At the gym today, where I get my best ideas, I was thinking about the bean soup we are enjoying at my house today.

Beans are a tradition for the New year in many cultures and as we were eating, I was musing about the beginnings and reasons for this custom.

My modern mind clings to the idea that after all of the "richness of holiday food" I am ready for the simplicity of a bean soup. "Roto rooter" comes to mind.

I imagine everything about my body is happy to receive the benefits of beans.

I decided not to peruse the history of beans for New Years.   Here is how you can make an easy and delicious soup.

• 20 oz bag of 16 bean Soup Mix
• 1 large can of tomatoes
• 2 Bay leaves
• several cloves of chopped garlic
• chili powder
• several chili peppers
• lemon
• onion to taste

Even if you think you do not know how to cook, you can make this.

Pour the beans into a pot big enough to accommodate them and water two inches higher than the beans. Turn the burner up to high. Boil this mess for two to three minutes. Let it set for an hour or longer.

Drain off the icky water, lessening your chance of flatulence by a large margin. Add fresh water and cook the beans with two bay leaves (they grow outside here in the Northwest) until the beans are soft.

You can pull some beans out of the pot with a spoon and blow on them. If the skin separates, you are ready for the next step.

Get out the blender. Throw in a lg can of tomatoes and however much onion you want.

Now here is a bit a truth because I am a terrible liar, but I put the tomatoes and onions in the blender because my youngest daughter will pick out both, especially the onions. She hates onions.

Well, she thinks she hates onions.

At dinner she told me again how much she loved the soup I made her. Feeling a twinge of guilt I said, "You know Haley, there were onions in there."

She said, "I just picked them out." I ended the conversation.

Blending the tomatoes and onions makes the soup pretty.

Add this to the beans along with a few whole chili peppers. (If you do not have access to the whole dried chili use more chili powder).

Throw in some chili powder dependent on your desire for spicy and the same goes for the chopped garlic.

I used about five cloves but this is totally to taste.

Cook this on a moderately low heat for about thirty minutes. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.

Like all soup this one is going to taste better one it has cooled and then reheated. Pick out the bay leaves and chili peppers before you eat it. Enjoy!

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