Saturday, October 4, 2014

DIY Carseat Cover

My friend circle has had a baby explosion in the last year (10+ babies born and counting!).  I've become a self-proclaimed baby shower expert, and enjoyed making personalized gifts for each baby.  I've made this type of cover a few times now, but this is the first time I've added a trim.  It wasn't intentional, to be honest, but after not cutting the top material correctly, I had to add material to the bottom.  I followed the tutorial here.  You can do it!  Super easy even for the beginner seamstress.  

Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini

I made this wonderful pasta dish last week, so I thought I'd share.  Sorry there's no picture; I've seen it all over Pinterest lately.  I hope you enjoy!

  • 1 bag regular sized Barilla three cheese tortellini (8 oz) or 16 oz fresh tortellini in the refrigerated section of your grocery store
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon onion flakes
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Begin by boiling your tortellini noodles until they are al dente. Follow thedirections on the bag for boiling time.
  2. While the tortellini is boiling, chop the spinach roughly.
  3. Heat a large skillet using medium heat and put the two teaspoons of minced garlic into it. Sautee it briefly until fragrant, about thirty seconds or so.
  4. Add into the skillet the petite diced tomatoes (undrained), spinach, salt, pepper, dried basil, and onion flakes.
  5. Cook and stir over medium high heat until the mixture begins to bubble.
  6. In another bowl, combine the flour and half-and-half. Whisk until fairly smooth.
  7. Add the creamy mixture into the the skillet along with the parmesan cheese.
  8. Heat through and reduce the heat to medium low and continue to stir and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
  9. Add the drained tortellini and mix together gently.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup


I've been pretty obsessed with Pinterest lately (what did we do before Pinterest?!), and I found this delicious looking recipe that I thought would be perfect to prepare for my friend who's having a baby next week.  It exceeded my expectations, and I definitely will be making this for my freezer in a few months.  I hope you enjoy!

  • 2 cups dry medium egg noodles
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts*
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
  • 1 1/3 cups chopped carrots (3 carrots)
  • 1 1/3 cups chopped celery (3 stalks)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
Directions
  • Prepare noodles according to directions listed on package (note that you want the noodles to finish about the same time the soup is nearly finished cooking) and drain.
  • In a large pot, heat 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and saute until tender, about 3 - 4 minutes, then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Add chicken broth, parsley, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken breasts and bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow soup to cook until chicken has cooked through, about 10 - 15 minutes longer (cook time will vary depending on thickness of chicken breasts). Remove chicken and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then shred into small bite size pieces.
  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 1/2 minutes. While whisking slowly add in milk and whisk vigorously to smooth lumps (it will take a lot of whisking to smooth since this is a lighter roux - lesser ratio of butter to flour). Whisk in cream and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour milk mixture into soup mixture and return chicken to soup along with cooked noodles and stir. Serve warm with fresh bread or crackers if desired.
  • *If using thicker breasts, slice in half through thickness of breasts so they cook faster and more evenly.