Simple Soup

FROM allrecipes.com

Italian Vegetable Soup with Beans, Spinach & Pesto

By: USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson

"This convenient recipe makes getting two meals on the table a snap."

Rating: Read Reviews (26)

Rate/Review | 1,204 people have saved this

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, cut into small dice
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 3 medium celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 medium bell pepper (red or yellow), stemmed, seeded and cut into medium dice
• 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, unpeeled and cut into medium dice
• 1 (16 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, undrained
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth in can or carton
• 7 ounces loosely packed baby spinach
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Prepared pesto (found in grocer's refrigerated section)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a soup kettle over medium-high flame. Add onions, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, bean and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes. Add spinach and peas; continue to simmer until spinach wilts, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, adding a spoonful of pesto to each serving of soup.
2. For lunch, pack soup in separate leakproof containers. Warm soup in microwave and top with pesto.

Preparing for Valentines

Mama craft time...

Another baby block in progress

Tate is home sick today. After doing a bit of decorating, we had little heart shaped sandwiches with some soup. I used the Creative Cutters from Pampered Chef. (I use them ALL the time:)

Living Simply

Here in the UK, we do not get the brand new Oprah shows. This episode was on today, inspired by the article "Back to Basics" in her Oprah magazine.

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Meet-Followers-of-the-Simple-Living-Philosophy/1

It was really good.

In our house, we try a little simply living, combined with my love of (new) fashion and crafting, Paul's love of People and OK magazines, and Tate's love of Mister Maker (a dude on children's TV that makes stuff.) We bake bread and our own pizza dough, love thrifting, limit TV, and try to play outside as much as we can. Everything in moderation, I suppose.

Recipe Day

These were amazing. The recipe can be found on Food Network's website and I highly recommend it. Yes, you have to knead the dough instead of popping open a tube, but it is worth it (and actually relatively easy).

Any ideas for quick dinners this week?

Pink and Gray

Today when I got dressed, it was snowy outside. It is still in the middle of winter here, but I am over the black and brown of pre-New Year. I put on my favorite gray sweater (that I wear entirely too much) and some pretty pink makeup... I love the combo. Just enough Spring to my blend with my Winter.

[source]
[source]
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[source]

And a craft used for a snow day...

Baby Names!

Soooo...I have posted a poll. Feel free to vote, and anonymously weigh in if you would like. I am also open to new names, as I get bored with looking online, and I don't have a baby name book.

I like unique names. I like nature. I like something that kind of jives with Tate. I don't want anything that is crazy crazy like "Blanket" or "Prince Paul". (I do love MJ, but just not the names he picked for his kids...)

(** Since someone asked..Soleil is pronounced "So-lay" and means sunshine.)

UPDATE: I've met a sweet boy named Kai and a newborn named Tabitha this week... A sign, but in which way??

SNOW DAY!

• baby snowmen
• homemade pizza
• room clean up (obviously didn't get to make the bed...)
• child singing musical style about how much he didn't want to move his puppet show

(Any suggestions on the room, photo #3 of room series? It looks a tad cluttered, and needs art work or something...)

One Small Change

Hip Mountain Mama is hosting a campaign, which I think is very cool. Make one small change...well make 4 small changes in your life that are helpful to the planet between now and Earth Day.

She makes it fun, by specifying specific dates to blog about your progress as well as giving you a few ideas....

Here is the link:

Hip Mountain Mama

Mine first one is BRING MY OWN BAGS TO THE GROCERY STORE. (I always forget them...)

Last Day of Winter Break

He did this...While I did this...After being cooped inside for days, we went on a nature walk. Here is Tate's updated nature table:
And back to the ROUTINE. Loving it....

Order, predictability, clean house, nice and boring...

However, I miss my little sidekick, Tate. He was soo excited for school this morning.

Winter 09/10 Inspiration

In the bathroom at "Moon and Sixpence" in Bath.

I want to wear her outfit.
As I eat this... (prosciutto, salami, pastrami, parmesan, tomato)
I found a few cool things in the magazines I read at Jika Jika (our fav cafe in Bath.)

Another outfit I want to wear:
Love the bright colors to left and in background.
Will definitely use this page as some scrapbook inspiration.

Making Progress!

The best part, is that Tate (age 4) is motivating me to continue working on this quilt. I let him run the sewing machine, and he thinks it is really fun. He steps on the pedal and I say "GO" or "STOP" and he follows accordingly. He has only almost gotten my finger once...

There is no deadline for this...we just create when we have those moments in the evening when we need a change in activity. For instance, tonight we made just one block, and that was enough.

Home Sweet Home Holiday

(That's apple juice in the glass, not wine!!)

I really like when Tate is home from school. Instead of feeling frustrated with what to do, we get into a nice rhythm that I don't want to come out of when school starts back up. Yep, I could totally homeschool my kid.

As we have been home, I find myself being freshly inspired by many websites. I am looking for ideas of fun things to do (there is an unending list once you start looking), and in doing so, I stumble across many things that make me feel inspired as a crafter.

A few sites:

www.soulemama.com

www.scrapinstyletv.com

www.kaboose.com

http://www.artfulparent.typepad.com/

www.marthastewart.com

How the Chins do Christmas Eve

Missing this...
(Chin is my maiden name.)

Every year, my parents make a ton of fun munchie food, and have a ton of people that stop in and eat...kind of like an open house. We also open the presents from the siblings and maybe get and E.C.P. (Early Chirstmas Present) from the parents that night. We eventually make our way across the street for Midnight Mass, for those of us who can stay up until midnight! (I usually require a nap and lots of caffeine.)

Tonight, since Tate was in bed by 7:30p very willingly, and Paul went to bed with a fever, I webcammed with Catie, Mom and Dad while they prepared for the night. It was almost just as much fun!!

I Scrapped! I Scrapped!

I started an album from our trip to EuroDisney and Paris from last year. This is the first time I have every used a kit throughout the entire book. (Of course, I still had to add a few additional items from my stash.)

PART1:

And maybe tomorrow I can turn this messy pile of fabric into something that is close to a quilt...

Kind of early to start...

but I am starting to look on etsy for baby things. (baby=june)

I found some really cool mobiles. I have been inspired to make my own, but if I run out of time, I know I have etsy as back up.

(you can find each of the items by the vendor name I have listed on etsy.com.)

[doghappygirl]

[puddlestomper]

Love the design of this one:

[stjarncraft]

[MyBabyMobiles]

[butterbeaninc]

And one day, in the distant future....if my brother, Mikey, ever has a kid:

[fishyfishy]

Scrapbooking

That's it... I have to get back to Scrapbooking.

I just spent the last half and hour, going through blogs for the first time in a bit, and I am INSPIRED.

I should have never stopped...it is so fun to craft with paper, and makes photos sooo much more interesting to look at.

Wanting Snow!

None here in Bath, UK (sorry to report), but it is chilly here....snuggle under blankies, in front of fire, too cold-to-play-outside CHILLY.

I pulled Tate out of school on Monday and we went into downtown for a little shopping and some cafe time:

So cozy this time of year.