Pasta e Fagioli Soup anyone?

Okay, so there is one good thing about winter in Central New York...the homenade soups, stews and other hearty meals that can stave off the winter chill!

Take for instance this soup that I made on Saturday from a recipe I found on the internet...

Life Made Sweeter is the author of this recipe and they also provide a video showing step by step how to make it.

The recipe is touted as being a copycat recipe for Olive Garden’s Pasta e Fagioli soup. I've never eaten at Olive Garden so I don't have a comparison, but this soup is absolutely delicious. Best of all, it is made in a slow cooker so after you do the prep work, you have the rest of the afternoon free to do other things. I love my slow cooker!

I made a couple of changes to the recipe. It calls for ground turkey, but I prefer ground round; I also didn't have any fennel seeds on hand so I just omitted them. I did add the balsamic vinegar which the recipe says is optional, but I didn't add any additional water as I was using it as a topping for some spaghetti squash that I also cooked for dinner.

I recommend this recipe for anyone who loves their vegetables.

You can get a copy of the recipe by clicking on the above picture...enjoy!

Central New York in the Winter...

Two days ago, the temperature was 40-50 degrees; no snow on the ground and almost early springlike weather.

Last night we get bombarded with freezing rain; sleet; and heavy, wet snow. Hopefully, my azaleas will not be affected by this sudden blast of cold weather.

54 days until it is officially Spring, but in Central New York that is no guarantee that this cold, snowy weather will come to an end; I am sure this will not be the last snowfall of the season!

I can't wait for the warmer weather, but until then, the freshly fallen snow sure looks pretty...from inside my home, that is!

Spaghetti Squash...

I have often heard people talk about spaghetti squash, but I never tried it...until this weekend.

Now I know not everyone is a vegetable person like me, but you really have to try it! I made a recipe I found on the internet using fresh cherry tomatoes, spinach and lemon juice & chicken:

Lemon Chicken And Spaghetti Squash

It was definitely a winner. Best of all, the spaghetti squash tastes great on its own as a side dish.

Since it is only available in the fall and winter, I will be buying a couple more and freezing small portions to enjoy this summer.

Give it a try...click on the picture to get the recipe on Buzz Feed.

Wow...look at my African Violet flower!

First, of all...I'm back. I hope everyone had a great holiday season.

We had a very busy Christmas holiday at my house. Two of my children were home for all the festivities and there was cooking and enough food to feed a small army! Unfortunately, three of us ended up with the flu, but all are well now.

A while back, I wrote about my new African Violet plants that I ordered from Lyndon Lyon Greenhouse. They have started blooming...just look at the size of the flowers on one plant. It is almost as big as the dark green leaves!

This one is called "Kristi's Spunk"; just beautiful with shades of purples, pinks and blues! What a wonderful way to brighten up my studio during the winter season.

Oh well, the holiday is over...time to get back to work!