Steph's Pick | Pasta Fagioli

Oct 8, 2010

It's almost embarrassing when the temperatures drop into the 80's here in AZ and we throw up our hands (and put on our sweaters) because we're thrilled the "fall" has arrived :)


Even if it's embarrassing to admit - it's the truth! I found myself so excited that I could actually make delicious pumpkin desserts (remember THIS treat) AND soup! Mmmmmmm....

Here's a Pasta Fagioli recipe I made last night that was delicious! Recipe taken from AllRecipes.com and adapted by yours truly :)

Pasta Fagioli

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt to taste
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 (14.5 ounce) cans of Italian diced tomatoes
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup uncooked Ditalini (small circular) pasta
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook celery, onion, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper and salt until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Add pasta and cook 10 minutes, until pasta is tender.
  3. Add undrained beans and mix well. Heat through. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

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♥Laguna Beach♥

Oct 5, 2010

We returned Sunday night from a 5 night stay in beautiful Laguna Beach - so sad. :( Although we were there primarily for a work conference we were able to sneak away to the beach in the afternoons to enjoy the sunshine.

Gma and Gpa T stayed back in AZ with Nora - which made for a great time for everyone involved! We enjoyed time away while Nora enjoyed lots of extra love and attention from her grandparents.

For those of you who ever wondered to yourself what the hype about California is.... well....I'm guessing these pictures will help you understand :)




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...we're off...Laguna Beach style

Sep 28, 2010

We're off to Laguna Beach for a much needed vacay (w/ a little work) from this 100+ degree heat!!! And... Nora is going to be hanging out with Gma and Gpa T for the week.

All of us are going to have a ton of fun... guaranteed!

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Steph's Pick | AZ Mom's Night Out

Sep 24, 2010

Most of you know that I have another blogging "home" - right? Hopefully this doesn't surprise any of you ;) A dear friend and I started Scottsdale Moms Blog this past March and have been loving everything about meeting other local mama's and connecting with local businesses.


Well tonight we're having AZ Mom's Night Out and I'm sooooooo excited about it! I just couldn't resist posting about it because it's all I'm thinking about this morning.

Here's the info for all you local mama's:

When: Friday, September 24th at 6pm

Where: The Big Bang- Tempe

What: A rockin’ good time… happy hour prices… no cover charge for those on the list… a fun filled goodie bag and door prizes!

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Steph's Pick | Blurb (revisited)

Sep 17, 2010

If you've been a Flies Blend reader for some time you probably remember the first time I highlighted Blurb.com as a Steph's Pick. Well that was a couple years ago and so I thought it was appropriate to revisit how much I LOVE these books. (Plus... it's a good excuse to show you the Blurb book that I received a month or so ago :))

Here's a bit from my 2008 post...
Have you ever found yourself just waiting till you have time to finally put that scrapbook together or at the very least put those old photos in an album? I know I've found myself in that position on numerous occasions. Wait no longer - I've found a great way to display those photos. Blurb.com is a free bookmaking software that has been a great way for Alan and I to capture memories on a yearly (or event) basis. By going on their website you can preview books other users have created to inspire you in your own bookmaking. They have a ton of page layout/design options that assist in putting the book together in a professional and creative way. And the best part is - the software is FREE & the books are very affordable ($20 - $50).
As our anniversary approaches each year I put together a book of that year's memories. It's such a fun and easy way to highlight everything that happens each year. Plus - it's pretty cheap when compared to a lot of other scrapbooking type options.

Check out Blurb.com today!

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♥ pigtails ♥

Sep 14, 2010

Everyone say it together now...awww.... I just love this pic....
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
This is one small step for Nora but one large step for this momma!

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Nora Recommends | Splash Pad & Briar Claire

Sep 12, 2010


Some of you may remember my Mommy SOS post about switching from two naps to one. If not, click here. We're on our way to achieving this goal - but as most of you suggested - it is most likely going to take time (and patience). So we're taking it one day at a time...

For now we've filled our no-nap-mornings with Nora's new fav activity -
The Splash Pad!!! Thankfully there are a handful of these around the Valley and so we're able to go on a regular basis. (And for our Midwest family and friends - yes - it's still 100+ here).

Here's Nora at the Kierland Splash Pad...
She just can't get enough of these. :) And we can't get enough of her...

On another note - Nora got one of the cutest Briar Claire hair clips from Callie for her bday. I just had to share this pic I snapped the other day. Isn't it so cute? Shop for more Briar Claire accessories here.


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Session Nine Photography Photo Shoot

Sep 9, 2010

Good photography makes me giddy. It totally does. Don't ask me why... it just does.

So when Jason and Jessica of Session Nine Photography asked to do a photo shoot of Joy and me (with the girls of course) for Scottsdale Moms Blog naturally we had to say "YES!!!"

Jason and Jessica rocked it (as usual) and we couldn't be happier with the photos! To see their thoughts about the shoot click HERE.

Here is just a taste of some of them...enjoy...






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Little Girl Jeggings

Sep 6, 2010

One of the things I love about having a little girl is that I can use her as a guinea pig for new trends! Case in point... jeggings. For those who are unfamiliar with the term jeggings - they are exactly what you'd expect. Leggings which are styled to look like tight fitting jeans. Hehe....


Still not sure if I'll personally hop on the bandwagon but Nora sure looks cute, huh?!!! :)

Happy Labor Day!

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Steph's Pick - Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Sep 3, 2010

Where have all of my girlfriends been all of my life? I feel like at 27 I'm just now learning some of the best beauty secrets. If you didn't see my first beauty secrets post click HERE.


On with today's Steph's Pick...

I'll be honest - I wasn't thrilled about the idea of spending $18 for eyeshadow primer. I mean, how good can it be, right??!! Well I finally gave in and bought Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Sin a few weeks ago from Ulta. Previous to using this, after a few hours, my eye shadow would pretty much just fade to nothing, leaving black mascara creases on my eyelid. But this keeps my eye makeup in place all day (and all night, on occasion) without fading, smudging, or especially creasing. And it even has a little shimmer to it.

It's AWESOME! I bought mine at Ulta but Amazon sells it as well.

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Come back soon Grandpa

Aug 31, 2010


We were all blessed to have Gpa Ray (Alan's dad) visit this past week.

Nora wants him to come back soon because he took her to Dunkin Donuts...

Let her play with his iPad. Nora said she wants one of these for Christmas (wink, wink - hehe)

And took her to her swim lessons...


She had so much fun! Come back soon Gpa!

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Steph's Pick - Fish Tacos

Aug 27, 2010

I've been searching for a Fish Taco recipe for quite some time. Both Alan and I love Rubio's Fish Tacos (don't knock it until you try it!) and were eager to make something similar at home.


Then along comes my friend Michelle - my trusty non-blogging, share her recipes type friend (thanks Michelle!)- with an AMAZING Fish Taco recipe. We've been making it ever since.

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Fish Tacos
(serves 2)

Ingredients.
1/4 cup sour cream
1 lime (juice)
1-2 cup shredded cabbage
4 scallions (diced)
1/2 jalapeno (seeded and diced)
2 Tilapia/Cod/Mahi Mahi filets (any frozen fish will do)
4 corn tortillas
1/2 cup cilantro
1 avocado

Directions.
1. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer half of the mixture to another bowl (for serving as dressing). Mix the cabbage, cilantro, jalapeno and scallions.
2. Cook fish with evoo, either in a skillet or on a baking sheet in the oven, until it is cooked through.
3. Put 2-3 Tbsp Veggie Oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Put one corn tortilla in the hot oil, and fold into a taco shell shape until it is browned. Remove and put on paper towels and repeat with remaining tortillas. (**don't skip this part - these are AWESOME)
4. Put fish into taco shell, top with cabbage mixture, avocado and dressing.




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Steph's Pick - Epiphanie Camera Bag

Aug 20, 2010


Oh Epiphanie camera bag how I want you on my arm. You are so lovely and so sweet. My dream is to own you some day.

Alright - in all seriousness - isn't this bag soooooo cute! I've been dreaming of the day I might own one. The hubster says no b/c I already have a functional (but ugly) camera bag but maybe someday he'll say "yes!" (wink, wink)

For now, I'll keep dreaming...
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Mommy SOS - Two Naps to One Nap

Aug 15, 2010

Ahhh how I was hoping this day would never come....Why can't Nora sleep from 9 - 11 am and 1 - 3 pm for the rest of her life??!!! I can just imagine it now. When signing her up for her freshmen classes we'd have to work around her nap schedule. Hehehe....right!

Well - we all know she can't keep up that routine. It's been fairly obvious over the past month or so that Nora is ready to switch from two naps to one. But the real question is - how??!!! How do I actually make that happen?

So... that's where ya'll come in! I'd love to hear your wisdom and experience. Tell me how you knew it was time to switch, how you made the switch and any other nuggets of wisdom you'd like to share. Comment below...
Note: Yes - I realize she isn't looking up with her sweet Nora smile in these photos. She's much too busy for that these days. So for now we'll have to make due with photos like these :)

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Steph's Pick - Pan-Fried Egg Rolls

Aug 13, 2010

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Cooking Light? Oh yeah, I forgot this post. :) It really is my favorite cooking magazine. Everything is so scrumptious....


Last night I tried a recipe from the June 2010 edition of Cooking Light, Pan-Fried Egg Rolls. And they were DELICIOUS!!!

Here's the recipe...
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Pan-Fried Egg Rolls

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
12 ounces fresh bean sprouts, chopped
12 (8-inch) egg roll wrappers (look in produce/refrigerated section for these)
12 cooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and split in half lengthwise
6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup peanut oil (found by Olive Oils - not necessarily the Asian food section)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine 3 tablespoons chili sauce and bean sprouts, tossing well to coat.
2. Working with 1 egg roll wrapper at a time, place wrapper onto work surface with 1 corner pointing toward you (wrapper should look like a diamond). Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of bean sprout mixture into center of wrapper; top with 2 shrimp halves and 1 1/2 tsp cilantro. Fold lower corner of wrapper over filling; fold in side corners. Moisten top corner of wrapper with water; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Place egg roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Repeat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6 egg rolls, seam side down; cook 7 minutes or until golden, turning occasionally.
4. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon chili sauce, vinegar and remaining ingredients. Serve sauce with egg rolls.

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Steph's Pick - DIY Strawberry Ice Cream Topping Favors

Aug 6, 2010

As promised in this post, this is my last birthday celebration post, I promise! Well... until next year that is! :)

So as I was trying to decide what to do for favors I thought it might be fun to do something along our Ice Cream Parlour theme. So.... Strawberry Ice Cream Topping it was....

Here's what they looked like...


Ingredients

  • 1 pint strawberries, cleaned and stemmed
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

  1. Cut about 1/3 of the strawberries in half. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine strawberries, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree about 1/3 of sauce, then mix back into remainder. Store in refrigerator.






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...watch out world...part II

Aug 4, 2010

For those who keep up with us on The Flies Blend you may remember "...Watch Out World...Part I." Well I think it's safe to say that with Part II comes even more adventures...Check it out...

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Steph's Pick - Two Beauty Secrets

Jul 30, 2010

I feel like with that sort of title you're probably expecting me to come out and start selling you Mary Kay (I'm not being a hater of Mary Kay - I actually like it a lot - and LOVE a lot of people that sell or have sold Mary Kay - so don't hate - really). {big hoping I didn't make you mad smile}


In all seriousness, I've stumbled across two beauty secrets this past month and I've honestly wondered where these products have been my whole life. So it's now my mission to tell ya'll about them. So here goes nothing...



Yes - you read that right. And don't you dare start thinking you're better than this little gadget. I know every single woman out there reading has some unwanted facial hair that you just don't know what to do about. I know I did...

Until my dear friend Laura told me about her find at her local Walgreens for $10. I literally went out at bought it the next morning. It has changed my life. Take a lesson from me though: Don't get too carried away. This hair trimmer should go no where near your eye brows! 'nough said....


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I'll be honest. I remember 10+ years ago trying liquid eyeliner at my grandmother's and had such a bad experience that I had no interest in trying it again. Until this past week... Boy have I been missing out!

I was encouraged to switch from pencil to liquid b/c of Nealy's post last month. I couldn't imagine it could be that much better. I mean, it's eyeliner, right?!!! WRONG! What's amazing about this eyeliner is that it doesn't smudge. Really! I've always been frustrated come the end of the day and my eye makeup had smudged all over my eyelids. Gone are those days!

I actually stumbled across an awesome $20 Stila MakeUp pack at Costco (love me some Costco) last week. Come to find out the items individually at Sephora would have cost me nearly $80!!! Now that's a good deal....

xoxoxo

Happy {Hair & smudge-free} Trails to You!

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Mommy SOS UPDATE: Switching to Milk

Jul 26, 2010


Thanks to everyone who gave their suggestions on my previous Mommy SOS post on how to switch Nora from formula/bottle to milk/sippy cup. Your insight was really helpful. It's so nice to be able to glean wisdom from other moms who have "been there."

So....because I know I'll totally forget how we did this I thought I'd document it so you all (and by "you all" I secretly include myself in that group of people) can come back to this post for my experience in written form. I've been amazed just how much I can forget. For example - my cousin who just had the most precious little baby boy was asking me what nursing pads I used and honestly I could not remember for the life of me. What I do
remember is asking a TON of people which one's they preferred at the time and really laboring over finding the "right" nursing pad :) Hehe....how raising a child changes your ability to remember anything.

I digress....

Switching to milk....

Once given the "green light" from our pediatrician to start Nora on whole milk I decided I'd substitute one bottle every other day for a sippy cup of warm (yes - Nora likes her milk warm
too Kristina!). She was taking 4 bottles/day at the time. It looked like this....

Day One and Two -
1st Feeding - Formula
2nd Feeding - Milk in Sippy
3rd Feeding - Formula
4th Feeding - Formula

Day Three and Four -
1st Feeding - Formula
2nd Feeding - Milk in Sippy
3rd Feeding - Milk in Sippy
4th Feeding - Formula

Day Five and Six -
1st Feeding - Milk in Sippy
2nd Feeding - Milk in Sippy
3rd Feeding - Milk in Sippy
4th Feeding - Formula


Day Seven -
1st Feeding - Milk in Sippy
2nd Feeding - Milk in Sippy
3rd Feeding - Milk in Sippy
4th Feeding - Milk in Sippy

After a transition week we're totally done with bottles and formula - yipee!!!! Oh - and BTW
- we're using Horizon Organic Whole Milk (for anyone who might be interested)

And a post just wouldn't be the same without a picture of this little one...

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Steph's Pick - 1st Birthday Links

Jul 23, 2010

I know, I know...this week has been A LOT (maybe too much) about Nora's First Birthday Party. I fully realize that. If you haven't checked out the Overview, Invites or my downloads posts be sure to do so.

I've had some of you contact me for more info and so to please those of you who might ever be thinking about doing this theme for a party in the future I thought I'd highlight specifically where I found all of the things I used for the party. Sound good?

But first, here's a pic of the set-up.


Before I get started you must know that the key to an inexpensive party is to BORROW things from friends! So not all of these items were purchased (honestly - most of them weren't).

Alrighty - let's get started....

Turquoise Cake Stands - Costco

Turquoise Platters - Target $1 Section

Dark Pink Chargers - Crate and Barrel

Sign Stands - The Menu Shoppe

Trifle Bowls - Walmart

Beverage Containers - Costco (a MUST buy for anyone who loves parties - only $20!)

Syrup Containers - Walmart

Sundae Bowls - The Dollar Tree

White Platters - The Dollar Tree & Walmart (hint: it's always good to have white platters on hand - they've come in handy for EVERY party that I've planned in the past)

Paper Products - Party City


Decorations.



Paper Globes - DIY Tutorial on HELLOmynameisHeather


Only one more post about the party and I promise I'm done.... Up next: DIY Strawberry Ice Cream Topping Favors!!!

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