Freezer Club

What is a freezer club?  Sounds a bit chilly, right?  I stumbled across a post about one on my search for a recipe.  I thought "what a great idea!".  So begins my research on freezer club and what it entails.  Now there are 2 different kinds.

First you have the one that you communicate with your group & decide upon recipes that each person will be making.  Remember that you have to make one for each person in your group (and yourself if you want it).  Then you schedule a time that you will all meet up and exchange freezer meals.

The second one is where you again determine the recipes each person will be making and instead of making them at your home on your time you meet at some one's house and prepare them together and leave with your meals.

Which one will work best for you will be determined by how much time you have, who has a big enough kitchen & the needs/wants of the other members.

This Freezer Club site has more details on what steps to take to start your own freezer club.  I think it's a great way to see friends and try new meals that you might not ordinarily try.  Some of my favorite meals are ones that friends have prepared - now they are staples in our house.  Who would have thought I'd like Pea Salad?!  But I am here to tell you that we make that at least 4 or 5 times during the summer.

While you're at it making some freezer meals so that you can grab and go is always a great idea!  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but is so easily forgotten or skipped.  Why not try making some breakfast sandwiches, just assemble and freeze in individual baggies and BOOM you have breakfast!  My husband likes english muffins so I usually use those.

Very simple: cook up your eggs (breaking the yoke) or you can make these egg muffins to put on your english muffin or bagel, add some bacon or sausage and you are ready to go!  It really is super simple and about 30 minutes of cooking/prep and you can have a week or two of breakfasts at your fingertips.

Now you have to also consider what type of dish your meals will be in.  Will everyone use the same dish? Will you go to Dollar Tree and invest in several aluminum baking dishes? Or perhaps go to Walmart or Target and buy some inexpensive Pyrex dishes - everyone could purchase the same dish so that it doesn't matter who's dish you have.  This is something that your group will need to decide.

How will your group come up with recipes?  Will everyone determine what they want to make each time?  Be sure to set boundaries so that someone isn't making a batch of soup every time.  Perhaps have a month that everyone makes a soup (those can be frozen in big baggies even!).  Be sure to disclose any allergies as well.  The last thing you want to do is to make a meal for someone that is going to make them sick!

Then the fun part - labeling!!  You can easily write the info on the package (assuming you are using aluminum or something along those lines).  Or you can type it up and print it off...or my favorite is these cute little labels.  You can print them onto labels so they just peel and stick or you can print them on paper and tape them to the package.  So many options out there!!






This recipe looks like a wonderful one that you could share (I have not tried it yet personally).  Recipe credit.

Happy cooking!
~K

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

(adapted from Fabulously Frugal.com)

Ingredients

Sauce:

·        1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

·        1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·        1/2 teaspoon dried basil

·        1/4 teaspoon salt

·        1/4 teaspoon pepper

·        1 teaspoon sugar

Filling & Shells:

·        24 jumbo pasta shells (about 3/4 of 12-ounce box)

·        16 ounces cottage cheese (about 2 cups)

·        15 ounces ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        1/4 teaspoon pepper

·        1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

·        1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·        1/2 teaspoon dried basil

·        10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, excess liquid squeezed out

·        1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·        6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping

Instructions

1. For the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2. While the sauce simmers, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta shells al dente according to package directions. Drain and immediately place them in an even layer on paper towels or parchment.

3. For the filling, in a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and basil. Add the spinach and mix until combined. Stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella.

4. Lightly grease your pan(s) with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

5. Spoon about half of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan(s) and spread evenly. Fill each pasta shell with an even amount of the filling (a little less than 1/4 cup per shell) and place the shells on top of the sauce in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the shells. 

6. Freeze or bake right away. 

To bake:

Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 5 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the shells sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Preparing for the Freezer:

Before baking, cover with a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Label and freeze. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Prepare after Freezing:

Remove plastic wrap and replace the foil cover. To bake from frozen, preheat oven to 350 and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15-30 more minutes, until bubbly and warmed through.

Do you get enough?

Water... we all need it, but how much do you really need?  When I was younger I was told you are supposed to drink 8-10 (8 ounce) glasses per day.  Then I heard you are supposed to drink half your body weight in water.  So which is it?  I googled it and here's what I found.

On this site you answer several different questions to determine your body type, your environment and your exercise routine. Then it gives you a number of ounces you should be drinking dependent upon your answers.  According to this one I should be drinking 143 ounces of water per day!  Holy crap that's 17.8 (8 ounce) glasses of water a day!  I have a hard enough time drinking 20 ounces of water per day!  I am just not a water drinker - although it is improving!

Amazing I tried this site and it gave me the same results!  It doesn't go as in depth with the questions, but never the less the end result was the same.

Then I googled "water consumption for weight loss" and this site gives you the percentage to figure out your required ounces per day.  Not only that but it gives you some great tips to help you get in all that water in the day.  By far this has been my favorite site.

One tip I heard years ago is any time you want something to drink other than water - drink a glass of water first.  It's easy to make rules for yourself, but much harder to follow them.  You have to be strong!  You CAN do it!!!  

Benefits to drinking water:

• Weight loss - drinking water before a meal helps to control the calories you are consuming by helping you feel fuller.  
• Youthful skin - staying hydrated helps keep those fine lines & wrinkles at bay.
• Functioning muscles - your muscles need fluids to perform properly.  Drink at least 2 glasses before a work out and plenty during your workout.
• Brain power - water keeps your brain functioning as it should & is also a mood elevator.
• Headache reducer - notice when you have a headache many times it's because you are dehydrated.  Your body is telling you to drink more water.
• Constipation relief - when your body is fully hydrated you're less likely to become constipated.

If you need help getting your daily quota in you can add some fresh lemon, lime or cucumbers to give it a new flavor.  Don't forget to eat your fruit and veggies - about 20% of our daily water consumption comes from the foods that we are eating!  Now there's food for thought.  ;)

According to this blog watermelon has the most water content.  The folks over at health.com have this list of the 15 foods that help you stay hydrated.  With cucumbers being #1 with 96.7% water.  I love some sliced cucumbers just to munch on!

This Cucumber Caprese Salad would make a delicious light lunch!!

H2O to ya!

~K

Planet Fitness

I recently got a membership to Planet Fitness.  Today was day 2.  I thought for sure that the 30 minute circuit was going to give me a heart attack!  :)  But I did it and I survived.  Not only did I do that, I also did 15 minutes on the elliptical.  Now I am on the lookout for good workout music.  This is what I have so far:

• Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
• Hey Baby - Pitbull
• Maps - Maroon 5
• Let's Go - Calvin Harris & Ne-Yo
• Bad - Michael Jackson
• Summer - Calvin Harris
• Feel This Moment - Pitbull/Christina Aguilera
• Good Feeling - Flo Rida
• Scream - Usher
• Lucky Strike - Maroon 5
• Womanizer - Brittney Spears
• Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
• Push It - Salt 'n Pepa
• Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
• It Takes Two - Rob Base
• Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
• Happy - Pharrell Williams
• Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
• You Make Me Feel - Cobra Starship
• American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
• Blow - Kesha
• Let's Get It Started - The Black Eyed Peas
• Sugar - Maroon 5
• Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke
• Wake Me Up - Avicli
• Love Runs Out - One Republic
• Stronger - Kelly Clarkson
• Treasure - Bruno Mars
• Animals - Maroon 5
• Counting Stars - One Republic
• All About That Base - Meghan Trainor
• Give Me Everything - Pitbull
• We Found Love - Rihanna
• Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar
• Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars
• Feel So Close - Calvin Harris
• Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
• I Love It - Icona Pop
• Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars
• Butterfly - Crazy Town
• Applause - Lady GaGa
• I Like It - Enrique Iglesias
• Sweet Child O'Mine - Guns 'N Roses
• Now That We Found Love - Heavy D & the Boyz
• Lips Are Movin - Meghan Trainor
• Timber - Pitbull/Kesha
• You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
• Beat It - Michael Jackson
• I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
• According to You - Orianthi

Enjoy the tunes & please feel free to comment with your favorite workout tunes!

~K

Off plan... (recipe!)

So last night's dinner was homemade pizza.  Those of you who read my weekly menu plan know that pizza was not on that list.  That's the great thing about it, I can deviate from my plan with out it being a huge ordeal.  I had to pick up cheese for the meal, but I had everything else here.  I made the crusts - with some improvising to the recipe that I found, made some quick pizza sauce and there it is. Easy peasy.  Sometimes even with the best laid out plan improvising is the best!

I bought a thing of goat cheese from Costco so I have 2 things of it to use up.  (I am totally in love with the flavor!)  So my pizza was goat cheese, fresh tomato & fresh spinach.  Hubby had canadian bacon, turkey pepperoni, peppers & onion.  Little man had turkey pepperoni.  I used one dough and divided into 3, I rolled it pretty thin and it puffed up nicely - be sure to poke the dough otherwise it resembles pita bread...lol Not speaking from experience or anything. :)  

Recipe credits

I told hubby & little man that we are changing things up.  There will be no more eating out - except once a month.  Last night would have been easy to give in.  Little man wanted to have Little Caesars for dinner - I mean it's only $5 a pizza, right....  I spent $2.50 on cheese and got homemade pizza that is MUCH better than Little Caesars.  We pay too much money for convenience.  Which is why I am trying to add pre-made ready to go (homemade) items to my freezer.  The Bean & Cheese Burritos that I have for this weeks meals is a perfect example.  I am going to make enough for dinner, but I will also be making extras that I will put in baggies and freeze so that if we need dinner in a hurry or just want something other than a sandwich for lunch we can take one out and heat and BOOM! there's dinner or lunch.  Homemade & I know what's in it.  Not to mention our wallets will like it too!    Have no fear there is a post in the near future about make ahead meals.  

Pizza Dough

Ingredients 

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2/3 cup lukewarm water ( plus an additional 2 tbsp)

Directions

1. Mix 1 cup of flour with all other ingredients.
2. Gradually add 2nd cup of flour until it forms a ball. Use your hands to form and knead the dough.
3. Let the dough rest 10-15 minutes in a bowl covered with a dish towel or saran to keep it warm.
4. Spread out onto greased pizza pan and top with your favorite toppings.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Halloween DIY

Who doesn't love a little bit of fun with this time of year?  It's that time of year you get to use silly decor around your house and not be judged for it. ;)  As I've said before, I love Pinterest....I mean who doesn't?  (Even my husband likes it..now that he's finally tried it.)  In my search of all things Halloween on Pinterest I came across this door hanger.  All it takes is:

• wooden letter
• googly eyes - various sizes
• hot glue
• spider webbing
• spiders
• ribbon

Now it's a very simple project but I won't lie - glueing the eyes on is time consuming.  You would think that being it's right before Halloween I wouldn't have any problems finding plastic spiders....yea not so much (and of course the bag of spider webbing I have doesn't have any it it).  Once you find the spiders you just place a few of them right there in the webbing and BOOM! you're done.  It makes for a fun DIY door hanger for Halloween.

Picky Eaters

Do you find yourself with a picky eater?  I have been blessed with children who aren't super picky.  Yes of course they each have things that they don't like, but for the most part they'll eat almost anything.  My youngest likes fresh carrots, but can't stand cooked carrots & he won't eat fish or shellfish (except coconut shrimp...gotta love it).  But he will eat a caesar salad - how many kids like caesar dressing?  Sneaking food in can be difficult, especially if they are anything like him.  He would always smell his food first and let me tell you his nose is incredible!!  Crazy incredible.  Which made it very difficult.  I fooled him once to eat halibut - told him it was chicken....yea that last about 2 bites in and he was NOT amused!

I ran across a post from another blogger about sneaking in veggies & thought I would share my thoughts on this.  You will notice that my sloppy joes have lots of veggies in them.  I don't necessarily add veggies to sneak them in for my kids - for my family it's been more about adding veggies so that we are getting enough on a daily basis.  Let's face it - it's easy to go an entire day without any veggies if you really wanted to.  I don't recommend it, but it is possible, especially for teenagers!  You will also see that my mac n cheese recipe (in this week's menu plan) has spinach in it & yet my 9 year old loves it!  We also do smoothies in the morning and I add some spinach to those as well.  For that you really do need a good blender that will get the spinach super fine so it's hard to see.  I have a Ninja
& LOVE it!

Another option I have tried and we really enjoy is making "noodles" out of zucchini.  I saute them in a little bit of olive oil and then just add some salt and pepper (sometimes some Italian seasonings) and serve with some pasta sauce of choice and it's delish! 9 Year old approved!  :)

This weekend I hope to make some chocolate zucchini muffins.  Another great way to get those veggies in.  Of course you are making a sweet bread but it does make for a great treat!  My son isn't fond of zucchini - once he sees I have made this he will ask me to make him some pumpkin bread - his all time favorite.  At least it has a ton of pumpkin in it too!!  :)

In the end it's really all about finding out what works for your family.  It will take a few trial runs but don't get discouraged.  Sometimes like it or not you just have to put your foot down.  I make my kids take 2 bites of food before they can tell me that they don't like it.  Even if they don't like it sometimes they have to eat it anyway - cooked carrots for example.  It's our job as parents to be sure that they are getting the nutrition that they need.  They might not like you for that moment, and that's OK you're the parent, not the friend.  :)

Dinner recap: last night we had the Honey Lemon Chicken.  The chicken breasts I used were a little small so in the end there wasn't a ton of meat, but just enough for the 3 of us.  I did chop up some fresh broccoli and add that to it, which was delicious!  My 9 year old thought it was too lemony.  So if you have a picky eater who might not like lemon I suggest 1/2 the amount of lemon and perhaps another tablespoon of the honey.  I thought it was great, but I love lemon.

Picture and recipe credit.

Basic Muffin Mix for the Pantry

Who wouldn't like a basic muffin mix that we can keep the dry ingredients mixed together in a canister in the pantry ready to use at a moments notice.  Like the ones you get from the grocery store, but you actually know what's in it rather than a list of ingredients that you can't pronounce.  Who wants that for their children?!

Convenience always seems to be a downfall for me.  I LOVE to make things from scratch, but there are times that I need something quick, because let's face it, from scratch is not quick - normally it's filled with a lot bigger mess too!  So here's a great cheat to delicious muffins!!  You make the basic mix and then when you're ready to make them you add your wet ingredients and any fun things too (berries, chocolate chips, poppy seed, nuts etc).  The possibilities for these muffins can be endless.  Below the recipe are notes for making different kinds of muffins.  Make a batch and put some in the freezer for those days you're in a rush to get out the door! Or add them to the kiddos lunch box for a special treat at lunch time!

Basic Muffin Mix

Ingredients

• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
• 1 egg
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Store in airtight containers in a cool dry place or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Yield: 4 batches (11 cups).

• To prepare plain muffins: Place 2-3/4 cups muffin mix in a large bowl. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm.

The great thing about this muffin mix is that you can add in so many different ingredients to make all sorts of different muffins. Here are some of the different add-ins Taste of Home gives ideas and directions for: 

FOR BANANA MUFFINS:

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
• To prepare Banana Muffins: Place 2-3/4 cups muffin mix in a large bowl. Whisk the egg, milk, butter and bananas; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins.

FOR BLUEBERRY MUFFINS:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• To prepare Blueberry Muffins: Place 2-3/4 cups muffin mix in a large bowl. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins.

FOR APRICOT-CHERRY MUFFINS:

• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• To prepare Apricot-Cherry Muffins: In a large bowl, combine 2-3/4 cups muffin mix, apricots and cherries. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins.

FOR CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS:

• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• To prepare Cappuccino Muffins: In a large bowl, combine 2-3/4 cups muffin mix, chocolate chips and coffee granules. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins.

FOR CARROT-RAISIN MUFFINS:

• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• To prepare Carrot-Raisin Muffins: In a large bowl, combine 2-3/4 cups muffin mix, carrots and raisins. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins.

FOR CRANBERRY-PECAN MUFFINS:

• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• To prepare Cranberry-Pecan Muffins: In a large bowl, combine 2-3/4 cups muffin mix, cranberries, pecans and sugar. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins.

FOR APPLE-CHEESE MUFFINS:

• 1/2 cup shredded apple
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• To prepare Apple-Cheese Muffins: In a large bowl, combine 2-3/4 cups muffin mix, apple and cheese. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins.

FOR RHUBARB-ORANGE MUFFINS:

• 3/4 cup diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• To prepare Rhubarb-Orange Muffins: In a large bowl, combine 2-3/4 cups muffin mix, rhubarb and marmalade. Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups and bake as directed for plain muffins. Yield: 1 dozen per batch.

Happy Baking!

~K

A different kind of grilled cheese sandwich

Lunch is served!  When I first stumbled upon this sandwich I wasn't quite sure how good it was going to be.....  However it enticed me more than anything and I figured what the hell, it's worth a try!  I am so glad that I did!  Once you get past the cheese tearing up the bread everything about it is to die for!!  The combination of goat cheese and cucumber is amazingly fresh!  It is a filling yet light lunch that I am sure you will love!

Cucumber Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese!

Ingredients:

• Two slices sprouted wheat bread
• Two ounces goat cheese
• Sliced cucumber
• Coconut oil spray

That’s it! I used the coconut oil spray on the bread instead of butter to get a nice grill.

The sandwich was so fresh and delicious. It didn’t feel heavy like a regular grilled cheese sandwich. The cucumber added a great crisp as well. I’m totally hooked!

Enjoy!!

~K

Weekly Meal Plan

I have found that I am the most successful with my diet when I plan our weekly meals.  I used to plan for 2-3 weeks at a time, but I can't tell you how much food and money I threw away on veggies that went bad.  So now I plan my meals for one week along with grocery shop for one week.  You will have to devise a plan that works for you, but keep fresh veggies in mind when you do the shopping.

This week our menu will consist of:

• Bean & Cheese Burritos
• Sloppy Joes
• Baked Macaroni & Cheese
• Asian Turkey Meatballs
• Sticky Bourbon Chicken & Rice
• Honey Lemon Chicken
• Corn Bisque (upon special request by my 9 year old) - Family Recipe which means sorry the recipe won't be posted. 

Please note I try to give credit to where I got the recipes from.  Some of these recipes I've had for quite some time and no longer have any idea where I got the recipe from.  So I apologize in advance for not giving credit to someone for their recipe.  Also please note some recipes are my own and no need to give anyone else credit for the recipe.  :)

Find recipes here.

Happy Menu Planning

~K

Little Monsters

When I started this blog I thought it would be all about my weight loss...but it's morphed into more about me and my life of which weight loss & gain are a big part of that.  You are going to start finding lots of projects, recipes and anything else that I find worthy of talking about on here. :)  Enjoy! And please always feel free to comment & share with your friends!

I have been trying to take on some of my Pinterest projects lately.....  Because let's face it, we could pin and pin until we turn purple! :)  I love Pinterest, the idea that we can keep all of our ideas in one place and categorize them....  Finally!  LOL

So my nephew just had his first birthday and my sister said that she was going to do a "monster theme" for it.  Right after her and I talked about this I came across the cutest pattern (on Pinterest of course) for little monsters.  So of course I just had to make them!!  The easiest project I have come across yet and they turned out soooo stinkin' cute!!  All it takes is some time, felt, thread & stuffing.  I bought the the small sheets of felt that you can get at Michaels or even Walmart for .25 each.  It was perfect!!

I did sew the faces on primarily by hand.  I started to do it with the sewing machine and I am just not good enough yet to make that look good. :)  It's a working progress....one day I'll be that good!  Until then, I can do it by hand.  Slow and steady wins the race...right?

I was so excited about them that I sent a pic to my sister.  I was just going to surprise her and mail them, but I couldn't wait any longer.  Needless to say it sounds like they will be a hit and she loves them! I am sure my nephew will love them just as much!  He's 1,
how can he not?

As you can see I did the fronts and backs of each different colors to really give it that "monster" feel.

You can find the pattern here.

Happy Crafting!
~K

DIY Door Hanger

I don't know about you but I love Pinterest!  I have so many pins that I decided that it is time to start making some of those things!  The door decor is so popular right now and it adds that little something to your house that is so inviting.  I picked a relatively easy one to be my first.  I think the tricky part is buying a flower that isn't too big for the project you are working on.  I am not sure exactly how successful I was, but I am happy with my end project.  I also have to work on my bow making if I am going to use them at the top of these.  I hope that you have more success with that than I did.

What you will need:

• wooden letter
• hot glue gun & glue sticks
• yarn - color of your choice
• fake flower 
• ribbon of choice

You will need to hot glue the yarn to the top of the letter so that it stays in place & the begin to wrap it tightly around the letter.  There might be spots along the way that need to be glued, be sure to only use a drop of glue - using too much will lead to a huge mess.  Once yarn is wrapped tightly around the letter glue the end on the back so that it's not noticeable.  Glue the flowers of your choice to the letter.  Tie your ribbon into a bow and glue that on as well, don't forget to make a loop for hanging purposes.  My bow was sad looking so I added a few leaves and a flower to hide my mess.  

  

That's the wonderful thing about this project - you can add anything you want to it to make it your own.  Not to mention that it hides all the imperfections that are part of the process.  

Happy crafting!

~K

Football! (Recipes!)

Fall in the air means football, sweaters, warm cozy socks & soup in the crockpot!  Last night was the first "fall feeling" day.  So needless to say we had black bean soup, homemade french bread & peach cobbler.  The house smelled amazing! I am sharing these recipes with you so your house can smell just as amazing!  

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 1/2 c. chicken stock

3 tsp. cumin

1 Package of turkey Kielbasa

2 tsp minced garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

Saute onions, red pepper, garlic & kielbasa.  Add 1 can of black beans to crockpot and smash with potato smasher.  Add 2nd can of beans, can of tomatoes, chicken stock, cumin, salt & pepper.  Mix.  Add sauted veggies & kielbasa.  Cook on low 6 hours.  

The french bread recipe I found on Food.com.  They are always my go-to place when I'm looking for a new recipe.  Normally I don't follow them exactly but thankfully this time I did!  YUM!!!

And finally here's the peach cobbler!

Peach Cobbler

1 1/2 quarts peaches (I use peaches I canned)

1/2 c. butter

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in the oven in a 13x9 baking dish.  Heat peaches, 1 c. sugar & water to a boil.  Mix cornstarch with small bit of water and then slowly add to the peaches (this will thicken the mix). Simmer 10 minutes then add the cinnamon & nutmeg.  In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, remaining cup of sugar, vanilla & milk.  Mix well.  Pour flour mix over the melted butter.  Do not stir.  Spook peaches over the top & gently pour syrup.  Cook for 30-45 minutes.

And this is what I did with the left over peaches that wouldn't fit into the peach cobbler.  (Because I used the wrong size pan.)  :)  

Happy eats!

~K