My House Debra

I couldn't believe the many visitors that came to see Audrey and Andy and congratulate them on the birth of little Lauren. When I had my children I was anxious to rest and get my sleep, but Audrey was so strong and delighted in sharing her joy with the many visitors that came by. Here are a few shots of the visitors.

We have had a wonderful month rejoicing together as we have welcomed Lauren Ashley Cooper into the world. Audrey and Andy are so excited about being parents and are enjoying little "L" so much. I was able to be there when the baby was born and stay for a week. Little Lauren was so cute and I enjoyed holding her so much. We were able to be in AZ 2 more times and again enjoyed our visits with Audrey and Andy and our new grand daughter. We feel so very blessed - now we have 3 beautiful grand daughters.

This has been a busy busy couple of months. I've been enjoying my teaching, my grandkids, and especially having Seth home ever so often. I stepped down as President of the forum in April and so now I'm feeling like I can have a life again. I enjoyed doing the forum but it really took my time and kept me focused on the troubles in the world. I still hope to continue to be informed and do my part but now I can focus more on my family which I'm grateful for. I was able to go and visit Audrey and see her. My camera was low on batteries so I didn't get a picture of my sweet girl. She is looking so cute pregnant and I really want to get her picture on my blog. We had a wonderful time together getting things bought to put in her babies room. Lauren is going to be one spoiled little girl. I am so excited to have her come into our lives. Demi had a birthday and so did Sara. We enjoyed spending time celebrating the joy that they bring into our lives. I hope they felt that they were important to all of us.
Another couple of events that brought great joy to me was the Orchestra Concert held at the Tabernacle in March, and the Concert at the Cathedral of the Madeline just last weekend. Two wonderful experiences for me. We played the Shostakovitch 5th Symphony on our March Concert and it was a very moving event for me. I absolutely loved the piece. We got many good reviews and our conductor was pleased. Everyone seemed to feel good about the performance. When we performed with the choir at the Cathedral of the Madeline the sound was out of this world because of the acoustics. I had never heard such a glorious sound. What a treat for me. So you can see: Life is good!! I am happy, very busy and grateful for my family and all of the wonderful people in my life. Sorry it has taken me two months to pull these pictures together. I will try to do better to keep this updated. Enjoy the pics.

Mom and I have been down a bit with some congestion and flu symtoms: Thought you might enjoy a soup that is pretty good for what ails you. And while I'm at it another soup that some of you have been asking me for .... it's not the best for when you're sick though.

Italian Chicken with White Beans:
1 cup chopped onion ( 1 large)
1 cup chopped carrot ( 2 med)
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (1 stalk)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pds skinless, boneless chicken tenders/ cut in small pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 15 oz can white kidney (cannellini) beans rinsed and drained.
In a 4 quart slow cooker cominbine the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Place chicen pieces on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a med bowl combine undrained tomatoes, broh, and Italian seasoning. Pour over mixture in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3.5 hours. Makes a wonderful soup.



Italian Peasant Soup:
1 pd Italian sausage links, casings removed and cut into 1 inch slices
2 med. onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pd boneless skinless chicken breats, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cans cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained ( I use Italian Style)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional
In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add onions and garlic, saute until tender. Add chicken, cook and stir until no longer pink. Stir in the beans, broth, tomatoes, basil and roegano. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the spinach and heat just until wilted. Serv e with Parmesan cheese if desired. Yield 11 servings.