Yesterday I cried and felt numb with sadness and disbelief. I kept asking myself, “what kind of human being could possibly want to hurt so many innocent people?”
I know it happens all the time, but that didn't make it any easier to handle. But what a difference a day makes! Today, the fog has lifted and I am inspired and filled with love.
Among the debris, stories of hope and compassion are emerging. New reports keep pouring in, but here are a just a few stories that show the world what we are made of.
Following the blasts, Bostonians opened up their hearts and their homes to many runners who couldn't get to hotels. People were using the hashtag #bostonhelp to offer assistance through twitter. Through this hashtag hundreds of tourists found warm beds and hearts waiting for them.
Another story tells us how marathon runners that crossed the finish line continued to run to Mass General Hospital to donate blood to victims following a call for help.
How about the bravery?
Numerous people ran towards the explosions instead of away including Carlos Arrendondo, a 52-year-old Costa Rican immigrant.
He is visible in a series of videos taken immediately after the blasts. The long-haired figure sprints across the street to tear away fencing and scaffolding to get to victims. He used his own clothes to try to stop the bleeding. He was one of many.
Now today, Boston Mayor Menino just announced that the city is starting a #oneBoston fund for relief for victims of the bombings.
It is this unity, resilience and tenderheartedness for one another that people who commit these crimes find the most threatening. Keep it coming.
Together we will show the world that heinous, self-loathing people can't take away our spirit, love and compassion for one another.
Now on to comfort food.
Sometimes I will cook something and the star's just align. Today that happened.
All I could ask myself is “how can something so simple be so delicious?” I recommend making a big pot because you are going to want lots of leftovers.
Don't forget to serve it with some crusty bread because you will also want to mop up those juices.
There's no need to soak the beans beforehand; they cook to a tender finish straight from the package.
You can follow this method for other beans, but you may have to adjust the cooking time depending on bean size and freshness.
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Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a peaceful and compassionate day. #Bostonstrong.
- 12 ounces dried flageolet beans
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-in. slices on a diagonal
- About 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cups of water
- ¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
- Put all ingredients except the parsley in a 4- to 6-qt. slow-cooker. Add 5 cups boiling water and stir. Cover and cook until most of liquid is absorbed and beans are very tender, 2¼ to 3 hours on high or 4 to 4½ hours on low.
- Stir in 3 tbsp. parsley. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with more oil if desired. Garnish with rosemary and thyme sprigs and remaining 1 tbsp. parsley.
A New Commandment:
“Thou Shalt Not Mess With Boston Law”
Don’t come to Boston to commit crimes of Hate. Our love of freedom will overpower you. We are a City of Peace and proud of educating people from every corner of the earth, of every ethnicity, race, creed in our universities to become humanitarians of all stripes. Do come to Boston to learn how to be brave, a world leader, a scientist, a doctor, a lawyer, a police officer, a nurse,and a damn good skater, baseball player, football player or basketball player. Not only are we BRAVE, but we are FUN too!
How much water? Do you use water, or another liquid? Thanks.
Hi Terri – 5 cups of water – Thanks for being part of our community!
Almost 10 years on from the terrible attack on the Boston Marathon I was looking for a flageolet bean recipe and found yours. It was very moving to read your words. I’m sure the event brings back distressing memories for many every year, but I hope that people also remember the loving and compassionate response of runners and Bostonians alike.
I recently invested in a Ninja with slow cooker setting, and was delighted to find the beans in Valencia (Spain) market this week. They’re difficult to find here, and I love them, so I have a treat in store.
Thank you Irene for your comments and for stopping by. Hard to believe it has been 10 years.
I was hoping you could explain the coincidence of this recipe running in Sunset Magazine: https://www.sunset.com/recipe/flageolet-beans-rosemary-thyme
Hi Beth – Sunset Magazine published this recipe in 2023 – I published mine in 2013 so maybe it was copied somewhere down the line. There are thousands of the same recipes on the internet. Thanks for stopping by and for being part of our healthy community.