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10 February 2010

Feedback!

How do you like the new site so far? Leave a comment & let me know!

Healthy Choices on a Dime

Coming soon! How to get healthier fare into your diet without breaking the bank!

Product Reviews

Coming soon!

What is What-a-burger Wednesday?

Wednesday is burger night. I have class Wednesday night so dinner has to be filling, fast, and easy to clean up. What can be better than burger? Now that's not to say that we're going to eat a burger every Wednesday, but there will be burger IN the recipe for Wednesdays.

Tonight? Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice. These have to be started the night before so the house already smells great!!

Crock-Pot Red Beans
(start this the night before for the perfect pot!)

09 February 2010

Yes, I am a real Southern girl. No, I do not like my greens.

Yes, I am a TRUE Southern girl. No, I do not like my greens. Sorry, Granny Maw.

I was recently discussing the benefits of greens with my husband (who has recently become a work out guru and is loving his new physique...as am I **wowzers**) The problem is that I don't like most greens. Real greens.. not just green food. Spinach, Kale, collard, mustard greens. I can toss a few baby spinach leaves in my salad, and served in foods that have flavor, I can eat it cooked. That is why this family (other than Lili, the guinea pig, who will eat any green) rarely gets greens.

If you have followed the blog, you may remember this recipe that had even my friend's children yumming on spinach. The pic however is Kaelyn LOL! I tryu to sneak it in when they aren't looking but now they all know I do it and they eat it.

So today I created a green soup. Yes, green. And it is sooooo good! I added about 5 oz of frozen spinach, which in the spinach world is quite a bit. It takes a LOT of spinach to make a pound because it wilts so much.

try this.. with or without the spinach. either way you will not be disappointed.


Mom's Diner Original - Green Soup
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 3 medium carrots diced
  • 1 cup frozen Seasoning Blend
  • 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
  • 3 medium potatoes, washed, peeled, & diced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 6 oz frozen corn (1/2 12 oz bag)
  • 6 oz frozen peas (1/2 12 oz bag)
  • 5 oz frozen spinach (1/2 1o oz block)
  • 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli or florets
  • 1/2 tsp dry rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp dry basil
  • Salt, pepper, Tony's seasoning to taste
OPTIONAL
  • 1/2 cream or 2% milk
  • 4 oz fat free cream cheese (1/2 8 oz block)
  1. Heat oil in a soup pot and saute' carrots & Seasoning Blend until tender.
  2. Add chicken and saute' until opaque.
  3. Add potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes begin to get tender then add frozen vegetables, herbs, & seasonings.
  4. Simmer 30-45 minutes until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked through and vegetables have warmed through.
  5. If you wish, put optional ingredients (cream & cream cheese) in microwave for 1-2 minutes to warm & soften. Briskly whisk together and add in just before serving (use a seive if you don;t like little bits of floating cream cheese. the fat free doens;t melt is quite as readily as original).
  6. DO NOT BOIL AFTER ADDING THESE INGREDIENTS.
Serve with garlic toast or crackers (if you forget the toast like I did)
Side note: Keebler Garlic Butter Club Crackers are to DIE for!

2 Tips for Tuesday

I want to start throwing in some quick tips on Tuesdays. Just a way to get ideas in fast because sometimes I don't have time to do more than type up the recipe.. and sometimes even that is late :)

Today's 2 Tips
  • Never boil sauces, soups, etc that have a dairy base. This is cheese, cream, milk, cream cheese, etc. Doing this causes the milk solids to separate from the liquids. It will not ruin the taste of the food, nor will it ruin the recipe, but isn't appealing to look at and occasionally makes the texture a little off.

  • Don't be afraid to experiment!! If you don't like something - if you are allergic to something - if you're just OUT of something... change it!!
If you don't like Dijon, for instance, use the same amount of ranch dressing, sour cream, regular mustard or just plain water.
Out of mayonaise? Use ranch dressing or sour cream.

Don't be afraid to make a recipe your own!! I rarely ever make a recipe the way it is called for!

Baking can be a science, so you can exchange peanut butter chips for chocolate, pecans for walnuts, etc, but be prepared to try again and again to get the recipe right if you change the main ingredients (flour, sugar, levening agents). Don't let this scare you off though. It can be fun to experiment and make your own recipes. This is especially rewarding if you have a special diet (gulten or salt free for instance).


05 February 2010

CD2-TTC Cycle #4

Auntie Flo came for her visit after dinner the other night. She wasn’t invited. I’m frustrated about this cycle. I feel like I did everything I could. I took the supplements. I ate healthy. I BD at the correct time. And while we had a blast doing so I feel like it was all for nothing.

I don’t see how some women go through this month after month. I don’t know how I survived the year I TTC Avery. It’s such a pain. I figure at the current rate of the impending move, I’ll have about 7 mths total to TTC, before the sterilization gets scheduled.

3 down. 1 in progress. 3 to go.


x-posted @wordpress

04 February 2010

Am I really back???

YES!! And there is so much going on! I am in the process of copying my blog to WordPress. I am not leaving Blogger, but I have a lot of friends over there and this way I can accommodate more people. Still not sure on the layout there.... it's making me nuts trying to decide LOL! Meanwhile for here I found this Lil Piggy at Yummy Lolly and thought it was too cute. So he'll be out mascot for a while.

Now.. Dinner.. That's why we're here right?

My friend Kellie from an online forum I frequent had this AWESOME Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe up at her blog the other day and I had to try it. It is simmering right now and OMG the house smells so good!!

My changes (Yes, you know I can't just make a recipe):
  • Uncooked chicken sauteed with the veggies, because I had none cooked.
  • Frozen Seasoning Blend in place of onions, because I am lazy.
  • Flour tortillas, because I didn't have corn tortillas.
  • Added frozen corn... it was there & sounded good LOL!
Please check her blog out she is amazing!

Until we cook again,
Anne

02 February 2010

CD26-10DPO-BFN

The title about says it all.... i haven't given up yet but..... i'm frustrated. I'll be back when I have a clue what to say here...
...
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