lasagna soup.

i am posting this recipe from my family's blog (thanks mom).  it is a favorite and jared and i enjoyed some last night.  cheers!

Lasagna Soup
Olive oil
1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1 small-medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp crushed basil
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz (half a package) small pasta (not precooked)
Salt
Pepper

Cheese Topping
mix together:
8 oz Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
Sprinkle over soup and topping:
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat a stock pot over med-high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Heat for a minute then add the onion and saute until soft. Add garlic and crumble the ground beef, cooking until no longer pink. Drain. Return meat to the pot and add tomato sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes and stir until well incorporated. Cook for about five minutes.

Add chicken stock, bay leaves and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook to al dente. Do not overcook or let the soup simmer at this point as the pasta will get mushy.

As the pasta is cooking prepare the cheese topping. Mix all ingredients, except mozzarella, together and set aside.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls, add a dollop of cheese topping and sprinkle mozzarella on top.

comfort soup.

i am under the weather today.  grateful that i made zupa toscana yesterday and grateful to hear rain on the windows and still see beautiful autumn colors outside.  p.s. pine scented candles are my current obsession.

 

 

zupa toscana recipe here, on my mom's blog.

 



 

remember us..?

we're alive!  goodness, i don't even remember how to blog.  jared & i have been keeping busy with work, school, and a little traveling here and there (maui, we just couldn't help ourselves...  a few maui photos can be seen ::: here :::)

right now we are loving the beautiful autumn weather and changing of the leaves.  my sweet sister dori came by last night with some tomatoes from her garden.  they're gorgeous.  and if that wasn't enough, she also brought over some pumpkin gingerbread, fresh out of the oven, with cream cheese cinnamon goodness to slather on it.  mmm mmm mmm.  she's fabulous.. thank you dori!

through the end of the summer season i was itchin to open the windows.. autumn couldn't come soon enough.  autumn is my favorite.  open windows are also my favorite. i love breezes and fresh air coming into our little apartment.  this morning we woke to the smell of rain and raindrops on the window above our bed.  another favorite.  before jared went to work i made a batch of dutch babies.  yes please.  that's our second round of dutch babies this week.  my favorite (and i think it's the traditional way to eat them) is powdered sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  the first time i made them this week, i didn't have a lemon, so i squeezed an orange on them.  still fantastic.  i still haven't picked up lemons.. so this morning we gave our dutch babies a little blueberry preserves lovin.

otis redding, sam cooke, al green, and nina simone joined us for breakfast. and jared & i shared a sweet dance in the kitchen before he left for work.  another favorite.

happy autumn everyone.  get out and enjoy it.

three tangent tuesday.

#1. my new favorite summer dish to make...

::: approximately 6 cups frozen sweet yellow corn, roasted stovetop with minced garlic (3 cloves) -- cooled

::: 1 can black beans

::: 2 cups sliced grape tomatoes

::: 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

::: 1 sliced avocado

::: kosher salt/fresh pepper, to taste

::: white balsamic vinegar, to taste (i used about 2 tablespoons)

mmmmmmm.....

#2. my sweet hubby and i enjoyed a fabulous lunch up emigration canyon together at ruth's diner. always a great time. at the end of the meal a thunderstorm rolled in. loved it!

#3. a few recent flea market purchases i found with sister, dori.

sheet music printed in 1930 with such darling lyrics! i found jared in uintah... and i loved the artwork. so, once i find the perfect frame, it will be up in our home.

vintage salt and pepper shakers. dori got some fabulous salt and pepper shakers. she should probably blog about them and i'll put a link to them... they're amazing, just wait.

new favorite recipe.

photo found via

First, thank you to the well wishes post accident. We're happy and well. I haven't wanted to go anywhere since the accident with the aches and pains, so luckily I already had the ingredients to cook this meal for Jared and I. I found this recipe on The Bitten Word via The Kitchn and had to try it. This dish may be my new favorite...

Ingredients

* Kosher salt
* 12 oz. egg tagliatelle or fettuccine (I used fetuccine)
* 2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
* 2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1" pieces
* Zest and juice of 1 orange
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute before al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto; sauté until browned, about 3 minutes.

Add reserved pasta water (I forgot to add the pasta water--still turned out great), orange juice, orange zest, and cream; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and divide among warm bowls. Garnish with remaining zest.

(Then stuff your face.)

Cheers!

three tangent tuesday. home edition.

here we go again, another three tangent tuesday where I blog about 3 random things. today I chose to share a couple of things I've done in our place, and a lil recipe..


1. pillows.


over several months I picked up a bunch of anthropologie kitchen towels & place mats (on mad clearance) and have now finally made them into pillows. there are still many more that need to be done that I will likely put on our bed.

2. cavallini wrapping paper.

I recently discovered this wrapping paper on amazon and had to have some! here are the ones we purchased and framed in our home. totally affordable and gorgeous. check out the selection on :::amazon::: or on :::cavallini's site:::

3. brussels sprouts.

first, did you know that it's brussels sprouts, not brussel sprouts? weird. we made one of our favorite dishes last night. recipe found :::here::: next time I think I'll use craisins instead of dried apricots. but let's be honest, it's a million times better with bacon (instead of apricots) ... we just chose the healthier alternative last night. still fantastic.

happy tuesday friends.

ready... set... CHRISTMAS!

we are STOKED for Christmas! even though, our "Christmas" to ourselves probably consists of our California-anniversary trip... we're still excited to celebrate the holiday.

tonight I made up some pasta carbonara, decent. I'll probably keep looking for good recipes, but this recipe found on allrecipes.com works for now.


then we set up our Christmas tree!! it definitely feels more like Christmas time now... love it.

thanksgiving.

the above photo was taken two Thanksgivings ago, on top of the LDS Conference Center, overlooking Temple Square. Jared and I had been dating for about four months. I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Phoenix and rushed back to SLC to see him this night.

I am stoked for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Jared and I are joining my sister, Dori, and a friend of her's at her place. Dori and I are doing the baking & cooking, but I'd have to say she's doing the tougher stuff (turkey, stuffing, etc.)

as for tonight, Jared's working out in these bitter cold temps tonight, while I start the baking. apple pies, pretzel jello salad (addicting), "Christmas puffs" (so naughty), and garlic mashed potatoes. my Thanksgiving favorites include pie and stuffing, those are the must haves. Jared's must have is green bean casserole, so the ingredients will be waiting for him and we will make that together when he comes home tonight.

photos of tomorrow's feast to come. stay tuned. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, laughter, love, and much gratitude.

pumpkin pasta.

I took a trip to one of my favorite places today, World Market. My momma took me there often growing up, but back then it was called Cost Plus. I still have a hard time calling it anything but that. If you haven't been, go. Amazing food, jewelry, bags, housewares... everything very unique. Today I found the above pumpkin pasta sauce and immediately thought of a recent recipe I saw on thekitchn.com . I didn't look at the recipe again once I got home, but whipped up a little something similar.

My tummy has been feeling icky lately and nothing sounds super appetizing... so, the few bites I had I did enjoy, but it's definitely a strong flavor. The only thing I would change would be doubling the mushrooms, they're so yummy. Jared's at work now... let's hope he approves when he gets home tonight.

Ingredients:

1 box pasta of choice

mushrooms (cooked separately)

1 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 1/2-2 cups pumpkin pasta sauce

basil (I think I used about 1 teaspoon? maybe more..)

pecan pieces sprinkled on top

Just throw that all together. Not too tricky :)

mushroom heavenly goodness.

Last night I took TRAX home from work, stopped at Whole Foods to pick up two pounds of baby bella mushrooms, and made my way home with my brown bag. I got home, spent a good chunk of time sprawled on the couch, speaking to my wonderful brother, Tyler, on the phone... then started cooking. I spent the day at work, craving mushroom soup. So I attempted to conjure some up. I only used one pound of mushrooms initially and LOVED the outcome. But I didn't have much soup to show for my work. So I used the second pound to make another batch. It doesn't look very appetizing in the photo, but I promise, so yummy.

I studied a few different recipes I found online, and this is what I came up with:

1/2 cup butter (one stick.. I know, naughty)

1 sweet onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

2 lbs mushrooms, chopped

1/4 teaspoon thyme

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup half & half (again, naughty)

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook onion and garlic with butter for about 5-7 minutes.
Add chopped mushrooms, stir occasionally for about 10-12 minutes until mushrooms start releasing liquid, uncovered.
Add stock and thyme, stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, uncovered.

In blender or food processor, puree half of the mixture, then add it back to the pot with remaining mushrooms/stock.
Add half & half, add salt and pepper to taste ( I was pretty generous with the salt and pepper)
Simmer, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes.

sunday dinner.

Another beautiful SLC day... and a wonderful day at church (I cherish those days considering I work so many Sundays). I will admit, however, that while sitting in church, for a short while, I was trying to plan out what to make for Sunday dinner. We have very little groceries right now, so this is what I came up with.

2 grilled chicken breasts, diced

6-8 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled

16 oz pasta of choice, cooked

heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick saucepan and add:

1-2 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon sage

3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

whisk in 2-3 tablespoons flour to thicken

Now mix cooked pasta, diced chicken, and bacon crumbles into the sauce. stir well. scarf.

Jared loved it, as did I. Let's be honest, anything with bacon and sour cream is good. Jared's out cold now... hence my immediate blog. Now I'm trying to entertain myself while listening to our upstairs neighbor play "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys, over, and over on the piano. I do love that song, a lot, actually. But... I kinda wish I could turn it off.

xoxoxo

chicken and rice goodness.

I haven't been cooking very fun things over the last month or so. I need to get on that.


But the other night we really enjoyed our dinner. At least I think Jared did...


I just used ingredients we already had on hand:


sliced grape tomatoes
corn
black beans
diced red onion
cilantro
kosher salt
brown rice
chicken breasts

easy peasy!

under the weather.

last night we returned home after babysitting Andy and Annette's kiddos, and I felt quite nauseated before bed. ended up in barf central... I'm guessing I finally fell asleep a little before 6 am and Jared said he found me on the couch with a barf bowel on my chest.

yes, I am feeling better now, thank you for asking. he's making up for sleeping through my sickness last night by making sure I have Sprite and Powerade to sip and saltines to munch on. for the last little while we've been cuddling on the love seat watching music video after video online. Jared wasn't allowed to look at the screen and I was quizzing him to see if he knew the artist/title of the videos. pretty sure our favorite (or at least, mine) was Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up". it made me giggle. a definite pick me up.

I'm all cozy in my bright pink nightgown, circa... 1960ish.

mini barbeque chicken pizzas on pita bread. I'm praying I keep this down.

cheers!

friday I'm in love.

When Jared is working, and I'm rollin solo at our place. I get so bored. Thus, a few pictures.

First, my new Anthropologie shoes. Let me just show them off a little... because, I love them.

around the apartment...

I picked up almost 3 lbs of peaches at the store. Still waiting to find the right recipe to make with these. If anyone has a recipe for a rich, creamy, peachy heavenly goodness.. let me know!

mr. hooters, the guardian of the spice cabinet.

stovetop collection. salt and pepper squirrels, second hand, wooden pepper grinder from mom (thanks mom!), and my Anthro container that holds kosher salt (thanks Trevlyn!)

dinner.

original idea for this meal came from my brother and his wife, Andy and Annette. their recipe found via. we do this often, and I just throw in whatever I want! add a little kosher salt, olive oil, and my favorite, monterey chicken seasoning.

baking cookies from left over dough kept in the fridge. can't beat that.

I stopped at the Gateway Mall today to pick up soaps. Jared loves Bath & Body Works soaps. I can handle that. Somehow wandered into Anthropologie. Don't know how... Last time Jared and I were there together, he showed me a monogrammed mug that he loved and thought we needed. We convinced ourselves we didn't "need" it. Well, I spotted it this time, without him and decided to surprise him with it after he got home from work. The darling checkout girl (she recognizes me... that's not a good sign) gave me a gift box and a little envelope that she said contained wrapping decor. I'm sure they give it to everyone, but I felt special...

I picked up Good & Plenty's (one of his faves) from the store and filled the mug with candy before wrapping it.

how darling is this?!

surprise! he saw the present on the bed, looked at me and asked if this was a special day or anniversary that he spaced on. just an "i love you" gift, baby.

so, how simple is this... basically felt circles strung onto a strip of canvas. would be so easy to make. I snagged it and looked for somewhere to put it. I'm now thinking I should probably make some more to use as a garland on our Christmas tree this year.

right next to the hanging yarn balls (the felt colors coordinate well with the yarn colors) and Jared's framed look alike, I put the felt circles around a lampshade. I wasn't totally serious when I put it around the lampshade, but I ended up thinking it was fun, so we'll see how long I keep it here.

yes? or no..

the end.