 4-5 minutes.Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent.
• 
• Add the chopped tomatoes and bay leaves. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down.
  
  Add the sweet potato, spinach, rinsed lentils, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, parsley, and vegetable broth. Combinebine.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes, or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then serve hot