89 Calorie Kitchen Soup

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

As you probably already know, this past Christmas was my mine and Chris's first Christmas together as husband and wife. I had been looking forward to last week since Chris and I became engaged, and it definitely didn't let me down.

Our Christmas was filled with lots of shopping, seeing our family, witnessing two first Christmases with Chris's cousin's daughter and my cousin's son, opening presents, waking up on Christmas morning together for the first time, and TONS of food.

It was definitely a Christmas to remember!

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I had warned Chris that I wouldn't be cooking much over the Christmas break. With us eating so much while celebrating with our families for the first part of the week, I didn't even want to think about cooking food for the rest of the week.

We ended up getting a few things at the grocery store to tide us over until 2014 to have on hand on days we weren't chowing down on Christmas goodies, including some things to make this easy soup that's super delicious. 

Of course, I found this recipe on Pinterest. I am happy to announce, though, that I received three cookbooks for Christmas! I'll tell you more about them later.

This soup is called the 89 Calorie Kitchen Soup, which immediately grabs my attention. Anything that is 89 calories that includes an entire meal will most definitely catch my eye, and I love soup when the weather starts to become chilly.

The greatest thing about this soup is you can clean out your kitchen with it.

I'm guessing that's why they call it a kitchen soup.

The recipe I found is a little confusing, just because it shows a picture of the ingredients with chicken broth, states that you use vegetable broth, and then has chicken stock listed in the actual recipe.

I used chicken broth.

I started with 6 cups of chicken broth in a large pot over medium-high heat, and then started adding a bunch of different things I had.

I tossed in two cans of diced tomatoes: one with Italian seasoning and one regular

Some cabbage I had chopped up

Five red potatoes that have been quartered 

A medium chopped onion 

A cup each of frozen corn, frozen green peas, and frozen lima beans (I threw in some more corn since that's Chris's favorite)

And finally, I took a pound of turkey sausage, cut it into 'moon' shapes, and tossed it in as well.

I topped it off with some salt and pepper, then put the lid on.

Here's the best part: you just let it simmer. That's it! I accidentally brought it to a boil, so it ended up softening the potatoes, cabbage and onions fairly quickly, but normally I just set it on medium-low and forget about it for a little while.

You can make more or less, depending on how many you're feeding. I go ahead and make as much as it calls for, that way we have something to eat for at least two days.

In fact, that's what I'm eating for lunch today!

Here's the recipe I used as a reference, but I don't think I'll need it anymore.

How hard is it to throw whatever into a pot of chicken broth and let it cook?

If you enjoy soup, I promise, this won't disappoint. You can probably brown some ground beef and use that instead of the turkey sausage, or make it completely vegetarian and not use any kind of meat. You can cater this recipe to satisfy your family in their favorite way.

You just can't beat it!

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I'm pretty pumped about the cookbooks I received this Christmas!

Funny thing, my husband and one of my students at the dance studio ended up getting me the exact same cookbook.

I guess great minds think alike!

The one I received two copies of is The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays. It's nothing but recipes for every holiday there is in America. It's absolutely fabulous! And it makes me so happy :)  I spent a good bit of time just browsing through it, trying to figure out which ones I'm going to attempt to make for all of the many occasions we will see in 2014. I tell ya, you can get lost in this cookbook for a while!

My husband also gave me Giada's Feel Good Food. I am actually super pumped about this one! It is full of healthy recipes that will fit into our busy schedule and will also satisfy our taste buds. It gives recipes for breakfast, juices and smoothies, lunch ideas, and, of course, many dinner options. My goal next week is to go through the entire book and pull out a few recipes to try in the next month or two. I also love how Giada talks about how her recipes are not a part of a diet, but are a lifestyle change. That fits perfectly into my goal for Chris and I as we try to live a little healthier this new year.

The last one I opened up for Christmas was Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen. My inner child came out a little when I opened this one. Now, you're not going to find a healthy recipe in this one! But, oh my, does it have some amazing-looking food in it. There are also some recipes for squirrel that will probably go un-touched in my kitchen, and there's quite a few for duck that I'm not brave enough to even read, but there are so many pies and sides and fried chicken that I can't wait to get my hands on. It is also filled with pictures and stories from Miss Kay herself, which reveal just how down-to-earth and humble this woman is. Family is so very important to her, and you can feel it throughout the entire cookbook.

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I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and I wish the absolute best as we welcome in 2014. There is no telling what 2014 may bring, but one thing is for sure, there is One who does not change as we see a new year and will continue to be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It is He who brings the hope and peace that comes with January 1st, and is the reason I have faith that this year will happen just as He has planned.

 

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

Luke 2:14 (NKJV)

To Santa, or Not to Santa. That is the Question...

I just want to start off by saying I made one of the best dinners I have ever made in my entire life.

AND it was healthy.

Score!

I made salmon with a Dijon glaze, honey-glazed carrots, and brown rice. It was absolutely delicious and super easy to make. It only took about 45 minutes to get it all on the plate, and that's including putting two things in the oven at separate times. I was stoked!

 

It's not exactly a Martha Stewart Magazine-worthy photo, but I'm telling you, the recipes are worth being on the cover. It's that delicious.

 

Here's the recipes for Salmon with Dijon Glaze and the Honey-Glazed Carrots. I just used a Success Boil-in-the-Bag brown rice and didn't add absolutely anything to it.

 

So good.

 

Anyways, on to the next topic.

 

I've seen a few posts on Facebook about a blog entry entitled, 'Why the Haefs don't "Do" Santa.'

 

I have to be honest and tell you that it took me a little while to realize that 'Haefs' was actually a last name, not a group of people. I felt pretty dumb once I came to my senses. I guess changing your hair color doesn't help with the little moments of blonde-ness.

 

I decided to give it a look, just kind of curious as to what their reasoning's were behind not including Santa in their Christmas morning.

 

If you would like to check out the article before you read my thoughts on it, you can find it here.

 

If you don't really care to read it, here's a small summary of it:

 

They Haefs have chosen not to include Santa into their Christmas traditions because they feel it takes away from the real reason Christians celebrate Christmas. They see that Santa is like a 'distraction' from the love and grace of God that is to be celebrated, and they want their children to understand what December 25th is really about. They conclude that Christmas isn't about making a 'Naughty or Nice' list, but is about understand God's love and grace that was shown when He sent His Son. They don't shelter their children from Santa or any other Christmas traditions (Christmas tree, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, etc.), they just don't allow their children to believe Santa rides a sleigh and travels down the chimney to leave presents on Christmas Day.

 

I really encourage you to read the article if you haven't, though. It brings some really interesting thoughts that I wasn't able to include in my summary, and really explains why they chose this.

 

Being the usually-silent-but-opinionated-person that I am, I'm going to share what I think!

 

Growing up, we believed in Santa. We sat out the cookies, wrote the letter, lost sleep while trying to hear the hoofs of reindeer walking across the roof, and finally walked into the living room to see what Santa left behind. We also knew the real reason we celebrated Christmas, which was the birth of Jesus. I don't feel that we put too much emphasis on Santa, and we didn't feel like it was a lie that our parents told us that led to us questioning anything else my parents told us. It was just a part of Christmas. Even up until this Christmas, my parents sat out gifts from Santa, and we all have long stopped believing. We didn't think it was a super-big deal when we realized our parents were the ones buying our gifts, at least I can't remember either one of my three sisters being upset over it.

 

I always figured I would carry on the same traditions with my family, but probably include the cute little 'Elf on the Shelf' as well, just so I can be the creatively-cool mom and figure out cute little set-ups our elf could get into.

 

After reading this article, though, several points the author made has brought quite a few things about Christmas to my attention.

 

Of course, Chris and I's main intention of every Christmas will be to celebrate the birth of Christ and what that brought to out lost world. Because of our faith, we believe there is no point in celebrating Christmas without Christ. We want our kids to understand that it's not about the presents, the tree, the lights nor the traditions, but about the greatest Gift of all, who came to die on a tree to bring Light into this dark world.

 

But what's the hurt in throwing the tradition of Santa in there, too?

 

This article really has me torn, and I don't even have kids yet! There's so much fun in the excitement of writing letters to Santa with all of our wishes, in the magic of believing there is a man named Santa who makes toys in the North Pole, that reindeer can fly, and that this guy eats all of the cookies and drinks all of the milk left in every home, yet can still go up and down the chimney without getting stuck. But it's so easy to get caught up in the magic of Santa and forget about the realness of the Messiah.

 

I don't want our Christmas to become about being 'naughty or nice' so Santa can bring presents instead of coal. I want our kids to understand that we give gifts because we were given the Greatest Gift of all. I want them to fully grasp exactly why December 25th is a special day for us to celebrate, and if Santa comes in between that understanding, then we may take the same approach as the Haefs.

 

But I also don't want to ruin Santa for other kids. I feel that if you teach your child that Santa is just another character like Mickey Mouse, they will then feel obligated to teach other children that Santa isn't real. That's not mine, nor my child's place to tell others that Santa doesn't exist if their parents choose to let their child believe. I remember trying to convince other kids Santa wasn't real when I found out he didn't exist, and I don't want my kids to do the same.

 

Being a parent during Christmastime is tough!

 

Of course, I will definitely talk to the hubby and get the OK from him before anything is set in stone. Good thing we have a while to figure this one out :)

 

I'm really glad I read this blog entry, even though it's given Chris and I one more thing to figure out when we talk about raising our little Johns babies. It brings up some seriously valid points, but doesn't show any judgment towards those who chose to 'do' Santa. It's so very well written, stuffed full of a lot of things to ponder on this Christmas (and every other Christmas) season.

 

It also makes me see just how serious and daunting of a task it is to raise kids in the world we live in today. Even if the world wasn't as scary as it is, raising kids is still some serious business! Even down to something such as Santa Claus, every little thing has to be address, understood, then taught to a child, who will then build the foundation for their own life from it.

 

It's quite frightening, yet so amazing.

 

I am very thankful that Chris and I have at least another three years before we have to worry about whether or not Santa will be 'believed' in or not in our house. And, more than likely, we will let our kids believe there is a Santa. But this article has definitely brought up many excellent points that I haven't always thought about. I will now, though!

 

It's exactly two weeks until Christmas, and I have a little more finished on my list of gifts to buy. Still a ways to go, though.

 

Christmas, would you please slow down? Just a little?

 

.......

 

Yeah, I figured you wouldn't. Oh well :)

Our Favorite Recipes!

I've really tried to limit our eating-out to two or three meals a week. Considering that we used to eat out eight or nine times a week, that's really good for us.

It took me a little while, but I finally have a small bunch of recipes that I use and rotate through. Some more than others, but all really good.

My criteria of whether or not I attempt to make the recipe is:

1.) Meat that I normally have on hand or easy to get,
2.) The list of ingredients that I usually have in my pantry/fridge/spice cabinet,
3.) Preparation/cook time, and
4.) How many pots and pans I'm going to dirty up.

With me working full-time and Chris's uncertainty of his skills in the kitchen, trying a complicated recipe during the week just isn't practical. I don't want to spend my time after work entirely in the kitchen then bed time; I want a little time with my husband somewhere in there!

I have to admit, I keep forgetting about our crock pot. We have two of them, too! I just don't always have the meat for a crock pot on hand. I need to get better about that, though. It's so easy, there's really no excuse for me not to.

I think I'll make that my New Year's Resolution: use my crock pot more.

I'm about to brag on myself for just a bit. Don't worry, I'll come down from my high-horse in a second.

I am definitely my worst critic, but I have made some killer recipes that have even impressed me. Some I knew would be good; others I were very skeptical of that, but they turned out to be some of my favorites. Honestly, there haven't been too many that I have made that I really didn't like.

I did say 'too many,' not any.

I've made a couple of duds. They just didn't work out, at all, whatsoever. I was so hopeful of them, too! Nothing that hasn't been un-edible, but it was definitely something I didn't want to eat if I didn't have to.

I think my head would've become too big if I didn't have a failure every now and then.

I decided that I would compile all of my favorite recipes and put the links in this entry. After all, I want to share the wealth! I have put some of these dishes on here before, but they're scattered all over the place. I like to have mine close-in-hand so I don't have to search everything to find what I'm looking for, so I wanted to do that for y'all! So much easier than digging through the archives.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we did!

*DINNERS*

'Healthified' Mexican Pasta Skillet - I didn't do the 'healthified' version. I just used the normal ingredients. It's expensive to use the 'healthier' stuff!

Pioneer Woman Sour Cream Noodle Bake - Chris's favorite! I've used ground chuck and ground beef (1lb instead of 1 1/4lb), and we actually prefer the beef.

Doritos Taco Bake - super easy!

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole - don't use too much garlic like I did!

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese - warning: it's definitely spicy!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole - I used Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs, it added more flavor!

Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie - I use instant mashed potatoes, make sure you add plenty of salt and pepper!

Chicken Enchilada Skillet - it was okay, a little bland, but read the comments. They have great ideas to make it better!

Jolean's Cheese Potato and Smoked Sausage Casserole - love, love, LOVE!

Crock Pot Barbeque Chicken - this makes a TON! I think it's even better the next day.

*SIDES*

Corn Casserole - Chris didn't like it too much, but I did!

Weight Watchers Ranch-Roasted Red Potatoes - so very good!

*DESSERTS*

Simple Apple Cobbler - I used a can of Sprite instead of butter, and it was still delicious.

Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate - the pumpkin didn't dissolve at all, and I used it straight out of the can. Probably needed to be pureed a little more.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake - I didn't use the pecans since I don't really like nuts, but I think it would've really added a lot to the dessert.

*APPETIZERS*

Cheesy Potato Fries - I used potatoes that were waaayyyy too big, so the potatoes didn't cook all the way through. Still so good!

Hot Corn Dip - Amazing. One of the best dips I've ever had.

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I really hope you enjoy these as much as we did! And please let me know what you think!

I think it's almost time to go back through my Pinterest pages and see what else I can try out. I've got some days off coming up, so maybe it's time for me to go all and cook up something extravagant then...

We'll see :)

BTW, buying Christmas decorations for a new home is hard. When you have absolutely nothing and you need to get absolutely EVERYTHING, it's very overwhelming.

We did decide that our tree will be decorated in red, black and silver this year.

That's as far as we've gotten.

But at least it's a start!

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

My First Fail...But Probably Not Last

So, in my post yesterday, I mentioned that I was cooking up a new recipe that kinda reminded me of fall. It had chicken, sweet potatoes, applesauce, and a crock pot, which sounded like the makings of an interesting-yet-great dinner.

Wrong.

I also mentioned that I had to alter the recipe a little because I didn't have all of the ingredients it called for. The recipe called for red onions, garlic, apple cider vinegar, curry or cumin, and ground ginger to mix with the unsweetened applesauce, and then layer it onto the chicken and the cut-and-peeled sweet potatoes.

I forgot to get the onions and I didn't have ginger. Oops!

Me, being the lazy person I can be, just bumped the onions off and looked up on the internet what I could use instead of ginger. Nutmeg it is then! I had that in my spice cabinet.

Maybe it would've been better if I had actually followed the recipe and gone to the grocery store to get the correct ingredients. That's a definite possibility, but I'm not sure I'll try again to figure it out.

Chris was sweet enough to eat the bowl full that I fixed him (which, thank goodness, I put on top of rice to help out the not-so-good chicken stuff), but no seconds this time. He did better than me though, I couldn't even finish what I had. I eventually gave up and grabbed a Dreamcicle out of the freezer.

My cooking was no good this time.

I guess I still have a fairly decent record, though. I've cooked quite often since I've moved into the house back in June, and this may only be the second or third time I've cooked something that didn't work out as well as I had hoped. Can't complain about that! 
If you're interested in giving it a try for yourself, here's the recipe that I used. I also thought that maybe putting some brown sugar into the mix might help give it more flavor, because that's what it was really missing.

Maybe that's what the red onions were supposed to do. That's probably what they were supposed to do.

Anyways, if you try it, please let me know how it worked for you!  

Tonight, Chris suggested we have a leftover night. I'm thinking he may want me to take a few days off to re-group myself after that fiasco, then come back strong with food that actually tastes good again. Whatever his motivation behind it might be, I'm completely okay with it! It's nice to use a microwave every once in a while to fix dinner.

Plus, that gives me extra time to cuddle up with my handsome man on the couch. Sounds like a win-win plan to me!

Fall = Love

There are just some days where all I want to do is sleep.

Forget eating, watching television, even shopping. I just want to sleep.

Today is one of those days.

I don't know why I'm so stinkin' tired! I mean, I've been in bed by 10:30 each night, I even got an extra twenty minutes or so of sleep Monday morning. I am completely out of energy though. Just carrying the baby up the stairs to lay him down for his nap makes me want to collapse beside the crib and catches some snoozes with him before I make my trek back down.

I'm too young for this.

Anyways, rant over and on to what I really want to talk about.

Can you believe that it is only 22 days until Halloween, 50 days until Thanksgiving, and 77 days until Christmas? Isn't that crazy?!

I love it though, because this is my absolutely favorite time of the year. When Pumpkin Spice Lattes make their debut on Starbuck's menu, then I know it has officially arrived. There's something about the crisp-ness in the air, the smell of firewood burning and pumpkin carvings, being able to wear awesome scarves, and sipping on hot apple cider that makes me so happy.

I have been DYING to pull out my fall/winter clothes the past week or two, and I have been DYING to go shopping for more too. I do enjoy my summer clothes and shopping for them, but I love me some over-sized hoodies and cute boots.

I also love some good 'n' hot comfort foods that only come when it's cold. Chili was always a staple winter-time dinner that we had. We would eat it, like, once a week. Or at least it felt like we did. I didn't mind though - I love it! I'm trying a recipe tonight that contains chicken, sweet potatoes, and apples that are slow cooked for 8 hours. It sounded awesome and fairly fall-ish, so we shall see! I had to tweak it a little bit because I accidentally forget to purchase a couple of ingredients, but I had a substitute for one and the other I just left out haha. I'm excited to see how it is!

Now, if I can only figure out how to cook the rice...

I'm definitely going to have to stop by Starbucks and get me Pumpkin Spice Latte before I head to church. Normally I get a tall or grande, but I'm thinking about getting a venti today. Gotta have my energy up to dance for Jesus! :)

Mexican Pasta Skillet (so good!)

I can't believe it is already Monday again, the weekends just go by too fast.
I enjoy them so much more now that we're married than I ever have before. There's something about spending time with your husband cuddled up on the couch watching football on a Sunday afternoon, even though I've watched enough football to last me until next season, you still can't beat it. Even though we've only been married not-even two months, and we don't plan on having kids any time soon, I still cherish our time together because I understand that, one day, we're not going to get un-interrupted time like this very often. I really try to appreciate our weekends, even if it is spent watching grown men tackle each other all day long.

Talking about all of this makes me miss Chris so much :(

Anyways, moving on.

Chris and I FINALLY made it to the grocery stores yesterday (we split our list between Sam's for our bulk buys and Kroger or Wal-Mart for the smaller things), which means we have food! No more eating out during the week! I am so excited about not driving through a drive-thru or arguing about where we're going to eat. Since I do the cooking, I get to decide what we eat!

Last night, we decided to cook instead of grabbing something out again, which is unusual for a Sunday night. I really didn't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen since it was our last moments of the weekend, so I went with an awesome go-to recipe that is easy and delicious.

I actually found this recipe on Recipe.com when I had subscribed to their email list. You can find the original recipe here, but I'm going to give you a condensed, 'non-healthified' version that I used instead.

It's so easy!

-1 lb. Ground Beef, browned and drained
-1 16oz jar of Salsa ( I used Pace Chunky Salsa)
-1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce (it's a little less than 1 cup, but not enough to alter the taste)
-1 1/2 cups Water
-2 cups Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
-1 cup Niblet Frozen Corn (I used the Kroger brand of frozen corn and it worked just fine)
-1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I used mild instead of sharp since Chris doesn't like sharp cheddar. I also used a little more than 1/2 cup since I love cheese :) )

1. Once Ground Beef is browned and drained, mix in Salsa, Tomato Sauce, and Water in the skillet. Heat to boiling
2. Stir in Macaroni and Corn, reduce heat.
3. Cover and let simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender
4. Turn off stove, sprinkle with cheese, re-cover and let stand for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted
5. Enjoy!

If I keep taking pictures of our meals, I really need to invest in a camera that makes them look decent. Until then, iPhone camera it is!

I'm telling you, this recipe will not disappoint. From start to finish, it took me no more than 25 minutes to get it on our plates, and we only had 1/6th of what is in that picture left over. Plus, the dirty dishes are minimal! Which is always a great thing in our books.

This will definitely become a re-occurring meal for us, especially on busy nights when I just want climb into bed as soon as possible. It's easy, it's fairly inexpensive, and it's yummy. Three things that make this wife happy.

I'm telling you, there is just something about a Monday that makes me wish I could crawl back into bed and get more sleep! Even at 2 o'clock in the afternoon - it's so ridiculous. Thank goodness there's only one Monday a week!

Casserole Love - Sour Cream Noodle Bake (Pioneer Woman)

Now that I am a wife, I feel like it is my duty to start cooking for my husband instead of going out to eat every night.

A lot easier said than done.

I thought the choice of where to eat each night was a daunting task, but it is nothing compared to figuring out what to cook for dinner. At least the restaurants will have all of the ingredients for whatever I have a taste for.

Fortunately, my husband will eat just about anything (score!), so I know that pretty much whatever I cook, he will enjoy. For instance, one of his favorite meals is Prego alfredo sauce, canned chicken, and spaghetti noodles. That's it. Now, I know that is not the healthiest meal in the world, and I try to minimalize how many times I cook it, but after working for 10-11 hours and finally arriving home at 7:30 at night, healthy is not exactly on the top of my priority list. Not proud of it, but let's be honest, bedtime with my husband sounds a lot better than making this meal from scratch to 'health-ify' it (like how I created my own word there?).

Enough of my rant about that, back to the post.

Casseroles are my go-to now, mainly because they are super easy with normal ingredients that I usually have on hand. This particular casserole I found on Pinterest, and it is ridiculously good! It's originally from The Pioneer Woman (link here), and is a perfect casserole to fit into our busy schedules. It's seven ingredients, salt and pepper, one casserole dish and an oven, which makes for two very happy and full individuals.

All you need is...

1-1/4 pound Ground Chuck (I used 1 pound of Ground Beef instead- still very yummy!)

1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles (I use egg-less)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1-1/4 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese

1/2 cup Sliced Green Onions (I use 1/4 cup instead, they can have a VERY STRONG affect on the flavor of the casserole)

1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese (my husband does not like sharp cheese, so I used mild instead)

Simple instructions...
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.) Slice Green Onions
3.) Boil the Water, add Noodles, drain
4.) Brown the Ground Chuck/Beef, mix in Tomato Sauce, salt, plenty of pepper, and let simmer
5.)Mix together the Sour Cream and Cream Cheese, add to the Noodles, mix in Green Onions
6.) Layer half of Noodle mixture, Meat mixture, then 1/2 of cheese in a 13x9 pan. Repeat layering
7.) Bake for 20 minutes
8.) Enjoy!



This picture is of the first time I cooked it, before it had placed it in the oven. I didn't have a 13x9 pan, so I had to improvise. I call that 'Newlywed Problems.'

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!