Spinach Cheese Tortellini Soup

Ever lack the energy or creativity to come up with an amazing dinner?  Try this.  Seriously easiest dinner, ever.  I don't say that lightly.  I can make this while Simone hangs on my leg and it still comes out perfect. 

What you need...

2 fist fulls of fresh spinach.  I just use the regular box (or bag) spinach from the salad section of our Fry's.

2 cans of low sodium chicken broth

1 can of peeled & diced tomatoes 

1 package of cheese tortellini 

Dash of garlic salt & black pepper

1 lb of ground Italian sausage (you can omit this for a meatless meal and it's still amazing)
 

Get it done...

Toss the first five ingredients in your crock pot on LOW.  

If you are going to add the Italian sausage, brown it in a pan, drain it, and add that to the crock pot.

Allow it to cook on low for 1-4 hours.  You can't really mess it up!!

It's BEYOND EASY, and goes well with sandwiches or garlic bread!  It keeps nicely, too for up to a week in the fridge.  We use this as dinner on nights when we are busy, will be getting home late, or days when I'm completely overwhelmed and want dinner to make itself.

ENJOY!

Butterfly Wonderland

For our two year anniversary Todd got me the BEST gift.  I really love butterflies, I mean, I got them tattooed on my ribs.  And, anyone who knows about getting a rib tat... you MUST love what you are getting tattooed there.  It stings.  So, for my gift he got our family a membership to the brand new Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, AZ.  It's the largest butterfly pavilion in America.

Butterflies on my side.  Oh, pre-baby body...why was I ever hard on you!?
Honeymoon in Provo, TCI

This is especially special to me because while we were in Key West to get married we ran out of time and missed the butterfly conservatory there.  One of the coolest parts about this new Butterfly Wonderland in Arizona is yesterday was it's grand opening!  

The place is pretty amazing.  They have facts about butterflies everywhere, and I read them all to Simone as we walked through.  You start off going to the 3D theater to watch a short movie (in the most bad ass 3D I've ever seen) about the generations of the monarch butterfly and how they migrate.  It's beautiful, and I was so proud of Simone, she watched the movie like a pro without a single peep!

After you leave the movie you get to see the stages of the cocoon or chrysalis for different butterflies   It's pretty amazing, and there were several that opened up right in front of us.  

Checking out the cocoons 

The best part, in my opinion, is what comes next.  You go into a 10,000 square foot atrium where there are butterflies flying everywhere!  It's basically a rain forest (and feels just like it... so don't blow dry your hair!).  I was in butterfly heaven in there.  Beautiful blue winged butterflies are the dominate species, but there are tons of different butterflies   Best part, THEY FRICKEN LAND ON YOU!!!  

One landed on Todd's shoulder and Simone grabbed for the little thing, and thankfully missed!  As she gets older this place will be a blast to take her to.  Right now, she's just kind of looking around like what the heck?  It's hard to tell in the pictures, but butterflies are swooping all over the place.  

Right when we walked in one landed on my purse!

This butterfly took a ride on my purse for a while

Daddy explaining about butterflies!

Simone was getting extra sleepy at this point...Those eyes.

I was pretty determined to get a butterfly on her!

Me, overly excited....Simone could really care less

Way past nap time...

But this little guy loved us!

And after awhile, she took notice!

Mine...

He started walking up my arm...

And, they really tickle!

I was telling Simone hey, check this out, he's going to fly away...

And he decided he would hang out on my lips.

Todd started snapping pics, so a few photographers came over...

You have a little something on your face...

Simone was hardly entertained!

       We caught the attention of the right guy.  One of the pho-togs was taking pictures of the opening day for the advertising.  And, guess who is signing a waiver for my image to be used for marketing materials?!  Whattttttttt!?  Too cool!  Right place, right time!

Photo credit to Richard Henne - Really nice guy!

   After all of that excitement, Simone was spent.  She fell asleep like this...

Feel asleep with her arm out waiting for a butterfly!

 I was dying for one to land on Simone all on it's own.  I was bummed that she passed out, but five minutes later this happened...

Have you ever seen anything so cute!?

After you leave the atrium there is a room where you can pet stingrays, live ant colony exhibits, honey bees in their combs, and tons of fish.  We cruised through that part pretty quickly since we already had a sleeping baby.  We lucked out, she opened her eyes just as we were leaving the gift shop, so we were able to grab one family pic before leaving. 

We had such a good time.  I want to go back right away!  Kudos to my hubby for another awesome, thoughtful, and perfectly suited to ME gift.  Here's to two years, baby, and MANY MANY more!

xo

Family Photos....Finally!

As one of my birthday surprises Todd set up family pictures for us.  We have been photographed by our friend, Heather, since our engagement at basically every big life event that's happened locally.  If you would like to contact her for her services her website is http://www.chickypoophotography.com/.

These are our first "official" family pictures! 

I really love how these came out!  Isn't Simone such a doll?!  She's growing up soooo fast.  I can't wait to print them and hang them all over the house!

Mother's Day

Ahhhh Mother's Day 2013.  My first Mother's Day as a Mother of a baby girl (who is outside of the womb).  It was so sweet.

First thing in the morning Todd woke me up with coffee from my new Verismo... bliss!  Coffee is seriously like my life blood these days.  It's just the most amazing drink on the planet... and maybe margaritas...and beer... ughhh I could never actually choose between them.  

Anyways, he woke me up with coffee, a sweet sweet card, and a beautiful gift.  A few weeks back Todd had taken the most precious picture of me and Simone snoozing together.  He had that pic printed on a large canvas to be hung up in our house.  It's seriously so wonderful.  Simone is the highlight (as well she should be, pretty baby) and I'm in the background.  Gotta love a man who understands Mommy with no makeup does NOT need to be the point of focus on a huge canvas.

It's in sepia tone... picture here does not do it justice... 

After calling Todd's Mom and getting my own loving phone calls from my Pop Pop & Aunt in New Jersey. We skipped over to breakfast at The Nosh.  I know I've talked about this place before.  Their pancakes are perfection...and on top they put this amazing pecan butter.  I could eat my weight in them.

My Girl & My Feast!

Um, Sweetest Picture Ever?  Yeah, I think so!

We stopped off on the way home at the local farmer's market.  This is seriously one of my favorite things...and we are almost always running around too much to fit it in.  Todd bought me this sweet stone bracelet.  I'm in love with it!

It's soo pretty and my favorite colors!

We bought a bunch of veggies for a big salad, and also grabbed tamales.  SERIOUSLY, if you live in Ahwatukee... or you hit the Ahwatukee Farmer's Market go see the tamale guy. They are amazing.  We always buy at least a dozen... and always wish we had more!

After that we hit our grocery store to grab mimosas (needs to be added to the most amazing drink list...) and some chicken to make one of my favorite dishes Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Coleslaw.  While the chicken cooked in the crock pot, we enjoyed mimosas pool side with our baby girl.  In Arizona... that's about the only thing you want to do outside around this time of year.

Look at that HAT!

These three cuties!

That's what I like to see on the bar/grill in construction!

My father-in-law, Jim, joined us for dinner.  Whenever we have extras we invite him over, and he always is very appreciative of both the food and the time with his favorite girl in the world, Simone.  He even had a mimosa!  Gooooohead get down, Grandpa Hart!  He treated us to an Orange Leaf dessert, his favorite...and mine, too!  Simone soaked up the snuggles from Grandpa, and I enjoyed way too much frozen yogurt with sprinkles.

Orange Leaf Fun - She matched the decor... HA!

In honor of my Mom I rocked some of her gear.  Her style was the best, and I just copy her any chance I get!  I also wore my new favorite white eyelet shorts from White House Black Market.  I actually scored these at Goodwill a few weeks ago.  They are sooooo summer.  My chambray shirt is from Ross...that's where "I got it", and my pink shirt was another Goodwill find.

Mom's seagull pin, her "Michelle" necklace, and very Aztec-y earnings 

We had a great day with our sweet girl, and really coffee, pecan butter pancakes, mimosas, pulled chicken, and froyo... what more can a Mom ask for?  Oh yeah, Todd even did the dishes.  

Hope all of your Mother's Day festivities were amazing!