Soup! It's What's For Supper!

With the cold blustery winter months upon us (Or not.  I have pictures of the kids last week outside without coats) it is time to pull out the soup recipes.  I'm a picky soup person.  I only like certain kinds.  None of them are tomato based in any way shape or form.  All of them contain only the most mild tasting of veggies (read; no peppers of any kind).  But I do enjoy a good hot soup on a cold day.  

 This is a "white chili" that a friend of mine brought to a potluck in the fall.  I got her recipe, modified it a bit to make it gluten-free, and now we all can enjoy it.

 Too bad mommy forgot that this little one doesn't do well with beans...after her third bowl.  Oops.

 Three bowls for this one also.

Only two for him, but that is highly unusual!  It is a white chili, but I think of it more as a taco soup.

Here's the recipe:
 5 chicken breasts
16 oz of sour cream
2 cans rinsed chili beans and 2 cans rinsed great northern beans OR 4 cans great northern beans
2 cans of shoepeg corn (not drained) OR 2 cans hominy (not drained)
2 PKGs powdered ranch (to make gluten free soup use 1/2c. Annie's organic Ranch instead)
2 cans GF chicken broth
2 cans water
2 PKGs of taco seasoning (to make it GF see below)

Cook chicken for about 20 minutes in the water and chicken broth.  Shred chicken and put all of the juice/chicken in a crock pot.  Add all other ingredients.  Cook on low at least an hour.  If too thin, add a little cornstarch.

Serve with cheddar cheese and tortilla chips  :o)


*in place of taco seasoning you can use the following, from Carrie.
2TBS chili powder
4tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprica
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Apple Pie Filling

Tonight, because I am a few fries short of a Happy Meal, I canned apple pie filling. Why is that so crazy? Well, because the photographer will be here at 9am sharp to photograph our house and we have our first showing tomorrow as well. One should always take on a large project right before company comes, shouldn't they?

This is NOT my house, I wish. This is a picture I took at the farm this past summer. I was very inspired to say the least. Not sure why there is paper and string over all of the jars (anyone?), but they canned everything they had grown in their garden. I, of course, only canned salsa from our garden this summer, but our garden is very small and we ate everything but the cucumbers and carrots right away. #1 was going to pickle the cucumbers, but never got around to it. I gave most away to the neighbors. I didn't can the carrots, I froze them instead to make baby food out of for baby #3.

So I've done salsa, applesauce, and now apple pie filling. Slowly, slowly my cupboard is filling up. I'd really like to know how on earth pioneer women (not the Pioneer Woman, I mean the originals) got everything done with little ones underfoot. My mom assures me there were enough relatives around to help out, but my word Monkey Man (aka Baby J) and Snug (who got really sick again tonight) are not an asset to canning. I am so afraid they are going to get burned. Snug absolutely loves "helping" in the kitchen and I give him as much as I can to do. I cannot imagine doing it with a fire and a wood burning stove. No thanks!

If you find apples for $0.50 a pound, you also might want to can some apple pie filling for this winter. Here is the recipe I used. I pieced a couple different ones I found online together:

Collect:

4 1/2 c. white sugar (cause apple pie filling is really healthy)

2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg (I used a tad more)

2 tsp. salt

10 c. water

3 Tbs lemon juice

8 lbs sour apples (I like granny smith)

1 c. cornstarch (told you, HEALTHY)

7 quart sized jars/lids/rings

Canning tongs

Large stockpot
Canning Funnel

Ladle
Medium stockpot

1. Make sure your rings, jars and lids are sterilized. Put them in your large stockpot you will use to can with the water just before boiling point. I'd recommend putting them in when the water is just warm and letting them warm with the water

2. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch in the medium stockpot.

3. Turn on the stove and start to add water and salt, stirring constantly. When the mixture starts to thicken (it will need to be boiling, and watch out, it happens fast!) remove it from the heat and add lemon juice.

4. Peel, core, and cut your apples into desired thickness. I would have used my apple peeler-corer-slicer, but it broke. Too bad. If you don't have one and you do much with apples, I'd highly recommend it hit your Christmas list.

As you cut them, drop them into a quart jar (take out of the hot water first), fill each jar until you get to the neck part, or a bit below.

5. Ladle the hot syrup into each jar as it if filled with apples. My ladle is a pretty standard size and it put about 6 ladles into each jar. As soon as you have the syrup in a jar, place the (hot) lid on and screw on a ring. I then place it back in the (not boiling but really hot) stockpot until they are all done. If you put a jar that is too cool into the hot water bath, your jar will break.

6. When your jars are done bring your water (at least 2 in. above the lids) to a rolling boil and boil 20 min. Not all of my jars fit in at once, so I had to do the process in two shifts.

7. When the 20 minutes is up, remove the jars and leave them to set for 24 hours or until a photographer comes to photograph your house for the internet. Store them in a cupboard out of direct sunlight.

*you will hear each lid "pop" as it sets. If you want to know for sure your filling has all "canned" after about an hour push gently on the top of your lids. If they do not "pop back" then the seal is good.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

If you have ever been to Olive Garden and had their Chicken Gnocchi soup (and liked it), you may want to try this recipe! It isn't the exact same of course, but we love it nonetheless. In the spirit of all things Italian carb-y I will share this recipe with you. I shared yesterday that our menu was a little tilted towards the pasta/carb part of the food pyramid...I will work on that next week. For now, please try this recipe!



(If you have an ALDI near you, that is a great place to get gnocchi right now. They have them only a few times a year, for a great price. If not, you can get them in the pasta/Italian isle at the grocery)



Now, if I was Ethan, Zach, and Emma's mommy, I'd have a picture of all the steps I took to make the soup. I'm not that good, but check out her blog each Monday because she always has nice recipes! I don't even know where I got this recipe, I think I searched "Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup" online awhile back and got it. I doubt a waiter from The Garden just gave it to me :o)

Please excuse the fact that the pot is half gone...I was eating and decided it was so delicious I had to share!

"Olive Garden" Chicken Gnocchi Soup

4 diced chicken breasts
4c. Chicken stock/broth
2c. Half & Half
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
1 or 2 garlic cloves (depends on how much you like garlic?)
1/2 c. finely chopped carrot
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. fresh spinach, finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
16 oz. gnocchi

1. Saute chicken and garlic in olive oil, and when just cooked add onion, celery, carrot. Saute until tender

2. Transfer to a pot and add chicken stock, half & half, and seasonings. Heat to a boil.

3. Add gnocchi and boil 4 minutes. Turn down and simmer 10 more minutes

4. Add spinach and simmer until well wilted (if at this point it seems very thing, you can heat to boiling and add 1 Tbs of cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs of water...probably not necessary)

5. Serve hot with a nice salad and bread sticks, maybe some candle light :o)

Serves 6

Let me know if you tried it and if you liked it!

Attention Baby Food Making Moms!

I have a product review for you today! My friend bought me a Reynolds Handi-Vac and gave it to me as a present last night because she knows I make Baby J's baby food and lots of things from scratch. This thing is pretty cool!
So the thing on top sucks the air out of the bags so that things don't get freezer burned or frost on them. Take these carrots for example. They are not freezer burned...yet, but they have a lovely coating of frost on them from each time I open them and then try to re close the bags (yes, double bagged with Ziploc freezer bags) with no air. Before I was using a straw and sucking the air out the best I could.

I rinsed each cube and dried it on a clean towel and then used the Handi-Vac...looks much better and every time I remove some cubes I can just suck the air out in like 5 seconds and move on. I have NO idea if it will really work, but I'll let you know. Getting the air out was a breeze though!

I don't like using lots of plastics because of BPA, but after perusing some BPA sites, they say that hard plastics are the biggest offenders and one researcher from U of Missouri (Vom Saal) said that "heat acid, alcohol, harsh detergents, age and microwaving" are what speed up the release of and release the most BPA. I will hand wash my bags with Melaleuca dish detergent and hopefully not be contaminating too much food!

Moving on...CF Mama had mentioned in a comment recently she'd have to check into my Superporridge. Well, it isn't mine, at least not the concept or the name. Those are from "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. However, his particular blend is made by me!

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Caution: Do not use unless your doctor thinks you need to. It is about 29% of the calories the average 11-13 month old needs in a day...and only makes 1/2 cup. HOWEVER, if you want to try it use breastmilk or 'regular' formula (instead of PediaSure) The University of Michigan Health System (C.S. Mott Children's Hospital site) says that the average 'regular' formula and the average woman's breastmilk is 20 calories/oz. That would knock this superporridge from 251 cal down to 231 cal. Making it more like 26% of their calories for the day. OR make it with water and that makes it 191 cal (21%).

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Of course your doctor can tell you what your child needs to grow, I have no idea (I only know my kid!). I just know that on average, a child 11-13 months consumes 900 calories/day. Baby J needs 1,250 to grow right now...that will go up when he starts walking. Which is only like 350 more (but our dietitian says kids eat too much in general...so the 900 may be too high) I try to keep him right at 1,250. Anyway, all I am saying is be careful because that is 26% of what most kids would need, even if made with breastmilk and that is only one meal...you have got at least 2 more meals, a snack or so, and bottles/consumption of milk/formula to consider on top of that. Don't forget that kids in this age range need around 24 oz (480 cal) a day. Again, I'm not a doctor, I just have done lots of asking questions of Baby J's dietitian and online. Ok, I shouldn't get sued now that I got all of that out of the way. If you click where your mouse turns into a hand, there were different things above you could click on to see where I got some of my information. Sorry, I can't video tape our dietitian and put her on here...something about privacy...

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MOVING ON! For those of you who made it through that rambling, here is the recipe for the 251 calorie Superporridge.

1/8 c. instant rice cereal (I make it also...but a friend gave me 3-4 boxes of organic rice cereal and I'm not complaining!)

2 Tbs avocado, pureed

1/2 tsp. moringa (if you don't have this, don't worry about it...great stuff though!)

1 Tbs. tahini

1/4 c. PediaSure (strawberry flavored takes the edge off the tahini)

1 tsp. ground flaxseed (grind fresh daily or grind and freeze)

1 tsp. wheat germ

liquid vitamins

Mix well

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You can make 2 days worth at a time, just make sure it is covered and refrigerated. The second day it may have some brown streaks in it because avocado turns brown when exposed to air (normal). When you make avocado puree, keep the extra covered tightly and either freeze or refrigerate and use within a few days. It gets nasty if you try to make more than 2 servings...turns all brown and runny and smelly. Trust me :o)

Let me know if it works for you!

Delish Dish

While this isn't the most Martha Stewart food picture I've ever seen/taken I snapped it really quick because it is one of our favorite meals and I wanted to share the recipe with you.

We love to grill in the summer all the time and I made up this marinade/recipe a couple of years ago. Enjoy!

Citrus Grilled Chicken and Quinoa
4 chicken breasts
***taco seasoning (see below)
1/2 c. orange juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. minced garlic OR 1 clove fresh
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. water

Marinate the chicken overnight if you buy fresh, or marinate until defrosted if you buy frozen.
Grill!

To make the quinoa, use the marinade from the chicken combined with 1 c. water and cook 1 c. quinoa for 10 minutes in the mixture. (Bring to a boil and then boil low/simmer until done) It will be kinda foamy/frothy because of the marinade...that is normal.

Serves 4

***We quit using commercial taco seasoning because some of the ingredients are less than desirable...MSG and "food grade" silica gel (really? Food grade???) Instead we use this concoction to make our own seasoning. If you don't want to make your own, use 1/2 packet of taco seasoning instead. Carrie posted it here a few weeks ago, I didn't make it up.
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano

Let me know if you try it/it works out for you.
Quinoa is a grain...you find it in whole food/organic sections of the store. It is kinda like a little circle with a crescent shaped 'germ' ring around one side. When it is fully cooked it is translucent with the germ very pronounced...#1 says the germ looks like baby fingernail trimmings...gross. Quinoa is also gluten-free

I Couldn't Have Said It Better...AND Easter Pictures *UPDATED*

I was all ready to post about what Easter really means...and then I read this and really, I couldn't agree more. So please read this and then come back and finish this post.

I wanted you all to read that because, at our house, we do enjoy Easter eggs and handsome outfits, and time with friends, and big fancy dinners. BUT we know first and foremost that Easter is about Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. Our Good Friday service and Easter services at church were so good, and really really hit home for me this year. Please enjoy our pictures, but please know that "the bunny" is NOT the reason we have a "Happy Easter". Snug loved decorating Easter eggs with our next door neighbors at their house.Dipping the spoon was probably his favorite part.

Snug and I are planting a garden this year. We are starting some seeds inside. He had fun with the soil more than anything.

These pictures capture so much personality. Snug is quite the comedian and loves to make people laugh. I only hope that he keeps his big personality in check as he grows up so that he does not come off as obnoxious. He is truly the sunshine in our home.

Our project gave me the idea of this dessert for our Easter dinner. It is layers of chocolate pudding and brownie, topped with crushed Oreo (off-brand for me of course!) cookies, dyed coconut, and gummy worms. It was very yummy!

Our boys got their Easter baskets buckets earlier in the week, but still enjoyed showing them off to our neighbors after our shared lunch today. Look who is getting some chub to his cheeks!Snug got this outfit from one of the familys I sit for. Their son wore it in a wedding last year. He didn't want to wear the tie...he wanted to wear a necklace instead. We compromised and he has a necklace on UNDER the shirt :o)Baby J is wearing a 'suit' that Snug wore two years ago. If I remember later I'll post some pics of him wearing it. My power cord isn't working and my battery is dying fast. *Update* wiggled and jiggled and got the cord working...for now. Here is Snug in the same outfit (below). He was like 2 days shy of being 7 months old when these were taken on his first Easter. Look at those cheeks! These pictures give Baby J a little more perspective. Snug was a preemie and always on the low end of the growth chart. He is a month and a half younger than Baby J when I took these pictures and definatly bigger than Baby J is today. The great news was that a little over a week ago when I tried it on him it was too big and I wasn't sure if we'd even bother using it. Due to his recent 'unofficial' growth spurt, he got to wear it! Unofficial is because Wednesday is his official at the GI specialist growth check. I can't WAIT to see her reaction :o)

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Baby J is not as um...as much as a show off (?) as his brother. More the serious type! This picture captures him! (Notice how in many of his pictures his mouth is open a bit? That is part of what we are working on in speech therapy with his muscles...but he is always looking and thinking and watching.)

The boys dressed and ready for church.Mom and dad, see our hardwood floors? I took pictures of the demo but haven't posted them. For our IRL friends, check our Flickr page later if I can get the power source working. This floor was under our carpet.

From our family to yours, HAPPY EASTER!

What Are YOU Making For Supper?

Well, if you don't have any big plans...you SO want to make this. It is cheap, easy, healthy, and YUMMY! I think I got the recipe from Taste Of Home...I found it on a recipe card I had written and never tried and decided to try it this week. Oh my delicious.

Tex-Mex Chicken

30 oz drained canned corn (2 cans)
15 oz rinsed and drained organic black beans
16 oz chunky salsa-hotness depends on your tastes...we use medium
6 chicken breasts (we half the recipe except the beans and just use 3 breasts)
1 c. sharp shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the corn, beans, and 1/2 the salsa in your crockpot.
Top with chicken (I put mine in frozen)
Pour on remaining salsa.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours if using 6 breasts, 3 hours if using 3.

Top with cheese and cover/cook 5 minutes before serving.

TRY this, you will LOVE it!

All I Want For Christmas Is A Pankin' Poon

On Monday all of my Daycare kids were sick except R and Baby J was also still a little on the puny side, so we had just our family. #1 decided to take the opportunity to go Christmas shopping for me with Snug. As they were driving to undisclosed location I am not allowed to know, #1 asked Snug what Mamma wanted for Christmas. After thinking for a minute Snug told him "a pankin' poon" (a spanking spoon). Nice.

So here is Snug 'singing' Christmas carols at #1's work Christmas party. He spent most of the time standing on the stage and jumping off. This is about 1/8 of the under 12 children in attendance. The first year we went, Snug was a newborn...and there were maybe 15 kids there. Last year there were defiantly more kids, but this year I think there was a baby boom...and they are all grown up, not babies. Actually there were lots of babies this year too. This party is for anyone that belongs to his FOP lodge, not just his department, but in his department alone Baby J was one of nine babies born in a four month span.

So you know Snug just loves tolerates Santa. Well, when his name was called he insisted his daddy was in tow, clung to his sleeve for dear life, sucked his fingers so he didn't have to say anything, and only glanced at him (as amazingly caught on camera) when he offered him a present.

Baby J was the life of the party, or at least the lungs. He cried through dinner, Christmas sing-a-long, and getting a gift from Santa. We left as soon as both boys had their gift, and I think the entire party picked up after that.

When we got home Snug made sure that Baby J knew which gift he had received, and wanted Baby J to play with it. Don't worry, #1 caught the present before it landed in the crib. We were to give a gift idea to the party planning people and they buy it and have it ready (no cost to us) for the party. This was not the toy I had picked for Baby J, but it is nice anyway. It is a bathtub toy...and have I mentioned WE ARE GETTING A BATHTUB????

This was post present dumping. I was just standing there with the camera and though, "Why am I not getting this on camera?" Baby J is wearing those seriously lacking jammies AGAIN in this picture. The sleep sacks are clean, but still hanging out in a laundry basket...somewhere...

Pictures really show a nice side of the jammies. In real life they have holes in at least 3 places, are not fuzzy or soft at all, are an awful seafoam green color, and have a couple of stains. So, they are worn over normal pj's just to add some warmth.

And here is Snug showing off his gift that I/he picked out at Toys R Us a few weeks ago. He is absolutely delighted with it. My cousins and I had one like it at my grandma's house...anyone remember it?
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So today we had R back, but everyone else was sick. We normally have pancakes every Monday morning, but seems how everyone was sick yesterday, I didn't do it. We had them today instead. At the end of the post I'll put my recipe.

While R was at school we went to the dog park...haven't been in months. It was about 50 deg and hadn't started raining yet. Here is our dog Chester.

And our other dog Lucifer Lucy. I love them and they love us, but often they get a little shoved to the side. This morning we let them have their time.

Kids are not allowed in the dog park, but there is a play place outside. Baby J slept in the car (like 3 feet away, I assure you) and Snug played with daddy on the swings and slide.

Draycare Pancakes
1 Egg

1 c. milk

2 Tbs. oil applesauce
1 c. All purpose flour 1/2 c. white, 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 Tbs. sugar raw honey

1 Tsp. baking powder

1 Tsp. baking soda

1/2 Tsp. salt

1 Tsp. vanilla

1 Tbs. cinnamon

2 Tbs. wheat germ

2 Tbs. ground flax seed

*I crossed out the original recipe and put in what I use. I also added the vanilla, cinnamon, wheat germ, and flax seed. They are not quite as good as ones made out of pancake mix, but they are way better for you and as you could see, the kids love them.

Beans and Rice

So tonight I cooked garbanzo beans for supper. Below is a chart of why they are so good for you! Below that is how they can taste good to you.

So here's the recipe.

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 Tbs. olive oil

Dash of poultry seasoning

Dash of pepper (yep mom and dad...you read it right!)

1/8 tsp. Salt

1 c. cooked garbanzo beans (or you can use canned, but they have lots of salt added)

2 1/2 c. cooked long grain brown rice

1 1/2 tbs. butter/margarine

Heat everything in a skillet except the beans/rice/butter

Saute beans for about a minute stirring constantly

Add rice and butter and cook until heated-I sprinkles a bit of parsley on top

*Garbanzo beans that come dried take about 3 hours to cook in boiling water. I then cooked my rice in the water the beans were in to get the most out of the vitamins.

Here's Baby J sleeping under the tree tonight. Of course he's wearing his ugliest pajamas for this shot, but whatever. They actually look a bit better in this picture than in real life, so that is nice. They really are quite ugly, and he has cute ones. He is double jammied because all his sleep sacks are in the wash. We moved into 6-9 month clothes today.

We also got out the high chair! He warily watched me eat my garbanzo bean creation thinking...um, I hope I like those too mom!

Oh yeah, Snug and Baby J are both sick with colds...lots of sleeping and cuddling today.

Pictures Please!

So I bet my relatives who check this to see pictures of the boys are thinking "enough yakking already, lets see the boys". Well, I'll do one better...my dear cousin Mitt taught me how to put a video on my blog. Snug starts us off tonight...please forgive my armature videoing/posting.

These are the chicken nuggets I made tonight. We are pretty much disgusted with McDonald's food after watching "Supersize Me" and have no desire to even visit...even though we LOVE the food, we do not LOVE what it does to us. I've bought frozen nuggets for Draycare before, but I was not impressed with the nutrition...um, lack of nutrition. On the back of my shredded wheat box there was a recipe for homemade chicken nuggets. I figured homemade meant healthier, right? Nope. Some areas were a little better, and some were worse, some were a wash. Soo...I looked at the recipe and my nutritional facts and figured out what the worst offenders were. Mayo and grated Parmesan were by far the worst. I substituted the mayo for tofu and some water, and only put 1 tbs of Parmesan instead of 1/2 cup.

What do Snug and Baby J do while I am checking nutrition facts and dreaming up new recipes? Well, tonight Baby J was taking a nap and Snug was playing with his buttons.

Are these new chicken nuggets super good? We didn't think so. :o) If we really need a nugget fix we'll be going to McDonald's. Want the recipe? Leave a comment and I'll get it to you-they weren't terrible, but they weren't so tasty that we'll be making them again anytime soon.

****To hear the video better, go to my Playlist on the right sidebar and hit the pause button to turn the music off and you should be able to hear Snug.

Just Another Tuesday? Never.

I got an e-mail from my friend and here is a way to send free cards to our troops. Click on the picture below and it will take you to the site. Xerox is sponsoring it-only takes like 30 seconds.

SOOOO....on the way to take R to school the windshield wipers broke on the van. I mean BROKE as in snapped off with a loud popping noise. I had it set on the really raging, seriously dangerous setting of....1. As in just enough to keep the flakes off the window. Anyone know the going rate of windshield wipers these days? Um, more than I want to blog about.

Oh, the "q" button on our computer is broken. I have to all but pound it. Luckily I don't use that button very often, and have actually been avoiding all words starting with that letter...but today's post is gonna reQuire it due to the fact I"m going to share a fantastic Quesadilla recipe.

Grocery shopping, school drop offs, broken keyboards, naps, busted windshield wipers, lunch...kinda just another Tuesday :o)

Tofu and Cheese Quesadillas

This recipe makes 3 quesadillas, which fed 3 kids and one adult...there were going to be leftovers too, but Snug knocked over his milk on the remaining 3 pieces and I didn't have any takers after that.

6 wheat or whole wheat tortillas

1/4 cup organic tofu (at our store organic and non-organic are the same price...I go for organic)

3TBS raw wheat germ

1/2 c. lowfat Mexican mix cheese

2 TBS taco seasoning OR you could use chili powder, oregano, minced garlic mixed and then

there's no MSG

Mix everything but the tortillas together well and divide into three equal parts.

Spread the mixture evenly over a tortilla and top with another tortilla.

We have a quesadilla (only two pounds for that letter this time!) maker which kinda sections them into triangles as they cook...you can also make them in a frying pan and if you must use oil, use olive oil. Cook on both sides if using a pan for about 1.5 minutes.

We use a pizza cutter to slice the triangles.

These were delish...I promise!