Weeknight Minestrone Soup

There are a lot of ways to get your veggies everyday, but my very favorite is in a delicious bowl of soup.  I saw this recipe for Weeknight Minestrone Soup on the Instagram stories of Lemon Grove Lane .  She talks a lot about healthy eating and I find her really inspirational.  I was especially drawn to this recipe, since it was filled with veggies and substituted a couple of potatoes for the pasta you often find in minestrone.  It also has carrots, celery, green beans, tomatoes and spinach.

The original recipe called for rainbow chard, but my neighborhood Publix did not have it, so I used the same amount of spinach.  I didn't have the Parmesean rind either, but added a handful of grated Parmesan at the very end.

This recipe is billed as easy enough for a week night, and I would agree.  The hardest part was the
chopping, but after you have everything ready to go in the soup pot, you basically simmer until the veggies are done.  I added the spinach at the very end, so it would not be over cooked.  You can find the original recipe here.  It's healthy and delicious; my favorite combination. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Out and About

It's been a busy few days, but so much fun.  You know how some days you are content to stay home and relax and other days, especially when the weather is beautiful, you want to be out and about as much as possible.  There is so much to do here and even the most simple things become special when there are palm trees, sunshine and water views in your sight.  I think I will let the photos and captions tell the story, even though I am missing photos from the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning (I bought some fresh Shrimp Ceviche that was to die for) and my early afternoon at the pool on Sunday.   

Life is good in Florida.

Book Group on Thursday night.  We have progressed to wine, snacks and a much larger group.  The book we discussed, The Great Alone, was one of the best books I have read in awhile.  It's very intense, but one that stays with you after you finish. 

On Friday, I was invited to go on a home and garden tour with a few ladies from my neighborhood.  

We saw some really pretty and interesting homes, both historical and new, but all with unique Florida 

style.  The last home, right on the Intercoastal Waterway, with views of the Gulf of Mexico as well, was three stories of fabulous.  We enjoyed a glass of wine after the tour to make it a most enjoyable day.

Late Sunday afternoon, we headed to St. Armands Circle in Sarasota for a little shopping, drinks and dinner.  It's a lovely spot and we found just the thing we were looking for.  We are still enjoying finding house decor with the coastal vibe we love.  My margarita was good and the sunset at Lido Beach was even better.

Happy Monday!

Tropical Super Bowl Weekend

A Super Bowl weekend that included a day at the beach with good friends visiting from Michigan.  What's not to love about that?  We headed about one hour north on Saturday, to the Clearwater Beach area and spent the day in the sun at a condo just steps from a white sandy beach.  We drank tropical drinks, had a barbeque, played some beach games and generally caught up with each other. We love living in Florida, but it is far away from our friends and family.  Days like this, where friends visit, remind us that though we don't live in the same state any longer, the connection is always there and really just a plan trip away, either direction.

Sunday night we went to a Super a Bowl party with some Florida friends and it was so nice to enjoy the game poolside.  The game itself was not the most exciting, but the company was good and it was fun to comment on the commercials and the halftime show with a group.  We had one Patriots fan and the rest were ambivalent, but we picked squares that paid each quarter, so that kept our interest.  

The dessert tray I took was a hit, and included Oreo Brownies, Lemon Squares and Chocolate Chip Squares.  When asked to bring dessert, I like to bring small bites, rather than a bigger dessert.  I find people will turn down a big slice of cake, but usually will say yes to a cookie.

Happy Monday!

{ Linking with these friends}

Stonegable

Between Naps on the Porch

21 Rosemary Lane