Recipe of the Week!

Pasta Fagoli

This is another recipe that was in my wedding cookbook. I love Pasta Fagoli, especially the kind that Olive Garden makes and I can never find a recipe that seems like it will taste like theirs. I used my Aunt Jackie's recipe, but made some additions and subtractions. I also doubled the recipe to have some to freeze. My main addition was some ground turkey (I used one pound in the doubled recipe).

Ingredients:
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can cannellini beans with liquid
1/2 cup small pasta
salt to taste
(ground turkey, optional)

Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat cook celery, onion, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, red pepper, and salt until onion is translucent, and meat is cooked through.  Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer on low 15-20 minutes. Add pasta and cook 10 minutes. Add beans and cook until heated through. Serve with parmesan cheese on top.

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Penn State is the students, it’s the pride, it’s what you do for others. That’s what makes us unique. That’s what separates us from every other school in America."

-JAY PATERNO. 

THON

Eight years ago I stood up in Rec Hall and didn't sit back down for 48 hours. This weekend 700 more dancers will do the same. This is Penn State. For the Kids. For the Glory. FOREVER. WE ARE.

Watch a live feed all weekend here.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Six months ago this is where I was with my valentine.

Recipe of the Week!

Homemade Cleaning Products

Recipe of the Week...cleaning edition. So I hate buying cleaning products. They are so expensive and half the time they don't even work that well. A few months ago we were looking into how to save more money and one website suggested making cleaning products, so I tried it. The bottle above might not look like it's homemade, but it is. I just recycled a bottle. For my homemade cleaner I fill up half the spray bottle with white vinegar, and the other half with warm water. Then I put in some blue Dawn dish soap. 

The result...good cleaning power. Also, if you know me well you know I LOVE vinegar. So this cleaning product smells so much better to me. It's not super strong like a bleach or whatever. It is very vinegary though, so if you don't like vinegar this might not be for you. Happy cleaning!

House Hunters, Northern Virginia

If only house hunting life was as fun, easy, and exciting as House Hunters on HGTV...if only. We started considering the possibly of buying awhile ago, but got more serious about it around Christmas time. As I'm sure many of you know the rental prices of the DC metro area are extreme. It just feels like lighting a match to our bank account every month. Buying something would be about the same or less than we pay in rent. So we started looking at houses at the beginning of January.

We have learned a bunch since then. The saddest fact is that when we do buy something we will be saying goodbye to our lifestyle as we know it. As Matt would say "it's like we are moving to actual Virginia." At first I thought this was a ridiculous statement, but it's true. To be able to buy something in acceptable condition we have to move much further from the city. There will be no metro adventures on a whim or a quick car ride into the city. Our DC adventures will be fewer, but I think what we have discovered is that it's worth the move to Virginia, but it's still sad in a way. At the same time maybe I can start storing my wine glasses in the kitchen instead of next to my sweatshirts in the bedroom closet.

So dear friends, cross your fingers for us in this process and it's ups and downs. And maybe start planning your trip to visit us in the real Virginia.