Soon I leave Soup behind for Margaritas, but till then...

48 hours from now I will be on a plane to Cabo!! I could not be more excited to be in WARM weather (forecast temp is 79 degrees & sunny!) with a swim up pool bar and a shut off Blackberry! Does it get any better??
Food is the last thing from my mind (unusual), I've been eating lunch at my desk the last two days trying to get a ton done before I go. Recommendation- Subway is running their special where all sandwiches are $5 for any footlong, not just select meats- I am living off them.
But I have made two ridiculously good meals in the last two days that I HAD to share!
One was a Cooking Light version of Chili, for Superbowl Sunday. I followed that recipe fairly exactly- so here's the link to the recipe:
Cooking Light Crock Pot Chili
It was really filling and didn't taste like a "light" version at all,  but each serving only has 240 calories or 5 weight watchers points. If you make it- PLEASE use non fat plain Greek Yogurt in substitution of sour cream.  Just try it. I promise it will not disappoint and you will be happy about the heaping scoop you can dump on top and not have to feel guilty about!  We also topped with chopped green onions and cilantro. Delish! PS- the recipe calls for lean beef, not turkey (po mans beef) and is still good for you!

The second, which I made last night was White Bean Soup (which doesn't sound that great- I get it) But it was seriously AMAZING, healthy and really easy to make. Here's the Recipe, which I found on William Sonoma online.

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped pancetta
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cans (each 15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained Nearly had a grocery store breakdown when I couldn't find these.  However- thanks to the magic power of Google I was able to learn that cannellini beans can be interchangeable with "Great Northern" and "Navy Beans" in recipes.  Who knew?
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme I used a little extra.
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Mmmm Pepper!

In a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. (I used a big sauce pot but make sure to make it a big one- this makes LOTS of soup). Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cannellini beans, broth and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. 
Remove the pan from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.  (I used a blender to puree and then poured it back in the pot) Stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and serve immediately.
Serve it with a side salad and crusty bread and you have an amazing meal! Chris and I both had seconds and still have tons of leftovers.  One of the things that is so great about this soup is that it has the rich consistency of a cream based soup, but NO cream which makes it MUCH healthier for you.

Also- just a side note, I am slowly learning that it can be fun to cook together. Like with other people in the kitchen.  I have always been a slight.... ok, major kitchen nazi (meaning I like my space, and don't you dare try to taste something before I serve it) but I am slowly coming to the realization that it can actually be nice to share the stirring and mincing duties with someone else. I guess it just takes the right person. :) Baby steps..  Don't get any crazy ideas (Julia...)
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
XO
Chel
PS. One of my favorite people in the world just started a VERY funny blog about her quest to become America's Next Top Hipster (or something along those lines..) Check it out! http://flatboots.blogspot.com/