Tasty Tuesday- Vegetable Minestone Soup

Fall is in the Air. Literally.

My morning walks to work are met with a cool crisp breeze. The leaves are starting to change from vibrant greens to luscious yellows. The ever-so delicious Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks, and Halloween candy is beginning to tease me at Target.

Another thing I look forward to able fall are all the different food options that you begin to craze as the weather gets cooler. One in particular, delicious homemade soups.

I have a great recipe to share with you and it is once again barrows by my girlfriend over at The Pioneer Woman blog.

Homemade Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 whole Zucchini, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
• 2 whole Summer Squash, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
• 8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Stems Removed And Quartered
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons (additional) Olive Oil
• 2 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced (not Peeled)
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 stalks Celery, Sliced (leaves Included)
• 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cans Cannelini Beans, Rinsed
• 1 cup (heaping) Cut Green Beans, Fresh Or Frozen
• 1-½ cup Medium Or Small Pasta Shells, Uncooked
• 1 can (14.5) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• ¼ teaspoons Turmeric (optional)
• Parmesan Cheese, Shaved

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Toss cubed zucchini, squash, and mushrooms in a bowl with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Arrange onto two sheet pans (to avoid crowding) and roast in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until brown and black parts begin to show. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and celery and stir to cook for 3 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.

Add cannelini beans and green beans. Cook on low for five minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional five minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir, and cook for an additional five minutes on low heat. Check for seasonings, adding salt, pepper, and turmeric.

Add roasted vegetables at the very end. Stir and allow to simmer and heat for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to check seasoning! Add more broth if necessary to increase liquid amount.

Serve with Parmesan shavings and crusty Italian bread.

Enjoy!!!

Much love, xoxo.

I'm Back!

I took a week off... but... I'mmm backkkk!

Where was I, you ask?

I was here...
P.A.R.A.D.I.S.E.

Paradise Island, to be exact.

Todd won an incentive/rewards trip through the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce for all of his hard work on the new member campaign. We spent 4 days and 5 nights on Paradise Island in the Bahamas at the Only & Only Ocean Club Resort. It was right down the beach from the Atlantis resort so we were able to use all of their wonderful amenities as well!

We had such a nice time together just relaxing by the pool, walking on the beach, and reading some good books! I started and finished the new Nicholas Sparks book Safe Haven and it was really good- definitely different from his normal love stories, but I liked it none-the-less.

Hope everyone had a great week!!!

Lots of love, xoxo.

Being Thankful

Todd pointed something out last night while we were having our routine long-distance phone call right before bed... as usual we were talking about our days at work, what we did, who we saw, etc., and then we started talking about out plans for the upcoming week... he pointed out that I have quite the two weeks lined up and I am one lucky girl! I have so much to look forward to, but more importantly, I have SO much to be thankful for!!

Here is how the next two weeks of my life lines up:

Friday (as in tomorrow): flying home to Atlanta and we're driving straight to Athens, GA
Saturday: UGA vs. AK game at Sanford Stadium. Tailgating with ALL of my UGA friends.
Sunday: Buckhead Church with my family.
Monday: Todd and I are leaving for the Bahamas!!!
Monday - Friday: Todd and I are staying at an all-inclusive resort on Nassau Island FREE OF CHARGE!
Saturday: Wedding dress shopping (all day) with my crew.
Saturday night: Mine and Todd's Engagement Party!!!
Sunday: Buckhead Church again with my family.

See... I have so much to look forward to, I mean, wow!

BUT...

I need to send a BIG THANK YOU to the man upstairs. I am a lucky lady, I recognize that, and I will greatly enjoy the next two weeks.

2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

Much love, xoxo.

Wedding Wednesdays!

As if I haven't been excited to share wedding updates in the past, I am exceptionally excited about this next post....

*~*~* The Wedding Dress *~*~*

Every bride's dream coming to reality.

I am really excited to go wedding dress shopping. Me and my crew are going next Saturday, September 25th for an all-day wedding dress extravaganza! We are going to Wedding Angels in Roswell, GA at 10:00 AM, followed by Bridals by Lori in Sandy Springs, GA at 1:00 PM, and finally ending at Kelly's Closet in Atlanta, GA at 3:00 PM.

I am hoping to find THE DRESS at one of the first two locations and not have to go to the third location. I think visiting three different bridal stores in one day would be a little overwhelming to say the least!

Now, for the details...

What kind of dress do I want?
I THINK I want a strapless, A-line gown that has both sparkle and lace. I love soft, feminine fabrics like organza, lace, and tulle but I do not prefer shiny silks or satins.

What designers do I love?
There are so many to choose from, but if I had to name a few, I love: Jim Hjelm, Tara Keely, Lazaro, Rivini, and Priscilla of Boston.

What do I want the dress to read?
I want the dress to be sophisticated, romantic, and feminine. I want people to think the dress was made for me, meaning it matches my personality and they can definitely see why I picked THAT dress! (I hope that means something to someone other than myself! When I re-read that statement, I sound crazy, I know, but hopefully some one else knows where I am coming from.)

I will let you know how the dress hunt goes in a few weeks! I cannot wait to share what I found! Ahh, the anticipation is killing me!

Much love, xoxo.

Tasty Tuesday- Pecan Pie Muffins

Y'all know I have a sweet tooth, but what you didn't know (until now) is that I have a slight obsession with breakfast foods as well.

That aside, one of my good friends- Jennifer- and I were talking about pies this weekend. Why? She is going to her boyfriend's house for Thanksgiving this year and she wants to bring something homemade with her when she visits. Of all the desserts out there to choose from, we both agree that we don't particular like pies, but there is something so charming and traditional about pies that you gotta love'em! It seems like every family has their own pie tradition during the holidays.

For me, my grandma (my dad's mother) made the most amazing apple pie and we've carried on her tradition by making this a all family holiday gatherings. My Mimi (my mom's mom) made the most amazing chocolate meringue pie that I loved even before I loved chocolate (yes, when I was younger I hated chocolate- wish I still had that issue today!) Jennifer was telling me that they love their pecan pies in her house and she wants to make and bring one to share with her boyfriend's family. All this talk about pies had me craving one, the pecan pie in particular, by the end of the conversation.

Strangely enough, yesterday, while reading one of my all-time favorite blogs, The Pioneer Woman, I came across this little beauty-- a delicious recipe for homemade Pecan Pie muffins.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Chopped Pecans
• ⅔ cups Softened Butter
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten

Instructions:

Preheat oven 350 F.

Grease your muffin pan (whatever size) or use the silicone cups. I grease my silicone muffin cups with Crisco or lard.

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together until smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Cups should be about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks when done.

Option: when you take them out of the oven, place a slice of butter on top and eat warm. You may also use walnuts instead of pecans.

Here's a picture of the finished product:

Enjoy!!!

Much love, xoxo.

Fun Fact Friday # 3

It's not a fun fact, in fact, its not fun at all but it is worth mentioning before I go away for the weekend.

Tomorrow is September 11th.

In reality it is just another date in the standard calendar, but after the tragic terrorist attacks nine years ago tomorrow, September 11th is forever changed.

I don't need to say much more. We all know the story: who, what, when, and why it happened, but we all need to remember this day and honor the innocent lives that were lost on this dreadful day in American history.

I pray for the families of the loved ones that lost their lives. I pray for the business men and women that lost their fellow co-workers. And most of all, I pray for this GREAT nation. We have moved on, but we will never forget! God Bless America.

Fingers are Crossed!

Hello, hello! I took a week hiatus, but for no reason in particular. Life just got BUSY! I can't believe a week has gone bye! Since last Thursday, a whole lot has happened, and I am exhausted! Last week, I was called about a position that became available in the Aon Atlanta office, had an in-person interview, two phone interviews, and now I am waiting for their response. They (as in HR) said I should hear something no later than next week. EEeeeKKkkk!! I can hardly contain my excitement or more like nervousness as I sit at my desk waiting for the answer. With that said, my fingers (and toes) are crossed ever so tightly! I will let you know as soon as I hear something- whether I got the job or not! Prayers are needed! I WANT TO GO HOME!!!

10 things that I can't wait to go HOME to:

1. my future-hubby
2. frequent family get-togethers
3. nights out or in with my girlfriends
4. Buckhead Church
   
5. UGA football and visiting Athens in general
6. Chick-fil-a
7. driving in a car & listening to the radio
   
8. doing future wife things, a.k.a. "nesting"
   
9. shopping at my favorite stores again
10. running outside or in the park

That's all for now! Again- prayers are needed for me to get this job!

Much love, xoxo

Wedding Wednesdays!

We found our WEDDING BAND - no, not the shiny wedding thing that goes around your finger - the wedding band that will be our incredible entertainment at our wedding reception, of course!!!

The band is called CITY HEAT and they are HOT, HOT, HOT! Well, figuratively, not literally!

They are a six-person, Atlanta based band that has been playing together for over ten years! They play all genre's of music but specialize in R&B, Soul, Oldies, Beach Music, and they also cover lots of modern or Top 40 songs! We are really excited about them and cannot wait for them to get the party started!

I have to give credit to my amazing fiance for finding our wedding band. From the very beginning, Todd wanted this to be HIS task for the wedding, and I must say, he did a great job!! Upon getting in touch with a former contact at EastCoast Entertainment, Rick Stowe, Todd was able to get a list of several bands that would play "our type" of music, be a source of entertainment and interaction, and most importantly fit out budget! We were very pleased with the list, but we quickly narrowed it down to two. After receiving several references, Todd called a few folks that had used City Heat at their wedding or event and all four references gave City Heat outstanding reviews!

Rick was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend him to anyone if you're interested!

Can't wait to get this party started!! 276 days and counting!!!

**Note: If you're attending out wedding, YOU BETTA BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES!!!**

Much love, xoxo!