Here is my version of Minestrone.

HOMEMADE MINESTRONE

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cups chopped celery
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3-4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1-2 cups water
• 3-4 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2-1 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 cup canned Cannellini (or kidney beans), drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans (or 1 cup sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms)
• 2 cups baby spinach, rinsed
• 2 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoons dried basil
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
• 3-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute onion for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.  Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth (or vegetable broth), water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add green beans (or mushroom), zucchini, parsley, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Add spinach leaves, and Cannellini (or kidney) beans and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.
3. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of uncooked seashell pasta and cook until tender. Drain water.
4. Add pasta noodles to your soup.  Season soup with 2-3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.  (Reserve 1-2 tablespoons for topping bowls)
5. Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Makes 6 Servings.

P.S.  If you have a ton of Minestrone left over, you may freeze it in your freezer for 6-12 months.

P.S.S.  If the pasta noodles soak up a lot of the soup broth, just add more chicken/vegetable broth, water or red wine.

–Camberley–

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1. Potato and Leek Soup
2. “Pasta-Less” Vegetable Lasagna?
3. Camberley’s Famous Vodka Cream Sauce Recipe

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OvUyjsllQM

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1. Kiersten and Eric’s Wedding Video

{Queue Gillian’s Island Theme Song Instrumental}

Cruise – the second hour:

Around the time we finished running through the cruise ship evacuation simulation (You know, the one where you waddle around the deck with life jackets on?) Kiersten turned to me and said ”Cam, Keighley and I came up with the cutest nickname for you.”

CUT! Before I go any further, let me give you a run down on Keighley and Kiersten’s nicknames.

As you can see, these two have a plethora of nicknames to choose from (and I’m pretty sure I’m missing 3 or 4 nicknames).  I, on the other hand, am lacking in this area.

Where were we? Oh yeah, Kiersten had just announced that her and Ky had a new nickname for me. Take Two!

“You did?”, I abruptly asked. (Naturally, I was THRILLED with the idea of another nickname.  I was on my way to being a member of their “club”. {Cha-Ching!})

“Yeah, we heard this name the other day and thought it was so pretty,” Keighley declared.

“What is it?”

“Bajanga,” Dee & Dum replied in unison.

I rubbed my ears.  They seemed to have been clogged with sea water. “Come again?”.

“Bajanga.”

“Are you serious?” I looked at Keighley, then I looked at Kiersten.  They didn’t crack a smile.  (Ohhhhh, they’re good.)

“We’re serious.  Isn’t it cute?”

“No.  It sounds like a name for female parts.”, I stated.

“What?”, Keighley retorted.  ”You’re sick.  My mind didn’t even go there.”

“Whatever.”, I snipped back.  ”You two probably heard the word ‘Bajanga’ on Oprah.  Is that what she calls her Woo-hoo?”

Kiersten rolled her eyes, “Oh my gosh.  No.  That’s a ‘Va-jay-jay’.”

“Yeah, Cam.”, Keighley (aka Niko Splat) said. “Get it right.”

“Well, I still think it sounds like a word for lady bits.  I hate it.”

“Whatever you say, Bajanga.”

For the next 4-5 days, I was stuck on a cruise ship with Agent Banan-o and Shampoo calling me {queue deep voice} “Bajanga”. They did what they set out to accomplish.  First, they annoyed me.  Second, every time I brought up the fact that “Bajanga” sounded like a name for one’s “Nether-regions” I was ridiculed for being “disgusting”.  Third, I became so tired of their little game that eventually I let them call me “Bajanga”.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who has to put up with crap like this.

Eventually, the cruise ended and we went back to life (where I could once again access useless information online).  Within days of being home, I began my “bajanga” google quest and within minutes I learned.

1. It’s a word that is used to describe a myriad of objects, one of them being a Female’s “Cha-cha”.

MORAL of the story: I’m perfectly content with three nicknames and my sister’s are the dirty ones (i.e. Pickle Ornament).

–Camberley–

Related posts:

1. Wish You Were Here
2. This Made Me Laugh!
3. Family Secrets: The Sisters In Our Attic

You see, I woke up with some of the worst stomach pains this side of the Mississippi.  The stabbing, burning sensations were so bad I thought – “I have a stomach ulcer like Keighley. Whhhhhhy us?!?” and “I may need to go to Urgent Care, something’s not right”. I had no idea what was going on with my body because, up to this point, my only symptom was knife-like pains in my stomach (Not my intestines, my stomach).

5 hours later, nausea came knocking at my door and for the next 4 1/2 hours I spent a majority of the time with my head over the toilet.  I assumed I had been stricken with the dreaded stomach flu (since it seems to be spreading like wildfire); but, my severe stabbing pains lingered throughout the day on Thursday. This lingering pain made me take a step back and reflect on my ailments. I have self diagnosed myself with…

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SIDENOTE: According to “The Amazing Days Alive Calculator“, I have been on this earth for 9,740 days.  Until last week, I had gone 9,736 days without…dum…dum…dum…

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FOOD POISONING

As Debs would say, “Seriously?!?”.  There are 365 days in the year and I developed food poisoning on a day centered around food.

Luckily, this little girl took those lemons and made lemonade.  I curled up on the couch with a heating pad (and my Boston Terrier), turned on the Wii, downloaded Super Nintendo’s Donkey Kong and developed an addiction. Classic Nintendo games are my weakness. Dallan and I put life on hold.  Every free minute of Thanksgiving break was dedicated to Donkey Kong. Within 72 hours of downloading the game, we had conquered it

I know, I know. We probably should have spent our vacation painting the office and folding laundry.  However, sometimes you need to close the office door, let the clean laundry pile up on an empty chair and get down with your Donkey Kong self.

Epilogue – This morning, I ran to Walmart and purchased the newest version of Donkey Kong.

Dallan’s thoughts: “We are never going to get anything done.  Cancel all remaining plans for the rest of the month.”

My thoughts: “It’s November 29th. Don’t you think trying to beat Donkey Kong Country Returns in 1 day is a little ambitious?”

If I’m not online, you know where to find me.

–Camberley–

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1. Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza
2. Story of a Hypochondriasis Housewife
3. More Pics From Our Bella-fied Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza

CROCK POT STUFFING

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 12 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 12 cups dry bread cubes
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 1/2 – 4 cups chicken broth, or as needed
• 2 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.
2. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs (Warning: don’t add too much chicken broth to the stuffing or it will become soupy). Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover.
3. Cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

Gobble, Gobble,

Camberley

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1. Crock Pot Beef Tacos Recipe
2. Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
3. Homemade Minestrone

Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup and Maple-Sugar Streusel

INGREDIENTS

For the potatoes:

• 4 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the streusel:

• 1 – 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup maple sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast potatoes on rimmed baking sheet until tender, 60-75 minutes. Cool slightly. Scoop flesh into large bowl; discard skins. Mash hot potatoes until coarse puree forms.

Heat cream and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Gradually stir hot cream mixture into hot potatoes. Stir in syrup, bourbon, and all spices.

Place sweet potato mixture in a greased baking dish.  Set aside.

Mix first 4 streusel ingredients together in a small bowl.  Add melted butter and rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form.  Spread streusel toping on top of sweet potato mixture.

Place sweet potatoes and streusel back into the oven (400 degrees) and cook for an additional 25-35 minutes (or until streusel is golden and slightly crisp).

Serve warm. (SIDE NOTE: This recipe works great as a side dish and great as dessert (just add vanilla ice cream).)

Makes 10-12 servings.

–Camberley–

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2. Rosemary Cheesy Potatoes
3. Pumpkin Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup