Bogle Face was recently commissioned to create a baby set to match Rosa the bib!
Here’s what we crafted up… A sweet soft patchwork blanket, and a matching set of washcloths!
I just can’t help myself, I love this picture of Etta wearing Rosa….
We are back!
Our quick little Vancouver BC tour is over.
The baby has been washed, van unpacked, groceries purchased and our daily routines are back on schedule.
I’ll be posting some photos of the trip soon!
The sun has been shining in Southern Oregon this week! We’ve had many playground trips and even hung up our hammock chair in the backyard! So now Etta has her own swing!
Tomorrow we leave for our Canadian Spring Break Adventure with many stops along I-5, so the blog will be taking a short hiatus!
See you soon… enjoy the sunshine!
Okay!
Some cool stuff that’s been on my mind, I thought it might be worthwhile enough to share!
This recipe was inspired by Sew Liberated’s post, I saw her Tortellini recipe and had to try it out! After several months of testing and mixing it up a bit, I’ve nailed down our version of the recipe. It’s a hit with everyone (although Etta eats the tortellini & peas and leaves the rest for me) and a super quick dinner.
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Saute briefly then add mushrooms. After ~ 5 min or until mushrooms & onions are slightly browned, add broth to pot and bring to boil.
Add tortellini and gently boil until tortellini are tender but still firm to bite, about 5-10 minutes, add spinach chard, broccoli and peas, let it simmer a few more minutes. Taste & season with salt & pepper.
Have you ever wondered what people REALLY eat for dinner? Or really what they eat on a given day?
Call me crazy, but I do wonder these things… I don’t know why (it might have to do with taking a nutrition course at my local community college), maybe it’s because I’m a food-a-holic, or because I just love to cook…. Anyhow.. It occurred to me that maybe if I shared what I’ve been making for dinner, it would catch, like a kitchen fire, and others too would share all those yummy things they put in their mouths…
Due to budget constraints we’ve omitted eating OUT from our diet, except for a special weekend brunch or something of that nature. This week the cooking was 100% homemade by me.
So what the HECK are we eating… for dinner?
Sunday: Veggie Enchiladas (black bean & yam) with Spicy Red Sauce & Brown Rice
Monday: Shiitake Mushroom & Pea soup with Rice Noodles & Garden Salad*
Tuesday: Butternut Squash Lasagna & Garden Salad
Wednesday: Creamy Parsnip, Yukon Potato & Leek Soup with Roasted Asparagus & Garden Salad w/ Blue Cheese
Thursday: Zucchini bake (onions, garlic, tomato, a little cheese & lots of zucchini) with Jasmine Rice (this was inspired by the summer’s promise of many little zucchini in our garden).
Friday: New Sammy’s Whole Wheat Pizza with Sun Dried Tomato’s, Ricotta, Spinach and Onion w/ Garden Salad!
*=Garden Salad normally is red or green leaf lettuce mixed with purple cabbage, carrots, red onion, sunflower seed and balsamic dressing, but it does vary daily by what’s in the fridge!
So, what did you eat this week?
This recipe is the most requested one I have! It was originally from food network, but I’ve changed it so much (FOR THE BETTER), that I think it deserves it’s own post!
SQUASH PUREE: Heat a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the water and squash . Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor (or blender if you don’t have a food processor). Blend until smooth.
NOODLES: Cook the lasagna noodles according to directions (I normally start the squash & noodle water at the same time). When the water is boiling I start the cream sauce (next paragraph).
CREAM SAUCE: Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.
Preheat the oven to400 degrees F.
ASSEMBLY TIME: Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and 1/3 of the ricotta. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times, reserving a little cheese for later. If you have extra squash puree we freeze ours for the next recipe, or freeze in ice cube trays for a quick baby snack!
Tightly cover the baking dish with foil!
Bake the lasagna for 50 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 10 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving (if you can bear it).
This recipe does use almost every pan & pot in the house (okay I’m exaggerating, only 3 plus the food processes) but it’s SO worth it!
ENJOY!
