Friday is a tough day.  Friday reminds me there are a finite number of hours in every day and I have more things on my “to do” list than I can possibly accomplish.  I’m not complaining.  I’m grateful for everything I’ve been given to do.

Sometimes it’s fun to do something easy and thoughtless.

Last night, I looked in my cupboards and my refrigerator and said “I’m going to make the easiest, most delicious meal I know.”  I don’t even know where I got the recipe; I wrote it down on a little scrap of paper and I keep it taped inside my kitchen cupboard.  Remember, this isn’t a foodie blog so this is just a recipe for plain, good food; nothing glamorous.

First, take out your slow cooker.

Put in the following ingredients:

1 cup of lentils
3 shredded carrots
5 – 8 crushed garlic cloves
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon of salt
2 – 3 tablespoons of olive oil
5 cups of water
2 Bay leaves

Put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to “low” for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and remove the bay leaves.  I started this soup before bed on Thursday night; when I woke up and added my balsamic vinegar, I also added 2 cups of chopped kale.

Sometimes I add cooked ground beef and sometimes I dangerously sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

I’m looking forward to eating lentil soup for lunch today.

Stir, serve, and enjoy.