Italian "Funeral" Soup

Along with my graduation announcement (that I made myself), I mailed a blank recipe card (that I also made myself- I will post these soon) and asked the recipient to help me build my recipe collection by sharing a copy of their favorite family recipe. I've received a few completed recipe cards and I can't wait to try them all out!

My dear friend Mary Beth gave me a recipe for Italian "Funeral" Soup. It's simple and easy to make (which is my favorite kind of recipe) and tastes great! I can see this recipe being a huge hit at a get-together or luncheon. The best part about this recipe is that you probably already have all of the ingredients!

Ingredients:

1 can Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup
6 or 8 Armour Italian Style Meatballs
Crushed red pepper flakes
Low-fat milk

Directions:

Broil meatballs. Squeeze meatballs in paper towels to absorb excess fat.

Process soup and an equal amount of low-fat milk in a blender or food processor.

Add the meatballs and continue processing.

Portion out the soup and sprinkle red pepper flakes as a garnish.

Though Mary Beth didn't mention the addition of any cheese, I think it would be alright if you choose to add a pinch or two of shredded cheese to your cup of soup :)

A rainy day...

After a long week and three days in a row of doubles, I don't have to work again until Thursday. I feel so lucky. And excited. I started off today with a HIIT class, followed by a solid hour of grass cutting, a Zumba class, and a great lunch of Mexican food! I managed to get a few loads of laundry done, among other chores, and I even took a nap... it's the little things that make me feel accomplished! It's been raining on and off (mostly on) all day long so I didn't get a chance to work on my tan, but here are a few photos from this past week...

 

 

 

 

Happy Monday!

Coconut Cupcakes + Homemade Buttercream Recipe

If you can't tell, I have a real passion for sweets. I also have a real passion for baking up delicious sweets for a great causes. Tonight, the high school is hosting an "Empty Bowls" fundraiser that benefits Hatteras Island Meals (our local meals on wheels program that provides a daily meal for shut-ins). They are holding a bake sale as part of the fundraiser, so I volunteered to make a batch of cupcakes. I didn't want to do the reasonable thing and play it safe with vanilla or chocolate, so I chose coconut!

 

 

I started with a Duncan Hines Coconut Supreme cake mix (yes, I cheated, and there is nothing wrong with that!). While the cupcakes were cooling, I toasted some coconut. If you've never toasted coconut before, have no fear; it's super easy! All you need to do is spread coconut flakes evenly on a baking sheet and bake them for 5-10 minutes in a 350* oven. Check on the coconut every few minutes and toss the flakes around so they don't burn. If you have unsweetened coconut and you want to sweeten it before toasting, put the coconut in a Ziploc bag, add a few teaspoons of powdered sugar, and shake to coat the flakes.



Next, I made homemade buttercream frosting and used a star tip with my frosting dispenser. Making homemade buttercream is so easy to do; it's been ages since I've bought a can of icing.

Homemade Buttercream

1 stick of butter, room temperature
3 3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk

In a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk (a little at a time until your desired consistency is achieved) and mix until smooth.

The last step was adding the toasted coconut as a garnish, which really upped the appearance of these cupcakes and took them to the next level.

 

What's your favorite treat to buy at bake sales?

I'm usually a sucker for carrot cake.

DIY Small Hanging Lantern

Hello everyone; I hope you're all having a great week so far. Today, I want to share a do-it-yourself project that is super simple to make (and basically costs nothing to make). I'm a huge fan of creating things from materials that would have otherwise been thrown away (or in this case, dropped off at the recycling center).

 

I saw some steel can lanterns online and thought that they would be a great compliment to summer cookouts and parties. I can't even imagine how cool a bunch of these would look at a DIY wedding reception, painted in coordinating colors. Between all the black beans, diced tomatoes, and veggies consumed in this household, I knew I should put some of these cans to use.

 

 

I started by removing the labels, scrubbing off the glue, and washing out the cans. I then filled them with water and froze them. I read that it is much easier to make holes in the cans when they are frozen solid.



 

Next, we took a nail and made designs in the can. The one pictured below has a bunch of random nail holes, but you could make a star, flowers, spell out words, etc. Make sure to create two holes at the top of the can (directly across from one another) so that you can attach wire or string to hang the lanterns.

 

The next step is to paint the cans. I chose Valspar's Pine Green, which blends in great with the backyard. Once the paint dries, use wire, twine, hemp, or string to make a handle. Place a tea light candle inside and admire the beautiful glow!