April 11, 2012

• Ahead of schedule…

  

  My lilacs are blooming! They are a couple to a few weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to the mild winter that we had!

  Mom, they make me think of you

  

  We actually have dipped below freezing the last couple of nights. It was frosty out there this morning.
  We are suppose to start warming back up though, so hopefully none of the plants will be hurt.
  Even my apple tree is blossoming!

   

  

  Bulbs are all coming up.

  This next picture was taken around this time last year…

  

  yep, we got some snow showers…so it can still happen!

          

  Here is what my yard looks like today…quite  a difference from last year!

  yep, I’m lovin’ it!

   

  

  oops…Miss Pepper snuck in here!

  We had a nice Easter. Just simple & quiet. Daughter came over that evening & we grilled steaks out. We played some Cribbage afterwards.
  Always fun to get to see her.  Her boyfriend works nights & every other weekend, so he was at work
  (which was the only reason we were lucky enough to get her to come over! ~ that & she was also off of work!)
  I actually remembered to get my camera out & thanks to the self timer, was able to get a family photo!

  

  My mom sent me a recipe that I tried out last night & now I have to share it with y’all. It was SO good!

  Tortellini and Meatball Soup
  (From Mr. Sunday Soup by Lorraine Wallace)

  Chunky, hearty and comforting, this soup uses convenient packages of fresh pasta.

  MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

  8 to 10 servings

  Ingredients:

      1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
      2/3 cup fine plain breadcrumbs
      Pinch plus 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
      Pinch freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
      2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
      1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
      4 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
      6 cloves garlic, minced
      8 cups (2 quarts) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
      1 cup water
      Two 9-ounce packages fresh four-cheese tortellini or cheese ravioli
      2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
      2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
      2 roasted red peppers (from a jar), drained and chopped
      Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 or 1 lemon (2 tablespoons)
      6 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves, washed and dried

  Directions:

  Combine the sausage and bread crumbs in a large bowl and add the pinches of salt and pepper; mix well. Use clean, damp hands to form meatballs about 3/4 inch in diameter.

  Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

  Add the broth, water, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper to taste. Once the liquid begins to bubble at the edges, add the meatballs and cook for 6 minutes, adjusting the heat so the liquid barely bubbles. Add the pasta and Italian seasoning blend; cook for 4 minutes, then add the basil, roasted red peppers and lemon juice; cook for about 3 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

  Gently stir in the spinach and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for about 2 minutes or until the spinach is wilted but still bright green. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.

  Ladle into individual bowls (preferably warmed ones); serve hot.

  ---

   

  

  Also from my mother, this fun list of “Punography”

      I do not enjoy computer jokes . Not one bit .

      I changed my i Pod name to Titanic . It’s syncing now .

      When chemists die, they barium .

      Jokes about German sausage are the wurst .

      A soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran .

      I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid . He says he can stop any time .

      How does Moses make his tea ? Hebrews it .

      I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Than it dawned on me .

      This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore .

      A guy got arrested for playing the guitar. For fingering A minor .

      I’m reading a book about anti-gravity . I can’t put it down .

      I did a theatrical performance about puns . It was a play on words .

      They told me I had type A blood , but it was a Type- O.

      A dyslexic man walks into a bra .

      PMS jokes aren’t funny, period .

      Why were the Indians here first ? They had reservations .

      Class trip to the Coca-Cola factory . I hope there’s no pop quiz .

      Energizer battery arrested . Charged with battery .

      I didn’t like my beard at first . Then it grew on me .

      How do you make holy water ? Boil the hell out of it !

      Did you hear about the cross eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils ?

      When you get a bladder infection , urine trouble .

      What does a clock do when it’s hungry ? It goes back four seconds .

      I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger . Then it hit me !

      Broken pencils are pointless .

      I tried to catch some fog . I mist.

      What do you call a dinosaur with a extensive vocabulary ? A thesaurus .

      England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool .

      I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest .

      I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx .

      All the toilets in New York’s police stations have been stolen . Police have nothing to go on .

      I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough .

      Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes .

      Velcro – what a rip off !

      Cartoonist found dead in home . Details are sketchy .

      Venison for dinner ? Oh deer !

      Earthquake in Washington obviously government’s fault .

      I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure .

      Be kind to your dentist. He has fillings, too .

   

  haha…I really liked these!

  OK my friends, that is all that I have for now.

  Love & hugs from your Zany friend!

   

  
  

   

   

  • 5:35 pm
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