Souper Soup Recipe

I've found that sometimes if I give food a different name, my kids will eat it.  Like cucumbers. "I don't like cucumbers," they said. So I called them pepinos (spanish for cucumber) and what do you know, they liked pepinos. Same with beans. They don't like beans, but they'll eat frijoles. #kids.  My husband and I love this soup. It's hearty and filling and just really hits the spot on a cold day. It's veggie packed and you can really put whatever you want in it, but our kids thought they wouldn't like it until I called it souper soup and again, whaddyaknow.  I took a couple of different vegetable beef recipes I was following and mixed and matched with the veggies my family likes best and that's how I came up with this recipe. It'll make a nice big batch, so there'll definitely be leftovers for lunch the next day! Hope you enjoy it! 

Here's what you'll need: 

• 2 lbs ground beef, drained 
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 4-6 carrots, peeled & chopped 
• 3-4 red potatoes, chopped
• 1 cup corn
• red bell pepper, diced
• green bell pepper, diced
• yellow or orange bell pepper, diced 
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (or any type of tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Here's what you'll do: 

Brown the beef with onion, celery & garlic; drain. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then cover & reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Serve it with some warm bread on the side! 

Enjoy, and try to stay warm!! 

Pesto Meatball Soup

It is a cold, dreary, rainy day here in the midwest today, so it seemed like the perfect time to share this soup recipe. It is one of our favorites and on rotation in our house frequently in the fall and winter months! 

Here's everything you'll need: 

32 ounce package frozen Italian style meatballs

4 cans Italian diced tomatoes

2 cans cannellini beans (drained)

1 jar basil pesto

1 cup water

2-3 large handfuls of spinach

Shredded parmesan 

Combine all ingredients except spinach & parmesan into a large pot.

 Bring to a boil, and simmer until meatballs are heated through.

 Add spinach and let it soften.

 Top with a heaping bit of shredded parmesan! 

This makes about 10 servings for our family. We love to serve it with a side salad and warm bread. 

Enjoy! 

Freezer Breakfasts

Last month, our mornings changed SO much with having to be up and out the door to take kids to classes and activities. We have always had a really laid back schedule, for the most part. It was a huge adjustment. Breakfast time has always been one of the craziest times of day in my house, because everybody wakes up at a different time, and seems to want something different, and people are getting dressed and getting hair fixed and this kid needs help with this thing and that kid needs help with that thing. Whew. I knew it wouldn't work out well if it kept being that chaotic when we needed to actually be places in the mornings. So, I wondered if I could cook up a bunch of breakfasts ahead of time and freeze them, just like people do with dinners. Would it save me time, and still allow me to feed my family a healthy breakfast? 

I did it for the month of September and it worked out SO well, that I decided to do it from now on. I've done it twice now and it took me about an hour and a half to two hours (not including clean up) to make breakfasts for 4 kids for an entire month (weekdays only). We don't really buy cereal, but we decided to start doing "cereal Sundays" and letting the kids pick a box each week to have on Sundays. They went absolutely crazy for this idea. It's perfect because our family is big enough to eat about a box between all of us, and then it isn't sitting around temping me to eat it all week ;) (I love cereal....)

In September, I made: 

Blender Pancakes

Blueberry Oat Muffins]

Egg Cups (did NOT freeze well. They were delicious straight out of the oven, but I won't make them again to freeze.)

Sausage Links

Smoothie packs

I also had on hand (not homemade):

Whole Grain Frozen waffles for waffle sandwiches

Chobani yogurt tubes

Fresh fruit

My kids almost always eat a banana first thing in the morning, and they are always welcome to have fruit or yogurt if breakfast wasn't enough. They usually drink milk at breakfast, as well.

In October, I made: 

Sausage links

Smoothie packs

Banana muffins (chocolate chips added, of course)

Cinnamon apple pancakes

Pumpkin muffins 

I am also planning to do overnight oats one evening a week for the following morning, using this recipe.

If you have any delicious, kid friendly, easily freezable breakfast ideas for me, please send them my way! 

Homemade Stovetop Hot Cocoa

Every year on Christmas morning, I make this hot cocoa. It is SO rich and yummy, it tastes NOTHING like a powdered mix. Honestly, I can only drink a bit at a time because it is just so, so rich. It is the best hot chocolate I've ever tried, truly. We make up this batch, and then sip on it throughout the day on Christmas. This is the one time a year I make it, because it is such a special treat.

In a large pot, mix up:

6 cups of milk (you can use whatever % you like best. 2% or whole are going to make it a lot creamier than 1% or skim)

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups of milk chocolate chips

Stir almost constantly until the chocolate melts and the ingredients start to come together. Then, let it simmer, stirring occasionally until you are ready to serve! Enjoy!

Tomorrow, for day 5 of Blogtober, I am going to be talking about our 2018 travel plans! 

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe

As my family has moved toward more natural living and chemical free products, I have looked into so many products. We have used at least unscented/free and clear type laundry detergents since my oldest was a baby because she had such sensitive skin, but even those have stuff I don't want on my family's clothes now that I've gained more knowledge about chemical exposure. I toyed with the idea of making my own, but some of the recipes I found were so complicated, and a lot of them still had ingredients I didn't really like!  I finally decided to just go for it. I had seen this recipe on Bren Did, but thought I would simplify it a little here for those who are interested in making their own! I first made this recipe in December of 2015 and JUST used up the last of my batch this week! How crazy is that?! For a family of 6 who does around 5-7 loads of laundry per week and used cloth diapers for part of that time, I cannot believe it lasted us so long!

 

On the flip side I was nervous I wouldn't like it and be stuck with a huge batch. No worries though. This detergent is awesome! It packs tons of power in a small scoop and is so gentle on our clothes and skin! Here is the recipe if you are interested in making a batch for your family! 

1 box super washing soda (3 lbs. 7 oz.) 4 lbs. baking soda 4 bars fragrance free castile soap 3 lbs oxiclean FREE or BABY (regular oxiclean does not rate well on the EWG scale!) 

To make:  Grab a large container and start mixing everything together. I like to put a little of each ingredient in, then stir it up, then repeat until I've used it all up. For the castile soap bars, I use a hand cheese grater and grate into small shreds, then mix in with the rest of the ingredients! Overall, it takes less than an hour to make-a small price to pay for laundry detergent that will last for over a year! 

Immune Boosting Smoothie {Kid Approved}

This time of the year, it seems like just about everyone is feeling under the weather. With 4 kids in the house now, it seems like it can take months sometimes to cycle through all 6 of us, so I really like to avoid it when possible. (Not that anyone ever wants to get sick...) Of course, one of the best ways to prevent is to boost the immune system. My family loves smoothies and we typically have them at least a few times a week. It hit me this winter, that smoothies were the perfect way to sneak in all the stuff I would love for my kids to take, but know they won't (namely, apple cider vinegar and elderberry syrup)! So here's what I came up with. It makes about 4 servings, and my kids have never mentioned it tasting any different than our normal smoothies. The fruit really masks the sour taste of the ACV!

1 1/2 cups juice high in vitamin C  (I use either orange, or this C-Boost from Bolthouse Farms) 2 full handfuls spinach (loaded with tons of vitamins) 2-3 teaspoons elderberry syrup (immune system booster & has been found to reduce the duration of illness) 1-2 Tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar-make sure it contains 'the mother'. (great at detoxifying the body & kills bad bacteria) 1/2-1 cup Kefir or probiotic yogurt (high in probiotics which help with gut health & immunity) 2 bananas  Frozen fruit  2 Tablespoons chia seeds (rich in omega 3's, fiber & antioxidants; gives a boost of energy) Optional: 1-2 Tablespoons raw local honey (full of antioxidants and can help soothe a sore throat)

Throw it all in a blender...

 blend it up...

 and divide!

 Couldn't be easier. This is also a great smoothie for when you're already not feeling well and don't feel like eating a whole lot. Enjoy! 

Mexican Build Up

This was my late grandma's recipe and I grew up eating it made by my mom on a semi regular basis. Every time I make it it reminds me of my mom and grandma. It.is.so.good. So good. And really easy to make, which is the kind of recipe that I love! 

Mexican Build Up Ingredients:  1 lb. ground beef or turkey 1 small onion, chopped (optional--I omit) 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 6 oz. can tomato paste  1 can rotel 3 tomato paste cans of water 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp dried oregano  1 tsp cumin  1 tsp salt  2 tsp sugar (I use 2 tsp of  honey) 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup of cooked rice (this is the rice we buy)

Instructions:  Cook beef (and onions if you are using them) & drain. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, rotel, water, and spices. Stir. Then add cooked rice. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes until it thickens. 

The reason it's called Mexican Build Up is because you then put it on a bed of chips or fritos and add other toppings!

 Here are some ideas... shredded lettuce (or you could put it on a bed of lettuce) Avocado Tomatoes Shredded cheddar Sliced green onions Black olives Sour cream 

Enjoy!! 

Baked Pesto Tacos

Do you ever find a recipe that you think sounds great, but then you try it and while it is still great, it just needs a few of your own personal tweaks?! That is what happened with these tacos. I originally saw this recipe from Mix & Match Mama , but it just wasn't quite it, you know? So I decided to make a few little adjustments that I knew my whole family would enjoy.  Here is the recipe that I ended up with! 

Baked Pesto Tacos  (Adapted from Mix & Match Mama) What You'll Need: 1 pound ground beef or turkey 1 box taco shells 1/2 cup store bought or homemade pesto 1 cup salsa  1 can black beans (or 2 cups of cooked dry beans) Shredded cheese (I usually use about a cup, but never measure. Use as much as you like!) 1 tbsp chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt

Steps: 1. Preheat oven to 425. 2. Brown your ground meat and drain. 3. Add spices to your meat + 1/2 cup water and stir well. Cook until water is absorbed. 4. Stir in pesto, beans and salsa and simmer on low for about 3 minutes. 5. In a large baking dish, stand taco shells up and fill with meat mixture. 6. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake until cheese is melted!

We had never done baked tacos before we first tried this recipe, and my whole family really likes them this way! Hope you enjoy! 

World's Best Banana Bread

You know when you find a recipe for something, and then any other time you have that food (not from that recipe) it just isn't nearly as good? That is this banana bread. It came from our church's cookbook years and years ago and the first time I made it, I knew other banana bread just would never come close. 

What You'll Need: 1 stick of butter or 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup sugar 1 egg 3 bananas, mashed (don't need to be old!) 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional) chopped walnuts and/or chocolate chips 

What You Do: 1. Preheat the oven to 350.  2. In a medium-large size mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. 3. Stir in the dry ingredients until barely mixed (DON'T overmix!). 4. In a small mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth and add lemon juice. I blend them with my hand mixer to get them really smooth. It's important to mix them separately or the bananas will turn purple when the bread bakes. 5. Add banana mixture to flour mixture and stir to mix. 6. (Optional but highly recommended!) Add 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup-1 cup chocolate chips. Stir to combine. 7. Bake for 50-60 minutes until done! 

Enjoy! 

4 Delicious Soup Recipes

In the fall and winter, I feel like at least 75% of the dinners we eat are either soups or crock pot recipes. They just SCREAM fall, don't they?! Nothing like coming home to a warm bowl of filling, delicious soup. So I thought I would share our top 4 favorite soup recipes with you! You will have to let me know if you try any of them! 

I have no idea where this recipe originally came from but I've tweaked it here and there to make it perfection. It is better than any other chili or taco soup type meal I've ever had. Make this and you will thank me! Not to mention it is sooo easy! We eat this often, and everyone in our family devours it each time. Ingredients:  2 cans ranch style beans (this is the secret ingredient-it won't be the same if you use other kinds of beans!) 3 cans petite diced tomatoes 1 can corn, or just dump in some frozen corn 1 packet taco seasoning 1 packet ranch mix 1- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, or ground turkey Steps: 1. Brown the meat, and drain 2. Combine everything into a large pot  3. Simmer on low for 1-2 hours Voila! Told you-completely easy! The longer you simmer it, the better it will taste. It is great as a leftover once all the flavors sit overnight and really come together. Mmmm!

This is my husband's favorite meal. It comes from a lady at church (I've tweaked it just a bit) and it is a bit more time consuming but the end product is worth it.  Ingredients:  1 lb. ground beef 3/4 cup shredded carrots, or carrots diced 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried parsley 4 tbsp butter, divided 3 cups chicken broth 4 diced potatoes, peeled 1/4 cup flour 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed 1 1/4 cups milk 1/4 cup sour cream salt & pepper to taste Steps: 1. Brown your ground beef. While meat is cooking, peel and dice your potatoes, and cube your cheese. 2. In a medium saucepan, Saute carrots, basil and parsley (original recipe has chopped onions) in 1 tbsp butter until tender. 3. Add meat, potatoes and broth, bring to a boil. 4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes until potatoes are tender. 5. While potatoes are cooking, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour, cook and stir for 3-5 minutes until bubbly.  6. Add flour mixture to soup, bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.  7. Add cheese, milk, s & p. Cook and stir until cheese melts. 8. Remove from heat, blend in sour cream.

My husband calls this "Natalie's Mexican Chicken" but I definitely did not invent this!  Ingredients:  2-4 frozen chicken breasts 1 can black beans, drained 1 can rotel 1 can corn (I use frozen corn instead) 1 packet dry ranch mix 1 tablespoon cumin Sprinkle of onion powder Sprinkle of chili powder 8 oz. block of plain cream cheese Steps: 1. Put chicken on bottom, with all ingredients on top. Place block of cream cheese on top of everything. 2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 3. Shred chicken (it will come apart sooo easily!)

Its pretty much your basic roast, but the flavor and texture are on point.

Ingredients: Package of stew meat 4-5 Red potatoes, cut into quarters 1 bag baby carrots Can of cream of mushroom soup Packet of Beef Onion soup mix  Steps: 1. Dump everything into the crock pot (you could also add other veggies like celery or onion). 2. Top with mushroom soup and spread over meat and veggies.  3. Dump soup mix packet on top and add a tiny bit of water (1/2 cup or less). 4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Happy soup slurping! 

Freezer Meal List

I have been SO bad about cooking lately. Ever since we did a Whole 30 (whole 25?) back in May I have been burned out on cooking. I can do good for a week or two but then I just fall off the bandwagon and want to eat out for every meal. Our stomachs and wallet do not agree with it, so I wanted to try something different. I have always wanted to do freezer meals, but never wanted to put in the time to do a whole months worth, so the other day I just randomly thought I'd try to come up with meals for 2 weeks and then if it goes well, I'll do it again in 2 weeks and just keep doing it every couple weeks. I grocery shopped for 13 dinners as well as our staples, breakfast stuff, etc. and I will plan to go back next week just for produce and milk. We can't make it 2 weeks for produce...it always goes bad before then and my kids would go crazy without bananas and grapes (I would, too). So I think this will work out pretty well for us...hopefully!  Here is what I made. I will link to the recipe if it is available! A good majority of them are Paleo. I don't think any of them have dairy in them. They are almost all either a crock pot dish or a soup...it is just that time of year and they are easy. It took me just 2 hours to get this all ready, so I figure that will probably save me about 10 hours of dinner prep time over the next couple weeks!!

Taco Soup (1-2 lbs. ground beef or turkey, browned; 2 cans ranch style beans, can of corn-i just dump frozen corn in, 3 cans diced tomatoes, a packet of dry ranch and a pack of taco seasoning. Put all in a bag and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge and dump into a pot and cook on low for 2 or so hours.) Turkey Chili  (I used ground turkey, browned) Teriyaki Chicken Pizza Soup (I used turkey sausage) Hawaiian Chicken Meatloaf (1 1/2 lbs. uncooked beef, 3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal, worchestershire sauce, 1/2 cup ketchup, egg all mixed together in freezer bag. Thaw overnight and cook in loaf pan at 350 for about an hour) Beef Stew (Package of stew meat, about a cup of beef broth, baby carrots, celery. I am going to cut up potatoes the day of and throw them in. Crockpot low for 8 hrs) Paleo Chili (I add yellow squash, too) Turkey sausage & veggies (Turkey sausage-I mean like the long Jenni-O packages, not like breakfast sausage...bell peppers cut up-I used yellow, green and red, yellow squash chopped, and a zucchini chopped. Dump into a skillet and cook through! Add italian dressing or other seasonings. Sometimes we serve over tortellini). All from this post: Mediterranean Pork Chops Southwest Chicken Chicken Fajitas Chicken Cacciatore 
My freezer is PACKED full and I am really, really hoping this will keep us on track for saving money and eating healthy!! 
Do you have any other freezer meals you love?!   

Summer Grilling: Pizza

Have you ever had grilled pizza? Did you even know that was a thing?! Several years ago, I was driving and some DJ was talking about grilling pizza and so I decided to try it. Never having done it before and not having a recipe or anything to follow, we just winged it, but we've been doing it ever since! Something about the grill just brings all the delicious flavors together. If you've never grilled pizza, you are definitely gonna want to try this one! 

What you'll need:  *Pre-made pizza crust *Olive oil *Pizza sauce (You can make your own, if you're feelin' wild!) *Shredded mozzarella cheese, or pizza blend cheese *Toppings (We usually use turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, olives, etc.) Here's what you do: 1. Pre-heat your grill on medium heat for a few minutes 2. Put your pizza crust face down on the grill, and baste the side that is up (which is actually the bottom...have I lost you?!) with olive oil. Let it sit for a few minutes.

3. If you haven't already, this would be a good time to get your toppings ready!

4. Flip the crust over, add your sauce, and spread. Check out those grill marks...mmmm!

5. Sprinkle on your cheese and add other toppings.

6. Cook until the cheese melts and the crust is crisp (5-10 minutes).

7. Go ahead, stuff your face!

We usually choose a thin crust so it is really crisp and delicious.

 When we go out for pizza or order in, we always go by the motto that the more crust the better, so I think the thinner crust just makes it feel like a whole different food to us.  Bonus: it's even toddler approved!

If you didn't have dinner plans tonight, now you do! Give this one a whirl...you can thank us later!