Recipe Black Bean Soup

One pound package of dried black beans

Vegetables:

Fresh garlic cloves minced - 1 or 2

Carrot chopped ~ 1/2 cup

Celery chopped ~ 1/2 cup

Onion chopped ~ 1/2 cup

Bell pepper chopped ~ 1/2 cup

Can of stewed or diced tomatoes including juice

Frozen corn kernels ~1/2 cup

Chicken broth (I use homemade)

Small can of green chilies

Seasonings:

Mrs Dash original

Cumin

Chili powder

Spike (sold in health food stores and some grocery stores)

Salt

Turkey or beef smoked sausage - Optional

Garnish with shredded cheese

Wash and soak beans overnight. Drain and add fresh water to cover.

Cook until almost soft. (I use a crock pot.)

Add vegetables except tomatoes and corn. Add seasonings except salt.

Add chicken broth.

Cook until beans are soft and vegetables are cooked.

Mash the beans slightly using a potato masher.

Add the can of tomatoes, can of green chilies, and corn.

Continue to cook until additional ingredients are heated.

Taste and add salt if needed.

If smoked sausage is desired, slice and add to soup. I usually brown it slightly.

Notes:

Since the chicken broth and canned tomatoes have salt, I always wait to see if it is needed.

The amount of chicken broth I add depends on how much of the water cooked away. It also depends on how thick I want the soup.

I don't measure anything when I make soup, so the measurements are an educated guess.

You can adjust based on what you like or dislike.

Sometimes I add salsa or Louisiana hot sauce if the soup seems too bland.

If you have questions or comments, please fire away.

Unborn Babies Have Short Term Memory

New Study Finds Babies in Utero Have Short Term Memory

Aimee Herd (July 20, 2009)

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them." –Psalm 139: 13-16 (NKJV)

A recent study out of The Netherlands has documented evidence that babies, as young as 30 weeks in the womb, already have developed short term memory.

The research reportedly involved monitoring the pre-born baby's reaction when a loud sound is played, and then their subsequent reactions to the repeated playing of the same sound. The babies were found to remember the sound, no longer reacting with surprise.

FOX News contributor, Dr. Manny Alvarez says the finding is "positive" and "good news." (Photo: FOXNews.com)

Alvarez noted that knowledge of a child's development in the womb has been very limited, and this new research can greatly aid in understanding a child's cognitive and neurological development.

At 30 weeks—the study found—the fetus has a short term memory of about 10 minutes. At 34 weeks, the preborn baby can store information and retrieve it approximately four weeks later.

"It tells you that kids in the womb already know their surroundings, their parents, music, and things like that," added Dr. Alvarez.

He also stated that, especially in the latter part of pregnancy, playing music for the baby in utero, and reading to them can positively affect the child's development.

Dr. Alvarez stressed that talking to your baby while he/she is in the womb is very important, especially in light of the new study.

"I always tell fathers, in my practice, to go to the mother's belly and actually talk to the baby. I think these bonds that are created, in the long run are going to play out."

Watch the FOXNews video report on this, at the source link provided.

Source: Megyn Kelly, Dr. Alvarez – FOXNews.com

Courtesy the Elijah List

Random Questions

1. What time did you get up this morning?
6:41 AM

2. How do you like your steak?
If I ate steak, I would want it medium well.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Night at the Museum with our entire church. Well almost the entire church. It was fun!

4. What is your favorite TV show?
None at the moment

5. What did you have for breakfast?
Egg sandwich on pumpernickel bread with provolone cheese and Caesar dressing. And a small hunk of watermelon on the side. Soy vanilla latte.

6. Do you watch American Idol?
No

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
It's a toss up between Italian, Tex-Mex and Chinese. I prefer complex food with an abundance of flavors.

8. What foods do you dislike?
Lard, ground beef, the gristly bits in any type of meat, the slimy white thing in insufficiently scrambled eggs, and any food that isn't fresh or natural.

9. Favorite dressing?
Caesar

10. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
1998 Camry

11. What are your favorite clothes?
A mixture of hippie and Victorian. Not that I dress that way, but those are my favorites. If Goth was in when I was a teenager, I would have been somewhat into that. On second thought, my dad wouldn't have let me. But the creativity involved intrigues me.

12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be?
The Louvre
UK
Tuscany
India

13. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
over 1/2 full

14. Where would you want to retire?
I don't have any desire to be retired. Sounds BORING!

15. Favorite time of day?
Morning, Afternoon, and Evening - each time of day affords different things to savor.

16. Where were you born?
SC

17. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I'll get back to you if I think of one. Don't hold your breath.

18. Pepsi or Coke?
Root beer

19. Bird watcher?
yes, and insects, squirrels, deer, lizards, frogs, cats, dogs, snakes, fish, etc.

20. Are you a morning person or a night person?
I think I already covered that. Well, maybe not entirely. A morning person is usually someone who wakes up chatty and energetic. I love mornings, but I do not wake up chatty or energetic. I'm more creative and focused in the morning. As long as it doesn't involve talking.

21. Do you have any pets?
A cat lives at our house. She would resent being called "a pet." George is trying to find her a new home.

22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
New granddaughter
I reactivated my real estate license.
Re-learning the flute
HIPPIE-STYLE CLOTHING IS BACK IN STYLE and ON SALE!!! I'm so excited.

23. What did you want to be when you were little?
First of all, the question is structured incorrectly.
When I was little, I hoped to be a missionary nurse when I grew up. I changed my mind after my mom was in the hospital over and over again.

24. What is your best childhood memory?
The day my brother got stuck in the toilet. Closely followed by the time my dad broke an egg on my brother's head. Priceless!

25. Are you a cat person or a dog person?
I've never met a critter I didn't like. Well, except the scorpion I discovered in the bathtub in Texas.

26. Beer or Margarita?
Margarita - beer tastes nasty

27. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes - see #31

28. Been in a car accident?
Yes, a very minor one, and I wasn't wearing my seat-belt. I injured my neck.

29. Favorite Restaurant?
My favorite restaurant memories involve a special time with hubby, family or friends rather than the food. When it comes to food, we prefer to eat at home.

30. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Any and all available veggies.

31. Favorite Flower?
Gardenia because of the fragrance

32. Favorite ice cream?
I seldom eat ice cream, but if I chose a flavor, it would be Ben and Jerry's peach cobbler or Breyer's butter pecan.

33. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Chick-fil-a, Subway, Wendy's are the least objectionable in that order.

34. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Zero

35. From whom did you get your last email?
MHR - someone concerned about my hair loss. (?) Wonder if he/she knows that dude in Nigeria who needs my help procuring the millions of dollars deposited in a London Bank.

36. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
The only one we ever maxed out (twice) was Home Depot when we were renovating houses. Gotta love the no interest, no payments for a year. Thanks Home Depot!

37. Bedtime?
10:30 - 11:00

38. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Everyone is fascinating

39. Broccoli?
Yes, I eat it raw, stir fried, steamed, and casseroled.

40. What was your favorite vacation?
Trip to Israel with friends.

41. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Jungle

42. What are you listening to right now?
Brian Hardin reading the Bible - http://www.dailyaudiobible.com
and Windfarm Prayer Room - http://www.windfarmradio.com/#

43. What is your favorite color?
#95A59B

44. How many tattoos do you have?
none that I know of

45. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
I don't think that far ahead.

46. What time did you finish this quiz?
With me, everything is a work in progress. Nothing is ever finished.

47. Coffee drinker?
Some coffee some tea