Creamy Tortellini Soup

Makes: 4 servings

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 5 hrs to 6 hrs(low) or 2-1/2 to 3 hours (high)

 Ingredients

• 1  1 1/2 - 2 ounce envelope white sauce mix
  
  
• 4   cups water
• 1  14 ounce can vegetable broth
  
  
• 1 1/2   cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2  cup chopped onion
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/4  teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/8  teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1  7 - 8 ounce package dried cheese tortellini (about 2 cups)
• 1  12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 6  cups fresh baby spinach leaves or torn spinach
• Ground black pepper (optional)
• Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
   
  Directions

  1. Place dry white sauce mix in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Gradually add the water to the white sauce mix, stirring until smooth. Stir in broth, mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, salt, oregano, and cayenne pepper.

  2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

  3. Stir in dried tortellini. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 1 hour more or high-heat setting for 45 minutes more.

  4. Stir in evaporated milk and fresh spinach. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

  Nutrition Facts (Creamy Tortellini Soup)

  • Servings Per Recipe 4,
  • Calories 450,
  • Protein (gm) 22,
  • Carbohydrate (gm) 53,
  • Fat, total (gm) 18,
  • Cholesterol (mg) 34,
  • Saturated fat (gm) 7,
  • Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 2,
  • Sodium (mg) 1710,
  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

  ---

   http://www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/creamy-tortellini-soup/

 

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade~Packed full of nutrients!

There is nothing like a refreshing lemonade in the summertime.  My boys actually love this drink all year round.  This is a-ok with me because little do they know it is packed full of green leafy Kale.  Kale is loaded with nutrients like the best form of B vitamins, antioxidants, vitamin C, A, K, and contains ITC (isothiocyanates) among many others which aids in our detox pathways.  I always add coconut oil to my smoothies because of its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-fungal healing properties.  It boost the immune system and is wonderful for the skin and hair.  Enjoy your summer with this yummy drink!
All ingredients are organic:)

2 Cups filtered water

1 T. coconut Oil
1 T. organic pure maple syrup
2 T. fresh or bottled lemon juice
1 Cup Kale or large handful
1 bag of strawberries
add a few blueberries to cut the “green” color (if it matters to your children)
add Sun Is Shining – Green Superfood (raw, organic & wildcrafted ingredients) for total goodness…
Throw all ingredients into the Vitamix and blend until very smooth. You can also try variations of fruit and also spinach with it too.  Enjoy!

LINK

Smoothie to attck fat.

Hello smoothie……bye bye tummy!

Smoothie that attacks the tummy fat!

This smoothie is rich in digestion supporting ingredients, it will help prevent bloating and digestive stress that are the main cause of stubborn belly fat!

• 3/4 c. papaya
• 3/4c. sliced peaches
• 1/2 pear, sliced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 2 mint leaves
• Water to thin

http://homemadediva.tumblr.com/post/16263687134/hello-smoothie-bye-bye-tummy

Cookies & Cream Milkshake (118 Calories)

Ingredients

1 cup reduced-fat (1%) milk or ½ cup fat-free and ½ cup reduced-fat 2%
2½ reduced-fat Oreo cookies
1 tablespoon instant vanilla pudding (dry mix)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package Splenda or Equal
1½ cups ice cubes

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add a few more ice cubes if the shake isn’t thick enough.
2. Serve at once.
Makes 2 (1 cup) servings

for 1 serving
118 calories, 2.5g fat, 3g protein, 20g carbs, 0g fiber, 181mg sodium, 8g sugar

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/517684-skinny-oreo-cookies-and-cream-milkshake

Freezer Cooking- Slow Cooker Meals!

Fall is SUPER BUSY for me at work... and I typically get home late and don't have time to cook (Okay I'll admit it.. I don't FEEL like cooking! ) I LOVE using my crock pot and never thought about pre-assembling meals (until I found PINTEREST) that I could freeze & dump in the crock pot before I head to work in the A.M. There is nothing like coming home to a house that smells like you've been slaving away all day making a gourmet dinner, when in fact the crock pot has done all the work!

Andrew was out of town this weekend so I thought it would be the perfect time to experiment with this whole "Once A Month Freezer Cooking" thing I have read about on Pinterest.com. After some research, and some inspiration from mamaandbabylove.com 's Freezer Cooking poste...I narrowed it down to (5) meals that sounded good (or that I already make in the crock pot on a regular basis) and use them for my 1st experience with Freezer Cooking...

I chose the following:

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup (I make this 3-4 times a winter)
Teriyaki Chicken
Balsamic & Onion Pot Roast
Healthy BBQ Chicken *from mamaandbabylove.com *Stephanie's Goulash *adapted from mamaandbabylove.com *

I printed all of the recipes and made my grocery list. Most of the main staples I had: basil, thyme, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, brown sugar, white sugar, olive oil, garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, mustard and teriyaki sauce. If you don't have any of these you will need to add to the list below =)

*Please note that all "bags" are 2-4 servings* Adjust ingredients to increase or decrease serving sizes. I figured each of my freezer bags would be dinner plus lunch the next day.

My Grocery List:

Fresh Produce:
(3) Green Peppers
(1) Red Pepper
(1) Zucchini
(1) Red Onion
(1) Bag of Onions (you need approx 8-10 onions)
(1) Bag Potatoes (I bought Red) (You will need approx 14-16)
(1) Large Bag of Whole Carrots (Baby Carrots would work also if you don't feel like chopping- 2 bags of baby carrots would work) I got a bag of whole & a bag of baby.
(1) Bunch of Celery

Meat:
4.5-5Ibs of Chicken Breast (I bought the HT Value Pack)
3-4Ibs of Beef Stew Meat (It was B1G1 at HT today!)
3Ib Chuck Roast (B1G1 at HT today!)
1-1.5Ibs of Ground Beef

Other Groceries:
(2) 20oz cans of Chunked Pineapple
(2) 15 Oz Cans Tomato Sauce
(2) 6oz Cans Tomato Paste
(1) 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes
(1) pack of v8 juice (I buy the 6 pack of cans)
(1) small box Tapioca (I had no clue where to find this in the store-- It's right above the pudding/jello at HT) =)
(2) Boxes Beef Broth (I buy low sodium)
Steak Rub (I bought grill mates in the spice aisle)
(1) bag egg noodles
(1) Bag Frozen Cut Green Beans (you will need 2 cups)

AND DON'T FORGET TO BUY A BOX OF GALLON FREEZER BAGS! I used 8 for this go around...

Okay... Once you get everything home leave it all out on the counter and admire what you are about to do!

First I labeled all of my Freezer Bags with a permanent marker. I wrote on the bag todays date, the meal name and the instructions for the day I will make it. (some of the meals will need beef broth added, water added, sour cream added etc.. so I made note on the actual bag what I needed to do so I don't forget!) I also notated on my bags if the dish was supposed to be served over rice or egg noodles etc..

Teriyaki Chicken (2 Bags)
Savory Vegetable Beef Soup (2 Bags)
Healthy BBQ Chicken (2 Bags)
Stephanie's Goulash/Beef Stew (2 Bags)
--I made the Balsamic & Onion Pot Roast immediately so I won't include this in the instructions, I will post the recipe at the bottom. =)

Next... I started CHOPPING VEGETABLES! (It's not as bad as it sounds!)
As I chopped I placed the correct amount in each bag. (I started with ALL the onions, then did peppers, then potatoes... (see below for instructions).
I lined up all of my freezer bags across the counter and just dumped the correct amount of veggies for each recipe in the respective bags (see below). I never measure anything so I just guesstimate!

After I had the veggies chopped and distributed I tackled the meat... for this round of freezer cooking I only had to cook the ground beef for the vegetable soup... the chicken & beef stew meat stay raw.

For the ground beef.. take (1) chopped onion and (2) chopped garlic cloves and brown them together. If you are feeling super savy you can let the beef brown while you are chopping the veggies! Let cool, instructions below on how to finish.

For the chicken, I washed & trimmed it and left (4) of the breasts whole (for the teriyaki chicken) and the other (4) I cut in half just because I felt like it (for the healthy bbq chicken).

I trimmed the beef stew meat of any fat and also cut it down into smaller cubes.

After placing the meat in the correct bags I added the spices and remaining ingredients.

Here is how it broke down per bag..

Teriyaki Chicken (2 Bags)

• Split a large bag of Baby Carrots between the 2 bags
• Cut Red Onion into Large Chunks and split between the 2 bags
• (1) 20oz can pineapple in each bag (undrained)
• (2) Garlic Cloves chopped per bag
• (2) Chicken Breasts in each bag
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce in each bag

*Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to mixture. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice.

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup (2 Bags)

• Chop (1) Onion and Chop (2) Cloves of Garlic- Brown in Pan with the Ground Beef- once cool divide mixture between bags
• (2) whole carrots chopped per bag
• (2) celery stalks chopped per bag
• (3) Red Potatoes chopped per bag
• (1) can v8 split between bags
• (1) 28oz can diced tomatoes SPLIT between bags
• (1) cup frozen green beans in each bag
• (1/2)TBSP Worcestershire per bag
• (1/2) cup Beef Broth per bag
• (1) TBSP Parsley per bag
• (1) tsp Basil per bag
• 1/2 tsp Thyme per bag
• (1/2) tsp salt per bag
• (1/2) tsp pepper per bag
• (1) TBSP Sugar per bag

*Place in Crockpot with 1.5 cups of water and 15 oz Beef Broth. Cook on LOW 8 Hours.

Healthy BBQ Chicken (2 Bags) * from mamaandbabylove.com *

• (2) Green Peppers Cut into Slices split between 2 bags
• (1) Red Pepper Cut into Slices-split between bags
• (1) Zucchini Chopped and split between bags
• (3) Onions Chopped and split between bags
• (6) Red Potatoes Chopped and split between bags (you can also use Sweet Potatoes)
• (4) Garlic Cloves Chopped & Split Between bags
• (4) Chicken Breasts Split between bags (I cut each breast in half again)
• (1/2) TBSP Quick Cooking Tapioca per bag
• (1) 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce Split Between bags
• (1) TBSP of Brown Sugar per bag
• (1) TBSP Worcestershire per bag
• (1) TBSP Mustard per Bag
• (1/4) tsp Salt per bag

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice or Egg Noodles.

Stephanie's Goulash/Beef Stew (2 Bags) *adapted from mamaandbabylove.com *

• (1) Green Pepper Chopped split between bags
• (1) Chopped Onion per bag
• (2) Carrots Chopped per bag
• (2) Chopped Garlic Cloves per bag
• (3) Ibs Beef Stew Meat Split Between Bags
• (1) 6oz can Tomato Paste per bag
• (2) tsp Paprika per bag
• (1/4) tsp Black Pepper per bag

*Cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW in a slow cooker. Add (1/2) Cup of Sour Cream about 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over Egg Noodles.


Once ALL INGREDIENTS are in freezer bags push all of the air out of them and seal. Lay bags flat so they freeze flat. Stack in Freezer... once they are frozen you can re-arrange to best suit your freezer space. Take meal out of freezer the night before you want to put it in slow cooker so it thaws a bit.

Here is the Balsamic & Onion Pot Roast Recipe... I went ahead and made it for dinner instead of freezing it: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/01/how-to-make-pot-roast-in-crockpot.html

There is a TON of shredded beef leftover... I will probably make the leftovers into Sandwiches or Beef Enchiladas later in the week!

Since all of the meals are in the freezer... freezing... as I cook them this month I will let you know what I think of the taste (I guess I should say that I will let you know what the husband thinks of them!!)

If anyone else happens to try them let me know what you think!

If you have any questions about this post let me know.. Being my first time doing this it might be a bit hard to follow... I tried to translate it best I could from what I actually did today in the kitchen!

Thanks for reading and Good Luck!

~Melissa

http://melissafallistestkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/freezer-cooking-slow-cooker-meals.html

Spinach lasagna roll ups

$8.01 recipe / $1.14 serving

Here is another super easy dinner idea with endless possibilities for variation. I can't exactly say that it's a "quick" recipe because it does have to bake a while but the actual assembly is really quick and easy.

I filled my Lasagna Roll Ups with spinach and cheese but you could also do mushrooms, pesto, or any meat. You really can make this one your own.

Combine the roll ups with a classic salad and some quick garlic bread and you've got a stellar meal that has "date night" written all over it. If you don't have a date, simply pop them into individual containers and freeze. When you're ready for a serving just take one out and microwave until it's cooked through. Take that, Marie Callender!





My "freezer recipe" this week was marinara sauce. I made a batch of sauce the day before, used about half for the roll ups and then froze the rest for use later. Jar sauce will work just as well if you don't have the time to make your own.

Total Recipe cost: $8.01
Servings Per Recipe: 7 (two rolls each)
Cost per serving: $1.14
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 45 min. Total: 1 hr.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 lb.	lasagna noodles	$1.69
15 oz.	ricotta	$2.09
1 cup	shredded mozzarella	$1.18
1/4 cup	grated parmesan	$0.24
1 lg.	egg	$0.16
10 oz.	frozen spinach	$1.09
2.5 cups	marinara sauce	$1.09
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
as needed	non-stick spray	$0.05
TOTAL		$8.01

STEP 1: Get a large pot of water boiling with a dash of salt. When it comes to a full boil, add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente (soft but not soggy... about 12-15 minutes). When they are finished cooking, drain in a colander.

STEP 2: While the noodles are boiling, prepare the filling. Thaw the package of frozen spinach in the microwave and then squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Combine the spinach in a bowl with the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, freshly grated pepper and about 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix until well combined.

STEP 3: When the noodles and filling are ready to go, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a glass casserole dish by spraying with non-stick spray.

STEP 4: On a clean surface, lay out a few noodles at a time. Place a few tablespoons of filling on each noodle and spread to cover from edge to edge. The filling does not need to be thick because once the noodle is rolled up, it will be compounded. Make sure to spread it all the way to the edges of the noodles.

STEP 5: Roll the noodles up and place in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat until all of your filling is gone (there may be some noodles left over, these are "back ups" in case any of the others rip during assembly). Pour the marinara sauce over the rolled noodles making sure to cover all surfaces. The sauce will keep the noodles hydrated and soft while baking.

STEP 6: Cover the dish in foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or divide into individual portions and refrigerate.

Step By Step Photos

Begin boiling water for the noodles. While you're waiting for the water to boil, prepare the lasagna filling. Thaw and squeeze dry the spinach. I literally take the whole clump in both hands (clean hands!) and squeeze the living day lights out of it. Combine the "dry" spinach ina bowl with the egg, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, salt and pepper.


Mix it all up until it's evenly combined.


By this time the water is probably ready for the noodles (heavy boil). Add the noodles boil until soft but not mushy. Occasionally stir the noodles while they cook to prevent them from sticking to each other and the pot. Stir gently because torn noodles = not usable.


Once your noodles are cooked, drained and cool enough to handle, lay a few out on a clean surface. Spread a few tablespoons of filling over each noodle. The filling doesn't have to be that thick because once they're rolled up, it will be compounded and seem thicker.


Roll 'em on up. (preheat the oven to 400 degrees)


Place the rolled up noodles in a baking dish coated in non-stick spray. I was able to get 14 roll ups from that amount of filling. The number of roll ups you get will depend on how thickly the filling is spread on the noodles.


Cover the lasagna roll ups in marinara sauce, taking care to fully cover the noodles (this keeps them hydrated and soft). Cover the dish with aluminum foil (again to prevent drying during baking) and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.



http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/01/spinach-lasagna-roll-ups-801-recipe-114.html

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

$2.52 recipe / $0.50 serving

Herb roasted potatoes are a classic recipe that everyone needs to know how to make. Potatoes are delicious and satisfying and roasting them has to be one of the easiest ways to prepare them. I love mashed potatoes but (I'll be honest) I'm a little too lazy to mash them sometimes. I chose rosemary and garlic to roast my potatoes with but you can really make this recipe with any seasoning you like. These potatoes do take a while to cook but if you start them before preparing the rest of your meal, they can cook away while you're busy taking care of everything else.

These potatoes were prepared as part of my BBQ Chicken Dinner.





Total Recipe cost: $2.52
Servings Per Recipe: 5 (1/2 lb. each)
Cost per serving: $0.50
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 45-50 min. Total: 1 hr.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2.5 lbs.	red skinned potatoes	$1.74
1/4 cup	chopped parsley	$0.25
2 cloves	garlic, minced	$0.12
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.21
2 tsp	dried rosemary	$0.10
20 cranks	fresh cracked pepper	$0.05
1/2 tsp	salt	$0.05
TOTAL		$2.52

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes well and cut into 1 inch cubes. Try to make the size of the cubes as uniform as possible so they cook at the same rate.

STEP 2: Either in a large bowl or on your roasting pan, add the oil, parsley, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Reserve some parsley for garnish. Toss to coat well. Spread the potatoes out evenly in a single layer on the pan. If the potatoes are crowded or sit in layers they will tend to steam rather than roast, preventing the edges from crisping.



STEP 3: Put the pan in the oven to roast. Stir the potatoes about every 20 minutes to expose more edges to the hot air and allowing them to crisp. Be sure to spread the potatoes out in a single layer each time to stir. The potatoes are done when they are golden brown and crisp on the edges and corners. Mine took about 45 minutes to get to this point.



NOTE: Use fresh rosemary if it is available to you to really make the flavor pop. Give the rosemary a quick chop to release the oils before tossing with the potatoes.

What is your favorite seasoning for potatoes? The possibilities are endless and I'm always looking for something new to try! 

 

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2009/10/rosemary-roasted-potatoes-252-recipe.html