Turnip Soup and Sweet Peas

 My hibiscus (a gift for Mother's Day from our sweetheart neighbor, Margie) is still alive and blooming in our dining room window!

 My Christmas Cactus is still going strong too!

 One of the things I love about this time of year is Parker's Favorite Turnip and Kale Soup. Rob made a huge batch of this soup in the thick of the remodeling, play practice, gymnastics, new dog, etc. November. We enjoyed it for several days. This particular day I served it for lunch with baked tofu, butternut squash ravioli with homemade tomato sauce, and Sweet Peas from Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food (I want this cookbook! I checked it out from the library, but life was too crazy and I didn't get a chance to make much.)

 The sweet peas are amazingly easy roasted chickpeas that are great for snacking. It seemed like November was so hectic for the kids that I was always in the kitchen and I couldn't make enough food to keep them full. Satisfying brunches, big late lunches became the norm and dinner was smaller and sometimes Parker ate one before play practice and another when we arrived home.

Josie and Gracie posing for the camera.