Belly Warming Lentil Andoullie Soup

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 bay leaves
fresh ground black pepper
dash of Lawry's
*In pot, saute until onions start to brown. Add the following:

1 red bell pepper, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked (I always think I can skip this but always find at least two pebbles)
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
*Simmer 30 minutes and then add:

4 Andoullie sausages, sliced lengthwise into fours and then cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 cup frozen peas
3 handfuls fresh spinach
*Simmer 5-10 minutes and ladle into bowls and top with:

freshly ground Parmesan cheese

ENJOY!

My Ultimate Comfort Food - Dried Beef Gravy on Toast

This is the meal that brings me back home. My ultimate fuzzy feel good food. My Dad always poached eggs to go with it. And my Mom always finished the little bit left in the pan with oyster crackers. I don't use a recipe and I'm not sure of amounts. The key is the best dried beef you can find. Lucky for me, my Mom brought me some this past weekend.

Toast
Eggs done your way

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a pan. Add about the same amount of flour and stir until browned and bubbly. Dump in a few cups of milk. Whisk and whisk until the lumps are gone and continue to stir frequently. Add a bunch of fresh ground black pepper. Add desired amount of chopped or shredded dried beef. Eat in PJ's for best results.