Showing posts with label SHow us your life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SHow us your life. Show all posts

Friday, November 20, 2009

Show Us Your Life - Pets

Kelly at Kelly's Korner is hosting "Show Us Your Life - Pets" today and of course...I couldn't resist an opportunity to post (more) pictures of my baby girl Coco.

December 6, 2008
That was the day that I picked Coco up from the breeder. We haven't had her quite a year, but oh how she has made herself a part of our family! Pretty much, our world revolves around her. She is our fur kid and our precious baby girl! I know, I know - I'm sure it will change when we have "real" children, but for now - we enjoy spoiling her rotten.

She is a genius, plain and simple. She is very smart and is easily trainable. We have been very good about training her on certain things and unfortunately, were lazy in other areas.

She was completely 100% potty trained in 4 weeks, she rings a bell to tell us that she needs to go outside, and she has been completely crate trained since the first month she was home with us. She sits and lays down and she walks on a leash, well - she prances on a leash. She loves every single person, animal or child that she comes in contact with. She is great to take the the store, run errands or to play dates. It doesn't take her long to make "friends".

She has energy when you do and is lazy when you are. She loves being outside when its nice and inside when its rainy and cold. She snuggles, loves naps and steals kisses anytime she can! She does struggle with seperation anxiety, but is getting better with age.

She wants to be right in the mix of things and is very nosy. She has an attitude and a personality that is matched by no other person or 4 legged creature I have ever met. She has completely stolen our hearts and taken over our home and I absolutely, completely adore her and wouldn't have it any other way. She started out as a Christmas gift from Darren and has turned into the best gift our little family could have asked for.

We love you Coco!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Show Us Your Life - Dinner Recipes

I was looking for a recipe to cook for dinner last night. Lately, I feel like I've been in a rut. I don't feel like cooking and if I do - its the same thing over and over. So, with the weather getting cooler this week (its starting to feel like fall). I asked Darren if he would mind soup for dinner and of course - he said go for it (he could eat soup every day of his life). So, I searched www.allrecipes.com and came up with the following soup.
Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup
Ingredients:
  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
  • ½ tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1½ cups sliced zucchini
  • 8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

  1. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage.
  2. Remove sausage and drain.
  3. Sauté onions and garlic in drippings.
  4. Stir in beef broth, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage.
  5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
  6. Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.
  7. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
I changed it just a tad. I ran by the store and got everything on my way home and was so hungry when I got there, that I started making this right away. I didn't exactly follow the directions - after I cooked the sausage, onions and garlic, I just kind of threw everything in the pot! I mean, isn't that how soup making goes? Oh, and it was delicious. I got a little carried away and I think I added way more than what the recipe called for because I had 5 QUARTS of piping hot soup on my stove last night. I topped it with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and it was wonderful. Next time, I will make sure I have a loaf of crusty bread to soak up some of that broth! Enjoy!