Minestrone Soup

Are you on Pintrest??? The most addictive thing ever? I keep finding yummy recipes and ideas and I keep pinning them to my boards and don't look back…well this week I looked back. I made my entire breakfast and dinner menu from Pintrest recipes.  This is the first one and WOW it is amazing. 

This is not the original recipe I changed mine a bit you can get the original here  she has so many AMAZING recipes I am sure you will enjoy! 

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup 

(I made mine on the stove top not in the crock pot)

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 4 • Points+: 5
Calories: 215.7 • Fat: 0.7 g • Protein: 8.7 g • Carb: 42.0 g • Fiber: 6.7 g   

this info is for the original recipe….I didn't use the pasta but I added turkey meat balls

This is my version of the ingredient list

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes drained
• 2 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini & navy)
•  fat free chicken broth 
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and fresh pepper
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium yellow squash chopped
• 1 bunch of swiss chard
• mini turkey meat balls
• cooked pasta (I did not use pasta)
• extra parmesan cheese to top (extra pts)

Rinse and drain beans and tomatoes

(I did not use the crock pot I just cooked it on the stove but you can do either way. Just save the meat balls and zucchini and squash until the end either way.) 

 On the stove top…. combine broth, tomatoes,  beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper and let cook for about 45 minutes. Chop and stir in the swiss chard, about 10-15 minutes before you are ready to eat drop in the uncooked meat balls and let simmer (try not to stir to much it will break up the meat balls, then chop and stir in the zucchini and squash. Just push them down into the soup try not to stir.  The squash doesn't take long only about 5 min.  Then serve with shaved parm on top.

In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and swiss chard. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper.Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese.


This may be one of the best things I have ever made! Its so hearty yet low in fat and calories. Make ate a big bowl and asked for more!!!  Hope you enjoy!

Who doesn't LOVE quiche???

This recipe is so quick and easy and you can make it the day before and just reheat when you are ready for it!

Chicken, Broccoli, and Mushroom quiche

Ingredients 

2 frozen pie crust (or homemade but who has time for that?)

1 pack of chicken breast cut into very small pieces

1 small onion chopped

1 8oz pack of mushrooms sliced 

1 small bag of frozen broccoli

12 eggs

and LOTS of freshly shredded cheese (what ever kind you like)

You can add or change any of these ingredients to what you and your family like.

Heat the olive oil 

Saute the onion and chicken (season Salt and Pepper)

when the chicken is cooked add the mushrooms and cook to release the water 2-4 minutes

add the frozen broccoli (I just put it on top and cover so it just slightly steams, I do not like my broccoli overcooked) 

I use 6 full eggs and 6 egg whites just to make it a little healthy (LOL) 

I whisk in some goat cheese (some people use heavy cream but I am watching the calories)

Poke and heat the room temperature pie crust for 4 minutes

Spoon the chicken and veggie mixture into the pie shell (not the liquid)

Pour the egg mixture over the chicken, veggie until the crust is full

Top heavily with your favorite shredded cheese (i just used little pieces from what was in the fridge)

Bake for 35-45 minutes in a 400-425 oven 

until its golden brown and firm through the middle!

I will serve this tomorrow night for dinner. Just reheat at 350 for about 20 minutes

We will have fruit and a simple salad on the side! 

I even made one for my Mom!!! 

This is a perfect meal for a get together or brunch! It's quick and easy and you can make it ahead of time! Let me know if you make it and what you stuffed yours with! 

You can also make this crustless in an oven safe pan!

 

This weeks Menu

Making a weekly menu on Sundays by whats on sale and coupons is saving us a TON of money! And is saving me a lot of headache and a ton of time! We have been putting in some long days and the last thing I want to think about is what's for dinner. This week I saved over $50 on Groceries and I bought everything I needed for the week!

Monday Lunch -Fruit salad, cheese and crackers, and greek yogurt.
               Dinner- our weekly visit to Sweet Tomatoes

Tuesday -Blacked fish tacos ( I love this recipe and it very healthy)

Wednesday- Chicken pot Stickers and cabbage salad (a lot of carry over ingredients from Tuesday)

Thursday- Chicken and mushroom Quiche! I have been craving this!

Friday- would normally be date night but this week we are going to save money since we went out with friends this past saturday and do an antipasti plate! Yumm

I only spent $120 at Publix and got all I need for these meals, and lunches for the week for Makayla and us.

I have a small head cold and have been wanting hot tea but shouldn't be drinking some of the herbs in natural loose leave teas so I made my own tonight! Orange and lemon peels, apples, peaches and honey let them seep in hot water and waalaa homemade all natural tea. I used the rest of the fruits in my fruit salad.  It's delish!

Hope you all have a great week!

Healthy cooking for 2011

I know I haven't shared a recipe in a REALLY long time but I am trying to get back to blogging. It is something I really enjoy and a great way to keep a journal of life!! Since I realized I only have a month (well now 15 days) until I am the big 30 I decided to get myself in better shape. We have been eating healthy and working out more. My mom came up with this great recipe for ...

Chicken Veggie burgers

So easy and really good. Steve and I eat them over shredded lettuce with a homemade salsa on top but Makayla enjoys hers on a bun with melted "cheese".

3 stalks of celery

1 small onion

2 garlic cloves

1 bell pepper

1 jalapeno seeded (optional)

2lbs of lean organic ground chicken

salt and pepper to season

Puree the first 5 ingredients until finely chopped

mix in with the chicken and season to taste.

Once the mixture in mixed it will be a little loose so you have to work with it a bit. Form it into small patties and heat a skillet with a little chicken broth.

You can use oil but I am trying not to use any extra fats!

Cook on both sides until pretty brown and cooked through. Serve as a burger with a bun or a healthy protein to a salad.

This recipe makes a lot of burgers so as they finished cooking I put them on a pan in a warm oven to make sure they were cooked and to keep warm.

We had a lot of left overs. I just wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and stored them in the fridge. They are easy to take to work for a quick lunch and they are even good cold.

Let me know if you like them and if you make them!!

Name that recipe?!?!?!?!?

I was in the mood for something different for dinner tonight, so I combined 2 very yummy dishes and made my own recipe. I am not sure what to call it though. What do you think?

Here is the recipe!

1 bag of broccoli slaw

2 packages of ramen noodles but I only used 1 tonight and I will add more to the left overs

1 can each of: low sodium: Pinto Beans, Black beans, Garbanzo Beans, and corn

1 avocado cubed

1/2 each of a red and orange bell peppers cubed *optional or whatever color you have

green onions*optional

I used cashews but any kind of nut would be fine or you can leave them out but just make sure to add them on top as they get really soggy.

Dressing: 2 ramen noodle packets

juice from 1 lime

sesame oil about 1tsp

regular cooking oil I use smart balance about 2-3 TBS

spoonful of sugar

a couple TBS of vinegar (i used rice wine because I had it but you can use regular)

I didn't really measure I just poured in so use your best judgement.

Whisk all together until the sugar and seasoning packet are dissolved.

Dice and slice all the ingredients and toss together. pour over the dressing and toss again.

I let it sit for 5-10 minutes before I served it but if its going to be longer then that before you serve it I would wait to put the dressing on as the noodles get soggy.

And this is what it looked like!!!

Yummy huh? I thought so and so did Steve, Makayla, and my sister.

You could put your own twist on this salad. It is going to be perfect for summer BBQ's and friendly get togethers!

I wanted to add cilantro but the store was out of it. You could also add tomatoes, grilled chicken, any other kind of bean or veggie. You could even add red pepper flake to the dressing for a spicy touch. Or taco seasoning for a kick! Give it a try and let me know what you think and what you change.

But first lets give this salad a NAME!!!!

Name that recipe I dare you!!!!!

St. Patrick's day Meal

Since Makayla was still not feeling well and I stayed home from work to take care of her we decided to stay in this year. Makayla and I made the traditional Corned beef and cabbage for Steve to enjoy when he got home.

My little leprechaun!

First layer in the crock pot

Washed small red potatoes.

Carrots

Thinly sliced onions, garlic powder, S&P

The star of the show

The Corned beef and its seasoning packet

Then I poured a box of chicken stock and let it cook all day.When the meat was ready I took it out and shredded it up and then put it back in the crock pot and sliced up the cabbage and laid it on top about 3 hours before we were ready to eat!

This is the finished pot

Steve LOVED it and so did Makayla. It tried it. It was good but not something I would eat all the time. Though it was easy enough I think it will be a new tradition in the Bower house!

The next day I made a Mexican chicken soup in the crock pot that was delish but I didn't take any pictures. I will however post that recipe soon. It is a must try!

So a few days late Happy St. Patty's day Hope you didn't get pinched to much!

Tickle Your Taste Buds Tuesday

I cannot believe I forgot to post this yesterday...I guess with all the me being sick and my toddler being crazy, and working from home when she naps, and cleaning the house it just slipped my mind. Anyhow I have a good one for you!!!!

Baked Pork chops with Crisp Potatoes

This recipe was so easy and OH MY GOODNESS GOOD! I have to say I am not much of a pork person but these were so good I will be making them again. I got the pork chops with the bone and tenderloin attached. They were about an inch thick each.

2 Pork Chops

3lbs bag of Red New Potatoes

3 cloves of garlic finely minced

EVOO

S&P

Zest from 1 lemon

Chives

Preheat oven to 400

Rinse and pat dry the potatoes and cut in quarters or so they are all about the same size.

In the pan you are going to cook in Drizzle with EVOO and Toss with the garlic add salt and pepper to taste

Season the pork chops with S&P and I added a little garlic and onion powder.

Move the potatoes to the side but you can leave a few under the pork chop. Put the pork chops over the potatoes and bake for 30 minutes then flip the chops over and move the potatoes a little. Bake another 30-45 minutes until the chops are cook through. 165-180 Sprinkle just the chops with the lemon zest and put back in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Take out the chops and let them rest for a few minutes turn the oven up to 500 and move the potatoes around and bake another 5-10 minutes to really crisp up while the chops rest. Take the potatoes out of the oven and sprinkle with the chives.

I also made lemon juice steamed asparagus to serve with the chops and potatoes.

Our pork chops were so big Steve and I split 1 and I sliced up the other one and he took it for lunch the next day. Plus Makayla had the tenderloin part.

This was such an easy and enexpensive recipe and a 1 pan meal so it was easy clean up also. You can't get much better then that.

You have to try this recipe I promise you will love. Do you have a recipe idea for me? Is there a recipe you want me to post? Leave a comment on this post and let me know!

Happy Cooking!!!

Menu for this week

So this week I wanted to try shopping for 2 weeks instead of just 1. With the possibility of going to the produce market early next week to get our weekly fresh fruit and veggies the rest I wanted to only shop 1 time for the next 2 weeks. I looked at the Publix flyer online and saw what was Buy 1 Get 1 free and what was on sale and I planned my menus around that and the coupons I had. I did FANTASTIC! I only spent $218.57 and I saved $42.26! How awesome is that? I say $218.57 for 2 weeks of meals, a few lunches and some other goodies is not that bad!!!

So here is my menu for this week:

Monday: Oven roasted pork chops with crisp Potatoes and steamed

asparagus (real simple cookbook (rscb)

Tuesday: Light Shrimp Newburg served on brown rice (RR Mag)

Wednesday: Prosciutto and Brie sandwiches with Cantaloupe soup(rscb)

Thursday: Brown sugar and garlic chicken with Roasted Broccoli (me!)

Friday: Linguine with artichoke hearts and leeks(rscb)

Saturday: BLT's and Tomato soup(who needs a cookbook for that?)

MMMM I also bought the stuff to make yummy lemon bars!!!

Then next week I have planned:

Chicken Devine(me) You guys are going to love this recipe it will be TTYBT but next week!!!

Soy glazed Salmon with Whole Wheat noodles and green beans(rscb)

Blacked fish Tacos(its good for you PC)

Steaks and a veggie

and what ever might carry over from the week before if we decide to eat out or 1 night might be left overs.

I am not one to buy a lot of junk, or boxed products, or things with trans fats and high fructose corn syrup BUT this week I took a recommendation from my Dad and bought Golden Oreos. I tasted one today and he was right those things are pretty darn yummy. Once in a while it doesn't hurt right?

Do you have any money saving tips this week? Are you trying to spend less and save money??? Feel free to share your ideas with us all here in the comment section on my blog its fun and easy!!!! Happy shopping and check back tomorrow for Tickle you Taste Buds Tuesday...it's a good one!

Tickle Your Taste Buds Tuesday

IT'S BACK.....

one thing I want to do in the new year is spend more time on my blog so I am going to try really hard to post my Tickle your taste buds Tuesday EVERY Tuesday

We have stopped most of the "extras" in an attempt to cut back but the one thing I still do for myself is my Rachel Ray Magazine. There is always really good recipes and they normally don't cost that much and since she is the queen of the "30 minute meal" they are normally quick fixes!

This weeks recipe came from the February 2010 issue.

Broccoli chicken beef Bowls

We eat chicken all the time so I wanted something different and Sirloins were on sale so that is the beef I used.

1 1/2 cups brown rice cooked

3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons of corn starch

Salt and Pepper

1 1/2 - 2 lbs of sirloin steaks (i used 2 good size steaks) Sliced THIN

EVOO (I used toasted sesame oil instead)

1 bunch of broccoli cut up the stems and stalks (i would use fresh because you want crispy broccoli and sometimes frozen can get soggy)

2 green onions -sliced

Cook rice----I use rice in a bag that takes 8 minutes.

Whisk have of the garlic, the soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch season with salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat and let sit 20 minutes

In another bowl whisk together 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

Heat the oil in the skillet and add the garlic, cook on med until tender then add the broccoli stalks, cook for 1-2 minutes then add 1/4 cup of water and the rest of the broccoli cover and let steam for 3-4 minutes until its tender but still crisp. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same pan heat a little more evoo. add the beef mixture and whites of the green onions cook until the beef is cooked through but not over cooked maybe 5 minutes (your beef should be sliced pretty thin)

Stir the broccoli back in season with S&P then add the water/cornstarch mixture. Cook until the liquid thickens about 1 minute.

Turn off heat and stir in the greens of the green onions and serve over the brown rice!

Thats it super easy, super quick and super YUMMY!

Let me know if you try it or if you have recipe you want to share. I would love to hear from you! HAPPY COOKING!

I Love Planning...

Menu planning is going so well for me lately. I am saving more and more at the store by having a list and knowing just what I need. It is saving close to $100 a week and I don't have to stress about whats for dinner or even think about it.

Every Sunday I sit down with my cookbooks, cooking magazines, Rachel Ray Magazines and a few other sources and plan our menu for the week. Last week was such a good menu I wanted to share it will you.

Monday: Skinny Chicken Stroganoff (PC cookbook "It's good for you")

Tuesday: Beef and Broccoli with Brown rice (RR MAG.)

Wednesday: Corn and Poblano Chowder (PC cookbook "29 minutes to dinner")

Thursday: Chicken cutlets and asparagus with Soy Dressing (Real Simple cookbook)

Friday: 30 minute chicken with Green beans and Mashed Potatoes (My Head)

My favorite was the beef and Broccoli with Brown rice so that will be tomorrows Tickle your Taste buds Tuesday! Stay tuned for the recipe it is super easy and really yummy.

This week I want to do a pantry/freezer clean out so I am planning the menu with stuff we already have at the house. (I will have to go buy a few veggies and fruit but everything else will come from the pantry or freezer. This should be the cheapest week ever. LOL

Monday: Hotdogs and fruit (total slacker dinner I know I know)

Tuesday: Cheese quesadillas with White bean chili and lime and cilantro sour cream

Wednesday: Chicken veggie bake

Thursday: Steaks and mushrooms with butternut squash raviolis

Friday: Spicy Thai Shrimp soup (PC cookbook "it's good for you")

Hope you all have a good week and HAPPY COOKING!

Tickle Your Taste Buds Tuesday

Blackened Fish Tacos

Did you read the post just below this one? I am having contest to give away a cook book... go there and take a look and leave a comment so you can have a chance to win!

This is a new recipe from the It's good for you cookbook below. We had it last night for dinner and it was delish! It was inexpensive, easy, quick, and yummy. I don't know about you but I like that combination!

Ingredients:

Slaw:

1/4 green onion with the green part --sliced

1 handfull of cilantro (about 1/3 to half of the bunch) chopped

juice from 1 lime

1 tablespoon veg. oil

1 garlic clove finely chopped or pressed

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon Blackened seasoning

1/2 small bag of broccoli slaw

Fish:

2 tilapia fillets about 1 lb

same blackened seasoning

1 avocado sliced

6-8 corn tortillas warmed

a little shredded cheese I use a mix of yellow and white you only need maybe 1/2 a cup

Directions

Preheat oven to 400

for the slaw, combine green onions, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic clove, sugar, and seasoning. mix together add in slaw and toss until all coated. Cover and put in the fridge until ready to eat.

Rince the fish and place on your baking pan, sprinkle with the blacking seasoning bake until flakey about 12-18 min.

While the fish is cooking slice the avocado, warm the tortillas and grate the cheese. When the fish is ready plate it all up and serve. We ate 3 small tortillas each. Steve and I both really really like these. They were light, fresh, and filling. I didn't even make any sides.

This is a picture before we ate! Hope you enjoy let me know if you make them and what you though or if you changed anything!

Do you have a recipe you want to share? Email me at slbower(at)gmail(dot)com, or leave me a comment below. I am always looking for new recipe ideas. Did you miss out on a past recipes? Just click on the picture at the top of this post or in the right side bar and you can see them all. Give one a try tonight there are some good ones! Make sure to check back every Tuesday for a new recipe and don't forget to let me know if you try one and what spin you put on to make it your own!

Something New!

This week I started something new to help us stay on budget. One of our biggest expenses is the grocery store so I am trying to find ways to cut back on the bill. So this is what I am trying for a while....

PLANNING A MENU for the week, and only getting what I need for the recipes from the store...along with milk and eggs and the other essentials !

So this week I used these 2 cook books to get some ideas from:

These 2 cook books are from pampered chef I LOVE them because they have a picture to go with EVERY recipe (as all of there cook books do) so you know what you are getting into before you even start, and most recipes are VERY budget friendly. This week my menu is:

Monday: Blackened Fish Tacos

Tuesday: Chipotle Shrimp Scampi

Wednesday: ground beef Ground Turkey, broccoli, mac and cheese bake

Thursday: Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles

Friday: BBQ Chicken salad pizza

I had a few things for some of these recipes like the standard oil, spices, and things like that, but most of the ingredients I bought today I spent $108.28...I did have 3 coupons though and I bought a few things not for the recipes like yogurt, lunch meat, and Buy 1 get 1 nuts and a few other things. So lets say all 5 recipes cost around $80.00.

That breaks down to $12.00-$16.00 a meal and since I always make enough for Steve to have lunch the next day that 4 portions at about $4.00 a person. Not to bad if I do say so my self.

Our normal weekly grocery bill is most of time close to $200.00 so I feel I cut down at least half.

I will also being doing a recipe review on 2-3 of the meals from this week and I am going to pick one of the recipes for Tickle your Taste buds Tuesday tomorrow. Any picks on which recipe you want me to post?

What are ways you cut back or save? Do you have a inexpensive recipe you want to share?

Leave a comment on this post with either a money saving tip or a budget friendly recipe before 10:00pm on Thursday night and you could win a Pampered Chef Cook book of your very own(i will let Steve randomly pick one entry)....but if you don't win and you still want one you can get 10% of your order if you mention my blog when you place your order with Jenn. (Just click her name to get to her website and all of her information is there. Be sure to CALL her to place your order if you order direct from the website you won't get the 10% off!)

Good Luck and Happy Saving!!!!!

Tickle Your Taste Buds Tuesday

Butternut Squash Soup

Wow is this soup easy and yummy. I made it for Halloween night and everyone loved it. I hope you enjoy this recipe, it is one of my fall favorites.

2 medium butternut squash

EVOO

Salt/pepper

1 medium onion

3-5 celery stalks

1-2 carrots

2-3 garlic cloves

Chicken stock or broth

Peel and seed the butternut squash. Cut into pieces and toss with EVOO and a little salt. Roast at 400 for about 30-45 min. depending on the thickness of your squash. it should be pretty soft.

In the meantime.....

Chop the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic.

Heat EVOO in your soup pot and add chopped veggies. After they cook for a bit I add my seasonings. I like to add black pepper, a pinch of sage, a tiny pinch of nutmeg, and a dash of cinnamon. I also sneak in a squeeze of honey. Once the veggies are cooked down and the squash is roasted add the squash to to veggies and stir well. I like to get the squash all coated with the seasonings.

Cook for a few minutes then add the stock to cover the squash and veggies and let boil for about 30 min. until the squash gets REALLY soft. Taste the broth for salt and add a little if you think it needs it.

Once it's all cooked turn of and let sit for a few minutes and then blend in the blender. ( I however do not have a blender so I do this in batches in the Magic Bullet. You can also use an immersion blender)

Blend until smooth!

Return to pot and let it simmer for a bit. The soup is now ready, However I like to turn it off and let it sit with the top on for awhile (maybe 20 minutes to an hour if you have time. I make it during M's nap so I put it in the fridge until it's time to eat) This soup also freezes really well!!!!

When I serve this I like to put a spoon of sour cream, blue cheese, goat cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds, bread chucks or crackers....dress it up however you like..using different add ins makes it a little different every time.

Do you have a recipe you want to share? Email me at slbower(at)gmail(dot)com, or leave me a comment below. I am always looking for new recipe ideas. Let me know if you try this one or you have a suggestion.Did you miss out on a past recipes? Just click on the picture at the top of this post or in the right side bar and you can see them all. Give one a try tonight there are some good ones! Make sure to check back every Tuesday for a new recipe and don't forget to let me know if you try one and what spin you put on to make it your own!

Would you like to guest post on my BLOG? Do you have a recipe you are itching to share? Now is your chance leave a comment below or email me and we can set it up.

Trick or Treat

This year was the first year Makayla was able to go trick or treating. Last year she was a little Pea and was a little to young but not this year. She held her own pumpkin and got excited for every piece of candy that went into it! We only went to a few houses in our neighborhood but she could have gone all night, though she enjoyed handing it out when we got back just as much. We had a few people over after trick or treating for our traditional Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup but this year I made Butternut Squash soup. It was delish! ( Look for that recipe soon!) M was a bumble bee and the cutest one I have ever seen. She wouldn't wear the head band that come with the costume so I made antlers with her hair and made hair bows to match.

Mama and M starting trick or treating

Getting ready to go!

M and Nenny

M's first Pieces of candy

Holding her pumpkin

This cat scared the CRAP out of her.

Steve made her stand next to this sign

She would always try to give the candy back. It was really cute

The back of her costume

Checking her GOODS.

Cheese!!!!

This man let her pick her own candy out. She was super excited

My sister and I

This girl scared her a little

Mama and her bumble bee

So proud of her self.

Walking home

Trick or treating from Nenny and Grandmom

We had such a great night. Halloween is so much more fun now that M is around. To see her face light up with joy fills my heart. After all that's what Halloween is all about right? The Kids!