And now, for a change of pace....

T'is the season for soup, so I thought over the next couple of posts I might share a few of the recipes that we enjoy here at Chez Magpie.  So....from our kitchen, to yours.....

 MINESTRONE SOUP

3 lb. beef stew meat, cut into ½” cubes

1 large can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 large can pasta sauce

2 medium onions, chopped

2 T. parsley

2 ½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. thyme

4 beef bouillon cubes

½ tsp. pepper

10 c. water

1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

2 c. chopped cabbage

1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained

1 c. uncooked macaroni

 In slow cooker (or on stove top), combine beef, tomatoes, pasta sauce, onions, parsley, salt, thyme, bouillon, pepper and water.  Cover and cook on low 7 – 9 hours or until meat is tender.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on high 30 -45 mins. 

- The very talented embroiderer extraordinaire Karen Ruane has announced her latest online class "Ledgers, A Record of Stitch' and you can find more information on that HERE. I can tell you from personal experience that Karen's ledger class is very worthwhile!

- There's a fun tutorial HERE for woven Christmas ornaments.  I wonder if you could put a small photo in the middle of these?

- THIS is a really sweet cross stitch snowman pattern (opens as a PDF).

- HERE is a fun way to make a cute package for an awkward-sized gift.

- I am showing THIS because I think it's a fabulous idea - and something that kids could easily create.  I don't normally give you links unless I can find the originator - so if you happen to know who made these, please let me know and I will happily give proper credit.

- There are some really attractive Christmas decorating ideas HERE.  I especially like the idea for the bathroom shower curtain - it's always hard to know how to add decorative touches to your bathroom and this might be just what you need!

Today's quote is from Catherine M. Wallace..."Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what.  If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them ALL of it has always been big stuff"