Vegetarian Kale Soup

So...this weekend I needed to fix a nourishing meal that me and the hubs could enjoy.  Sweet boy would enjoy it too, I'm sure, but he's still nursing, so breast milk is as good as it gets these days!  Anyhow, me and Jay needed something warm and comforting and filling but not too heavy.  I searched around and found this - Vegetarian Kale Soup!  Yummers!!!  I whipped up a batch and it was delish!  In fact, I just finished it off for lunch today.  This is a tasty soup, so get your taste buds ready!  All the credit goes to allrecipes.com!  I don't have a picture of the food to accompany this post so I'll just post a pic of my little sweet boy instead. :-)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves

chopped

8 cups water

6 cubes vegetable bouillon (such as

Knorr)

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

6 white potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans

(drained if desired)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons dried parsley (I only used 1 tablespoon though)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot; cook the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water, vegetable bouillon, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Simmer soup on medium heat for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with a piece of cheese toast and a tall glass of milk!
~Priscilla

Pumpkin Cheesecake Monkey Bread

Hi friends,

Missing you dearly so hoping that with re-engaging our blog we'll feel closer than the miles between us.

This recipe is the perfect fall sweet treat.  May not be the healthiest dessert, but it sure is tasty!

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
4 cans (7.5 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (sold in a 4-pack)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 package (3 oz) cream cheeseDirections
  * Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 6-cup fluted tube cake pan with cooking spray.
  * In large food-storage plastic bag, mix granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
  * Separate each can of dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters, adding biscuit pieces to bag and shaking as you go. When pieces are coated, arrange in pan. (If you run out of mixture, remove dough pieces from bag and add 1 to 2 more tablespoons granulated sugar to bag.)
  * In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, pumpkin and cream cheese over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Beat mixture with whisk until mostly smooth (there may be some tiny pieces of cream cheese, but that’s okay). Pour mixture over biscuit pieces in pan. Place pan on cookie sheet to catch any spills.
  * Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 2 minutes. Place heatproof plate upside down in the pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Store in refrigerator.

-Pillsbury.com

Coconutty Fruit Salad

Ingredients


6 oranges, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 apple, cut into bit-sized pieces
2 bananas, sliced
1 large can pineapple chunks, drained (save some juice)
1 large jar maraschino cherries, drained
1/2-1 cup sweetened coconut
orange juice (optional)


Preparation


Mix all ingredients together.  You may use the orange peels to squeeze extra orange juice into the salad or you might add orange juice or some left over pineapple juice.  You need something acidic to keep the bananas from browning and it also adds a nice flavor.

-Sarah

TURKEY STROGANOFF

I always forget to take pictures, but I'll try to get one of my leftovers. This was a simple and pretty tasty meal.

1/4 package egg noodles
1 Tbs. each butter and olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
5 or so mini sweet peppers (yellow, red, and orange)
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 Tbs.sweet paprika -- i used regular
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. marjarom
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
chopped parsley for garnish



Directions:
Cook noodles till al dente about 6 minutes. While cooking noodles, brown turkey in butter and olive oil. Once brown add chopped peppers, garlic, and seasonings. Cook for about 4-5 minutes then add chicken stock and sour cream. Bring back to boil and then simmer for a couple minutes. Add cooked noodles and stir allowing noodles to soak up some of the "sauce". Garnish with parsley. Done in about 20 minutes or less!!

xoxo Kristen

"The Zone" Kale and Bean Soup with Turkey Sausage

Ingredients:
18 ounces low-fat smoked turkey sausage kielbasa, sliced
4 teaspoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1 ½ cups onion, chopped
4 cups fresh kale chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups white kidney beans (or any other cooked beans)
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:
Slice sausage into half-moon, bite-sized slices. In a large pot, heat olive oil then add garlic and onion. Sauté these ingredients until soft. Add kale and sauté until wilted. Add 3 cups of the broth, sliced sausage, and 1 1/2 cups of the beans, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Use a blender to mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Mix into soup to thicken. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. 


This recipe makes about four 3-block servings in "the Zone".


http://drsears.com/ZoneLiving/Recipes/RecipeArchive/tabid/92/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16013/Kale-and-Bean-Soup-with-Turkey-Sausage.aspx


- Sarah

Molasses Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted margarine, 1 cup sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; blend into the molasses mixture. Cover, and chill dough for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until tops are cracked. Cool on wire racks.

- Sarah

*http://allrecipes.com/recipe/molasses-cookies/detail.aspx           

Baked Potato Soup

...with a side of Jeffrey!

Ingredients

• 3 bacon strips, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

*Recipe from www.allrecipes.com          

-Sarah