Food for Friday / Friday Finishes

 

Food for Friday Club

Today was a Busy Day!!! Went to see a friend in the hospital early this morning. Stopped at Sam's Club and found the perfect rugs for my entry hall. SCORE!!! They were having a road show....how lucky was that??!! Home again, unpack the groceries and start on the first recipe for our Food for Friday club.

So here goes... our featured cookbook is

 

Christmas all through the House by

Gooseberry Patch

 

 

 

 

The cookbook I have chosen is from Gooseberry Patch. Published in 2008. Now don't get hung up on the fact that it is a Christmas book and we are in January. Most of my winter recipes come from Holiday cooking books. I have a special love for the Gooseberry Patch books because I have been featured in several of them. Not this one. They are collection books from cooks all over the world. This one is done by Leisure Arts and is spiral bound and very colorful inside and out.

 

 

3 Bean Ravioli Minestrone

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 ( 14 oz) cans chicken broth

9 oz pkg frozen baby lima beans, thawed

16-oz can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

16-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 tsp Italian Seasonings

1 t pepper

1/2 tsp salt

7-oz pkg mini cheese ravioli

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

 

 

All the ingredients are on the counter and we are ready to cook!!

Prepare a large dutch oven or soup pot (with lid) by adding 1 Tablespoon olive oil and heating the pan.

 

 

 

the celery, carrots and onions and add to the hot pot.

 

 

 

 

Add the minced garlic. I use both fresh and the refrigerated garlic in the jar. Today I am using the minced garlic in the jar. Always great to have on hand.

 

 

 

 

Sweat the vegetable over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft. You do not want to caramelize the vegetables.... just get them soft. Add salt and pepper.

 

 

To this add the rinsed and drained beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, baby lima beans, and Italian seasoning.

 

 

Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

 

Add ravioli and cook 10 minutes or until tender. I had a package of mini cheese tortellini that I used in place of the ravioli.... cheese and pasta is cheese and pasta no matter what shape it is.

 

The pkg was larger than the 7 ounces called for so I didn't use it all. Let the soup simmer until the pasta is tender. Then I turn it off and let it sit until I am ready to eat it. If not using within a couple of hours refrigerate. This time allows the flavors to marry and it just gets better and better.

 

 

Serve piping hot topped with shredded fresh Parmesan Cheese. A crusty loaf of bread and a crispy green salad of your choice makes it a meal that will be enjoyed on any chilly, or cold winter evening!!!

 

This recipe can easily be vegetarian with the substitution of vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I have made this for friends that are vegetarian and they rave about it!! It makes a lot but gets better with age and freezes pretty well. The pasta may start to break down but it tastes great after freezing.

 

BON APPETITE!!

Hope you enjoy making and eating the soup. Let me know if you try it and what you think!! This recipe makes a lot of soup!!! I am taking mine to a friend's house for dinner before we cheer the OU SOONERS on to VICTORY in the Cotton Bowl !!! Boomer Sooner!!

 

 

Friday Finishes

Last night at midnight I finishes putting the borders on my "Holy Toledo" quilt top. YEAH!!!!

 

I hung the quilt top over my banister rail to take these pictures. I just love it. It is made from Thrift Store shirts. So colorful. My fabric from Connecting Threads arrived today. I have a blue for the backing of this quilt. Hope to get it sandwiched over the weekend and start quilting!!!!

 

 

I love the borders. The most intricate pieced border I have ever done. Now how to quilt it????

 

 

The back side from the second floor.

 

WHOOP,WHOOP!!! I will be joining with Sarah Craig for Whoop! Whoop! Friday. Hop over there and take a look at all the beautiful finishes. Button is in my sidebar.

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama

 

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