Bitz of Me: cooking

Monday, December 15, 2014

Soup For The Soul.......

Only 10 more days until Christmas....are you getting a little nervous or excited yet? I can't believe that December is half way over ugh....time just seems to fly these days more and more. I'm trying to slow it all down and enjoy everything as much as I can.

I will share some pics this week of holiday things, but wanted to pop in with one of my favorite cold-weather soups that is easy to make and good to put up in the freezer too. So make a big batch to enjoy on those days you just don't have time to cook or want to be doing other things ;)

For a printable version of this recipe, click HERE!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

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Entering into these Linky Parties:

Monday Funday

Do Tell Tuesday

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Look Ma, NO Electricity......

Happy, Happy Monday Y'all!

I'm headed to my mom's for the day to see my Aunt who is in town. I haven't seen her in almost 10 years and she's my favorite Aunt...soooo I'm taking the day off to visit! I will share Pumpkin Patch pictures with you all this week along with a fun project I finally finished up!

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I had to share this with you all in case you haven't yet seen or heard about them. I thought it was such a cool invention with so many uses, that I couldn't not share it on the blog.

It's called the Wonderbag....and you can get your own at Amazon.com!

Why is it so cool?

Its basically like a crock pot but without the electricity. It cooks & keeps foods warm for up to 12 hours.

And best part is...if you buy one, they donate one to someone in need in Africa.

So if you are like me and afraid to leave your crockpot plugged in while you are gone this is a great solution.

Or if you like to camp and RV...boil your food in your pot and place in Wonderbag to cook while you enjoy the day doing other things.

Use it to take to dinners and BBQs to keep your food warm...or on a buffet when you don't want to or can't plug anything in.

Like to Tailgate? This is great for keeping the food warm while heading to your game so its ready before kick-off!

Or you may just like to save electricity and help out Mother Earth

INGENIOUS!!

It comes in 3 color/pattern options I believe...red, blue and yellow.

"One Wonderbag per year saves 1.7 trees, 1000 liters of water, and 1,248 hours not spent collecting firewood."

And I love that one is donated to a family in need in Africa for every one bought here in the US.

Get Your Own Wonderbag HERE!

Soup It Up!!

It's All About Flavor.....

Hi Folks! Not gonna lie....I'm pretty excited for a multitude of reasons this week. First my Washington Nationals clinched the NL East Division on Tues night in Atlanta...and it was such a sa-weeeet victory. The Dean family has our playoff tickets and we are ready to cheer them on in October!!

Secondly....I've lost 2.5 lbs in past 9 days of seriously working out everyday and watching what I eat. The Lose It app has been a revelation for me to keep track of fat & calories and I haven't had any cravings at all. I feel full and satisfied after every meal or snack. Now just 27.5 lbs left to go...its a long haul but I'm ready to do this! I don't think you can ever get on a healthy path until you are TRULY ready...mind, body & soul or you won't be successful. For me I was beyond ready and excited to be getting healthy again.

Third...I made some French Onion Soup that will rock your world and then some hehehe. It was so good we ate the leftovers for lunches in 2 days...I had to fight my son for a bowl lol. I've been making this soup for years but could never get the depth of flavor I wanted like I've had in other restaurants. And trust me over the years I've probably taste-tested 400 different kinds so I knew what I was after. WELL I DID IT....I had a revelation looking at a recipe I had pinned which called for similar things I used but with an addition...it made all the difference. So I'm sharing with you all today!

Oh and best part....only 80 calories in a bowl...160 calories if you count a slice of low-fat Swiss Cheese and a slice of bread on top. And its filling...can't beat that kind of meal!

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French Onion Soup with Flavor Depth

Mmmmmm can you almost smell it....it was sooooo good!

RECIPE:

4-5 good sized Vidalia Onions sliced

2 TBS of butter

2-3 cloves of garlic diced/minced

1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup of red wine

1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar (this was the difference in flavor folks)

1 TBS of brown sugar

1/2 TBS of Thyme dried powder or use fresh Thyme

Kosher Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

4 TBS of flour

64 onces of Beef Broth

Bread Slices

Low-Fat Swiss Cheese Slices

INSTRUCTIONS:

I cooked my soup in my Dutch Oven pot but if you aren't going to be home or want to simmer while at work..just follow Dutch Oven instructions in a pot then transfer to a Crock-Pot.

Put your sliced onions, butter, Balsamic Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, wine and garlic in pot or saute pan and cook till onions start to caramelize on med heat. Add a shake of salt & pepper as they cook too. This can take about 10-15 mins...you want them to cook slowly and not burn...burned onions equal yucky flavor.

**The Balsamic Vinegar made all the difference in the flavor I kid you not!**

Lower heat then add in the flour and stir well and cook for a few more mins. I added another splash of Balsamic Vinegar & Worcestershire Sauce at this point too. I cook to taste & rarely measure so please bear with me lol.

If you sauteed your onions in a pan, transfer them to a large pot and add your beef broth. Stir well and keep on med/low heat. Add your thyme and salt/pepper and simmer covered for at least an hour if not a couple of hours if you can. Or cook on low/warm in Crock-Pot. The longer it simmers the more flavor you create so cook it as long as you can...mine cooked about 5 hours.

Toast your bread/baguette slices, place on top of soup in your bowls...then top with 2 slices of cheese.

Broil in oven for a couple minutes until your cheese starts to bubble. Make sure your bowls are oven proof. I put my bowls on a baking pan so they are easier to remove from the hot oven.

I served my soup with a side of fruit salad to finish off the meal!

Bon Appetit!!!

Soooo yummy!!!

When you have deep flavors in your food you don't miss all the other stuff including fat...makes the eating healthy experience enjoyable!!

I Cheat..Do You???

YUP, I'm a CHEATER!!!

In case anyone thinks I have it together 110% of the time I'm here to dispel those very silly notions.

I, like you go through each day just trying to keep up with everything that happens in a normal or abnormal day. And with 2 active teens, a husband who works late & travels much, and 8 animals there is ALWAYS something going on. And some days I need any help I can get to do my best and look like I'm keeping up ;)

So here are a few things I cheat with to save time, feel better and look better:

I love dry shampoo...it not only freshens up your hair but gives it some volume too. I wash my hair every 3rd day because my hair is dry and unless I'm sweating heavily it just doesn't need it. I've tried a few expensive dry shampoos but I always come back to this Dove one...it has a faint, nice smell and its easy to use and gives my hair some body. And best of all its under $5 and lasts a long time. Walgreens has it for $4 here.

Shapewear....I love it and have a drawer full of it for every occasion.

Hey I'm 40, I've had 2 kids and lots of surgeries...I need all the help I can get some days.

I have some Spanx but the one piece I love the most is Flexees by Maidenform Women's Fat Free Collection Hi-Waist Boyshort. Its under $20, fits fabulously without rolling up or down, is thin enough for most clothes and will smooth out the lumps & bumps ;) Now if its 95 degs outside with 90% humidity you won't find me wearing this...don't ask me about the time I did and tried to take it off in a bathroom stall, in the heat with sweaty skin...not a pretty site & very joke-worthy ;)

I wear a BB face cream (Ponds Luminous BB Cream) every day even if I'm not wearing makeup...it has spf and is moisturizing and evens out my skin enough to make me look somewhat less zombie like. So when Jergens came out with their BB Body Cream I had to try it...and I LOVE IT! Its great as a lotion and has just a teeny bit of color and some highlighters in it that smooth your legs. Now its not a heavy coverup so it won't cover scars, veins, birthmarks but it does just smooth things a bit. It doesn't sweat off and leave marks either. I really like it a lot and it comes in different tones and is under $12...you only need to use a wee bit so it lasts too.

Before I put on makeup I use a primer of some sort...I have many including Smashbox more expensive one...but I love anything that can smooth out my skin and pores a bit and keep my makeup on especially in the summer. My newest obsession is L'Oreal Paris RevitaLift Miracle Blur Cream ...Amazon has it fairly cheap at $14 (free ship with Prime too) so I order from them...my drugstores have it for around $19. It just fills in your pores and with or without makeup makes your skin look smooth.

I love coconut oil...I mean I love it! I get mine from Tropical Traditions after reviewing them all online last year I found it to be one of the best. I use it to cook with, I put it in my smoothies, I use it on my dry feet and nails and I use it as a hair mask. Its all around good stuff. Much better for you to cook with than traditional oils too. And I swear by it for dry skin.

I use Crest Rapid WhiteStrips a couple times a year to keep my teeth nice and white. But I use this Listerine Whitening Pre-Rinse every other day before I brush. Yes, that's right...you rinse your teeth FIRST and then brush. Its kept my teeth nice and white and kept me out of the dentist's chair for fillings too :) It is my #1 secret to keeping your teeth white without a huge $ investment. Check your drugstores because its usually under $6 (I buy mine from Walgreens for $4).

Let's face it...we can all use a bit of a bump to help us look brighter, fresher and for me MORE AWAKE. I use highlighters like its my religion...seriously. Many eons ago I was a makeup artist for Clinique & Lancome and I learned the benefits of using highlighters to help you out and I've always had some in my arsenal. I really loved Benefits Watts Up highliter stick but its pricey so was thrilled when Sonia Kashuk came out with something almost identical for a lot less HERE. $10 compared to $30...def a good trade in my opinion. I use this on top of my cheekbones, brow bones and inner corner of eyes. It just brightens you up and it goes on smoothly and stays put. I've even used it as a pretty eyeshadow during the day as it just brings light to your eyes and makes you look like you had a fabulous night's sleep...something I lack in ;)

Whoever invented the crock pot needs lots of rewards...one of the best inventions EVER! I own 4 crockpots LOL...I have a round one that is 20 years old that was an engagement present & works fab and then this one above which I love because it holds longer items better like roasts and tenderloins. My friend Pat got me a zebra one that I use for parties and then I have a mini one I use for hot dips. This Crock-Pot Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker is a fave of mine because of its shape, also programmable time settings (30 mins to 20 hours) and it is easy to transport if you are going to a pot-luck! And all that for under $40. ONE-POT-WONDERS I call them...I have an arsenal of recipes, always looking for more but have never been disappointed by my crock pot. Especially nice during summer because it doesn't heat up the kitchen and you put your food in and forget-about-it. Great for days you are short on time...prep in the morning and just GO!

ZAQ Dew LiteMist Diffuser
I am a HUGE fan of essential oils...I've been studying up on them for the past few years and try them out for many different uses (some of my fave uses & recipes soon to come on a post). The less chemicals and toxins in my house, body and garden the better. I mentioned I have 8 animals (6 cats and 2 dogs) and I HATE smelling them...I don't want my house to smell like a kennel...you feel me?
So I use an organic cat litter (clean all 6 boxes multiple times a day) and I use these Essential Oil Diffusers (I have 3, one on each level of my house). I use the Purification Oil to dispel odors in the house...they work beautifully and keep my house fresh organically. I like this one the best because it has auto-shut off and seems to put out the right amount for my house. There are many on the market and you can use a tealight diffuser but I like the electric ones because I can run them without worry.
An easy way to deodorize or scent your home.

Maxi dresses
They hide a multitude of sins, make dressing for the day easy, and are definitely on trend. I have 3 and Alexa has 2 Lush maxi dressees from Nordstroms...they are usually on sale for less than $40. They fit great and I love them for traveling because they don't wrinkle much. Slip one on add some jewelry and sandals or wedges and you are DONE. Easy peasy for those days your brain can't handle putting an outfit together LOL! (Patterned & Solid Dresses STILL on sale for $38 HERE)

What's Your Favorite Cheat??

A CHICKEN Thursday!

CHICKEN SHAKER-UPPERS!

How about some Chicken for you? bwack-bwack-bwack!

I love to fix and eat chicken, but sometimes get bored with my usual recipes that I know by heart...they're good but I like to mix it up now and again. Its easy to get in a rut when you're pressed for time so I like to add some new recipes to my repertoire to see what is easy, what my family likes and what I can add to make it my own. So below are some new recipes I want to try out (minus the kabobs...which I make a lot and are always good). Most of these recipes are awesome for warm weather temperatures when you don't want heavy meals...and most can be made ahead which is always helpful when you want to enjoy the summertime chilling and relaxing! Grill the chicken the day before outside and have that all done without heating up the kitchen so much too.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

(just say yummmmm)

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Chopped Salad

(light & perfect for warmer weather temps)

BLT Buffalo Chicken Wraps

(great to make ahead & serve for summer lunches)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

(just say YES to extra servings)

Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs

(mmmm so yummy & easy to make)

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AND BECAUSE WE ALL NEED A SWEET TREAT.....

Cookie Dough Egg Rolls

(ohhhh my)

Bon Appetit!!

Italiano!

I love me some Italian food and I married an Italian guy because of it too!

WAIT!!!!

WHAT??

No I'm just kidding...my hubby IS half Italian but I didn't marry him because he was.

The man can barely cook, I mean c'mon LOL!

But we all enjoy some good Italian food in our house that's for sure.

And its always best when made from scratch!

I thought I'd share my simple & quick Chicken Parmesan with Roasted Tomato Sauce

with you all today! And pretty healthy as well (well minus the cheese lol) but other than that its fairly Paleo friendly too!

One of my favorite ways to cook up a good hearty tomato sauce is by roasting some tomatoes (I like to use a mix of cherry and larger tomatoes) with some garlic, salt & pepper, olive oil, balsamic, brown sugar and a bit of hot red peppers to give it a good kick.

After they've roasted up, put them in a blender and puree into your sauce.

{recipes are below}

I like to buy the thinner chicken breasts for my Chicken Parmesan. They cook up faster and you don't have to waste time beating them down...course if you need to expel some bad juju then go right ahead and bang those chicken breasts into thinner pieces LOL! I cook mine up in a skillet with olive oil and fresh herbs when I can to get a head start on the cooking. Then I layer everything into my baking pan, top with sauce & cheese and store it in the fridge until I'm ready to cook it up for dinner. Easy to make ahead and tastes soooo good!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

1 - 1.5 lbs of tomatoes

1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBS brown sugar

1/2 cup of Olive Oil

3-4 cloves of Garlic Smashed

A few snips of fresh Thyme, Basil & Parsley

(use dried herbs if you have no fresh on hand)

Salt & Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes for kick

Mix up all the ingredients in a small bowl except for the tomatoes. Place tomatoes in a glass or stone pan (not metal) and drizzle mixture on top. Roast at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Once roasted pour the tomatoes and sauce into your blender and puree. Add salt/pepper to taste as needed.

Chicken Parmesan

4-8 Chicken Breasts (thin cuts)

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Mix in a small bowl Olive Oil and seasonings and dip chicken breasts in mixture.

Heat skillet and brown each side of chicken quickly, no more than 1-2 mins on each side.

Then place chicken breasts in a greased baking dish, pour roasted tomato sauce on top, and cover with shredded cheeses. Cover with foil and cook at 400 degs for 15 mins, then remove foil and cook last 5 mins to melt cheeses well.

Bon Appetit!

Entering into the following Linky Parties:

AKA Designs / Weekend re-Treat

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WINNER of the Parking Tix
(sorry I'm behind on this)

Kim of "My Pink Tiara"
has won a pack of my parking tickets LOL!
Email me at sjdean@smartneighborhood.net with your mailing address so I
can ship them out ASAP to you!

And if you would like your very own parking tickets...Amazon has them right here below!
Citation those idiots away I say ;)

Winter Belly Pleasers!

Happy 2014 everyone!

Hope your new year has started off well, you've made your resolutions and goals and are looking forward to a fresh, happy & healthy new year! I know a lot of you are suffering from this Polar Vortex weather system...sounds like a word in a Thor movie if you ask me...and its COLD here in Virginia. Supposed to feel like 20 below tomorrow and I'm not digging it, it can go back to the South Pole for all I care...I'm ready for spring already.

However I am thankful to be in my warm house cleaning up Christmas decorations and cooking some good foods this week. Once I get my Christmas stuff all packed away and the house cleaned good I will have some new projects and posts for you...my goal is by Friday to have all that done. It takes awhile to pack up all these trees and then clean and I'm not rushing it this year...in the past I've rushed and usually put my back out..not this year. I've learned my lesson :)

So stay tuned for some fun Valentine projects, some new recipes and some more DIY projects. I hope to be in full working mode next week! But I gathered some recipes for some home-cooked COMFORT FOOD goodness...I included some of my faves, some of my own and some I haven't tried yet. So if you need some ideas for your winter menus I highly recommend some of these belly-pleasers.

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COMFORT BELLY PLEASERS

Fancy Mac 'n' Cheese ~ Pioneer Woman

I'm not a big fan of mac-n-cheese...gasp...I guess the kind in a box just turned me

off over the years. But I do highly recommend this one, its the only one I will eat & so easy to cook up!

Chicken & Dumplings ~ Pioneer Woman

I'm a BIG fan of Ree aka Pioneer Woman...she's real, down to earth and one of the first blogs I ever started reading years ago. And her recipes always rock...period. And her Chicken & Dumpling recipes is the BEST I've ever tried hands down...you will thank me and her when you make this LOL..trust me!

Guinness Beef Stew ~ Brown Eyed Baker

I love beef stew in the cold weather months...its hearty and just tastes soooo good when the cold is chilling your bones. There are lots of recipes out there but this is the basic one I follow...but I add a bit of garlic, cayenne pepper and either pearl onions or large chunks of onions to mine. I also top mine with some homemade mashed potatoes. Next time I make mine up I will share the full recipe but you gotta have some Guinness for it..I hate beer..but I like cookin' with it :)

Shepherds Pie ~The Candid Appetite

This is my hubby's fave dish in the winter! And given my Irish roots its no surprise I make it so much...so grab more of that Guinness cuz' you will need it. I add a bit more tomato paste and skip the peas because we don't like them...but we do add the cheese on top too. Its so yummy!

Tomato Bisque ~ Southern Living

I love, love tomato soup...make it tomato bisque and even better served up with a grilled cheese panini and mmmm..mmmm good stuffs. This recipe I tore out of my Southern Living Magazine in November and haven't made yet but the reviews were good and it sounds so flavorful. Think it will be on my menu this week!

Hamburger Soup ~ Pioneer Woman
I haven't tried this one yet...its a new recipe that Ree just posted but it sure does look good and easy to get simmerin' on the stovetop. Definitely on my menu this week!

My BBQ Mini Meatloaves ~ Suzanne

This is my recipe...it is the ONLY meatloaf I and my teens will eat..its really that good. Stuffed with cheese makes it even better I tell ya! Lots of flavor and even better the next day on a sandwich..mmmmmm!

Potato & Leek Soup ~ Robert Irvine

This is one of my fave soups in the cold months...the hubby and I love soups and we eat them all year.

I follow this recipe pretty much to a T---except that I set some potato chunks aside before blending and then add them. I just like the bit of chunkiness they add to it and I top it off with a bit of swiss cheese or parmesan under the broiler too but you can skip that or use cheddar. Everything is better with some cheese right?

Chicken Pot Pie ~ From the Kitchen of Mama Harris

I have my own recipe for pot pie but I found this one that was pretty close to mine. I skip the peas and use mushrooms, onions, carrots and asparagus in mine. Its another one of my husband's fave recipes to eat although the teens are big fans LOL.

Cheesy Tex-Mex Pasta Bake

This is a newer recipe I found and adapted a bit...but we love Mexican based foods and this one is easy to make ahead on a busy day.

Ham & Bean Soup ~ Chow.com

This is a soup I make on occasion for the hubs and myself...the teens don't like it and that's ok because I HATED it when I was younger too LOL. But its easy to get going on the cooktop and simmer all day and serve up with some biscuits...makes you all warm and toasty. This recipe is similar to what I use again except I add leeks instead of celery.

My Comfort Food Recipes:

Other dishes I make a lot in the winter are below. I have my own special recipes for them but just haven't had time to type up the recipes because I don't know the measurements really...I'm a dash of this & a dash of that kind of cook...tastes good but hard to tell someone how much of each. So they will be coming real soon...I have pictures taken but have to figure out the measurements for you all.

Chili...my chili is award winning good, no lie...its the bomb diggety and I will

have a recipe up soon I promise.

Spaghetti Patties...a recipe I came up with as a newlywed on a budget 18 years ago. Its still

a hit in our house & super inexpensive and easy to make.

Chicken Corn Chowder...easy to make even if you only have 30 mins.

recipe soon to come

Proscuitto, Carmelized Onion, Tomato and Cheese Paninis...so good you will slap yourself after making them! hahaha

Mexican Lasagna...good stuff and easy to make as well!

BON APPETIT!!

Apple Mania!

I love apples. Apple foods. Apple smells. Fresh Apples.

They're all good. mmmmmm.

Apples are in season everywhere right now. The farmers markets here have bushels of them in shiny, pretty colors that just make me happy :) And fresh is best y'all!

So I thought I'd round up some yummy, gooey, sometimes-healthy, sweet, tart, happy Apple Recipes with everyone today. Some I've tried and loved and others are ones that I need to try.

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