Here's Lucky...Our Newest Member Of The Family!

9/9/2013

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About 2 weeks ago my husband and I decided to go to the Humane Society to check out the available dogs.  We've done this several times before but we never came home with anything.  Well, this gal really stole our hearts!  We instantly knew that she was going to be the perfect fit for us!  Weighing in at 86 lbs. is our newest member of our family and her name is Lucky!  She is an English Setter and Chow Chow Mix.  Despite her size, she does believe that she's a lap dog but we're loving every bit of it!  She is about 4 & 1/2 years old. 
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I've wanted a dog ever since I moved out of my parent's house and my husband never had a dog but he knows that my family are huge dog lovers!  He was hesitant at the idea but then it really started to grow on him.  In our last apartment that we lived in we could've had a dog but we chose not to.  The apartment wasn't big enough and neither was the yard.  We thought that it would be unfair.  So, we decided to wait until the time was right so that we could give our future dog everything that they would need and want.  Well, now that we're moved into our first house, we have a large yard, and I'm moving along quite well in my knee recovery, we felt in our hearts that the time was right.  We just had to find that special dog.
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When we came into the Humane Society our attention immediately went to this beauty!  She was shaking and scared but she showed quite a bit of interest in us.  When we started to walk away to check out the other dogs Lucky stood up and barked at us one time.  It was as if she was saying, "Hey, where are you going?  I want to go home with you!"  So we decided to meet her and when we walked into her room we formed this instant bond!  She couldn't stop licking our faces and she was so excited to see us!  So, we took her home!
So far, Lucky has been doing great and the cats really seem to love her.  Hope has grown up with dogs so she didn't take long to warm up.  Hope especially loves getting doggy kisses...it just melts my heart!  Hiro took a little bit longer but each day they get closer.  I think he was just intimidated by her large size and he thought she was going to eat him when she was only trying to sniff him!  They figured each other out though!
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Here are all three of them passed out last night!  We couldn't be any happier!  She's such a great dog, a quick learner, a huge lover, a bed and couch hog, and she gives the best hugs!  We plan on doing some classes with Lucky to work on socialization and basic obedience through positive reinforcement.  I have a feeling that she may be the star of her class!  A huge Thank You to the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee...we've found the perfect dog!
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Homemade Vegan Creamy Tomato Soup

9/9/2013

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I love a good tomato soup!  Heck, I love soups!  I love taking them for lunch because it's so quick and easy to throw into a container and go out the door!  Tomato soup has a special place in my heart though!  It brings back some great childhood memories!  This tomato soup is loaded with vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants, and it's packed full of flavor!  The pasta in this soup helps not only to thicken it but also to fill you up!  I must warn you, this soup is addicting!  I adapted this recipe to be vegan.  The original recipe is from Cooking Light and I was making it for years!  After I went vegan, I noticed that this recipe can easily be adapted!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

2 tbs. Earth Balance Butter (you can use the sticks or the spread)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 & 1/2 cups veggie broth
1 tsp. dried basil or 2 tsp. fresh basil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (Do Not Drain)
1 cup uncooked small pasta (you can use stars, alphabets or mini rings)
1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk

How To:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  While you are preparing the noodles you can start your prep for your veggies. 
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until tender.  Add the broth, basil, pepper, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the cooked pasta and remove from heat.
In a food processor or blender add half of the mixture and blend until smooth.  Place in a large bowl and repeat the process for the other half.  Add the mixture back to the saucepan and stir in the soy milk and the remaining pasta.  Cook on medium-high heat until heated all the way through (about 2 minutes).
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'Pomodori col Riso' Recipe Review From The Design Sponge Blog

9/9/2013

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This recipe gets 5 stars from me!  I couldn't believe the amount of flavor that came from this dish!  I thought that they would possibly end up a little bland but much to my surprise they did not!  I loved how this recipe had a different twist.  I've had stuffed peppers but I've never had stuffed tomatoes!  I actually think that I like these a little bit more than stuffed peppers too!  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it from Kristina at the Design Sponge blog.  If you're looking for a great recipe to mix things up I think this one is perfect!  Plus, tomatoes are at their peak right now so it's the perfect time to put those tomatoes from the garden to good use!

What I Did Differently:

I actually didn't change a thing!

Overall Thoughts:

I will be making this recipe again!  I absolutely love tomatoes and I think this recipe is fantastic!  I couldn't stop eating them!
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