Food For Thought ~ Favorite Soups

Tomorrow is sweet Weeda's 3rd birthday party which means that I am up to my ear-balls :) in party preparation!

That is ...
after I get the laundry done,
present the Art Heritage project in Aaron's class,
help with the reading rotation in Ashley's kindergarten class,
shepherd the kids home from school,
herd them around as they do their chores,
settle in for a long break with the kids
and put something together for dinner.

Yeah ... just a little busy around here!

We will be celebrating our little Missy tomorrow with a fun Giraffe party with family and friends ... and plenty of food.

Here are the soups we'll be sampling tomorrow night.  If you follow along, you can pretend to celebrate with us ... minus the hustle and bustle of a dozen kids sugared up and roaring up and down the stairs!

Chicken Tortilla Chowder

Homemade Tomato Soup

Pork Posole

Pasta & Sausage Soup

Enjoy ... I know we will! :)

Food For Thought ~ Double Dinners

When dinnertime rolls around here at the Kellum house, I almost always have a meal in mind.  I like to make my dinner menu for the week on Sunday and then shop on Monday for the week.  So on those days (which fall few and far between, thank goodness!) when I don't have a plan, I feel completely at a loss!  

Recently I had a meal on the docket, but upon rounding up the ingredients for the dinner, I realized that I had used the can of diced tomatoes in a different dish that week.  That left me one ingredient shy of dinner.  Ugh.  I paced back and forth from the fridge to the pantry and back to the fridge trying to come up with Plan B ... something that didn't need canned tomatoes.  By that point, my creativity had evaporated and the kids were beginning the incessant, "What's for dinner?" chant.  Double ugh.

As I headed to the garage (not to hide from the kids, mind you) I was thrilled to find a freezer meal all ready to pop in the oven!  I actually have quite a few meals I have doubled up and slid in the freezer for this very reason.  When Mom doesn't feel like cooking!  

This is a post I did last year with a few double dinners ... and here's two more yummy ones for you to try!  (Be sure to check out this previous post for my tips on lining your freezer pan and storing your extra meal.)

Tamale Pie

(This recipe is from my dear friend, Anna Lee Walker.  I remember you making this for us ... just a few years ago.  Before we had kids.  So yeah ... it's been a little while.)

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef (or turkey or 1 lb of each)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup salsa

2 cups frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cup corn meal

2 T sugar

2 T butter

In a large pot, cook the meat until no longer pink.  Drain off fat after cooking.  Add black beans, ketchup, salsa, corn and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.  Heat through until the cheese melted.  Divide equally between two 8x8 inch pans (one sprayed with cooking spray and the other lined with Press-n-Seal).

In the same large pot, melt the butter and add the remaining cheese, sugar and corn meal.  Heat until the cheese melts and the mixture looks crumbly.  Sprinkle the corn meal mixture over the meat in each dish.

Freeze one pan (or send along to a friend).  For the other pan, bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  

We like our Tamale Pie with a little dollop of sour cream and a green salad.

¡Olé!

Penne & Sausage Casserole

(This recipe is from Taste of Home, June/July 2009.  Just a few typical adjustments.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs penne pasta

1 lb Italian sausage

1 lb mushrooms, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 T olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 T oregano

2 1/2 cups beef broth

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained

3 T tomato paste

4 cups mozzarella, shredded

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.  Set aside.

In a large pot, cook sausage.  Drain off most of the fat.  Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic and oregano and cook until veggies are soft.  Add 1 cup of beef broth.  Bring to a boil and let simmer until reduced by half.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining broth and sausage.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

This is a good time to wash the dishes ... there seems to be quite a few of them!

I prepared one 9x13 oval pan with cooking spray and then lined two 8x8 square pans to put in the freezer.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the large pan and 1/4 cup in each small pan.  Divide half of the pasta into the three pans.  Top the noodles with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce in the large pan and 1 1/4 cup in the small pans.  Top with half the cheese.  Repeat the layers:  remaining pasta, remaining sauce and remaining cheese.

Freeze the two smaller pans.  Cover the larger pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.  Delicious with a side of veggies and garlic bread!

Delizioso!

Food For Thought ~ Green & Blue Food

I remember as a kid my mom saying, "Put a rainbow on your plate."  Green salad, red tomatoes, yellow cornbread, white chicken breast off the grill with a splash of magenta bbq sauce!  That was how she encouraged us to eat a variety of fresh foods and to have a diverse selection of nutritious eats at each meal.

Every now and then those words come back to me ... especially during my un-inspired meals when I bring to the table blah foods.  Recently when I served the family rice, chicken and french bread, I was tempted to give everybody a generous squirt of ketchup in an attempt to at least provide two colors to eat from!

Today's Food For Thought will help you add two colors to your dinner:  Green and a dash of Blue.

Enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes
(This is my "guess and by gosh" recipe ... it turned out tasty!)

Ingredients:
2 very green tomatoes, no pink on them
1 cup Panko, Japanese-style bread crumbs
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup flour
Pinch of coarse salt
Olive oil

In the same way that you bread eggplant or chicken, prepare three dishes:  one with the beaten eggs, one with the flour and salt and one with the bread crumbs.  Eat about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan.  Cut the green tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices.

When the oil is hot, dip each slice of tomato in the flour, then the egg and finally in the bread crumbs.  Be sure to get each slice well coated.  Cook in the hot oil for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and let some of the oil whisk away.  I then stacked them in a casserole dish and slid them in to the oven at about 190 degrees to keep them hot until they were ready to be served.  The sharp taste of the green tomatoes coupled with the crispiness of the bread crumbs made this a dish worth making again!

Penne with Pesto, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

(This recipe is from The Dinner Doctor - with a few tweaks.)

Ingredients:

16 oz. box of penne pasta

1 cup walnuts, toasted*

1/2 cup pesto, from the store or homemade

1/4 blue cheese

1/2 pound broccoli or asparagus spears

* To toast the walnuts, put them in a dry skillet and cook over high heat until browned a bit, stirring constantly.  Remove them from the pan immediately to stop them from burning.

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.  During the final 5 minutes of cooking toss in the broccoli or asparagus.  (I chose broccoli this time as it was from our garden ... and it needed a delicious dish to be showcased in!  Asparagus is equally scrumptious!)

In a small bowl combine the pesto and blue cheese.  Use a fork to mash the blue cheese and incorporate it into pesto.

When the pasta and veggies are finished, drain thoroughly.  Return this to the pot and add the pesto mixture.  Toss well and serve immediately.  Top with toasted walnuts.

Those delightful fritters on the side are made from zucchini from our garden.  Here's how...

Zucchini Fritters

(This recipe is from Food Network Magazine, July/August 2010 with a few adjustments.)

Ingredients:

2 small zucchini, grated

2 tsp. salt

4 scallions, chopped

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup flour

Olive oil

Place the grated zucchini in a colander in the sink and toss with the salt.  Let the zucchini drip into the sink for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a skillet.

In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, egg, cheese and flour.  Squeeze the excess water from the zucchini and add to the bowl.  Mix well.

When the oil is hot, spoon about 1/3 cup of the fritter mixture into little mounds in the oil.  Flatten with a spatula and let cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels and season with a pinch of salt.  Delish!

Apple Slaw

(This recipe was inspired by one in Food Network Magazine, October 2011 ... with a variety of tweaks!)

Ingredients:

4 apples, chopped (I chose Granny Smith)

1 large head endive, chopped

1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted

1 cup blue cheese

Vinaigrette (below)

Coarse salt and ground pepper taste

Vinaigrette:

3 T. honey

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. dijon mustard

2/3 cup olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper taste

Whisk together the honey, vinegar and mustard.  Add the oil slowly, whisking well.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the apples, endive, walnuts, blue cheese.  Add enough vinaigrette to coat.  The tart apples with bitter endive and rich blue cheese was a delightful mouthful!

Enjoy your rainbow plate today!

Food For Thought ~ Carmel & Apples

On a recent shopping trip, I was thrilled to find that my hands-down, absolutely, no-doubt-about-it, juiciness-running-down-my-chin, favorite apples were sitting there and smiling at me from across the produce area.  Those scrumptious Honey Crisp beauties were most certainly calling my name, if only I could have heard them over the plaintive voice of my three year old who was also calling my name.  Repeatedly.

"Mom!  Mom!  Mom!"

As soon as I solved the dilemma of the un-openable ziplock snack bag, I made a beeline for the apples and filled my bag.  Their sugary sweetness truly is sweet enough, but then another display caught my eye.

Carmel.

Mmmm ... what a delightful treat to surprise the kids with!  And one I wouldn't mind either.

As I stood in the kitchen later making the carmel dip for the apples, my mind was whisked away to another fall.  Another carmel apple dip treat.  Another sweet memory ...

We three girls sat in our dorm room trying to focus on homework, but succumbing as usual to talking, giggling and painting our nails.  As the wind buffeted the trees outside, we sat on the floor, sipping tea and chatting about classes and classmates.


The lights flickered once and then went out.  The entire campus was plunged into darkness.


We could hear playful screams up and down the hall.  The blackness of night called other students out into the grassy common area to run and yell.  We could hear the mumbled voices of our Residence Hall Assistant making his rounds and encouraging students to settle down.   The power outage had really brought out the craziness of the students!


Debbie fumbled around at her desk and lit a contraband candle.  The soft glow gave off just enough light to see the outlines of the furniture in the room.  A moment later I could hear the mini-fridge's door close and a giggle from Debbie.


"Well ... if we can't study ... who wants a little snack?"


There was the rustle of a package being opened and Debbie handed us each paper towel.


"Here are your apple slices.  Let me find a spoon."


In a moment, Debbie, with the help of the candle, made her way to where we were seated.  In one hand she held a spoon.  In the other hand was a tub of carmel dip.


As we sat on the floor, dipping our apple slices in the sticky goodness, we began talking again.  Knowing us, our conversation wandered from deep spiritual questions about salvation to the new aerobics instructor and her relentless routine of squats and on to boyfriends and boys who were just friends.  Our friendship was sweetened as we shared our hearts there in the darkness around that tub of carmel.


Too soon the lights popped back on.  The stereo came to life again and the alarm clock on the dresser began flashing 12:00.  Our mandatory study break had come to an abrupt end and it was time to get back to work.  We sighed.


And then we laughed.  


In the light of the lamps we discovered something the darkness had hidden.  As we had generously slathered our apple slices in the carmel, we had also inadvertently slathered our hair!  Each dip of the sugary goodness had left a trail of carmel!  What a sticky sweet mess we made!

As I unwrapped each carmel square in preparation of our own apple dip, it was a treat to reminisce back to that fall night years ago.  Even with that night being 18 falls ago (gulp!), I still remember the sweetness of the carmel and the company and the conversation.

God calls us to that same sweet company and conversation with Him.  In Psalm 119 we read a little bit about the sweetness of God and the benefits that come from time spent with Him.

¹⁰² I have not departed from Your laws, 
   for You Yourself have taught me. 
¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste, 
   sweeter than honey carmel to my mouth! 
¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from Your precepts; 
   therefore I hate every wrong path.
(Psalm 119:102-104, editing mine)


As we spend time in prayer with Him and in reading His Word, we will discover the truth of Psalm 34:8.  We will "taste and see that the Lord is good!"  And we'll want to share that goodness with those around us as we walk His path!


Here's a little sweetness for you ...

Carmel Dip Delight
1 package carmel squares, unwrapped (plan this time into your preparation ... about 5 minutes!)
2/3 cup evaporated milk

All ready for dipping!

Put the carmel and milk in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat on high for one minute.  Stir.  Heat on high for another minute and stir again.  Heat one more minute on high and then use a whisk to combine the carmel and milk.  It will be quite watery until it begins to cool.  Of course you can dip any old apple, but I'd recommend a Honey Crisp!

Here are some picks from our recent dipping:

In spite of eating the carmel while sitting around our well-lit kitchen table, the kids still ended up with an awful lot of carmel dribbled down their chins, smeared across the table and, you guessed it, dripped in their hair!

Day 1:  Mom in the Midst

Day 2:  My Button is Lame

Day 3:  Splendidly Lavish

Day 4:  Keeping My Head Above Water

Day 5:  Time-Warp Wednesday ~ Little Me

Day 6:  Me, Myself & I

Day 7:  Food For Though ~ Bacon

Day 8:  The Aches and Pains of Service

Day 9:  I Heart You

Day 10:  Who is Me? {part 1}

Day 11:  Who is Me? {part 2}

Day 12:  Who is Me?  {part 3}

Day 13:  Handmade with Care
Day 14:  Food For Thought ~ Carmel & Apples

Food For Thought ~ Bacon

I love bacon.

There I said it.  Confession is good for the soul!

I love crisp bacon on salads, baked potatoes, hamburgers, on the side of my breakfast and in my BLTs.  I love the smoky flavor.  I love the smell of cooking bacon in the air.  I love the salty taste.

But that is the pretty side of bacon.

I don't love the ugly side of bacon.  The side of bacon that is less than appetizing.

I don't love the grease on the glass stovetop, the streaks as I try to wipe it away, the splattered spots on the oven control panel that smear and smudge.  I don't love the left-over grease in the pan.  I don't love the residual "old bacon" smell that lingers in the air.  I don't love the metabolic results of eating bacon ... salt-induced water retention and additional ounces on the scale.

It's a love-hate relationship!

My words are just like bacon.  Sometimes they are delicious, while other times they are ... well, let's just say they're less than tasty.

Sometimes my words are hearty and filling ~ just the encouragement someone needs to hear in the middle of a tough spot.
Sometimes they are slick and greasy ~ saying just what they want to hear in order to feel better ... and to earn me a pat on the back.

Sometimes my words are tasty little morsels ~ reinforcing some other great truth my reader already knows.
Sometimes they are sharp and hard to swallow ~ spoken at the wrong time, at the wrong place, and  in the wrong spirit.

Sometimes my words resonate in the air ~ reminding my hearers of my love and affection.
Sometimes my words hang heavily in the air ~ nagging my hearers to "step it up", "get it together", "stay in line", "listen to me".

Sometimes my words are seasoned with grace ~ speaking love and inspiration.
Sometimes my words are lacking in flavor ~ speaking to hear myself speak.

⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.  (Colossians 4:6)

Who knew that bacon could be such an inspiration?!?

Not only is it delicious, but it's also a hands-on reminder to me of the power of my words.  Whether I am speaking to my husband, my kids, my family or friends, I want my words to be appetizing, flavorful, scrumptious.  They should be seasoned well with grace and love and truth.  

And if I speak well ... they will be coming back for seconds!

In true form for my Friday Food For Thought, here is an Italian Bacon Lettuce & Spinach sandwich we enjoyed recently.  Not only can you savor the truth of the importance of delicious words, but you can delight in a tasty sandwich, too!

Italian BLS Sandwiches

1 loaf french bread, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 lb bacon, cooked
2 cups fresh baby spinach
Pesto, here is my recipe

Fresh ingredients

Toast the bread and assemble the sandwiches as usual, spreading the pesto on generously in place of mayonnaise.   Pretty simple, but a nice change from the usual BLT!  We served ours with crispy steak fries ... delicious!

Scrumptious ingredients!

_______________________________________

31 Days of Mom in the Midst

Day 1:  Mom in the Midst

Day 2:  My Button is Lame

Day 3:  Splendidly Lavish

Day 4:  Keeping My Head Above Water

Day 5:  Time-Warp Wednesday ~ Little Me

Day 6:  Me, Myself & I

Day 7:  Food For Though ~ Bacon

Food For Thought - Revisited

This week has been just plain nutty!  There's not much more I can say about that, except,

"EEK! Next week doesn't look much better!"

I told Brett last week that I seriously needed to get a handle on our daily schedule as I felt the waters closing in.  And then I turned around filled everyday this week with "important stuff".  Blurg.

But it's not all a loss.  I did carve out time this week to ...

~ get laundry done twice (so much better than the one time last week which resulted in six loads!)
~ play a cut-throat game of Sequence with Ashley (she's quite the card shark)
~ spend time reading my Bible (first I had to dust it off ... hence to drowning sensation of last week)
~ walk the kids to school and back almost daily (great for the mornings I opted to sleep through my workout)
~ take a trip to the park with the baby girls (no agenda, just playing and eating)
~ hose down the 3,472 cobwebs from the front porch (shudder ... I still feel a little itchy and buggy)
~ paint my toes (at least some part of me feels fancy)
~ browse my foodie magazines, choose and prepare several yummy meals this week (but not one picture has been dumped from my camera and my schedule doesn't allow for much creativity in writing).

So ... this week I dug through the archives and found a fall post from last year to share with you.

With the crisp cool weather, maybe one of these recipes would warm up your home ... and your bellies!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

(from "Taste Of Home ~ The New Slow Cooker") 

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 29 oz can tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 8 oz package no-cook lasagna noodles

2 cups mozzerella, shredded

12 oz cottage cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

In a large pot brown the beef with the onion and garlic.  Add the sauce, water, paste and oregano and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses and egg.  Mix well.  Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce in the crock-pot.  Arrange a few noodles over the meat - break them if necessary to make a complete layer. Spoon 1/3 of the cheese on the noodles.  Then meat, noodles, cheese, meat, noodles, cheese, meat.

meat layer

cheese & noodle layer

Put the cover on and cook on low for 4-5 hours until the noodles are tender.  Yum!

The kids scarfed this meal down!

Five Can Chili

(from yours truly!) 

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

Cumin

Ground Red Chili Pepper

Basil

1 can each of pinto, kidney, dark kidney and chili beans

1 28 oz diced tomatoes

Doesn't get much easier!

Brown the beef in a skillet with the garlic.  Season to taste with cumin and chili pepper.  Transfer to crock-pot.  In a colander, drain and rinse all the beans except for the chili beans.  Dump all the beans into the crock-pot.  Drain the tomatoes of some of their juices and transfer them to the crock pot.  Add a few shakes of basil and stir.  I let this sit on low for 5-6 hours.  We serve our chili with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese and, for the adults, some fresh chopped onion.

(We'll be having this chili for dinner on Sunday ... a no-cook, homemade meal!)

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

(from "Taste Of Home ~ The New Slow Cooker") 

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can pinto beans, rinsed & drained

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 10 oz can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup water

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups cheddar, shredded

6 flour tortillas

beginning layers

In a pot, cook beef, onion and green pepper until no longer pink.  Add everything else except the cheese and tortillas - mix well.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Spray the crock-pot with a little cooking spray before starting the layers.  Begin with about 1 cup of the beef mixture, followed by one tortilla and 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers until your run out!  Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours.  We topped our with a bit of sour cream.  Delish!

Ole!

Pork Carnitas

(from "Dinner Doctor") 

Ingredients:

3 lb pork roast

1 small onion, chopped coarsely

1 4 ox can chopped green chilies

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup water

3-4 green onions, chopped

Burrito makings:  tortillas, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, salsa, etc.

Place the roast in the crock-pot and toss in the onions and green chilies.  Pour the taco season packet on top and pour the water over everything.  Put the lid on and walk away!  Warning:  about two hours into this cooking, your house will be filled with the most delicious aroma.  You will spend the day salivating!

Simmered to perfection!

About 30 minutes before dinner, take the roast out and place it carefully on a plate.  With two forks, pull the roast apart.  You are wanting to have shredded pork when you are finished.  Transfer the meat back to the crock-pot and stir all the meat, onions and chilies back together.  At this point, I like to toss in the green onions for some extra color and a fresh flavor.  All that's left is to serve it up!  We wrap our carnitas up in tortillas and top them with any of the above toppings.  I also like to serve the meat mixture on top of rice and serve in in a bowl with a side of chips.  So very wonderful and easy!

Ready to roll and eat.

I hope that you will enjoy a few comfort meals this Fall ... and if you use a crock-pot, you can be outside enjoying the changing of the seasons, instead of in your kitchen!