Treat or Treat

My new favorite pumpkin cupcake recipe. The household favorite, I should say, seeing as how I finally had to hide the batter and the finished products from our soon-to-be whiskered trio of girls.

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Sugar in the Raw or regular sugar
2 sticks butter- softened
4 eggs
1 can of pumpkin- 15 oz.
Optional: handful (or two or three) of chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients except pumpkin. Mix dry and wet together, then fold in the pumpkin and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 min. Makes about two dozen.

And you do know this trick, don't you? Fill a plastic baggy with icing, snip off a tiny bit at the end... your very own piping bag! You know, so you can top those cupcakes with cream cheese or chocolate frosting.
Of course, you need something to wash it down with. Something pumpkiny at that. Here's another treat you can share with the kiddos because, despite its name, it has no caffeine or coffee in it.

Pumpkin Latte:
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. (or more) pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups ice
Optional: 1-2 tbsp. natural sugar if the above isn't sweet enough for you

Blend together and serve... with a dollop of whipped cream should you want pumpkin pie in a cup!

~Katrina

Playing with Our Food

Want to make for a fun lunchtime surprise or mid morning/after school snack time? Search your fridge and your pantry to see what you can come up with!

We recently made "sandwiches" the night before we went on vacation. Open faced PB on whole wheat bread... strawberry raisin eyes, banana noses, string cheese mouths. We were a little bit giddy... ya think? :)

Often I will pull out random ingredients and play around. This day I helped them make cute, little mice to get started.

Then I armed them with extra supplies for more mouse making... graham crackers and PB, mandarin oranges, bananas, raisins, and pretzel sticks.
This evolved into a pretty creative Mama and Baby Elephant from my three year-old and a ladybug from my two year-old.

I still can't figure out where the two year-old got her inspiration??
Best of all is hearing them giggle while shouting, "I ate his nose! His eyes are gone! There went his mouth!"

Yes, there is a new rule in town... DO play with your food, after all!
~Katrina

Watermelon Days

It just isn't summer to me without enjoying many upon many big, red, juicy slices.
And one of my favorite summer experiments so far has been a combination of watermelon and lime. An unbeatable duo.

Watermelon Limeade:
8 cups cubed watermelon (seeds removed) or 1 qt. watermelon juice
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup sugar

Put half of the watermelon cubes in a blender and pulse until smooth. Strain through a mesh sieve over a large bowl and get rid of the solid stuff. Keep going until you have finished all the cubes. Add lime juice and sugar and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. You may need to add more sugar to taste. Best when nice and chilled.

Which means that it's good for drinking...


And good for homemade popsicles, especially after a long evening walk...

I'm going to miss these watermelon days when they're gone!
~Katrina

Fruit Salsa

This is the perfect summer fruit salsa. You can fix it as a dessert for a cookout or just to have on hand for a quick snack. Either way, it certainly doesn't disappoint!

Fruit Salsa

*1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/8ths

*2 kiwis, peeled

*10-12 strawberries, hulled

*1 tsp. apple jelly

*1 tsp. strawberry jelly

*Graham crackers, for serving

(I always make this recipe with my Tupperware Quick Chef. If you don't own that product or something like it, you can create this dish in a food processor.)

1. Chop apple in Tupperware Quick Chef.

2. Add strawberries and kiwis; chop.

3. Add jellies; mix well.

4. Serve with graham crackers.

That's some sweet summery goodness, right there!

-Sarai

Yumm-O Black Bean Salsa

With summer comes picnics and cookouts and dinners and parties. With those events comes the need to throw something together...something that requires little time, effort and money but yields high marks on the yumm-o chart.

Well, friends, I've got just the recipe for you! This simple Black Bean Salsa is sweet and tangy and EXTRMELY addictive (consider yourself warned!).

Black Bean Salsa

*1 container basil and tomato feta cheese

*1 can black beans, drained

*1 can yellow corn, drained

*1 red onion, chopped

*1 green onion, chopped

*Tostito Scoops, for serving

For dressing:

*1/2 cup EVOO

*1/2 cup white vinegar

*1/2 cup Splenda

1. Mix dressing ingredients in small sauce pan; heat to boil, then set aside to cool.

2. Mix salsa ingredients in large bowl.

3. Pour cooled dressing over salsa.

4. Serve with Tostito Scoops.

Want a salsa of a sweeter variety? Check back later this week for a super easy Fruit Salsa!

-Sarai

Red, White, and Blue

These days I'm trying to keep it simple indeed for my two little, but older girls (3 and almost 2) while I have to do lots of newbornish things. That's why in preparation for all the July 4th excitement this weekend, we have two easy but fun (& yummy!) things you could do... probably today since they don't require a lot of ingredients.

We talked a little about our country and one thing we learned was that our colors are you know... red, white, and blue. What better way to imprint this forever in little brains than with marshmallow pops!
Simply insert a popsicle or lollipop sticks into a marshmallow... heat about a 1/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave until soft and able to be stirred... dip the pop in the chocolate and then in some patriotic sprinkles (got ours out of the Target dollar bin!) A messy success...



When they woke up from naps one afternoon they were quite excited to see another red, white, and blue display... sliced strawberries, blueberries, and some whipped cream. They were free to make any kind of "art" they wanted with the supplies. Told you... EASY!

Counting her blueberries

Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend filled with family, friends, sparklers, good food, and all things... red, white, and blue!

~Katrina

The Dish on Summer

Crickets.....

Sorry about that, folks... especially after Brooke's super cute last contribution to the "Show Us Your Life" series. Between the three of us there's been road trips, mission trip preparations, end of school hoopla, camp planning, niece watching, and for me and my family...
The birth of this sweet angel (who consequently had her first family outing to a nearby town's Farmapalooza!)

In celebration of our third little girl, here are three summer favorites. Thankfully, due to the generosity of precious friends, we haven't had to do much cooking in the last weeks so I can guarantee these are simple recipes indeed.
The first one... not even a recipe really, but some hints on how to summerfy your tacos with this being the glorious season of farmer's markets and fresh. Add something new to your taco beef or chicken... like a combo of raisins, cumin, chili powder, minced onion. Grab some corn shells and layer them with everything from pinto or black beans and brown rice to avocado slices, tomato wedges, cilantro, and even peaches. Squeeze fresh lime juice right on top and slather with some Pioneer Woman goodness!

Number two... we make these babies almost every night or morning in preparation for eating at some point during the day. Simply blend plain yogurt, raw honey to taste, and frozen strawberries. Then freeze in one of those homemade makers (this one is BPA free)... easy as, well, popsicles!

Last but not least... pasta salad. You just can't go wrong with pasta salad! We enjoy Trader Joe's vegetable radiatore noodles, Italian dressing, and fresh basil (lots and lots of it!) The other ingredients are all up for the liking. Two favorite combos for us are sun dried tomatoes, feta, and fresh spinach leaves or raw broccoli, cheddar cheese crumbles, grape tomatoes, and chopped yellow or white onion.

Hoping you scoop up something delicious this summer season!
Katrina

Sweet Springtime Recipe

I just HAVE to share this really easy and SUPER delicious recipe! My good friend, Eli shared this with me about a year ago and I'm not really sure why I waited so long to try it out...we've been missin' out big time! This recipe for Hawaiian Chicken is one of the best recipes I think I've ever tried. Seriously, y'all, the flavor is so good and the meat is so tender that it pretty much just melts in your mouth. YUM-O! We love to pair it with some flavored rice and summer veggies or a salad.

Hawaiian Chicken

*6 Chicken Breasts

*1 1/2-2 Cups Unsweetened Pineapple Juice

*1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

*2 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

*1/3 Cup Splenda

*1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder or Salt

1. Combine all ingredients (except chicken) and mix well.

2. Poke holes in chicken using a fork. (I usually leave this step out and can't really tell a difference in the end result.)

3. Cover chicken completely with mixture, adding pineapple juice if necessary.

4. Marinate for 24 hours.

5. Grill or bake chicken until done.

One of my very favorite things about prep for this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time and freeze it in the marinade.

I usually try to thaw it for about 24-36 hours before I cook it. I also cut the chicken breasts in half before marinating and freezing.

Fix a plate and imagine you're on a beach somewhere. *sigh*

-Sarai

Rise and Shine

I've been a night owl for as long as I can remember. As a little girl I would sneak up way past bedtime with a flashlight or a lamp covered with a thin blanket just so I could finish that last chapter of a Ramona Quimby book. Middle school... high school... Heaven help me in college. I thought perhaps having children would change this quality.

Nope.

Once the house is quiet, my mind sets to work with all that I can do or read or think or make... it's in my DNA, I suppose, because it certainly isn't the lack of being tired that keeps me going.

Really it's not so bad because I can end up quite productive.

That is... until morning.

I dream a little of being a morning person like the two bright eyed girls who are ready to rock and roll from the time I hear, "Mama, I'm up!"

To help myself out and to keep from feeding them who-knows-what in my sleepy stupor, I've tried to start taking one morning a week or so to prepare some items in advance. Whether you're a night owl or just have busy mornings in general, here are a couple of favorites that help do the trick.

First, if you have kiddos at home, set them up with some sort of distraction. For us that is usually play doh, which means I'll have a big mess by the end of it all. I tend to be messy in the kitchen when I'm creating, though, so the whole thing will need a wipe down anyhow.

Then make some go-tos.

Waffles. When we got a waffle iron for our wedding, I wasn't sure if it would just take up space. Boy, nothing could be further from the truth! Pick your favorite waffle recipe and double it. My secret ingredient is substituting any oil or butter with either applesauce, squash puree, or sweet potato puree. You can also doctor up these babies with flax seed and all kinds of other goodies. A little maple syrup, and you'll hardly ever tell (except that sometimes this substitution can make the waffles softer... just cook for longer if you like a crispy texture). This makes 24 waffles for me, so I take out enough for the week and freeze the rest in breakfast sized portions.

Simple Granola. Line two baking pans with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1.5 cups of brown sugar with 1/2 cup water. Heat in microwave for about five minutes until sugar dissolves. Add 4 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon salt. In a big bowl combine 8 cups old fashioned oats, 2 cups of almonds or other nuts (there are lots of alternative mix-ins), and brown sugar mixture. Bake for about 45 minutes until crunchy. Flake with a wooden spoon as soon as it comes out of the oven. Then let it cool completely and store in an airtight container. Top plain/flavored yogurt...layer granola, yogurt, and fruit for a quick parfait... or serve it up with a bowl of milk for cereal.
Muffins. The sweet potato muffins are yum (we substituted flaxseed meal for the nuts). Double your recipe to have some for now and to freeze some for later!
Final directions: Stumble out of bed and feel good that you didn't serve your children dishwater and moon pies.

That off the top of my head combination alone probably tells you how much sleep I've been getting. :)

~Katrina

I'll Drink to That

Recently we hosted a Mexican-inspired shower for some friends. Our small group served up a taco bar, which worked out great especially since it was a co-ed affair.

Or in the words of our home's heroine, Dora the Explorer... it was delicioso!

The big hit of the night, though, seemed to be the punch. When I spotted this recipe over on the LPM blog, I knew it would fit the coffee loving dad and mom-to-be. I didn't know, however, that all the other guests would be joking that they wanted to attach a handle to the punch bowl and turn it up!

Not to mention, except that I am, I got my mismatched set of punch glasses for a dime a piece at a new thrifty favorite. They are lovely! Perhaps they deserve their own post...

But back to the drink itself... :)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1 cup of boiling water
8 cups of milk
Chocolate and vanilla ice-cream to taste (about 1 quart or more total)
*I doubled this recipe for what you see above.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and coffee. Stir in boiling water until dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, pour coffee mixture into a one gallon punch bowl. Stir in milk and add ice-cream until melted. That simple.

Yummy compliments...
Chocolate covered frozen bananas and pineapple upside down cupcakes.

Yep, delicioso!
~Katrina

Fruity Pizza

If you have about ten minutes, we promise you won't regret it! :)

Ingredients:
*A couple of large regular or whole wheat tortillas
*About 1/4 cup melted butter
*A couple teaspoons of sugar (white or brown)
*About a teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
*About 1/4 cup of raspberry or strawberry jam/preserves
*A handful of milk or white chocolate (chips or grated off the block)
*Several fresh strawberries
*Enough powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Use heart cookie cutters to create heart shapes out of the tortillas. Brush a little butter evenly onto them all.
3. Sprinkle sugar on the hearts and dust with cinnamon.
4. Bake for three minutes until light golden brown and remove from oven.
5. Spread the jam on the tortillas and then sprinkle with chocolate.
6. Bake again for two minutes. Remove and add sliced strawberries and powdered sugar.
7. Serve warm or cooled.

Enjoy!
Katrina

*adapted from Kiwi magazine
ps... Be sure to scroll down for more of this weekend's lovely tips and ideas! :)

Save the Brownies!!!

While Brooke might be a fan of cooking up some comfort food during bouts of winter weather, I'm all about baking...and the more chocolate involved, the better!

I bake brownies at least once a month it seems (at least that's what my scales tell me!) and have always had such a horrible time getting them from the pan to a platter without turning them to a pile of crumbs! Well, I've recently learned a super simple trick that helps with this process. Are you ready for this?

Use a plastic knife to cut the brownies!

(I know a picture isn't necessary for you to get this concept. You're smart gals, you can figure it out. But I just couldn't resist...look at those yummy squares of goodness! Don't you just want to eat one?!?!)

Anyway, I've started keeping plastic knives on hand JUST for this purpose! It's easy and it won't scratch your non-stick pans! This little trick works not only for brownies, but also for cookie bars and fudge and all kinds of yummy treats!

So, go ahead and bake up some yummy Valentine's Day brownies (as if you needed a holiday for an excuse!) just so you can try this out! Enjoy!

-Sarai

ps... Be sure to scroll down for more of this weekend's lovely tips and ideas! :)

Snow Day Comfort

It has been a Winter Wonderland here in good ole' North Carolina for the past week and it seems that more is headed our way. When I am stuck in the house, I tend to like to cook some real comfort food. Although I did not fix this casserole for this most recent snowed in weekend, I think I might have to make a quick stop at the grocery store for the ingredients for this weekends icy mess. So whether you are snowed in like me, need a quick and yummy recipe for the weekend or just like to try new things, I hope you enjoy! I am aware that a lot of you are probably familiar with this recipe, but if not, you really have to give it a try!

Poppy seed Chicken

Ingredients:

2 or 3 chicken breasts, boiled and cut into small pieces

1 16 oz. container of Sour Cream

2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup

2 tablespoons of poppy seeds ( or more, I tend to like to load them in)

Ritz Crackers

1 stick of butter

Mix the first 4 ingredients and put in a baking dish. Cover with crushed Ritz Crackers. Melt the stick of butter and pour on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350.

Enjoy and stay warm!

More Soups For You

Because my husband was just returning from a week long conference last Sunday, we skipped out on our Sunday Soup Session. (See others here and here.) But this week, we were back in full force! For this week, we have 2 of our favorite soup meals on the menu: Turkey Chili and Gumbo. So, here we go...

I'd never had Gumbo until I met my husband. His family is from Louisiana and like any good Cajun family, they make a mean Gumbo! It's one of those meals that take a little time to prepare you feel like you're going to turn into Gumbo before you can eat it all! I'd like to say that this is some super secret family recipe that's been passed down through the years...and I guess it kinda is...except for that whole super secret part (this one comes from the back of a Tony's Roux Mix canister!).

Chicken Gumbo

*1 green pepper, chopped

*1 onion, chopped

*3 ribs celery, chopped

*1/4 tsp. minced garlic

*10 cups water

*1 cup Tony's Roux Mix (You should be able to find this at your local Wal-Mart of grocery store...check the spice aisle or the ethnic section. You know, because when I think "ethnic" I think deep south :) )

*2-3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

*1 lb. sausage link, cut into rounds

1. Saute vegetables until very soft.

2. Make roux with 2 (or more) cups water in large stock pot.

3. Add rest of water.

4. Add meats and bring to boil.

5. Add vegetables and simmer until chicken is tender.

And we always have our Gumbo with these Seasoned Saltine Crackers. They're great with Gumbo, other soups or just as a snack.

Seasoned Crackers

*1 lb. Saltines (4 sleeves)

*1 1/4 cup cooking oil

*1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

*1/2 tsp. garlic powder

*1/2 tsp. black or white pepper

*1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

*1 pkg. ranch dressing dry mix

1. Mix all ingredients together, except saltines.

2. Place saltines in a sealable container (we use a gallon zip lock bag). Lay your crackers in the container so that, from the top, you only see the skinny side (edge) of the crackers.

3. Pour liquid mixture over crackers and seal bag or container.

4. Turn container over and over until mixture is absorbed. (We turn ours for about a day before we eat them.)

What would winter be without a big crock pot full of chili?!?! This lean version comes from a mailing from our local grocery store and is really tasty! Some cornbread muffins are the perfect addition to this meal..

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

*2 cups yellow onion, chopped

*2 cups green pepper, chopped

*1 cup celery, chopped

*1/2 cup olive oil

*2.5-3 lbs. ground turkey breast

*4 Tbsp. chili powder

*1 tsp. cumin

*1 tsp. salt

*1 tsp. cayenne pepper

*28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

*6 oz. can tomato paste

*4 Tbsp. cilantro

*4 tsp. jalapenos, minced

*4 tsp. minced garlic

*1 can great northern beans, drained

*1 can chili hot beans, drained

*6 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth

*shredded cheese and sour cream for serving

1. Chop onions, pepper, celery and jalapenos.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper.

4. Transfer to large stock pot. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cilantro, jalapenos and garlic. Cook at medium heat and stir well.

5. Mix in remaining ingredients. Increase heat to high and bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Transfer chili to a 6 quart crock pot. Cook chili on high heat, covered for 6 hours.

7. Serve hot with sour cream and cheese on top.

What kind of soups are you cooking up for these cold and rainy days?

-Sarai

Soups Du Jour

Last week, I posted about our plan to eat lots of soup during the month of January in order to clean out the pantry and to try to stay warm in these less than normal cold temperatures (It was 13 degrees this morning when I woke up! YIKES!).

Yesterday, we spent less than an hour preparing the next 2 soups in our line up. We try to do one stove top soup and one crock pot soup so that we can do 2 at a time. Both these soups are full of veggies and have pretty quick prep times.

We did a Country Beef Stew that filled our 6 qt. crock pot. We had enough for a couple of meals this week, and froze 2 gallon bags for later use. Other than peeling the potatoes and cutting the onions, this recipe is SOOOOO EASY!!!

Country Beef Stew

*3 lbs. stew meat, cut into ¾ inch pieces

*1 ½ baking potatoes, cubed

*3 onions, sliced

*1 ½ cans sliced carrots

*1 ½ cans peas

*1 ½ cans tomato soup

*2 cups water

*1 ½ tsp. salt

*1/2 tsp. pepper

*2 bay leaves

1. Layer first 5 ingredients in a 6 quart slow-cooker.

2. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over layered ingredients.

3. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 ½-5 hours, or until meat and veggies are tender.

4. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving.

Serves 6.

This stove top soup is really as well and is especially good when paired with some cheese quesadillas!!

Turkey Tortilla Soup

*1 cup purchased red or green salsa

*2 14-ounces cans reduced sodium chicken broth

*1 pound ground turkey, browned

*1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped

* Lime wedges (optional)

*Sour cream and Cilantro (optional)

1. In a large saucepan combinesalsa and chicken broth; bring to boiling over medium-high heat.

2. Add turkey and zucchini; heat through.

3. Serve in bowls topped with tortilla strips, lime wedges, and cilantro.

Serves 4.

Hope you and your family are finding ways to stay warm! What are your favorite hot comfort foods?

-Sarai

new day for pb&j

Sarai is definitely on to something with her post below! Back in the fall, at the peak of my nauseousness, my Mom visited and cooked up a storm. I think she made about four big pots of soup to freeze. I cannot even tell you how many times we have been grateful for a warm, healthy meal from that stash. Don't even get me started on her defrosted, homemade yeast rolls! :)

Which gets me to thinking... wouldn't it be cool to make some pots of soup like that, some for you and some for a neighbor, friend, or someone who could use one? You never know how it just might bless that person when they need a warm, homemade meal. I think I'm going to make it a goal to make and/or share from what we have to give away. You could even get together with some friends and make an afternoon of it. Please do tell us about it if you do any soup sharing!

So what does that have to do with pb&j, besides for the fact that the old classic goes well with a bowl of delicious soup?

Well now that I'm feeling better, one of my new year's resolutions is to spice up the menu for the kids with healthful and yummy foods. I am hoping to share a few of the ways I'm discovering to do so over the next few weeks in case you too find yourself in a rut. First up? These simple guys:

Flipflops and Applesauce got the inspiration going with homemade uncrustables! This took no time at all and we fed our extra crusts to the birdies and bunnies in our backyard.
Or how about pb&j muffins?

They pack a healthy punch in their muffiny yumness. The secret is the carrot puree, which can be made from steaming 3-4 carrots for about 5-6 minutes and then blending them with a little water until smooth in consistency. This is much like baby food, so you could always grab a jar or two of that stuff and sneak it right in! You won't even taste it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a big bowl mix 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup carrot puree, 2 tbsp. of butter/trans fat free margarine, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Stir in 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1 egg white. Add 1 cup of whole grain all-purpose flour (or regular), 1/8 tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of baking powder, and 1 tsp. of baking soda. Mix well and spoon into a greased or paper lined muffin tin. Top each one with a spoonful of jelly and bake for 20-25 minutes. This makes a dozen... double it and make some for now, freeze some for later.
Other ways to make the old standby new:
*Use mini waffles, mini pita pockets, or tortillas as the bread
*Make open faced sandwiches that can be decorated with fruit (think raisins, bananas, strawberries, and big smiley faces)
*Let the kids make shapes out the sandwich with cookie cutters
*Mix up the main characters... try out other nut butters, substitute honey, etc.

That should keep our pb&j's from being so... so... hmm... 2009? :)

~Katrina

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Let me start off by wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR from Three Simple Girls!! We hope that 2010 has treated you well thus far and that you're looking forward to all that this year holds!

Here, in our neck of the woods, we've seen quite a few VERY cold days in a row with wind chills in the NEGATIVE degrees!! And this all falls on the heels of one of the worst snow storms we've seen in several years. So, needless to say, our days are filled with fires in the fireplace, big hooded sweatshirts, hefty jackets and an extra blanket on the bed and lots of warm cups of coffee. This has also put us in the mood for big batches of homemade soup. Soups are great because you can make them in HUGE quantities, you can freeze them, you can make them in a relatively healthy manner and they are perfect for a chilly winter night.

We spent about 2 hours yesterday afternoon making 2 soups and committed to doing the same for the next few weeks. We've picked about 7 different soup recipes to use to avoid getting tired of eating the same type of food for the whole month! Pairing the soups with salad, crackers, cornbread and grilled cheese sandwiches should give us enough variety. We figured we'd eat the soup for a meal, leave enough for a night of leftovers and freeze the rest. Depending on the recipe, we could end up with several nights of leftovers!! Spending 2 hours on day to have dinner for the entire week is a pretty good trade off, if I do say so myself!

Here are the 2 recipes we used for this week. First up is a healthy take on a Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It was actually pretty good!! It didn't make as much as we thought it would, so we'll probably eat it all before we get a chance to freeze it!

Broccoli Soup

*1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

*Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

*5-8 cups Broccoli Florets

*1/2 cup Finely Chopped Celery

*1 Large Onion, Chopped

*Salt

*Pepper

*1 Small Potato

*1 Bay Leaf

*1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

*1 quart (about 32 ounces) Chicken Broth

1. Cook celery and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, in olive oil at medium heat for about 10 minutes.

2. Peel and slice potato and at to the pot. Add the bay leaf, oregano and broth and bring to boil quickly over high heat.

3. Simmer until vegetables are completely tender, about 15 minutes.

4. Add broccoli and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove bay leaf and puree the soup in a blender.

**You can place pureed soup back into pot and stir in 1 cup of cheese while hot. **

6. Serve topped with cheese.

Serving Size: 1.5 cups Serves: 6

104 calories, 3 g fiber, 3 g fat

This next recipe filled a 6 qt. crock pot, so be prepared for LOTS of leftovers!!

Crock Pot Potato Soup

*5 lbs. Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed

*1 Small Onion, Chopped

*8 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened

*3-14.5 oz. cans of Chicken Broth

*2 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

*1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

*Bacon, Cheese, Sour Cream and Scallions for garnish

1. Put potatoes and onion in crock pot.

2. Combine cream cheese, chicken broth, soup and pepper and add to crock pot.

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

4. After cooking time, mash potatoes for a thicker soup.

The best way I've found to freeze soups is to put them in gallon or quart size storage bags. Lay them flat on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer until frozen. Once they're frozen, you can stand them up or move them around as needed. When they thaw, you can easily pour them into a pot or bowl to reheat.

I'll try to post the recipes we use for the next few weeks. Does anyone have any great soup recipes you think we should share? Anyone want to join us on this soup for a month plan?

Stay warm!!

-Sarai

Serving Up Sides & Giveaway Reminder

Whew... things are busy over here, but I promised so here goes... :)

Thankfully a neighbor plans to smoke our turkey all day Wednesday, so that takes a huge (like 20-lb.!) weight off my shoulders. Instead I can focus on the other goooood stuff... side dishes, baby!

Maybe one of these can help fill in a gap on your menu...

1. The kid-in-all-of-us friendly option... mac and cheese. A couple of years back when it was my side of the family's turn for Thanksgiving, I was determined to make a crock pot recipe that got rave reviews. I tried it for the first time on the day and, let's just say, noodle soup wasn't exactly my cup of cheese.

This time my wiser, older self (ha!) tried a new recipe ahead of time. The family loved it! Score... finally a homemade mac and cheese that's a keeper. Our only change was one cup of cottage cheese instead of two.

2. The more adult friendly option... pear and walnut salad. We try out all kinds of salads pretty frequently, but I taste tested this combo for my hubby's recent birthday. I had to use up a bunch of pears given to me, so that was my inspiration. Two for two... more rave reviews!

In a big bowl mix arugula and/or Romaine lettuce, sliced pears, and thinly sliced red onion. Toss with a raspberry dressing (our FAVE from the bottle variety is Trader Joes). Serve each bowl individually and top with walnuts and crumbled bleu or feta cheese.

3. The everybody crowd pleaser... sweet potato custard. A couple of years back I tried Rachael Ray's spin on the old sweet potato classic. The maple syrup on top helps this one to stick around. In fact, if you have that ingredient already, this is a pretty easy addition to any menu.

4. Whoa, almost forgot something... the BREAD! Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman this year. No kneading required, and I already had all the ingredients on hand... tested this recipe yesterday and it made so many I went ahead and froze them for the holiday. If they make it that long! :) Mine didn't turn out quite so pretty with the three cute sections, but still keepers.

Nothing too terribly complicated and all too delicious!

Come quickly, Thursday...

And happy, happy Thanksgiving from the three of us to you and yours!
Katrina

... don't forget that giveaway below!!! You have until Thanksgiving. The necklace is so beautiful just like its creator! I'd be lying to say I'm not drooling over it myself; instead, I just can't wait to see who wins it!

Easy as Pie

Muffins, actually.

But these simple, sweet things just might surprise you.

While Brooke and Sarai recover from an amazing weekend of serving college aged women, I thought I'd pass along a recipe that I'm pretty sure one of them gave to me some time back.

Take this and this and mix together until well combined.

Do NOT even turn that spice cake mix box around. Pay no attention to the directions on the back of it. The can of pumpkin and the cake mix. Period.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-17 minutes for approximately 8-12 pumpkin muffins (depending on how big you like them!)

Easy enough for any ole morning, but pretty enough for special guests!

Enjoy,
~Katrina

Not Just for Muffins Anymore

I try to keep up with meal planning for dinner pretty faithfully, which often helps me keep some affordable variety on the menu. It also helps me not pull my hair out when those inevitable evening cases of the whines roll in. And sometimes the kids are worse. :)

Weekday breakfasts and lunches don't always get such forethought, though. To keep some variety and fun there, we've discovered an easy way you may already know about.

Muffin tins...
Six compartments for an assortment of colorful sampling! It really is a nice, little helper. I don't have to have large quantities of any one food. It helps me regulate the treats or extras like chips or sweets (you can't eat that part of the tin unless you have room left over after filling yourself full of the good stuff). It's great for transporting from here to there. And I can even use it to teach about the food groups and a balanced diet... six spots for whole grains, fruits, veggies, dairy, protein, and other necessities.

You know, like chocolate.

All simple girls know it's only a matter of time before you learn the importance of that food group.

The girls also dig some cookie cutter action.
It's the little things. Don't you love when that's the case?
~Katrina