Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Even though it was 100 degrees today, I'm craving Fall. So I made this delicious Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup. The recipe called for sun dried tomatoes, but I knew my boys wouldn't like it, so I omitted those. They do, however, love pasta, so I doubled the amount of tortellini. Next time I think we'll add some sliced mushrooms. Yum!

Oh, and did I mention that it literally takes 10 minutes to throw together?

CREAMY TOMATO TORTELLINI SOUP
Serves: 6-8
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped OR 2 Tbsp. sun dried tomato paste (we left this out)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 package cheese filled tortellini (9 oz.) (we used a 19 oz. bag of frozen tortellini)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions
1 Saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot until golden brown.
2 When garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, milk, half-and-half, chicken stock and seasonings. Bring to a simmer.
3 Once simmering, drop noodles into the soup and cook according to package directions.
4 Ladle into bowls. Top with parmesan cheese and serve with french bread

No Bake Energy Bites

When I first saw this recipe (on Smashed Peas and Carrots), I was a little skeptical. Usually when I make a "healthy" recipe, it doesn't equal a "tasty" recipe. These are a different story. So easy to make, fairly healthy for you (no butter or added sugar), completely customizable and YUMMY! And when I say yummy, I mean like dessert.

NO BAKE ENERGY BITES
Serves: approx. 24 balls
Cook Time: 30 minutes (chill time)

Ingredients
1 cup oats
1 cup coconut (unsweetened, sweetened, toasted- your pick!)
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1 Mix everything above in a bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Chill for 30 minutes.
2 Once chilled, roll into 1 inch balls and enjoy. Store in airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to a week.

*If you can only find whole flaxseed, you can throw it into a coffee bean grinder. Or feel free to use it whole for a little crunch!
* You can substitute any of the above ingredients. Take out the chocolate chips and throw in dried fruit. Experiment with your favorites! You can sub flaxseed for wheat germ or just more oats. You can use almond butter in place of peanut butter. You can even throw in some cocoa

Slow Cooker Ham & Beans

This is a comfort food. I remember eating this when I was a kid. Simmered on the stovetop and probably made from leftover Easter or Christmas ham. I cheated and made mine in the Slow Cooker and with a ham steak. Still delicious, much easier and yep... comforting! This would be a great dinner on a fall or winter night!

SLOW COOKER HAM & BEANS
Serves: 6-8
Cook Time: 8 hours

Ingredients
1 lb. package dried northern beans
Ham bone, hocks, shanks, or diced ham (approx. 1 lb.)
2 tsp. onion powder
6 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1 Rinse and sort the beans for any pebbles.
2 Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low for approx. 8 hours or until beans are tender.
3 Remove ham bone, shanks or hocks and pull off meat. Add meat back to crock pot and mix.

Back to School

Summer is officially over and my baby is now a Kindergartener! Yes, we made it through the day with minimal tears (and they were all from me).

We got ready about 5 minutes early so I could take a few pictures. If you don't have a chalkboard, a piece of paper works great, too! Don't forget some other "must-have" shots:
- Picture with Mom
- Picture with Dad
-Picture with new backpack and/or lunchbox
-Picture of them with their new teacher (can also wait for Back To School Night)
-Picture at their desk

 

 

LC's teacher gave each parent this very sweet poem with a tissue attached. And we all read "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn together. What a great book for the first day of school! The kids then gave all of their parents kissing hands (I know, I know. This is where the water works started.)

 

 

Fieldtrip 101: Discovery Science Center

We're attempting to finish our Summer up with a bang and fitting in as much fun as we can! There are so many museums, theme parks, etc that I've been wanting to take Landon to, and this was on the list!

What a great place to take the kids! While it's geared towards kids who are 5+, it's still great to let the younger ones explore and get some hands on fun with science.

The facility is 2 levels with multiple exhibits. It looked smaller than I thought it would be, but it was packed with over 4 hours of fun. LC's favorite exhibit was the Dino Quest. You receive a "magic wand" and a mission to find items in their Dino Exhibit. When you find one of the items on your list, you scan it with your wand. At the end of your journey, you return the wand and receive a special Dino token as a reward. He also really enjoyed the NASA Rocket Lab where he could launch rockets high into the air.

They have restrooms located throughout the museum and a few hand sanitizer stations, too. Although, I recommend bringing your own. 

For lunchtime, they have a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut on site that isn't marked up to ridiculous prices! Just plan your dining time out or have someone grab a table for you because seating is limited and fills up very quickly during lunch hour.

Discovery Science Center
2500 North Main Street, Santa Ana

Admission: $15.95 (15+), $12.95 (3-14)
Parking: $4.00 Cash Only
Hours: 10am-5pm
Good for Ages: 3+
Notes: Bring Hand Sanitizer, Cash Only for Parking

Fieldtrip 101: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

For those that are wondering, yes it is the same place as the "Wild Animal Park", just under a new name. And it's still owned by the San Diego Zoo, but is not the same location as the San Diego Zoo. They're about 30 minutes apart.

LC and I had the chance to visit with family this summer. This is a great place for the family to visit and see the traditional animals that everyone loves about the zoo, plus a place to see animals interact together on the African Plains. Your ticket includes a safari tram ride that you must take. You get to circle the African Plains with an up close look at some of the animals.

Our favorite exhibit is the Lion Camp where the lions often lay right up against the glass. I'm also fond of the Gorilla Forest- especially since there is a baby gorilla who provides plenty of entertainment and laughs.

The have a petting zoo, playground and even a water play area for the kids to enjoy. If you're the more adventurous type, they have a variety of tours and activities available for purchase including a zipline over animal exhibits and a caravan safari where you are able to hand feed some of their animals.

If you go, be prepared for LOTS of walking. The exhibits are spaced out to allow the animals room to roam, so you'll get plenty of exercise during your visit.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido

Admission: $42 (12+), $32 (3-11)

Parking: $10

Hours: 9a-5p Open later during summer and holiday breaks

Notes: Bring water and snacks. Get there early- Animals are more active during the cooler hours. During the month of October, they usually promote "Kids Free" month. Take advantage of that!



Fifty Shades of Fun Party

If you are a woman over the age of 18, there is a great chance that you have heard of or read the books that are keeping ladies up all night.... Fifty Shades of Grey. If you are the small percentage who have not, I strongly suggest you jump in your car and drive to your nearest Barnes & Noble immediately.

This Girl's Only party was inspired by the Grey Revolution. With decorations in all 50 shades, yummy desserts, wine (of course) and for a little fun... we invited a Pure Romance consultant. The night was filled with lots of laughs! I'll do my best to post the dessert recipes over the next few days. The photos are only of the dessert table... the rest of the party was censored haha.

The Dessert Table

Handcuffs and Grey Tie on the Door

Tiramisu Cups and PB Graham Chocolate Balls

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes and Charlie Tango

Not-So-"Vanilla" Cupcakes

Forbidden Fruit
Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Red Room of Pain Red Vines (bound with zip ties)