Earth day sensational soup.

Celebrate Earth Day--April 22--by using gifts from the ground to make this yummy, cold soup.

What You Need (Serves 6):

* 4 tomatoes

* 2 celery stalks

* 2 cucmbers

* 2 garlic cloves

* 1 green pepper

* 1 medium onion

* 4 cups tomato juice

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

* 1 tablespoon lemon juice

What You Do:

1. Wash and peel the cucumbers. Then cut them into small chunks.

2. Wash and peel the celery stalks. Then cut them into small pieces.

3. Cut the green pepper into four sections and remove the seeds. Cut the pieces into small chunks.

4. Wash and then cut each tomato into four sections. Remove the cores.

5. Peel and then chop the onion into small pieces.

6. Peel and then cut the garlic cloves into four sections.

7. Put all the vegetables into a large bowl. Next, pour the juices, oil, and vinegar into the bowl. Stir the mixture with a spoon.

8. With an adult's help, spoon some of the mixture into a blender. Blend until the soup is almost smooth but still has some texture. Empty the contents of the blender into a new bowl. Continue this process until the entire mixture has been blended.

9. Place plastic wrap over the soup and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, you'll have a great-tasting, cold soup to eat! Or, try it heated.

Now ...

Give a little something back to the earth. It's as easy as 1-2-3! Here's how:

1. Put the unused parts of the vegetables in your garden or around the base of a tree.

2. Cover these remains with a thin layer of soil.

3. Pour water over the soil. As the compost decays, it enriches the soil.

Here are some simple ways to to be earth-friendly every day:

* Use recycled paper and paper products whenever possible.

* Pack Your lunch in a cloth bag instead of a paper bag.

* Write on both sides of a sheet of paper before recycling it.

* Recycle glassy, plastic, and aluminum containers.