Tuscan Ham and White Bean Soup

I don't know about you, but our fridge is still full of yummy holiday leftovers!  We had enough ham to feed a small army, so I decided to whip up a few batches of soup for us to enjoy!  It turned out that I needed to drop off dinner for a friend, and had plenty to do so....this batch makes quite a lot!  I didn't follow a specific recipe, but just created it out of things we currently had in our fridge and pantry.  It turned out great, even the kids thought it was delicious (although the spinach was picked out of their portions.)  Give it a try - and let me know if you do!  

TUSCAN HAM AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Ingredients:

3-4 cups of ham (cut into small chunks)

8 oz (¾  bag) of frozen onion/carrot/celery mix

1 tbsp minced garlic

32 oz vegetable broth

32 oz chicken broth

1 cup water

1 can great northern beans, drained

1 can white kernel corn, drained

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

2 cups chopped spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In large pot, saute onion/carrots/celery for 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 2 more minutes.  

Add in ham, broths, water, beans, corn, and herbs.  

Bring to simmer, top with lid, and cook for 30-45 minutes.  

Before serving, add spinach in and cook for 5 more minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Gift Guide - Baby's First Christmas

Gift Guides are my favorite :)
And I know that there are only 5 days until Christmas!  But I made several Gift Guides back in November, and then, well, just never posted them!  But just in case there are last minute shoppers out there, here's the one of the several gift guides I created for the holidays!  OR, bookmark these for upcoming birthdays!  Anniversaries! Mother's Day!  Get a jump start on your Christmas presents for next year! You get the picture...you need gifts all year long!  And the best part of a late gift guide - almost everything is already on sale!  ;)


Baby's First Christmas

1 - Personalized Wooden Toy Airplane (Safe and natural, and just begging for imagination!)
2 - Their first phone! (love the wood design and the simplicity of this one)
3 - Cuddle and Kind doll (hand-knit and adorable, comes from a company with an amazing cause)
4 - Personalized/Monogrammed outfit (tons of designs to choose from!)
5 - Taxi Rattle (Is this not the cutest rattle ever! Perfect for a "big city" baby ;))
6 - The Nutcracker Board Book (a favorite of ours this season!)
7 - Monogram nursery print - (so sweet and special, love this simple wreath design)
8 - Silver Initial Ornament (would you look at this price!)
9 - Sheepskin Cloud Rug - (baby soft, and I love the cloud shape!)
10 - Knit Baby Blanket (comes in black and white too!)


What is under the tree for your little one this year?