GIVING THANKS FOR LOVELY NOVEMBER

Days of transition....

putting away the witches, ghosts and goblins 

until next year and then bringing out our

 Tom Turkey and Squirrel Nutkin can at times, 

be somewhat of a daunting task.

 Can you muster the enthusiasm and the energy?

It's time for Holiday Entertaining

I myself, needed a few days to pack up and put away, before unwrapping Thanksgiving decor and finding new nooks and crannies to decorate. 

I always start with the fireplace mantle, so join me as we "Fall into Beauty!"

I believe I discovered a few ideas from these lovely photos. We certainly strive to bring a smile to our families, as they enjoy the festive decor in their homes. Oh yes, I know the delicious aroma of this Navy Bean soup will help everyone to celebrate the season! 

NAVY BEAN SOUP

12 ounces apple smoked bacon, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, small dice
2 carrots, small dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Pinch or two sea salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
6 (15- ounce) cans small white beans (or navy beans), drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken stock, hot
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place a large Dutch oven, or heavy bottom pot, over medium-high heat; once the pot is hot, add in a small drizzle of olive oil, and the chopped bacon; crisp the bacon completely until nice and brown, then remove with a slotted spoon, drain it on some paper towel, and set it aside for a moment; reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, and set that aside for a moment, as well; wipe out the pot, and return it to medium-high heat.
-Next, add back into the pot the bacon fat, along with the olive oil and the butter, and allow them to melt together; once melted and hot, add in the diced onion, carrots and celery, and allow them to soften and saute for about 5 minutes; next, add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in about 2/3 of the reserved, crisped bacon, as well as the Italian seasoning, the sea salt and the pepper, along with the white beans, and stir to combine; next, add in the hot chicken stock, stir, and allow the stew to gently simmer for about 40-45 minutes, partially covered with lid; about half way through the cooking process, mash the beans a little bit with the  back of your spoon, or with a potato masher, to break up the beans a little bit and release their natural starch to thicken the stew; after about 40 minutes, turn the heat off and finish the stew by adding in the chopped parsley, the lemon zest and the lemon juice; serve the stew with some nice, crusty bread to dip, and garnish with some of the remaining crisped bacon.