Lasagna Soup

I just had to share this recipe, because it was SO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!  Even Mason who isn't a huge soup/stew/chili fan enjoyed it and ate some leftovers. 

I found the recipe on Pinterest, and had been waiting to try it out- sooo good!  I think this Winter it will be making the regular rotations.  It goes perfectly with salad and garlic bread- easy!

I would mention though, that I did what the cook suggested and cooked the pasta noodles separately, but then for the leftovers I combined the noodles with the leftover soup.  I think next time I would keep the noodles separate because they ended up soaking up most of the liquid that was left.  It worked out fine, and still tasted good, but it wasn't soup like anymore, it was more like an Italian dish.  

Here's this link if you just prefer to go to the website:  http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2011/03/24/lasagna-soup/

Lasagna Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
additional cheesy yum:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Theo's 1st Birthday

Well, I have 2 minutes before Theo is 13 months old....so I've got to type fast. 

I discovered that when your baby turns about 6 months old, people start asking you if you've started planning their first birthday party.  This must include details about the theme, food, who's invited, where the venue is, etc...it's kind of like planning a wedding.  Now, I'm not trying to hate on all my friends who are creative enough and crafty enough to throw one of these spectaculars, but I'm am not one of those people. 

I knew that I wanted Theo's birthday to be a special day.  Birthday's were always a special day in my family, and while he won't remember his 1st birthday, I still wanted it to be perfect.  We were lucky that his birthday fell on a Saturday, so I declared that it was going to be a family-centered weekend, with no other work. (ie. no tutoring at Sylvan for me, and no CAP flying lessons for Mason).  It also worked out that it rained all weekend, so that made it easy to stay in and enjoy each other. 

 

Little did Theo know, but the entire two weeks leading up to Theo's birthday cards and boxes had been arriving which we were piling up in our laundry room.  I literally teared up one day because I just felt this overwhelming sense of love from our family and friends.  Sometimes military life makes it especially hard on special occasions and holidays where you would normally be with family, but the outpouring of love from our family and friends almost made it feel like they were there with us.  We did let him open one card early and it was such entertainment for us all throughout the week because it was a musical card and he liked open and shut the card repeatedly to hear the music. 

Theo slept in (good boy) until around 10:00 and then he got to enjoy his favorite breakfast- pancakes! Little dude can chow down on some pancakes.  We opened presents throughout the day, played with those toys, facetimed with grandparents, and then Theo got to take his birthday nap (4 hours) and we followed up with some more present opening.

It was a WONDERFUL day, and just how I wanted it.  The day ended with Theo getting to enjoy his very first chocolate cupcake.  He really enjoyed it!  He also got a birthday bath, which is also one of his favorite activities.

(I haven't uploaded the picture of us singing and him devouring the cupcake since it's on a different camera- and I need Mason's help).

I love this little man, and I look forward to years and years of birthdays to come.  

Theo at 12 months

What a difference a year makes! 

Yee Haw!  Fun at the corn maze.

Boiiiiing!

Snacking on some fishes.

Ah ha ha, mama

  We made it!  We all survived the first year.  New parents, new baby, all alive and well.  It's so hard to believe that my sweet little Theodore is already a year old.  I can so clearly recall finding out we were pregnant, the pregnancy, and then little Theo's birth.  It's amazing to see how one little body can change so much in an entire year, and I know Mason and I have changed a great deal too.

Reading Nook

So, here are some of Theo's 12 month stats.

Theo playing with his friend Sawyer

Weight:  20 lbs 14 oz.
Height:  29 inches

Yum-o!

-  Theo's already had 2 haircuts, a la Mason, and is pretty much ready for another one

This froggy is tasty

-  Completely off bottles; drinks 4-5 sippy cups of liquid gold milk a day

Hey ma!

-  Mostly transitioned completely off of baby food.  I keep some handy for the "easiness" of it when we are on the go, but for the most part Theo eats everything we eat

Add caption

-  Favorite Foods:  Bread, Yogurt, Mandarin Oranges, Fruit, Veggies, Chicken and Pasta (but both only with some sauce or seasoning), goldfish crackers, just to name a few

Give the boy a box...

--Wearing size 12 month clothes, and some 18 mo. jammies.  Theo has the little problem that he's skinny and long (may this last into teen-hood), so his waist really does best with 9mo pants, but they look like high-waters, so we put him in 12mo pants and tuck his shirt in so his pants stay up.  I really like overalls.  :)

What?  I like books.

-  Theo has 4 teeth and started using a toothbrush.  He really likes to brush his teeth
-  Theo can clap and dance in time with music.  He loves to bounce up and down when music plays, and clap his hands to music when we're in the car.
- His favorite tv show is Sesame Street!  

-  Theo got his first hickey (or bite)

-  Bath time is one of his FAVORITE activites, next to playing with shoes, and reading books

Hi friends!

-  Theo is cruising really well along the couch and coffee table, and has been getting more confident with standing on his own for a few seconds, but hasn't taken any steps

Theo plays with Spot at the library. 

-  He transitioned to his "big boy" car seat and is facing forward now.  He seems to like facing forward and being able to see us and see out the window.  When it's hot outside he also likes the added air he feels from the front.

 -  Theo has still been sleeping about 12 hours a night with a long afternoon nap.

Theo got to take a walk with our friends Dan and Jill, and the main attraction, Scout. 

Theo and I have been trying to go to the base library 2-3 times a month to check out books, although we usually just check out the same books...we also started going to library time at a local library.  Theo seems a little apprehensive about all of the other children, and tenses up a little bit when I try to get him to play along and go through the song motions.  He really likes the coloring time afterwards, even though he isn't the best at coloring yet.

Play date with squadron friends.

Thursday play date

I have also been trying to host a playgroup of women and children from our squadron.  The group is mostly newborns to 15 month olds.  Our last play date was our largest, and we had a great time!  Theo loves playing with his buddies.  When the weather gets more consistently cool, we'll meet at the park.  We have also been going to a regular playdate on Thursday mornings with some great women and children.  Our Thursday group has been doing a play date/bible study, and it's just a wonderful group of women who we get to spend time with.

We got to go out to the Dixie Corn Maze here in town for a friends birthday party, and Theo had fun playing with the mini tables, and going on the little tractor ride.  Theo has also been enjoying playing with our neighbor friends, Ezekiel and Eden, who are out of town while their dad is deployed.  Theo loves playing in their cars, practicing his walking, and climbing in their sandbox.

We've just been having the best year with Theo, and we are looking forward to sooooo many more years of fun to come with our little one.   

A Pinteresting Discovery

So many posts to write, but I'm tired, so a quick post for now.  

Since being home with Theo, I joined the Pinterest craze!  I'm only somewhat hooked-although Mason might feel differently.  I'm always saying, "pinterest this, and pinterest that."  Mason was SUPER skeptical when I saw that you could put a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water and it wouldn't boil over.  He laughed when I told him it worked...but then, the photo evidence proved that he was defeated and pinterest + ellen = victory!