Holiday Comforts

   Tuesday was a very difficult day. Everything that could go wrong at work did: people called out, people changed their hours without notice and left gaping holes in the schedule, shifts for the end of the week were understaffed and coverage couldn't be found. Data for care tracking was missing and the director and I couldn't find it anywhere. The whole building just felt off: residents were cranky, staff was snarky. I got home feeling battered in soul. I questioned my decisions, my ability, and my purpose. It was absolutely a night to crawl into bed and pull the blankets up over my head, never to emerge.
    I didn't do that. I have a family to tend to. And I had homework to do. Instead I made a pot of tea and had a hearty cry. Then I made soup.

Three Bean Pasta e Fagioli Soup

 

By Rachael Ray  •  September 19, 2009

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 3-4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 stems fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can cannellini beans (15 ounces )
• 1 can chickpeas (15 ounces )
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup mini penne with lines or ditalini
• 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds on an angle
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
• Grated Romano cheese, for topping
  Preparation
  Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper, to taste. Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans, chickpeas and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and water, then cover and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and let simmer in the soup for 5 minutes, then add the green beans and simmer for 3-4 minutes more.
  
  
  Turn off the heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and the parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Discard the rosemary stems.
  
  
  To serve, ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with cheese.
   

   I sniffled, burbled, and blubbered my way through three bowls and felt moderately better. Admiring my holiday mantle decorations cheered me immensely, and inspired me to pull out ALL of the holiday books for the coffee table.

   I have about nine years' worth of Victoria Magazine's gorgeous December issues that I didn't even think to pull out and peruse: that would have made me feel fantastically better. Guess I'll have to do that the next time I have a not so great day.  

    If that doesn't work, I'm sure the antics of the Home Gnomes, Larry, Charlie, and Lou, will.

Generally they sit quietly, but every once in a while these fellows get into some kind of mischief. It's all part of the holly-days in the Perkins household!