Another very important member of the family...(and check out this good cause!)

...is this handsome devil.  And boy, does he love his food.  Especially his meatballs.

Vito has been a part of our family since 1999, when my sister and brother-in-law got him as a puppy.  He was my parents' first grandchild (and arguably, my dad's favorite grandchild to this day) and my first nephew. 

There's no doubt that he's treated as an equal with us.  He is the man.  And everyone who meets him, loves him...even if he gives you a friendly hump :)

Vito celebrated his 12th birthday last month...those of you who know anything about English Bulldogs know that he's made it pretty far!  We hope to have many more special times with VeeVee (as Bella calls him)...it'll be a very sad day for all of us when he heads up to that big doghouse in the sky...

A fellow food blogger, Branny Boils Over, is doing a wonderful thing by hosting a Charity Souper Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday.  For every entry she receives, she's donating $1.00 to the ASPCA to help those animals in need.  Of course, when she said to dedicate your soup post to a special animal in your life, it HAD to be Vito.  Because he is just that.


Head over to Branny's blog and check out the details - even if you AREN'T a blogger, there are instructions on how you can enter your soup recipe so that she can continue to build up what will hopefully be a HUGE donation!  The deadline is January 30th.


I've been making this soup for a long time.  My mom made lentil soup a lot, although it was always on the stove.  This recipe is super convenient and foolproof.  If you don't have a large crockpot, just halve the recipe...I love being able to make so much at once, then freeze the bulk of it so we can enjoy it all winter long.  And this has definitely been a winter that calls for LOTS of soup!

Crockpot Lentil Soup
2 cups dry lentils 
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced 
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
7 cups chicken broth 
3 cups water 
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes (or any whole tomatoes), undrained
fresh parsley (optional)
white or cider vinegar (optional)

Rinse lentils. In crockpot, place lentils, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir in broth, water and undrained tomatoes. 


Cook on low for 12 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley and vinegar (if desired). Makes 12 servings.