Tuesday 24 July 2012

Hello Again...

I know it's been a while since I've spent time here on my blog and you know, I have missed it, but I've also been relieved not to "have" to create posts.

We all had a GREAT holiday together.  I am ever so grateful that Mr C & I had so much time to reconnect.  I think that was the best part of the whole trip.  He, off course, is straight back to his old mood with work but he is more willing to share with me now & I am more accepting of those challenges he faces too.

Having had time away it has given me a slightly different view of things.  I know before we left that I was talking about slowing down & simplifying our lives in our tiny house.  Well, having had time away together has made that seem all the more important.  Before I left I drafted a few posts along those lines so I guess I'll finish them off & share them with you.

Having been home for a week and a bit we are pretty much back into routine & it just seems too much.  Too much happening through the week to get to, not enough time spent at home working on little projects and more importantly on orders, and even more importantly than that, just spending time with my family in a relaxed atmosphere.  I think I have a short term solution to the sewing projects.  I just haven't done anything about it yet.  Hmmm, must get to it.

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday period as much as I did! 

Can't believe we are alredy half way through this year.

Bye for now, K

Friday 6 July 2012

Vegetable & Tortellini Soup

I made this yummy little soup a couple of weeks ago. It was DE-LISH!!!  I got it out of the June 2012 issue of Recipes +.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbspn vegetable or olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 red capsicum, chopped (but I only used a half)
400g can diced tomatoes with basil & garlic
2 large vegetable stock cubes
1zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
250g dried cheese tortellini (found in the dry pasta aisle)
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded basil leaves
(And to please the non vege eaters in our house I also included 250g diced bacon but this soup really didn't need it!)

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over hightheat. Add onion, celery & capsicum (I also added the bacon in this step); cook and stir for 3 minutes or until soft.  Add tomatoes, crumbled stock cubes and 3 cups water.  Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; cover.  Simmer for 30 minutes or unti lvegetables are tender.  add zucchini; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes more or until tender.
2.  Meanwhile, cook tortellini in a saucepan of voiling salted water for 8 minutes or until tneder. drain.
3.  Add beans to soup; cook and stir until heated.  Stir in tortellini and half the basil.  Season.  Serve topped with remaining basil. I served it up with some yummy bread.

Here are the pics I took on Mr C's iPhone (because I couldn't find my camera. he he heh, opps).




Mr Magoo had a small sip and declared "Wow, this tastes HEAPS better than I thought it would!"  Yeah thanks Mr almost 9...  
H liked the tortellini ad bacon best and ate them first.  Silly duffer should have saved them for last but he hasdn't figured that out yet. Lol.

I will DEFINATELY make this again!

Bye for now, K