Tortellini Chicken Soup

I added tomato to mine to make it more of a tomato base since I was serving this with grilled cheese. Definitely a wonderful soup and so filling on those cold winter days. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/12/tortellini-chicken-noodle-soup/

Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats

I love overnight oats for breakfast and try to make a variety of them. I love how easy they are, just make the night before and grab in the morning to take to work with me. I love the mix of cinnamon and cream cheese in this recipe. If you love overnight oats like I do then you have to make this recipe
http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/05/cinnamon-roll-overnight-oats.html

Healthy Banana Nut Muffins

I made these into mini muffins and added granola with nuts because I didn't have nuts at home when I made them and it was too snowy out to head to the market. These were delicious and I love mini muffins. A wonderful morning snack, I like to make extra to freeze for those mornings I don't have time to put breakfast together. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.wellplated.com/healthy-banana-muffins/#_a5y_p=3329780

Skinny Brownie in a Mug

This is a good little dessert when you have a chocolate craving and trying to save calories.Plus it doesn't take long to make. Here's the link to this quick dessert
http://lacreativitedelafille.blogspot.com/2013/03/skinny-brownie-in-mug.html

Kerber's Farms

Something I love growing up on Long Island is all the local farms. I grew up going to tons of local farms growing up on the East End. When we moved further west I was lucky to found this amazing local farm. Everything I've gotten here has been amazing, they have a wonderful breakfast sandwich on cheddar biscuits, jam, chicken pot pie, mac & cheese, cookies, muffins and more. They even have dog treats that Princess loves. I love shopping local and love this little hidden gem in our area.

Scrapbook Pages

 December 2014 Project Life page, I enjoyed looking back through the album for the year by doing this so will do again this year

 Our new dining room floors we got done

 A favorite recipe of ours

 November was full of Christmas activities this year because we had our ugly sweater party early to celebrate Christmas before Will and George left for the UK

 October project life page, busy month at work, but we did go to the Pumpkin Beer Fest

 Princess is a professional sleeper

 Spring walks and sleeping in the sunshine

 A favorite place to stop for dinner

Lasagna Roll Ups

I made my favorite meat sauce for these and they were delicious. I also added some spinach in with the cheese filling. Such a wonderful dinner and were a big hit. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.pinkwhen.com/worlds-greatest-lasagna-roll-ups-recipe/

Chocolate Chunk and Toffee Chip Brownies

This is my all time favorite homemade brownie recipe out of all the ones I've made. I made these for a work birthday. So delicious and easy to make. Here's the link to the recipe
http://picky-palate.com/2012/10/08/one-bowl-homemade-chocolate-chunk-and-toffee-chip-brownies/

Honey Garlic Salmon

I haven't made salmon in awhile so for the first friday in Lent I picked up these Salmon steaks from the fish market. I made some rice with veggie broth and some herbs. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.thecookingjar.com/honey-garlic-salmon/

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

I used sweet potatoes on mine since they are my addiction. I melted a little English Cheddar on the top of this. I used turkey cutlets from the local store for this since it's not Thanksgiving time so had no leftovers. Here's the link to the recipe
http://kitchenconfidante.com/day-after-thanksgiving-turkey-shepherds-pie-recipe

Scrapbook Pages

Christmas 2014 Cookies from one of my marathon baking sessions

Daisies have a special meaning for me so I always have them in my garden, can't wait for it to be spring again here.

We are lucky to have this gorgeous cardinal that hangs out in our yard. Hope he comes back this spring.

Strawberries fresh from my garden

 So over the Winter already and all the cold and snow, spring can't come soon enough.

Cheesy Sausage Pasta Bake

I used shells as my pasta of choice for this, but you can use what ever pasta you are in the mood with for this. This recipe makes plenty so you have leftovers for lunch. I used a sweet sausage because Kyle doesn't like spicy so if you are a fan of spice, this would be great with spicy sausage also. Here's the link to the recipe
http://picky-palate.com/2014/03/24/classic-cheesy-stuffed-sausage-pasta-bake/

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup

I added pastina to mine because I felt like a little pasta in my soup. I also served some bread I toasted with this. A warming soup that's perfect for all this cold weather we've had. Here's the link to the recipe
http://damndelicious.net/2015/01/10/creamy-chicken-mushroom-soup/

Nutella & Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

This a great breakfast to make as a treat after a long week at work. I didn't put syrup on mine, but if you love french toast with syrup add some. I did add a few extra strawberries to serve this with. Here's the link to the recipe
http://realhousemoms.com/nutella-strawberry-stuffed-french-toast/

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these for Kyle for Valentine's Day since he loves cherries and this recipe came up on my pinterest feed. I love the addition of cherries to a chocolate chip cookies.Here's the link to the recipe
http://lovegrowswild.com/2015/02/cherry-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Garlic Alfredo Tortellini

I made this with chicken and was a delicious side dish. I love pasta and don't always want red sauce. Here's the link to this awesome pasta dish
http://damndelicious.net/2015/02/13/easy-garlic-alfredo-tortellini/

Beef With Broccoli

I served this with a favorite rice and it was delicious. I was going to serve it with white rice but wanted to mix it up. I love dinners like this after a long day at work, this was filling and quick to make. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/secret-ingredient-better-than-takeout-beef-and-broccoli/

Meatballs with Tomato Ragu and Polenta

I used my favorite sauce with mushrooms for this recipe. These meatballs were so good and I love it with the polenta. Such a different way to serve meatballs for dinner and so delicious. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/meatballs-tomato-ragu-polenta

Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Shake

I love chocolate and peanut butter together so this is perfect for a morning at work. I made this at night so it was ready for work the next day. Perfect filling breakfast snack. Here's the link to the recipe
http://bakerbynature.com/thick-creamy-chocolate-peanut-butter-breakfast-shake/

Scrapbook Pages

Love this Christmas 2014 selfie of my husband and me

Can't wait till it's warm out again to spend time in our backyard again, right now it's covered in snow and ice

 A valentine card I made using a stamp from Stamping Bella

Princess loves to sleep and will sleep on everything including a magazine I'm trying to read

 Can't wait to see these flowers blooming again once spring starts

Summer 2014 with my brother

 We always got told Princess looks like yoda so when we got the ears for free at San Diego Comic Con we had to have her try them on

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

This is a perfect one skillet dinner, I used regular potatoes since that's what I had on hand. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/one-skillet-lemon-chicken-and-red-potatoes/

Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

I didn't use a cookie scoop with mine so they weren't perfectly shaped, but they still tasted amazing and I will make these again. Perfect for a snack at work when I get hungry. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/gluten-free-peanut-butter-breakfast-cookies/

Shepherd's Pie

Took this picture before I put into the oven. For this recipe I used sweet potatoes instead on top since I just did another recipe with regular potatoes so I wanted to mix it up. This is delicious, I used a bigger container for this instead of smaller containers I usually use. A great winter comfort meal. Here's the link to the recipe
http://thecozyapron.com/shepherds-pies-and-being-gently-shepherded-on-this-path-of-life/

Scrapbook Pages

I found a deal online on smaller pics that I was able to upload from my phone so while I haven't ordered my big prints yet from London I was able to scrap a few favs from the trip and take a break from some older pics I've been working on. These pics are from the London wedding of my brother and sister in law

 More instagram pics of this past year Christmas Cookies. Did this layout for a sketch on the A Cherry on Top Website.

I'm a coffee addict and Starbucks is my favorite so I had to scrap some of my coffee instagram pics

 Love this dog and dreaming of warm weather so scrapped this outdoor summer picture of Princess

Bacon, Beef & Mushroom Ragu with Pasta

This is from the October 2014 Rachael Ray Magazine. Such a delicious and filling dinner.

• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 lb bacon or pancetta chopped
• 1/4 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, mincd
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups veal or beef stock
• 1 lb ziti or rigati
• 2 tbs butter
• freshly grated grana padano

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
2. In a deep skillet or large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the bacon and cook until the fat melts, 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until the mushrooms brown, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up into small pieces with a spoon until browned, 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper.
4. Partially cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 5-6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in the stock, then reduce the heat to low and let the ragu simmer while the pasta cooks.
6. Salt the water and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
7. Add the pasta and the cooking water back to the hot pot. Toss with half the ragu and the butter. Season.
8. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.

Potato Soup Recipe

This time of year there is nothing better than a comforting meal like a hearty soup. I love potato soup and like to try out new recipes for it. This recipe was delicious and very filling. Here's the link to the amazing recipe
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/potato-soup-recipe/

Baked Red Velvet Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Frosting

These are the perfect treat for Valentine's Day. I added sprinkles to mine to make them festive. These would be cute for St Pats also just color green instead of red. These were delicious, I made standard size donuts, but these would also be cute as mini donuts. Here's the link to the recipe
http://www.heathersfrenchpress.com/2014/10/baked-red-velvet-doughnuts-cream-cheese-frosting-red-velvet-lovers-cookbook-giveaway.html