Pinterest Junkie

I started pinning back in May. It took me a while to "jump on board" but OMG now I am hooked! My life would be complete if only there was an app for Android and I could pin conviently and easily from my phone. I have found so many ideas for work, food, party ideas and cleaning and organization just to name a few. I think to myself, "where have you been all my life?" It makes internet searching so easy.

Of course, most of the pinners are women. Men don't ruin pinterest by posting that nudie garbage. My husband has asked my what are you doing on there? I have tried to explain it to him and he simple states, "okay, whatever." I will note that he has benefitted from some of my recipe try outs. It's kind of like a personality brag board. On another note, if you are a creative person you could benefit from posting your products to get your name out there!

I will definitely post some of my adventures in pinterest in weeks to come. Until then, you can follow me on pinterest!!!

Recipe Rundown

I love to cook! And I love to eat really good food which does not bode well for my attempt to loose the rest of my baby weight. Nonetheless, I wish to share with you one of my recent adventures in cooking.

One of my absolute favorite restaurants is Carrabbas Italian Grill. My husband and I both love their Mama Mandola's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Noodle soup. I get it everytime I eat there. So in one of my recent internet search explorations, I came across the following copycat recipe and I decided to give it a try. Here is the orignal link.

I did not follow the recipe exactly because my pot was not big enough! So here is what I did.
In my food processor I diced: 10 (or so) baby carrots, 3 stalks of celery, one med. onion and about 4-5 fresh garlic cloves. I them put veggies in my pot with some EVOO and salt and paper and had them "sweat out" while I did the rest.

After I chopped the veggies I opened one can of peeled Italian plum tomatoes and drained the juice into the pot with veggies and then chopped the tomatoes in the food processor ( and then I added tomatoes to the pot).

Next use 3-4 box cartons of chick broth---add all to the pot. For an extra kick to the soup add one to two table spoons of crushed red pepper flakes (optional because it will make it a little spicier)
Then, I shredded a store bought rotesserie chicken and added meat to the soup. Bring up to a boil on a low heat and let simmer for a few hours (or however long you need). Stir often and salt and pepper to taste.

 I cooked the noodles seperately and added them right before it was time to eat. I used Barilla ditilini (any smal noodle will do). And I have to say that it turned out pretty good! My husband even said that it was better than Carrabba's version because it tasted more fresh! Awh, love him. He knows what I like to hear. There's the picture of the final product!

Happy cooking people. I looking forward to sharing more with you soon.

Now I lay me down to sleep

My daughter is a busy bee for sure. She isn’t even still when she sleeps because she moves all over the crib. As moms, we are busy to say the least. It seems like there are moments when we do not even have time to think! And then there are times when we can’t stop thinking—our minds just will not shut off. Yea, that's awesome at 3 a.m. right?

A habit that I am trying to follow through on each night as I rock my daughter to sleep is prayer. I used to say my prayers as I tried to go to sleep, but in the quiet of her room I find that peaceful moment of reflection. It is a precious moment between my daughter and I and in that moment I see God’s blessing in my life. I find peace in these moments and it calms my soul and quiets my mind.

Like many other moms before me, I know and feel that becoming a mom has been a complete life changer for my husband and I. At times, I feel overwhelmed, overworked, and underappreciated but I thank God each and every night for my daughter and I pray that he keeps her safe, happy, and healthy.

As a parent, it will be my duty to raise her right and to teach her right from wrong, good from bad. It will be my job to teach her the ways of the lord and his word. It is my intention to continue this bedtime ritual with her for many years to come. Simple and significant.