Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Yummy new recipes

I've tried out a couple new recipes this week and thought I'd share. The first one isn't new, but it is a favorite, especially this cold weather week!


Beef Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound cubed beef stew meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup beef bouillon granules or 4-5 bouillon cubes
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 cup chopped carrots
5 3/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups frozen egg noodles

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute the stew meat, onion and celery for 5 minutes, or until meat is browned on all sides.

2. Stir in the bouillon, parsley, ground black pepper, carrots, water and egg noodles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

We like to eat this with mashed potatoes. A flashback to my Carriage Crossing lunches.

Allrecipes.com

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Tomato Soup with White Beans and Pasta

Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes minutes
Yield: Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
28 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup tubetini, elbow macaroni or other small pasta
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add oregano, stir once, then add tomatoes with juice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.

2. Add pasta, stir, and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in beans, lower heat and simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in parsley and serve, drizzling each portion with additional olive oil if desired.

I used one can of Fire Roasted tomatoes because it was what I had. I think the Italian tomatoes would also be good in this soup.

All You, JANUARY 2011


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Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream

Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes minutes
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 tablespoons white wine
2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.

*1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.

**1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli and Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

Southern Living, JULY 2007

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Another snow day and a quote




This is what it looked like out our windows today. I'm not sure how many inches we got because the wind is strong and causing some drifting. Temperatures have been in the single digits with minus 10 and below wind chills. Needless to say, the kids and I did not leave the house today!

Hard to believe we were enjoying 70 degree weather on Friday and Saturday. The boys were so happy to play outside and now we are stuck inside for a little while. School is already cancelled for tomorrow. I see more games of Cars Go Fish in my future and maybe some cookie baking!

Andrew's quote for the day:
First let me set the stage. Boredom has set in and Andrew is going through my desk. I let him so I can have a few minutes at the computer. He finds my old, red film camera. He recognizes it is a camera and asks me to help him open it, but he can't quite figure it out. I open the back of the camera and try to explain where the film goes and that it doesn't open all the way. "Mommy, What is film?" Wow! Thanks for making me feel old kiddo!

I tried to explain film and negatives for a second and then gave up. Amazing to think that my children will never know about film and waiting to get your pictures developed to see what pictures turned out. Or never know about wishing you had taken more time to capture a moment because the first two tries were blurry. Maybe I'll try to buy some film so he can experience it just once.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Sleep Fighter


This is what happens when little boys try to fight their nap. They end up falling asleep sitting up during rest time. Jonathan has been trying to give up his nap, but I still make him go to his room for quiet time. Usually he falls asleep 2 or 3 days a week. I miss him napping every day, but he keeps reminding me, "When it be Febuary, I be big!" So I guess when you are big, you no longer need to nap. Funny how that doesn't seem to be true for me!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Hannah - 3 month pics









I took Hannah for her 3-month pictures the other day. She did pretty good, but it was nap time and she wasn't really into it. And even though she wasn't super smiley, I still managed to come home with 6 poses. She's only 3 months once, right?!

Friday, January 14, 2011

The love of a brother and 3 months old stats

Andrew and Jonathan showing Hannah their friends, Scout and Baby Baby 2 (formerly known as baby frog.)



Big smiles for her big brothers

Jonathan requested I take this the other day. How do I say no to that?


I took Hannah in for a 3 month weight check. I was curious, but not to concerned that she wasn't gaining. And I'm happy to report that Hannah is no longer Failure to Thrive! She weighed 10 lbs 12 oz. and is in the 16th percentile. While that may not sound like much, it's huge for her! She gained over a pound and a half in one month and she's only taking a bottle when I don't have time to nurse her. She finally figured out that whole nursing thing and everyone is much happier!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Snow Day

We got a couple inches of snow this week and after being trapped in the house for several days, it was time to get the boys out! At first they continued with their argument that it was too cold, but after daddy went out, they were ready to go too! Turns out it wasn't too cold, just cold enough! But it was too cold for mommy and Hannah!




Why yes, that is a giant truck in our garage and no, I do not drive it.

I don't know if you can see the intense concentration on Jonathan's face, but he is working hard!

We believe in child labor around here!

Hey, Andrew, you don't need to shovel the yard. But you can if it makes you happy!

Teamwork!

Just when they about make you crazy, they flash this face at you!

Hannah - 12 weeks old

Let it not be said that we failed to photograph our third child...



She may not appreciate these pictures when she's older, but they make me laugh!

Check out my crazy hair and eyes!



I know this is supposed to be about Hannah, but when you have two cute boys, sitting sweetly together, they must be included.

Hannah and her buddy Sam. He's two weeks younger and about 2 pounds heavier.