A Conundrum

So I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and we were discussing how sad it is that we hardly ever use our cookbooks anymore. I have a whole book case full of them, but now if I ever have a hankering for something I just Google the recipe. Sometimes, it would even pull up a recipe I already have in my collection but had forgotten I had it! I love my cookbooks. Every time I get a new one, I sit down and look through the whole thing page-by-page. When I lived at home, I would take cookbooks in with me when I was headed for a relaxing bubble bath. MOST recipes you can look up on Google, almost everything, but I will say, some you just CAN'T. I guess if I post some of these recipes on my blog, you will be able to look them up on the internet but I think they are good enough to share. ;o)

Having said all that, my goal is to try and have a nice balance of Pinterest recipes and cookbook recipes because I think we should save the dying art of cookbooks, yet I totally support the technological advancements of this new day and age. :o)

Today for dinner, I made a recipe I had found on Pinterest. I'm still subbing all ground beef for ground turkey and its wonderful. This recipe was significantly easier than lasagna and was very tasty!

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

5 stars based on 42 Reviews
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Difficulty: Easy
pauladeen.com

Ingredients

1 lb ground chuck
1   onion, chopped
1   green bell pepper, chopped
3   cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1   (32 ounce) box chicken broth
2   (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1   (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cup broken lasagna noodles
1   (5 ounce) package grated parmesan cheese
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic crostini, recipe follows
Garlic Crostini:
1 thin French baguette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. 
Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately. 
For the garlic crostini: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves. 

*I actually cut this recipe in half because its just the two of us and it was a great amount with leftovers for a busy night this week. I also didn't do the crostini or broiling because I just didn't think it was necessary  but I'm sure it would be a great addition. I just made some rolls. (30 minute from last week's post)

This weekend my sister Katie came down and stayed over since her roomate was out of town. We went to Los Hermanos (with a Groupon of course) and watched 3 movies throughout the weekend. Even though everyone makes fun of Twilight, I hadn't seen the new one and I felt out of the loop having not seen it. Jer was a sport and watched it with us. I'm sorry, but I liked it. No, it wasn't "The Help" (which we watched the next morning) but I thought it was good. So sue me! Caleb and I competed at a local high school and took 3rd. Also, I finished my latest sewing project for my intermediate sewing class:

I just whipped myself up a little hoodie! Ok, no. This was not just a little whip up. It took me HOURS! And don't look up-close because there are some definite imperfections. But I was very proud of myself for taking some fabric and making something out of it. It reminds me of that talk by Elder Uchtdorf about human being's natural yearning to create. I can really relate to that talk a lot. I kept going up to my teacher and saying, "this is off, how can I fix it?" And she would say, "well, the thing is, we're not perfect and that's why we aren't in the Celestial Kingdom, right? It's your first time, and that's pretty good for a first time!" I find it a wonderful privilege to study at a university where the gospel surrounds me constantly.

Anyway, I'm proud of the hoodie and I think it did turn out pretty good for my first time. Will I ever make a hoodie again? Probably not. But it was fun! :o)

Something I have been particularly obsessed with lately are Groupons, Living Social Deals and KSL deals. I seriously buy one or two each week. It is such a great way to try out new restaurants, get gifts, or purchase things for at least half the price. If you haven't already, you need to check it out. Jer and I always use one for our date nights.

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu2470692

http://www.ksl.com/deals

www.livingsocial.com

OK longest post of the century but I just want to put a plug in for Jer's charity group Half The Sky. They are doing a race in early April and want everyone to sign up and run for the cause! Here is the link to register:

follow this link to register for the race!

Utah United for Half the Sky 5K/10K Race for the Orphans - Home

www.kintera.org