5 Things I am Happy for Today...

1. First of all, I am happy I haven't lost my mind.
For those of you who know me well, this marks day 4
(well, day 3 1/2 if you're counting:-) of a very long month.
And losing my sanity is a very real possibility.
In fact, I might be close. Really close!
But I am happy it hasn't quite come to that.

2. Biscotti! Seriously...morning coffee + biscotti = Happy day!!!
(I even considered naming my dog Biscotti.
Cute, huh?
Except he turned out to be a 65lb goldendoodle...


not exactly how you picture a dog named Biscotti:-)
Anyway, I tried to make it once but it didn't quite turn out.
I love the gingerbread/white chocolate flavor but it's hard to find these days so
if anyone has a recipe for ANY biscotti, preferably a foolproof one,
please let me know.
I will be your new best friend!!!!

3. I am happy that I might be raising my very own Martha Stewart.
(well, in all the good ways:-)
Taylor loves to cook and reads all kinds of cooking blogs,
as well as sharing her own baking blog with her sister.
I'm convinced she is Martha's most loyal reader.
She subscribes to every cooking and crafting email by her that she can.
And look what she made this weekend, thanks to you know who
(No, not me...Mrs. S:-)
Tissue Paper Pom Poms!!!



Sooooo cute...
Don't you love creative people?
And now I have one of my own! Yea!!!

4. I am happy that Jordie decided to make dinner one night, searched the cookbooks for a new recipe, found one in my old cooking light book, tweaked it a bit to make it her own...and voila!
A new family favorite!!!
It's called Ravioli Soup...and it is Yum-my!!!!!

Recipe:
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes, chopped up a bit (with juice)
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can ft-free low sodium chicken broth
3/4 tsp italian seasoning
3 cups ravioli or tortellini (we use Buitoni mini raviolis)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese
***You can add any seasonings to spice it up and of course, various veggies if you like. (Zucchini works well)
This is Jordie's version...and it is simple and GOOD!
Directions:
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add ravioli and any veggies if you choose. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 7-8 minutes or until pasta is tender.
***Add some crusty french bread and a salad and you will have a wonderful comfort food dinner!
P.S...while googling images of ravioli soup because I forgot to take pics, I saw many recipes for this dish. I have to say though, this one is probably a bit lighter than most and has only a few simple ingredients, such as Buitoni ravioli, so that makes it super good in my book:-)
5. And what makes me happiest today????? BABY NEWS!!!!! My niece Kristin is expecting a baby this Fall... and this is how her adorable little boys told us.


So exciting!!! Now clearly she (and Jeff, of course:-) have a way with cute little boys... but since I am in desperate need of some tutu models... it might be easier to convince them to help me out if they had a girl:-) haha
See...really happy news!