Baby!!!!!

My friend Karen FINALLY had her baby this morning. She was due on my birthday (4/13 - Monday) but he was hanging in there.

Last night I took her some lentil soup, saying, "If we can't get you to start labor, we'll give you gas and blow the baby out!!" and her mom gave her a foot massage, and one or both of those things did the trick. She was only in labor about 4 hours, too. "Ooohh..." I said, "You did it Amy Style!"

So here's the recipe for:

Labor Inducing Lentil Soup

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 carrots, diced
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (16 ounce) package of dried lentils, rinsed, sorted, and drained
  
• 8 cups water
  
• 1 package of fresh baby spinach
  
• 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
  
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

(adapted from a recipe at All Recipes)

Congratulations to Karen, Jim, Owen, and Cameron!