Tortellini with Spinach, Peas, Bacon and Brown Butter

I got inspired for this dish from a recent Real Simple recipe.  Of course, my husband doesn't believe that a meal is really a meal unless there is meat involved.  So, I added low fat Canadian bacon to this and it turned out delish!

What You'll Need:

2 packages of refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 bag fresh baby spinach
1 beefsteak tomato
2 cups frozen green peas
6 pieces of Canadian bacon, finely chopped
zest of one lemon
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
salt and pepper

What You'll Do:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  At the very end, add in the green peas.  Strain pasta and peas together.

Meanwhile, melt butter and brown for a couple of minutes taking care not to burn.  Add Canadian bacon and brown slightly.  Add spinach and tomato and let spinach wilt and tomato soften - about 3 minutes.  Add in pasta and peas.  Salt and pepper generously and add zest of one lemon at very end.  Serve immediately.

The Scout Guide comes to Alexandria

I am totally stoked.  I've had a long time love affair with Charlottesville and wanting to move there.  So much so that a few years ago I found this little website called The Scout Guide for Charlottesville and have been living vicariously through it for a while now.  

This weekend when I was in Charlottesville (and finally got to visit the much anticipated And George!) I found out two things - 1) Scout has gone into publication with awesome free guides that you can pick up at local stores for FREE and 2) they have expanded to other areas - to include Alexandria!  (See sample book cover above).  

The thing I love about these guides is that they promote shopping local - great stores and services that you can only find in the cities that they are featuring.  Another thing to love?  The books are so pretty that you can save them to sit on your book shelf!  Did I mention they are free?

Cheers!

It's been a while since I've done a needlepoint project because I've been so into knitting.  But when my friend Amanda told me she wanted to try her hand at needlepointing, it brought on a resurgence.  Now, I have a whole gang of friends who are addicted and I love it!  We even have monthly needlepointing gatherings.  Dorks after my own heart!

This project that I finished was going to be a wedding present for a friend.  I bought it years ago with my mom.  My mom died six years ago and I have left it sitting unfinished.  This prompted me to finish it but instead of gifting it, I decided to hang on to it to remind me of happy times with my mama.

I love how it turned out.  I used museum quality glass that is so clear you can hardly tell there is glass on there at all.  This is the first needlepoint project I've had framed but don't think it will be the last!

Scenes from the Weekend

Hope your weekend was just as lovely!

Serena and Lily

Great furniture, great bedding, great nursery items and great fabrics.  Serena and Lily has a collection of some of my all time favorite things to look at.  I am especially smitten with their mirrors, beds and fabrics of late.  Just look at some of them!

 Bungalow Mirror

 Have you ever seen a cooler headboard?

What a cute gift idea - monogrammable ceramics!  Love this shade of green.

Would make precious pillows.

I would make nursery drapes out of this!

All found here.