Stew, Stan, and "Mom, you're fired!"

Best Flat Stanley photo ever? Probably not yet! Auntie Steph outdoes herself as hostess...again.

This morning my 7-year-old daughter threatened to have me fired. I had booted her off the couch and TV. I had made her practice her piano lesson. And then--then!!--I insisted she find her own clothes and dress herself. "I'm going to have Papa fire you!" she declared. I found it intriguing that she wished to delegate even this task.

I haven't been blogging much (obviously). I haven't been writing much or reading much or running much, either...or doing any of the other sort of supplementary stuff that I enjoy. I'm just going about my business of job and family duties, nibbling on the leftovers of time and circumstances, under-nourished in the hobby department. (Inspired by a recent essay by Houghton College President Shirley Mullen, I even checked out of the local library the little book, Painting as a Pastime, by Winston Churchill...like a month ago! Then renewed it. Haven't read it yet.)

Fortunately, I have Flat Stanley. My third-grader son is participating in the worldwide literature-based geography project where children mail 8x10 cardstock figures to friends and family living throughout the country and the world. My best friend lives in London, so we sent Stanley there. When my oldest daughter was in third grade, my best friend was living in Iowa City, so we sent Stanley there. Amazingly, my best friend can make Iowa City and London equally interesting to an 8-year-old! Anyway, I felt jealous of Stanley's travels, and also of my friend's opportunity for this diversion from the doldrums of winter living, I made my own Stanley from a template I found online. Finding and photographing ways to "Stan" in our daily activities has provided a much-needed post-holiday source of amusement. So, there's that.

I'm running out of time to write (as usual), and the real reason I got online was to preserve this recipe that one of my co-workers shared with me a few weeks ago. She printed it up on a piece of paper, which spells almost certain doom for almost any piece of paper entering my home. So, I thought I'd share it with you, dear readers--mainly for the purpose of keeping track of it, with the additional benefit of giving ya'll a yummy supper sometime soon. Bon appetit!

White Bean Stew

1/4 c. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 14-oz. cans white beans (such as cannellini, great norther or navy), drained and rinsed
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a 2-qt. pot over med-high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 min. Add the tomato, beans, salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook until heated through, 5-10 min. Sprinkle with cheese. (Serves 4)