It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only a little over a week away now! I am really looking forward to spending time with family and eating some of my favorite foods. We still have so many Christmas traditions to check off our list by next week. We haven’t even driven around to look at any Christmas lights yet.
During the holidays, we have a list of Christmas movies and TV shows that we have to watch each year. Growing up, I always had to watch Rudolph, Frosty and Charlie Brown Christmas. Those are still on the list, but we’ve added many more. I don’t know about you, but it just doesn’t really feel like Christmas until we’ve seen certain shows. We watched Rudolph last week, and “Miracle on 34th St. last night. The original, not the cheesy remake from the nineties. They certainly don’t make movies like they used to. Gee, don’t I sound old? Ha!
Some of our other must-watch Christmas movies are:
It’s a Wonderful Life – number one because it’s my absolute favorite! We usually save it for closer to Christmas day.
The Shop Around the Corner (You’ve Got Mail was an adaption of this movie)
Holiday Inn
A Christmas Carol- I’m not a really big fan of this one, but my husband watches several versions of this movie every year.
A Christmas Story – not technically a favorite, but I have to watch it every year for some reason.
Home Alone 1 & 2 – It’s always on during the holidays, so we usually end up watching them both.
A new one that we added this year was “It Happened on Fifth Avenue”. We happened to catch it when it was playing on Turner Classic Movies one night. I had never seen it before, and I really enjoyed watching it. So, now it’s on the list.
A chilly night is the perfect time to camp out on the couch with a nice warm bowl of this Beef and Black Bean soup and watch a Christmas movie. I just love curling up on the couch in my PJ’s and watching old Christmas movies with my husband each year!
You can make this soup spicier by leaving some or all of the seeds of the peppers if you’d like. I removed the ribs and seeds of all the peppers, so it wasn’t spicy at all. You could also add more salsa. It’s all up to you. A little fresh cilantro and sour cream on top makes this even better!
What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?
Photos updated in October 15, 2016.
Beef and Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 large jalapeno (two if small)
- 1 tbsp . ghee or olive oil
- 1 large onion , diced
- 10 cloves of garlic , minced
- 2 tsp . ground cumin
- 1.5 lbs . ground beef (grass-fed if possible)
- 1 (25 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup salsa (I used a medium heat salsa)
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of one lime , about a tablespoon
- Optional garnishes:
- chopped fresh cilantro
- sour cream
- scallions
Instructions
- Roast the poblanos and jalapeno in a dry skillet, directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning often, until charred all over. Transfer the poblanos to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Rub the blackened skin off of the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds of the peppers.
- In a large soup pot, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ground cumin and let cook for about thirty more seconds.
- Add the black beans and beef stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the fresh lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with sour cream or cheddar cheese.
