Bree's Lentil-Tomato Soup

I don't know who Bree is, but apparently, she loves lentil soup, so she submitted a recipe to Cooking Light. As you may have noticed, I make lentil soup on a very regular basis. We love lentil soup in our house, and I have several (hundred) great recipes. I like to try new things, though, so this one caught my eye. It got rave reviews on the website, so I figured, how bad could it be? Well, this is a good, solid recipe. It's tasty, and sort of tangy, which I think comes from the turmeric. The blend of spices makes this taste like a very basic, good quality lentil soup. Kevin even mentioned that it tastes similar to the soups you find in a can. This may or may not be a compliment... I'm not too sure. Anyway, if you are a beginner at lentil soup, this is a winner. However, I have made so many lentil soups, and this one isn't as good as almost any of them. I give is a big fat "medium." Definitely tasty. Definitely warming and flavorful. The best? Nope. I probably won't make it again. I have too many other recipes I like better, but I would recommend it to others, because it is a solid, easy, kid friendly recipe, that takes very little prep time. Oh, and by the way, I added barley to this recipe, because it definitely needed some "chunk." It's really low calorie, too, so the addition of barley, makes this a nice wholesome meal.

My new basil plant! My Aunt Beth prompted me to try this... I have a few questions, though. Aunt Beth, I'm shooting you an email, so you can give me a tutorial!

Roasted broccoli: The perfect side dish.

We should make a club: Lentil Lovers of America.

In my family, nothing is better than a bowl of soup.


The Critique
Good soup, but not as good as the other lentil soups that Marji's made before. Had a slightly bitter aftertaste, but it had the typical flavor of a lentil soup. Liked it but didn't love it.

3 bowls

Oats and Buttermilk Snack Cakes

These little bars (actually, they're quite large), are easy, healthy, kid friendly, and a tasty alternative to your run-of-the mill granola bar or muffin. The bars require a little forethought, since you have to soak the steel cut oats overnight, but since I had all the ingredients at home, it wasn't too much of a stretch. The cakes are made in a 9x13 pan, and they come out looking like blondies, with a bread-like texture. I expected them to have a sweet taste, like a dessert, but actually, they taste more like a pancake or biscuit, taking on the look and texture of a brownie. Case in point - I tried topping them with a scoop of ice cram, and it was like putting ice cream on a buttermilk biscuit. Not terrible, but not something that I want to do again. These are more like a cake you want to eat with a cup of good coffee on a Sunday morning. Anyway, after reading the reviews of this recipe, I decided to cut the butter content in half (I used 2 tbl, instead of 4), because people said they were way too buttery. I'm glad I made that modification, because they still have a very moist, buttery flavor. These little bars are very nice blend of sweet and salty, and are both moist, and slightly crunchy, from the steel cut oats. I really like these, and so does Maya. Next time, I may add some dried fruit to these, and maybe even some walnuts. I know it would add some "heaviness" to the bars, but I actually would rather the bars be smaller, but have more goodies inside. The recipe makes 12 bars, but in reality, it could really make 16 bars, easily.

Carrot-Chocolate Cupcakes

I know, I know - sounds icky, but they are really good, and are an excellent treat for a little toddler (or Mommy). I was hesitant about this recipe, but decided to make it, in a desperate attempt to use up my buttermilk. Anyway, they taste great - sweet and salty, with a really good texture (chunks of chocolate and soft carrot bits). They are definitely a muffin - cupcake is a stretch - but they'd be terrific with a dollop of cream cheese frosting. Make them - you'll see...