Friday, February 8, 2013

White Bean and Sausage Soup


I am not a big soup maker, I like soup but I usually dont think about cooking it and I feel like sometimes it takes far to long to prep and make. When we went to Vermont in October my sister in law Sherry made this soup for us and it has turned into a staple meal in our house. For the most part I have all of the ingredients at all times and it is really yummy with some warm bread.

It has been adapted from this recipe: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/white-bean-soup.html

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 1 package of sausage ( mild or hot your preference)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 3 celery stalk, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cans (each 15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
 

Directions:


In a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 5 -10 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cannellini beans, broth and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. ( I usually let the soup simmer for an hour or so if you dont have time for that you can continue on with the recipe as soon as everything is cooked)
Remove the pan from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper. Keep the soup warm.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, top with cheese and serve immediately with some warm bread. 

 

15 months

 
 
 
Will is 15 months and getting more active and more fun everyday
 
Weight: I am guessing about 25lbs
Length: 31 inches tall
We will know more at his Dr's Appt next week.
Sleep:  Will is still taking 2 naps during the day usually around 9 and 2 for about 1-2 hours, but some days will only take 1, I am trying to just let the days happen but it just depends on our schedule. and then he is in bed between 7-8 and he wakes up between 6-8am. I am thinking that in the next few months he will transition to 1 nap a day

Eating:  I packed up all of our baby stuff and put it away until we need it again. He has whole milk in the morning and at night but otherwise just water. He is a great eater and eats 3 full meals plus lots of snacks and fruit during the day.
Diapers: We are officially all in size 4 diapers and in the last month I have added in some g diapers to use at home. I will add more on that in seperate post but so far I am loving it. I am also happy to announce that will has gone on the potty 3 times! I am not pushing it since he doesnt tell me that he has to go or has gone yet but a few days last week he woke up from his afternoon nap dry so I put him on the potty and he went. I am hoping that me giving lots of praise will make him think that this is very cool! 
Play time: Will is everywhere! We got the saftey gate installed around the pool last weekend and that has made a huge difference in just a few days. We now spend an hour or two outside playing and exploring. He loves to play with balls, and push toys, his favorite thing is his pop pop toy.
Clothes: All 18-24 month clothes with some 2T thrown in depending on the brand.
 
Words:
Mom
Dad
tucker (tuck-tuck)
Kiki ( try not to laugh but he says ca-ca, and sometimes Ka-Ki he is getting closer)
agua/water
cracker/cookie
blueberry ( comes out something of blueblue)
No ( na-na)
chocolate (cant even attempt what it sounds like but I know thats what he says)
brown bear
llama llama (amma amma)
button
book
more
Memorable moments of the month:
  • Will can whistle! He learned this from his daddy and pop pop on the cruise
  • He can point to his nose, tongue, ears and head and mommy and daddys nose too!
  • He knows what a lion, cow, monkey, sheep and duck say
  • He blows kisses and gives kisses and hugs as well
  • He has a great little twisty dance he does which is so cute I will try to get it on camera
  • He knows that the letter S sounds like
  • Wills first christmas
  • Wills First cruise - 12/30 He visited Jamaica, Mexico and Haiti

What I am looking forward too:
Watching our little boy grow in 2013 I swear he learns something new every day its really amazing!

Monday, February 4, 2013

New Year, New Blog

Hi Everyone,

I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for quite some time now and finally decided to take the plunge! I am hoping this can be a place to share updates on our family, Will, yummy recipes and maybe even some fun mommy things here or there.

Check back often for updates and pictures!

Mandy