Wonderful Weekend v.2.3

Valentine's Day is coming up! Use fancy craft or wrapping paper to make some special valentines for a friend. This Girl's Life has some great free Valentine's Day printables. It's not the gift, it's the thought that counts, and they'll love the thought so much they'll hopefully forget all about not having that special someone (besides you) in their life.

Feel like the cold winter will never end? Hold a soup party with friends. Everyone can bring a favorite variety to share (or make my spicy black bean soup). Complete the evening with a fun film. You'll feel warm and cozy in no time!

Plan a clothing swap with a group of friends. Bring all the totally chic clothes you haven't worn lately, and trade with each other. It's just like shopping for brand new outfits - for free! What's better than that?

Grab a girlfriend and take a belly-dancing class together for a guaranteed night of exercise, laughter, and stories to tell for years to come. Check out US Belly Dance Classes to find a course near you.

Photo courtesy of We Heart It.

Plan a family heritage night with friends. Have everyone bring over family photos and keepsakes. You can create a family tree or just share stories. You'll learn a lot about each other's family history and have fun in the process.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. What are your plans?

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Are you guys on Pinterest? I recently joined and I am already addicted. It's such a great way to keep track of recipes to test out, crafts to try, and I've even got a board full of tattoo inspiration.

I'm a fan of all things spicy, so I pinned this recipe to try during Lent when I wasn't eating meat. I substituted shallots for onions, red jalapeño for green, and decided to add red bell pepper on a whim to give it a little color. It was absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil
1 shallot or onion, roughly chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 green jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
½ teaspoon/2ml cumin
2 cups/473ml cooked black beans
2 cups/473ml vegetable stock
lime juice, to taste
¼ cup/59ml non-fat Greek style yogurt
2 tablespoons/30ml chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat

2. Add the oil and sweat the onion (or shallot) for one minute

3. Add the garlic, jalapeño and cumin and continue cooking for one minute

4. Add the beans, vegetable stock, and yogurt and bring to a simmer (I'm not a fan of Greek yogurt, so I didn't add any to my soup, but use the Greek yogurt to tame some of the spiciness of the jalapeno.)

Please excuse my stove and cookware, everything in my apartment is super old.

5. Let simmer for five minutes and transfer soup to a blender

6. Working in batches, puree the soup until smoothness desired and return to a medium sauce pot on medium heat

7. Season the soup to taste with salt, pepper, and lime juice

8. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, drizzle some yogurt over the soup and garnish with the chopped cilantro.

This recipe alone made me fall in love with Pinterest. Being able to easily share photos, upload recipes and borrow ideas from people all over the world is amazing, and shows just how much social media has grown over the years. If you love spicy food like I do, this recipe is amazing! And even if your taste buds can't handle it, just add the Greek yogurt to tame it down. If you're on Pinterest, let me know in the comments, and find me: Matilda Makes!