Creamy Potato and Spinach Soup

I found a variant of this recipe and decided to tweak it just a bit.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 whole onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped fine

1/4 cup flour
2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh spinach, rough chopped
3-4 cups potatoes, chopped and peeled
5 cups water
1 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in large soup pot.  Add onions and celery.  Sautee until tender (about 12-15 mins).
Slowly incorporate flour and salt to cooked onions and celery.  Add slowly and stir so as not to get lumps.
Add potatoes and water. 
Stir constantly until boiling.
Once boiling, let simmer for 30 mins. Stirring occasionally.
After 30 mins (or potatoes are tender) add spinach and cream. Let cook 2 mins more.

Serve immediately.
** can be garnished with crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, fresh chopped herbs or anything else you like.**
Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade Green Smoothie

This is my new favorite green smoothie! I was in need of something different and without banana in it. I had some lemons in my refrigerator and for some reason they sounded really good to me.

10 frozen strawberries
1/2 lemon (peeled)
1-2 large handful of spinach(or other greens)
1 T Agave Nectar
1/4 c or more of Chia seed gel (adds nutrition plus gives smoothie a smooth consistency)
add water for desired consistency

Blend all ingredients, serve, and enjoy!

I have recently discovered Chia seeds and the health benefits that they hold. You make chia gel by combining 2 c water and 1/3 c chia seed in a container with a lid and shake really really well. It only takes about 15-20 min for the gel to be complete but I do this before I go to bed and leave it in the fridge so it is ready to use when I wake up. It stores for 2 weeks. For more information on Chia seed go here.

Fruity Delight Green Smoothie

Fruity delight
greens
1/2 c cashew milk
2 spoons of coconut mud (see below- excuse the name but wasn't sure what to call it)
water (I am finding that I like my smoothies a little thinner)
1/2 pear
1/2 banana
1/2 apple
2/3 c berries mix

coconut mud
I scooped all of the meat out of two young coconuts and blended it up with about 1 cup (maybe less) of coconut milk (canned) and it makes this yummy thick coconut stuff...thus coconut mud.

Hawaiian Delight Green Smoothie

I got a fresh pineapple and pears at Costco and was excited to add these to my green smoothies for a different taste. This particular smoothie I got very little of because the girls liked it so much they kept asking for more. This one is a very yummy!

Hawaiian Delight
lots of spinach (any mixture of greens would have thrown some kale it if I had it)
1/2 pear
1 banana
1 ring of pineapple
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk (canned)
1-2 T flax seed
Coconut oil (optional)

Add all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Berry Banana Cashew Green Smoothie

This is a very basic smoothie but one that I really love! When nothing else sounds good to me I make this one.

Berry Banana Cashew Green Smoothie
Spinach (as much as you want, but a couple really big handfuls is good)
1-2 leaves of kale,
heaping 2/3 cup of frozen berries (berry mix from Costco)
1 banana
2/3 c plus a little more cashew milk (recipe below)
2 T flax seed
1-2 T Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (before you hyperventilate...non- hydrogenated coconut oil is very very healthy! Don't take my word for it search it out for yourself. One of the books I read on this topic was "The Miracle of Coconut Oil" by Bruce Fife. If you want some quick and easy information go here http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/coconut-oil-health-benefits.html)


Cashew Milk
This is the recipe I use. I LOVE Elana's Pantry! Check it out especially if you have a gluten issue and prefer to eat natural and low glycemic foods. I have tried several of her recipes and they have all been great. I will post more about that later.
http://www.elanaspantry.com/beverages/cashew-milk/

Cranberry Orange Green Smoothie

So, I have gotten on the Green Smoothie train and I love them! I have to say it is fun to come up with new concotions and feel good about what I am feeding my body! I do have to say that I have had more energy and feel better since I started drinking these smoothies and I would recommend anybody and everybody to get on the train too! CHOO CHOO! Kids love them which is another bonus. Here are a couple good sites that can give you a little info and background:
http://www.greenforlife.com/ode.htm
http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/greenlove.html
http://thegreensmoothie.com/
http://rawfoodlifestyles.com/low-fat-recipes/green-smoothies/raw-food-diet-why-is-drinking-green-smoothies-essential-for-health

There are also a lot of videos on UTube so just search green smoothies.

Anyway, I have come up with some yummy concoctions and some not so yummy ones, but I will only share the good ones! I prefer organic baby spinach (can buy at a great price at Costco or sams) and Kale. These two greens blend well and have a mild flavor so you can't taste them in a smoothie, so these are good ones to start with. Also, the better the blender you have the creamier and smoother it will be, but you can use a regular home blender and fancy equipment isn't required. I got the Blendtec blender from Costco. It is comparable to the Vitamix. These blenders are expensive but we use it so much for so many different things (making nut milks, oat flour and other flours, desserts, bread, dressings, etc) that it has been a good investment. However, if the only thing I made in it was Green Smoothies it would still be a worthwhile investment for me.

Cranberry Orange Green Smoothie
This is one of the first ones I made around Thanksgiving time hence the cranberries:)
1 stalk of Kale
2 Huge handfuls of spinach
1 handful of fresh cranberries
2 oranges (could try with 1 orange)
1/2 banana
Stevie or Agave Nectar to taste (optional)

This is sweet and tangy!

Taco Soup

I got this recipe off of "A Year of CrockPotting".
This tasted so good to me!! I kept taking small helpings while it was cooking and I just kept wanting more. I love chili but I think I like this better than chili. I think they both have their places but this is a new favorite!

--2 cans of kindey bean

--2 cans of pinto beans

--2 cans of corn (I used a 16oz pkg of frozen corn)

--1 large can of diced tomatoes

--1 can tomatoes and chiles (I used a medium spiced can and it added the perfect heat for me)

--1 packet taco seasoning (I used McCormick because it is gluten free or you could make your own)

--1 packet ranch dressing mix (OK, I used maybe half a package of Hidden Valley, but I think next time I won't use it because it contains MSG which I like to stay away from)

--1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger
--1 onion ( I added one onion and cooked it with the ground turkey but is optional)

--shredded cheese and sour cream for embelishment (optional)

The Directions:

--brown meat if you are going to use it

--drain fat and add meat to crockpot stoneware insert

--sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat

--drain and rinse the beans and add

--add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans

cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5.

serve with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. you could also add some corn chips if you wanted.

YUMMY!

Easy Cake Mix Cookie Bars.

An easy recipe that I stumbled on somewhere...

1 white or yellow box cake mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips (or other add-in)

Mix cake mix with melted butter and two eggs with a hand mixer. The batter will be very thick, dont worry, this is the way it is supposed to be. When batter is combines, mix in chocolate chips (or your other alternative).
Using a rubber spatula or scraper, spread batter into an ungreased 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Greek Salad with Oregano Marinated Chicken

I got this recipe off of Foodnetwork.com. I don't get the Food Network but every once in a while I will look for recipes here. This is SOOOOO yummy if you like Greek Salad! Even Marc likes it. He actually requested it the other day which is a great testiment to the fact that this is a yummy salad even for those who don't love salad.

Greek Salad with Oregano Marinated Chicken

For the chicken:
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
A couple good pinches salt
10 grinds black pepper
4 (6 to 7-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
*I cut the chicken into bite size pieces to marinate so I didn’t have to do it later before I put it on the salad

For the dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of your chef's knife
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 pinches salt
10 to 15 grinds black pepper

For the salad:
2 to 3 hearts romaine lettuce *I used a muslin mix and spinach
1 English cucumber, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3/4-pound), cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese


To marinate the chicken: In a non-reactive dish, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix together. Add the chicken breasts to the dish and rub both sides in the mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. * I actually cut the chicken into bite size pieces and marinate it so that after it is cooked it is ready to go on the salad.

To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a resealable container and shake vigorously. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and then bring to room temperature before tossing salad. *It is important to mix this early so the flavors can really come out and combine.

Assemble the salad: cut off any dark tips and the bitter white bottoms from the romaine leaves. Cut the lettuce into 1-inch strips and place in a bowl that is large enough to hold all the salad ingredients comfortably. Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and feta over the top. You can prepare the salad up to a few hours in advance. Cover it with a moist paper towel and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving. *I just buy the organic salad mix and organic spinach and mix those together. You could also just use one of those.

To cook the chicken: Heat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing it into thin strips. * I am sure this tastes really good and I am going to try it this way but I have just poured my cut up pieces into a pan and cook until done.

Give the dressing a good shake and pour it into a nice little serving bowl, using the lid to strain out the garlic.
Toss salad just before serving and fan chicken out on top.

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman
Show: Good Deal with Dave Lieberman

Episode: Lite-N-Healthy

Raspberry Vinaigrette Chicken Salad

I love recipezaar.com and so this recipe is my own version of two recipes I found there.

2	boneless chicken breasts (or as many breasts you want as long as the vinaigrette covers the chicken)
1	bottle kraft light raspberry vinaigrette dressing or I made my own , recipe follows.

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Thaw and wash your chicken breast and place into a glass dish.
3. Pour the Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing over the chicken breast until they are just about covered.
4. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Dressing:

1/3	cup raspberry jam (I used Smucker's Low Sugar Jam)
1/2	cup red wine vinegar
1/4	cup olive oil
1/4	teaspoon salt

* I also added a dash of agave nectar

Mix well.

I cubed up the chicken and put it over a bed of greens and added red onion, a small Clementine orange (per person), sliced almonds, and topped to the Raspberry Vinaigrette. It would also be yummy with some Craisins and pecans instead of almonds...toasted would be good too.

Balsamic Chicken w/ Pesto Gravy

Balsamic Chicken with Pesto Gravy & Bitter Greens ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 bunches arugula, thoroughly washed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Parmigiano Reggiano shavings
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1/4 cup homemade or store-bought pesto
preparation
Heat a large skillet over high heat with a little drizzle of EVOO. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the bottom of a heavy pot or small sauté pan, give each chicken breast a good smack to make them even thinner. Peel back the top layer of plastic wrap and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over top and season with a little salt and pepper.
Transfer the chicken to the hot sauté pan, seasoned-side down, and cook on each side for about 2 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, combine the arugula, with the juice of half a lemon, a drizzle of EVOO and a little bit of salt in a bowl. Remove chicken from the skillet and reserve on a plate while you make the sauce.
To the sauté pan add butter and melt. Add flour and cook for about a minute or so. Whisk in chicken stock and cream and bring up to a simmer to thicken. Remove from heat and add the pesto to the skillet. Stir to combine. Pour pesto gravy over the chicken and then top with the arugula. With a peeler shave some Parmigiano over the greens, season with a little salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Yields 4 servings

Recipe by Rachael Ray

Easy Chili and Cornbread

Chili
2lbs Ground Beef (I use ground Turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 6oz tomato paste
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 27oz can chili beans

optional:

add 1 jalapeno and 1 green bell pepper


1. Saute mean, onions, and garlic until done.
2. Add remaining ingredients to pot or crock pot and simmer for 2 hours.


Easy Cornbread

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup sugar or substitute
4 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk or buttermilk
¼ cup cooking oil or butter

1. Sift together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. (I never sift and it still works)
2. Add eggs, milk and oil or melted butter. Beat until just smooth-do not overbeat.
3. Turn into a greased 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake in a 425: oven for 20-25 minutes.
4. Can add drained corn, bacon, finely chopped jalapeno peppers etc. for a different taste.

Chicken Enchiladas

Enchilada
1 lb cubed chicken (pre-cooked)
1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium tub of source cream (15oz or so)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of chopped green chilies
1/2 onion chopped up

Mix chicken in with everything else
Roll up into tortillas
Use some sauce to put over the top
Bake at 350 35-45 minutes

Rocky Road Fudge

Rocky Road Fudge
Prep- 7 minutes *Cook about 2 minutes
Makes 3 dozen pieces


1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 C. butterscotch chips
1 C. crunchy peanut butter
1 T. butter
1 package (10.5 oz) miniature marshmallows

1. Grease 8x8 or 9x9 metal baking pan; line with plastic wrap. In 4-quart saucepan, combine chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and butter. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or just until ingredients are melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Stir marshmallows into fudge mixture. Pour into lined pan; spread evenly. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate fudge until firm, at least 3 hours.
3. Invert fudge onto cutting board; remove plastic wrap. Turn fudge top side up. Cut fudge into 36 pieces. If not serving right away, store in refrigerator.

150cal, 2g protein, 18 g carbohydrate., 8g fat (4 saturated fat), 1 g fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium.

Lemon Pear Jello

Lemon Pear Jello
(Recipe is for 88 pan, double for 9x13 pan)

1 large pkg. lemon jello
¾ c. boiling water
1 c. pear juice (use he juice from 15 oz can of pears and add water to make up 1 cup)

Put jello in refrigerator to cool. Meanwhile, puree 1 can of pears in the blender. When jello is cool to the touch, add pears to jello and whip with beaters. Fold in 1 cup whipped cream (already whipped) sweetened with 3 T powdered sugar and a drop of vanilla.

Topping:
1 c. coconut
2 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
½ c powdered sugar

*Add the topping to the jello before it is completely set so that is will stick to the jello.

Lime Pear Jello

Lime Pear Jello
(Recipe is for 9x13 pan)

2 15 oz cans pears
1 large pkg. lime jello
8 oz cream cheese
¼ tsp lime or lemon juice
Rind of lime or lemon
½ pt. whipping cream or 1 envelope whipped topping mix

Use juice from pears to make 2 cups liquid. Boil juice and mix with jello. Cool in refrigerator. Puree pears in blender. Add Cream Cheese. Whip the whipping cream or whipped topping. Add to pear mixture. Fold jello in and put in pan.

Strawberry Salad With Cinnamon Viniagrette

8 servings

For the Vinaigrette
1/3	cup olive oil
1/3	cup balsamic vinegar
3	tablespoons sugar
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8	teaspoon ground ginger
For the Salad
2	heads romaine lettuce or spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
1(11	ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1	pint strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1	small red onion, thinly sliced and quartered
1/2	cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (I also use plain almonds chopped up)
	*If you want this to be a full meal just cook up some chicken and add to the salad. I usually cover the chicken with some of the dressing too before I add it into the salad.

1. Whisk viniagrette ingredients together.
2. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Pour viniagrette over salad, a little at a time (you may not need all of the dressing) and toss to coat.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe from Recipezaar.com.

The Best Speghetti Sauce

Ground beef (I usually use about 1 1/4 lb of ground turkey. Use as much as you like.)
onion (I like a lot but use to your taste.)
Brown these two ingredients and set aside

Sauté these ingredients:
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Garlic (again I like a lot so I use a few cloves)
Grated carrot

Add 6- 15 oz cans of tomato sauce

Bring to a boil and add:

1 T parsley

1 T basil

1 beef bouillon cube

1t salt

½ t pepper

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (this isn’t part of the original recipe but I like it better with it)

Finally add the ground beef and let it simmer at least 6 hrs uncovered (so it thickens).

Recipe given to me by my sister-in-law Jennie. Super yummy!!!! Super Easy!!!

Italian Chicken a la Crockpot

3/4 c. butter/margarine
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. dry italian dressing packet
1 15 oz. can cream of chicken soup
3-4 tbsp cream cheese
rice or baked potatoes

Directions: place butter, dry italian dressing packet and chicken breasts in crockpot
heat on low 4 hrs/ high 2 hrs ( for even faster cook time cut up chicken breasts before placing them in crock pot)
when chicken is done cut into bite sized chunks then add soup and cream cheese, leave in crock pot for 30 minutes on high

serve over rice or baked potatoes

Salmon Salad a la Jacque

Salmon Salad a la Jacque


1 (10 ounce) bag mixed salad greens
8 ounces salmon fillets
1/4 cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons craisins
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon vanilla yogurt or plain yogurt
2 teaspoons Catalina dressing or French dressing

Cook Salmon according to package directions or personal preference.
Flake Salmon and set aside.
Place salad mix, chopped walnuts, chopped dates, and craisins in a large plastic bag.
In a seperate container, mix together the Miracle Whip, Dijon Mustard, Yogurt and Catalina/French dressing.
Pour over salad and ingredinets in bag.
Shake or Mix until evenly coated and tossed well.
Serve with flaked Salmon on top.