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SAUSAGE + TORTELLINI = WIN!

4/23/2020

I love soup, and so does everyone in my house...well, that is except my husband. There’s just something about soup he hasn't always loved, but he LOVES my sausage + tortellini soup!

He eats an entire bowl and then some every time I make it. The combination of sausage and tortellini is a winner for the whole family!

It’s creamy without being heavy, full of veggies, and loaded with pillowy cheese tortellini. It’s hard not to love this delicious soup.

HOW TO MAKE SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP
This recipe is super simple and it comes together in 45 minutes. You probably have half of the ingredients on hand, and the others are really easy to find. It tastes amazing the day it’s made, and delicious the day after. Did I mention it requires only 1 pot?!

MEAT. To start you’ll brown 1 pound of Spicy Italian sausage (we like spicy food, but you can substitute with mild) in your stockpot. Transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Using the remaining grease (about 1 tablespoon or so), a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion, shallot and carrots, sauté for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are nice and soft.

ROUX. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Whisk in 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute (creating a roux that helps thicken the soup). Gradually add in the chicken stock, whisk to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 6 minutes.

TORTELLINI + VEGGIES. Pat as much grease as possible off of the sausage (that way you wont have excess grease on the top of the soup) , then add it along with the tortellini, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, chopped spinach, and half & half.

SIMMER. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tortellini is fully cooked.

MORE NOTES + TIPS
This soup is perfect as is, but it can be changed up by preference. In fact, many sausage tortellini soups are tomato-based, and if you like that, we suggest cutting the chicken broth in half and add 1 can of tomato sauce and a few cans of diced tomatoes. It’s delicious too!

If STORED properly in an air-tight container this soup can last for up to 3 days in the fridge.

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My Oldest Son's Bedroom Makeover

4/16/2020

I have worked on numerous design projects throughout my career…from full kitchen renovations and master bedroom makeovers to entire first floors and complete basement remodels. But for the past few months, my oldest son, Aiden (17) has been asking the same question over and over again…”Are you working on my room yet?” With a busy family life and a busy design business, my answer was always the same…soon!

Determined to give each one of my children a comfortable and relaxing space that expresses their own personalities, I spent many late nights designing and sourcing furniture and materials starting with my oldest son Aiden's spacious bedroom. Most 17 year olds have strong opinions but he was actually different. And I'm not going to lie, it's bittersweet, my first born will be a Senior in high school starting in the fall- he wants me, his mom to decorate his room, but I also can't believe my first-born is really only going to be at home for one more year.

When brainstorming teen bedroom ideas, the most important thing to remember is that their bedroom is an expression of who they are.
Today’s teenagers are design-conscious and up to date on the latest trends. But they’re torn between childhood and adulthood. Most teens have beloved toys they’re not ready to give up, but look for a room that’s older and more sophisticated than their childhood room.

I definitely took into consideration approaching his room as a mini, self-contained apartment where he can spend most of his time comfortably.

Regardless of size, a teen’s bedroom needs to be versatile enough for them to spread out and get homework done, hang with friends, lounge and sleep, all while reflecting their personality.

When considering teenagers bedroom ideas, keep in mind they should include functions specific to their age, as well as look great. For Aiden, he loves playing the guitar, tinkering with his drones, playing video games, reading. Keeping his current hobbies and interests in mind, I really wanted to create a space that will support him this last year at home before going off to college in a year. So it was important to incorporate the things he's passionate about and what he is looking forward to doing in his future (a commercial airline pilot)in his space. So finally one Sunday afternoon, we cleared everything out of his room- and finally gave him the bedroom makeover he had been waiting patiently for. And yes, he did help.

"Regardless of size, a teen’s bedroom needs to be versatile enough for them to spread out and get homework done, hang with friends, lounge and sleep, all while reflecting their personality."

The first thing we decided was that this room needed to serve multi-purposes.  For most teenager’s their room is more than just a sleeping space. Like most teenagers, Aiden is starting to explore the world of independence and having a room where he can hang out, study and lounge with friends is almost as important as sleep. And the social aspect of a teen room decor is big.

I added a rolling desk, and since it didn't have any storage space, I used some storage bins he had hiding in his closet. The desk lamp has a USB port for charging his electronics, because teens bedrooms need some tech savvy aspects too. Since his window ledge is wide, I used it as a shelf for his books.  If your son has a favorite hobby or collection, why not incorporate it into his bedroom design scheme?  We finally ordered guitar wall brackets, because he had his guitars laying everywhere. So now, they also serve as wall art. We also incorporated some more trendy types of decor like the tie dye wall tapestry over his bed.

Bold and imaginative elements are the secret to making your teen excited about creating a cool new bedroom space. We added a few of these unexpected features to make the space a little more fun-

* an old world map I found at a barn sale, used as a roman shade over his window
* old suitcases stacked in the alcove above his closet, made the perfect vignette when I added some greenery and a cardboard airplane he made when he was younger
*the blue geometric pillows to tie into the blue geometric rug we added. stick to a simple color palette of two or three primary colors for a smart, cohesive scheme.
* an old standing globe, with stenciled letters, then the rest painted black.

His plaid quilt is great because it is a relaxed and grown-up scheme for a boy’s bedroom, you can’t go wrong with a classic industrial boarding school look. But we also added a furry throw, because textures are also important for a teens bedroom. Teens love spending time in their rooms because they feel safe and comfortable. So be sure to add things that have a soft texture, feel-good fabrics.

"Bold and imaginative elements are the secret to making your teen excited about creating a cool new bedroom space"

I'm a firm believer of keeping the walls in kid's rooms a blank canvas. White walls might not be the trendiest option for a teenage boys room, but you can easily adapt to your teenagers changing interests with framed prints on the wall and patterned bedding.

What I realized during this fun bedroom makeover, is your teen can all appreciate cool bedroom decor. Invite them to brainstorm ideas with you to design a creative space that’s comfortable, functional, and suits their unique teenage style.

Stay tuned…two more kids room reveals coming soon…