Is it time for soup yet?

We are a week away from the official start of Fall, but I always consider the first SEC kickoff to be the start of our Fall! Autumn, with all of it's painted leaves, brisk winds and snugly scarves make up my favorite season. I have and will attempt almost every pumpkin recipe I see and I always start craving hot soups at the turn of the season. Today, Mags and I ran our usual errands for Wake Up and headed home for lunch and nap time. I've decided to "pantry shop" this week to help buffer the grocery budget and this is what I can up with for pantry broccoli cheddar soup! These are ingredients that I try to keep in my pantry/fridge most always.

Pantry Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
Total time: about 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 bag frozen broccoli
2 cans evaporated milk
1 bag (2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
1 15oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 box Zatarains long grain wild rice
1 C Milk (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Directions
Prepare rice as directed
Boil/steam broccoli to desired softness & salt to taste
Set both aside
Empty canned milk, soup and cheese into a large pot and cook on low/medium until cheese is melted and mixture is hot--stirring constantly to avoid scalding
Add in desired amount of rice and broccoli and stir gently.
Salt and pepper if needed, add milk to desired thickness
* I added all of the rice and broccoli and 1 cup of milk

The rice has great seasoning so you won't need a lot of additional salt and pepper! This is a super easy and inexpensive meal and definitely a keeper. Now onto more pumpkin recipes!

Our Little Sunshine is 1!

How is my baby a year old already? I  still cannot believe she is walking <running> and saying real words like "ball" and "dog, woof woof!"  Bo and I are in awe of her, just as we have been every day of her life! She is our absolute joy! So when deciding what kind of party to have, I thought a "vintage sunshine" party would be perfect for our happy girl. We had friends and family over to our house for a backyard picnic sunshine party with lunch and of course, birthday cake! A lot of help and crafting later, we had a great time celebrating our sunshine baby!

Here are the sweet photos! {party photos by blakelipthrattmultimedia.com; 1 year session by amydeyphotography.com}

               

 

             

 

           

 

            

  

              

            

 

                

This theme was very easy and happy, just pick your favorite colors to mix with yellow and go for it! What kind of parties are you having for your little ones? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Aletha

Back in blogland!

After a long hiatus, I am back in blogland! A lot has happened in the last year---Two HUGE things: we had a baby and bought a house! So lots to catch up on, right? I am very sad to say that because of the long hiatus from blogging we lost all of my old blog content {except for our story--read it here}. So I just decided to start fresh with a new name and all! I am so excited to share what I've learned over the last year through becoming a new mommy and first-time homeowner, as well as how God is continuing to stretch & humble me through His love. I want this blog to act as a journal of sorts, as well as, a place for others to find encouragement, inspiration and a fresh perspective on life! To all of you reading-- thanks for taking this journey with me! More posts to come soon!