Thursday, May 8, 2014

good day sunshine



Hey folks!  We had the most glorious sunshine today!  Popsicles, sprinkler time, and good old dirt digging! Things are popping on through in the garden though we still have a bit that is delayed from the cold spring temps of April.  I have been working like a dog trying to get the start of the season up and running around here so I apologize if I have not been around for a visit.  That and a pretty nasty bug that I'm just getting over! 



herbs in



The beds are waking up!



containers are being made...Torenia Hybrid, Plectranthus, Millium "Flashlights" {annuals for shade}



color blocking with Coleus 


my tulips


more tulips...my favorite


Another construction area in the garden....a whole new vision...to be continued on this one!



nature adventures with the beans



And a while back I talked about trying new recipes from my Aunt Tina's cookbook.  Here is our latest one and it's another keeper!



Turkey-Stuffed Shells



~ 12 oz package jumbo shells
~ 1 lb ground turkey
~ a dash of olive oil for the pan
~ 1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
~ 2 medium size onions
~ 1 8 oz container of ricotta cheese or you can use cottage cheese
~ 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
~ 4 tbsp. of butter
~ 3 tbsp. of flour
~ 2 1/4 cups of milk
~ 1/2 tsp. salt
~ 1/2 a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese


Boil your pasta shells.  Meanwhile, in a pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle in your olive oil.  Cook your onions for a few minutes and then add your turkey.  Stirring occasionally until the turkey is brown and the onions are tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in....spinach, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese.

In a saucepan over low heat melt your butter and stir in flour until blended.  Cook 1 minute.  Gradually stir in milk and salt.  Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.  (you may need to add a hint more flour if it is not thickening) Pour half of the sauce into a 13x9 inch baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Drain your shells.  Fill the shells with your turkey mixture and arrange them on the sauce in the baking dish.  Pour remaining sauce over your shells and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly.  Turn oven control to broil. Broil your stuffed shells for no longer than 5 minutes until the tops are brown.  And enjoy!


Happy Making, Baking, and Growing!




61 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear you've not been well, Nicole. Hope you are good and healthy now :) Your garden looks great--love your tulips, especially the pink one--just gorgeous. I'm pinning your turkey stuffed shells recipe; it looks delicious! Hope your week-end is lovely. Blessings, Diana

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  2. Your gardens are coming right along! I love the large jug in the second picture!! The pink tulip is a beauty! I bet your little ones are enjoying the sunshine as much as you! It looks like everyone is having fun! I will try this stuffed shells--i need new dinner ideas! I hope you fell better soon! Happy gardening!

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  3. Oh I love sprinkler days! Okay, is that a toy toad or not? Your container plantings are going to be gorgeous. I usually plant my basil in late May but I'm tempted to plant it now. Being busy is good, being sick is not so good. I hope you feel better soon. Your stuffed shells look like a good and nourishing meal on a sick day. Have a happy Mother's Day, Nicole!

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  4. Your garden looks beautiful! Oh, I need some sunshine days on the weekend to get things shaped up around here, too. Sunday is looking good at this point so fingers crossed.

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  5. Stunning coleus. Your tulips are beautiful too. Happy weekending.

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  6. Hi Nicole,

    How lovely that you had sunshine and you were able to enjoy it out in the garden.
    The basil and parsley will be great for delicious culinary and love all your gorgeous flowers and plants.
    Happy weekend
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  7. Oh lovely happy spring!! Looks so happy and promising! xx

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  8. Love the tulips and coleus, so striking! Your garden is really wake up.
    Thanks for the recipe!

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  9. We haven't had any toads in the garden for a while now - they aren't as colourful as frogs but they are nice to have around. I bet the beans love him. Nice to see everything waking up in your garden especially the tulips - lovely. And as for the filled shells they sound delicious. Have a happy weekend.

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  10. Your garden is look so alive now, I like the sound of your turkey shells. Have a fabulous weekend, I'm glad you are enjoying the necklace

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  11. Good morning my dear friend! I do so love popping by here and looking at your pictures... They make me ever so cheery! I need to plant herbs like you have... it's so easy to do and I just never make the time. But I will, one day, soon!

    We've decided to give up the renting buzz and purchase our first home... of course then house I have fallen in love with is a total fixer upper but it has a garden that you me dear would love. I think if we go for it- you'll have to be my online advisor! I wouldn't even know where to start!! Have a great weekend! My love to the beans! Hazel x

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  12. Your garden is looking great, & that pasta dish sounds divine! What do you serve it with I'm think of a nice pasta sauce & some salad, my mouth is watering now. I'm glad you are getting over your bug now. Hope you have a great weekend.

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  13. Oh gosh, such lovely bright colours lighting up your garden, those tulips are delightful! And a super yummy sounding recipe, I think I'm going to give it a go and adapt it to use soy mince for my hubby, we've had a pack of jumbo shells in for the longest time and this seem seems like the perfect recipe! Sorry to hear you haven't been well, I hope you're back to being tip top soon! xxx

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  14. Yay for glorious sunshine! Your garden is looking great with the tulips. And those shells must taste absolutely delicious! Hope you're feeling better now x Happy weekend!

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  15. The garden is looking lovely and that recipe looks very yummy.
    Hugs to you,
    Meredith

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  16. Oh WOW! That tulip is so beautiful!!! I love tulips too! And is that a real frog, so cool!!! All I get here are lizards and scorpions! ugh! It would be so nice to have fresh herbs but all my attempts just die, I had to give up and come to the realization that my thumbs are pure evil. I am so glad I can enjoy your garden through my laptop! keep up the good work!! I will try out the recipe, not sure if I will do the turkey, I can't seem to get a atste for it! Maybe some sweet sausage would be good!!

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  17. So glad to hear you're enjoying some great weather and it sure looks like your garden is flourishing thanks to that! And thanks for sharing this tasty recipe! Glad to hear you're feeling better :) Happy weekend Nicole!

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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  18. Yes!! The plants are out!
    I'm just waiting on my mint to return from the dead...

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  19. Si gald you are feeling better now. I love your multilayer tulip. So cool. Have alovely weekend. Happy Mother's day to you.

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  20. OMG WOW!!!! Your tulips are stunning, just so utterly beautiful!!! I am really looking forward to seeing your garden grow over the summer as although I will be sad not to see it in person, I am so excited about the thought of getting to see it as you share it with us!!!! Hope that you have a good weekend and that everyone is fit and well. xx

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  21. Wasn't yesterday strange? I mean, it was nice having the warmth and the sun, but it was a bit of a shock. Some of my plants had a hard time adjusting, they were kind of droopy. It was good to get last night's rain. Today is still warm but a bit more seasonal. So how did you attract that toad exactly? Did you tell the Beans it was Toad of Toad Hall?

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  22. I hope you feel better soon, Nicole. Your plants look beautiful! Everything is so lush and healthy and those coleus are so bright, I love the color-blocking you did with them. The stuffed shells look delicious, thank you for sharing the recipe. Take care and be well.

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  23. That meal looks really yummy. May have to invite myself over for dinner.
    So sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. I was wondering where you were, but when I disappear from blogging, I'm just busy doing real life. Glad you are back and anxious to see what you and your beans have been up to.
    Cindy

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  24. Oh my gosh, that recipe looks sooo yummy. Have to try it! Hope you're over the bug now. Yucky! I thought that toad/frog was a plastic one. Goodness, you grow them big over there:) Your garden's looking gorgy too, love those tulips! Enjoy the lovely weekend:) x

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  25. Love your garden and your blog in general! The pics are stunning and the recipes look so good! I will be back soon!
    XO
    Rachel

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  26. So glad everything is taking off in the garden. We had a really cold April here last year and spring was very late, but it all came together in the end. It's all looking really good so far with you, I especially love that top container, it's so pretty. And the tulips are fantastic. That recipe looks delicious, I'm glad you're enjoying the book, I like to try out older recipes too. I hope you guys all have a really good weekend. CJ xx

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  27. Take care lovely, I hope you're feeling better soon. Happy Mothers day for tmw! XX

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  28. The recipes looks so good! I like the color blocking ;-)
    Have a nice weekend
    Helga

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  29. Hi Nicole - so glad you are on the mend and back to playing in the dirt once again! Everything looks beautiful - the tulips, the coleus, and the herb garden. I love the torenia - aren't they the sweetest little flowers? I have to find some...I hope the toad likes his new garden - so cute! The recipe looks delicious - I wish I had some right now - thanks for the recipe! I want to wish you a very lovely Mother's Day and I hope you get to relax and put your feet up - at least for a little while :) Thank you for your sweet visits, too. A big hug, xo Karen

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  30. You have been working so hard in your garden, Nicole! You put me to shame! We have had lots of things going on lately and the garden keeps being pushed back, but I must try to find some time this weekend. The sunshine certainly helps, but we've had non stop rain for two days! Grrrr. I am sorry to hear you have had a bug, there is a lot going about at the moment. Those turkey stuffed shells look delicious too. Have a great weekend. :)

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  31. Oh my gosh, that damn bug went through our house - Baby still has it, PLUS everyone has a cold. What the heck?!?! Rough week for sure.

    Those shells sound delicious. Pasta and cheese wins any day of the week.

    That pot of coleus is gorgeous. I just bought two tray packs yesterday. I try them every year and can never get them to grow well for me. In pots or the ground. But I'm not giving up. I love them.

    The pot with the lime green grass and torenia is gonna be GORGEOUS. I wish I had more discipline when it came to putting my pots together. I just get so grab happy in the annual sections of the nursery and have to have one of everything. Then I see these meticulously planned arrangements and every year wish I went with a theme. Ah well. Maybe in my next life. :)

    You're ahead of me in the herb department. I haven't bought any yet. Nor veggies. I can't wait for fresh basil, though. C'mon warm weather!

    Hope your house is back to 100% for Mother's Day and that you get some good sunshine for playin' in the dirt!

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  32. Everything's looking beautiful! Love your gnome :). Hope you're all better now and that the last of the winter sicknesses are over now!

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  33. Yummy recipe! I haven't made giant shells in forever....
    Glad you're over the bug :)

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  34. You seem to have gone from cold to weather to gardening weather in a really quick time frame. I really like the mixture of coleus, my mum used to grow them indoors in a big bell jar. Happy Weekend Nicole. Love Jo x

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  35. Your tulips are just beautiful!! And, ooh, turkey stuffed shells

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  36. Argh...blogger is acting up on me...continuing...the turkey stuffed shells I will definitely try! Feel better my dearie and Happy Mother's Day! I thought about you today while diggity digging in my yard! xoxo Jen

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  37. goodness that pink and yeloow tulip is to die for.....your babies are so adorable..I like your gnome garden!!

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  38. wow your gardens are inspirational - I managed to keep a plant alive Ive had since november.... SCORE!!

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  39. I'm guessing the toad is real and the gnome is a model - or maybe it's the other way around..... Garden springtime magic in the air xxx

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  40. Hello Nicole!

    I love seeing the progress of your garden! :) i hope you are already feeling better and that you'll have a great new week!

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  41. You've been busy. Have fun and keep well.

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  42. Hi Nicole! Happy Mother's day, I hope you are feeling better! You garden is so beautiful, I am seriously wanting to do something with my back yard...You are such an inspiration! And this recipe looks amazing!! I LOVE Stuffed pasta of any kind, I am excited to try this! Thanks for sharing, and I pinned it! Hugs friend!

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  43. Hi, Friend! Glad you're feeling better. Spring is a rotten time to be sick! Your garden should be nice therapy for you, though!! There is something so special about watching your garden wake up. It's like welcoming back old friends!! :) Wishing you a wonderful (and healthy) week!

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  44. I can smell your basil from here, yummo. And I love the colour blocking with the coleus! Happy Spring to you Nicole, I can't wait to see your garden unfold whilst I bunker down for Winter x

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  45. beautiful greens and colors! so exciting to see :) and your turkey stuffed shells look so delicious. so sorry you had a bug but glad to know you're doing better!

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  46. Oh yum! Those stuffed shells look so delish! :) Your garden is beautiful, as always. Love the tulips! Love your new pic on the sidebar as well. Can't wait to see more of your garden this summer!

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  47. Happy spring. Boy this time of year, we can't blink or we'll miss something. Your dinner idea looks fabulous. I bet the troops loved it. Have fun in the garden and the kitchen.

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  48. Glad you're feeling better! I love that your toad is hanging out in an old abalone shell. How very cool! :o) Gorgeous tulip! Have a great week! :o)

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  49. Hello Nicole. Your garden is beautiful and I love those tulips. But I really love your new profile picture. What a beautiful bunch you are! :D *hugs*

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  50. this looks delicious!! thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  51. Hope you are feeling better. The pasta shells look delicious and are just the sort of thing you would think kids love. I am looking forward to seeing what else your aunt's cookbook will offer.
    The garden is coming along nicely. I like the way you edged the paths. (That must have been a ton of work!) That peachy tulip is sooo pretty. It would be my favourite too.

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  52. The herbs look great and your tulips are just beautiful! But nothing can quite compare to that photo of your stuffed shells! LOL - they look absolutely delicious . . . so much so that I printed the recipe for the hubby to try. Thanks for sharing.

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  53. Sending sunshiny thoughts your way. Hope you kick that bug soon. I'm dying (as well) over that tulip. I think I have to have some. So lotus-like and superb…. and you know I love purple, and I totally dig the color blocking w/ coleus. *Back to the tulip…. Wherever you purchased it should personally thank you, because I'm sure it will be sold out quickly next season ;) Feel better! *hugs*

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  54. You have been busy! Loving all the colour that is popping up. And do I see a real frog?! My boys would love that. Can't wait to see what the warm sunshine does to your garden as we bunker down for winter. Happy week to you lovely xo

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  55. such a lovely garden :"> it's growing ^^)

    xoxo,rae
    http://www.raellarina.net/

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  56. You are multi talented. Doing all things good. Your garden looks good with beautiful flowerings and also your cooking looks great!

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  57. Nicole-I loved your post and am glad you are feeling better. Your gardens are so lovely your turkey-stuffed shells are looking yummy! Have a good weekend!

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  58. Hi Nicole, Glad to hear you're on the other side of the bug you had. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving such a nice comment. It looks like things are growing fast in your gardens.....btw, I love your garden urn in the 2nd pic! Be still my heart....I have urn envy! haha. They are doing amazing things to Coleus and I have to have a pot of it in many shapes and colors! Your recipe looks great....anything with cheese and spinach and I'm in.....must try it. Hugs to your little beans:) Happy Gardening!

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  59. love that toad's environment. he looks so happy there!! That tulip looks almost like a peony it has so many petals!

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  60. Those tulips are divine. So beautiful! I can't grow tulips here at all, so I am really enjoying admiring yours. That toad is amazing as well :)

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