Ok, the decision on the soup is: Great! Here's the recipe, and my notes at the bottom. Slow Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup 3 lbs whole fresh tomatoes, cored and halved 1 fennel bulb, stem removed, quartered 1 large yellow onition, peeled and quartered 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in half (I used a handful of the little baby carrots) 2 stalks celery, cut in half 3 cloves garic, peeled 3 tablespoons olive oil 6 cups stock (I wasn't sure what they meant, so used chicken stock) 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspooon smoked paprika (oh my - as I'm typing this, I realize that I didn't put the cumin or paprika in!!!) seasonings to taste Using 1 tablespoon of the oil, lightly coat the fennel, ceery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Place onto a sheet pan. toss the tomatoes with the other 2 tablespoons of oil. Place onto a sheet pan. heat the oven to 275. Place both trays in the oven and roast for around 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Transfer all the vegetables to a pan and add the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break apart. Puree with a hand blender or other. Return to the heat and add the spices and seasoning to taste. (Ok, I forgot about the cumin and paprika and just threw in dashes of thyme, marjoram, etc.). Will put in the cumin and paprika now. Very, very good! And warming, on a cold night.

My main meal was chicken livers, potato, and remainder of green beans. I had a frustrating day. Last one was: Several yrs ago my phone company sold out its landlines. People who had DSL with old company have done nothing but complain about them. I don't so it's been fairly smooth transition. Until now. I didn't get my phone bill. When I called, I was told I was now on online bill pay. I had done NOTHING and had been told nothing. Long story shorter, they had used my username/ID from old company (I didn't have online paying with them either, just for general info) and set me up with online paying. I was the one who finally figured it out. Supposedly, it has now been taken care of. Can you believe that in the middle of NOT fixing me, they tried to sell me a different pkg than what I have? Can we say Grrrrrr...... Shirley

I just saw your question Patti. They are a dry bean, very pretty bean they are a dark red and white spotty bean. Very ancient bean have an interesting history, were found in sealed clay jars in the ancient cave dwellings and when they tried them the beans germinated so many hundred years later. The taste is very good a very smooth texture and a hint of a sweet flavor, plus they are low gas beans. In some areas they can be hard to find. I use only this brand. Anasazi Beans� -- The Best Beans in the World! Anasazi Beans that site tells a bit about the history. I soak them over night and cook in my slow cooker with ham, onions, and a can of Rotel and some seasoning and water. They are wonderful. I like them with rice or cornbread.

I'm so glad you were able to eat a bit of food Patti! That's a great sight to see. We ate really late. I decided I wanted to have a pork picnic shoulder that was on sale for dinner. Boiled with potatoes. So we went to the store to get it and I boiled it for about 3 hours. Some potatoes went in the pot and some carrots later on. We just love ham that way. This is the second time I've done it, the first was with green beans. Hubby and I couldn't get enough tonite! :) I've got all this wonderful ham stock and we don't like a ham and pea type soup. But I'm planning to make cabbage soup tomorrow and I'm definitely going to be using some of the stock in that. I think it will taste great. Also I can see it as a base for potato soup for some yummy flavour. So I'd better be freezing the stock.