pay yourself a compliment today.....place real value on the power of self ~ talk.

It is so easy to get down on yourself. But when was the last time you said...
"wow you did a great job!!"
I'm sure you probably don't remember. I make it a daily chore to find a good/ or even O.K. thing to say about myself!
~~~"Give yourself a compliment today. Stop waiting on someone else to do it."~~~
Make your compliment specific.
“That necklace looks really good on you” makes a bigger impact compared to “you look really good today”. The more specific the better.
" your butt looks small in that pair of jeans"!!!! I love that one!

Back up your compliment.
Don’t just stop at “that necklace looks really good on you”. Your compliment becomes stronger when you say why you think so; “that necklace looks really good on you because it matches your eyes”.
You are you're best friend!!!! You really are. Treat yourself good. When you feel better you know your life falls together better. Everything just feels better when were happy!



Although I'm sad summer is coming to an end, I do look forward to making homemade soups and stews. Black bean soup is a very hearty soup, super high in fiber, and so inexpensive to make. It's perfect topped with low fat sour cream and fresh chopped herbs such as chives, cilantro or scallions. Cooking the vegetables on the side, and adding it to the soup rather than cooking them all together, really adds to the flavor of this soup.


Black Bean Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: about 1-1/2 cups • Points: 4 pts
Calories: 234.4 • Fat: 2.6 g • Protein: 13.6 g • Carb: 10.1 g • Fiber: 19.6 g

For the beans:
• 1 lb dry black beans
• 1 small bell red pepper
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 bay leaves

For the soup:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 red pepper, minced
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 (2 oz) cup white wine
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 chicken bullion (vegans use vegetable bullion)
• salt and black pepper

Rinse beans and place in a large pot with about 8 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let the beans sit, covered for one hour. (Or you can let them soak overnight in cold water)

Drain the water, then add 8-10 cups of cold water when ready to cook.

Add bell pepper, garlic, onion and bay leaves to the beans. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour, or until tender, stirring occasionally. (Add water if necessary)

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat oil on low. Add chopped vegetables (onion, parsley, carrots, pepper, garlic) season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until soft.

Add the vegetables to the soup, then add wine, vinegar, cumin, oregano, bullion, salt and pepper and adjust water if too needed. Cover and simmer on low about 15 - 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves, then using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup for about 10 seconds to thicken. If you don't have an immersion blender, put about 3 cups of the soup in a blender, then add it back to the pot. Adjust salt, pepper and cumin to taste and ladle about 1 1/2 cups into each bowl. Top with sour cream (extra points), chopped onions, scallions, chives or/or cilantro and enjoy