March Menu Plan

So, I was thinking about all the recipes I've been trying lately.  I use to plan meals every two weeks, but recently decided I was going to plan a whole month, and then shop every Saturday for the following week.  My goal is to save money (seems odd shopping every week, I know) and it makes the menu easier to adjust or switch around.  I am hoping that shopping every week I can stock up on things that I only need for that week, and it will eliminate the 'small/quick' trips I make during the week (where 1 thing can turn into 30)!   Anyway, I thought I would start sharing our monthly meal plan along with links to the recipes.  I figure if we are going to try and eat at home more, might as well enjoy it!  I hope you can find some recipes you enjoy too!

Here is March's meal plan with links below (there aren't links for everything, so if you have a question just let me know).  If it has a star next to it, it's something I've made before - and obviously something we've enjoyed enough to repeat!  I hope you enjoy!

1. Lion House Sweet and Sour Chicken   2. *Egg Salad BLTs   

3. Moctezumas (our favorite Mexican restaurant!)

4. *Turkey Burgers w/ Oven baked steak fries  5.  Chicken and Black Bean Tacos   

6. *Club Sandwiches with Black Bean/Corn Salsa  7. White Bean and Turkey Chili  
8. BBQ Chicken Nachos   9. *Southwestern Burritos  10. Tuscan Chicken Pizza Sandwiches

11. *Fiesta Taco Salad  12. Chicken & Roasted Red Pepper Penne  13. Breakfast Panini  
14.  *Taco Pizza  15. Smoky Orange BBQ Chicken Sandwiches  16. *Yaki Tacos w/ Coconut Rice  

17.  *Meatballs w/ Roasted Veggies   18. Broccoli and Pasta with Chicken   19.  Fauxtisserie Chicken  20.  *BBQ Chicken Quesadilla  21.  Chicken Lime Avocado Soup  

22. *Grilled Chicken w/ Layered Salad and Bread sticks

Remember- you can always reduce the calories of a meal by using lean meats, turkey bacon, milk instead of cream, low fat cream cheese, light mayo, less cheese (I find most recipes that call for cheese use generous amounts),  whole wheat or whole grains etc.  Happy Eating! 

New Year, New Recipes.

So I have been trying a lot of new recipes lately.  Not only do I get bored with having the same thing all the time - but it's fun to try new things.  Feast your eyes on some of the things that we have had or will be having at our house...

1. Smoky Orange BBQ Chicken Sandwiches   2. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup   

3. Sesame Chicken   4. Southwestern Cream of Chicken Soup

5. Chocolate Whoopie Pies   6. Beef, Bean and Pepperjack Baked Flautas

7. Breakfast Panini  8. Pretzel Bites 

As always, you can check out my Pinterest for other recipes I can't wait to try! 

Simple Things

I had an entirely different idea in mind for my Simple Things post this week...but since I am behind (and am still working on it),  I decided to post about something a little different...

PANCAKES.

Yes, you read that correctly.  Pancakes.  Noah loves Pancakes.  It is arguably his favorite food.  When he asks for something to eat, and you ask him what he wants, 9 times out of 10 he will reply, 'Pancakes and Orange Juice!'  Now we obviously don't give it to him every time he asks, but I try to make pancakes for breakfast at least once a week.  He always gets excited...which I love.  I mean, it could be something much worse- right?

Even Baby Clare loves them! 

Growing up we always had my moms homemade pancakes...a recipe we still love today! A while ago I found another recipe that I have also loved making - Oatmeal Pancakes (made with whole wheat and buttermilk).  They are delicious!!  Go here to find the recipe.  

For the Love of Food

It's been a little while since I have shared some of the recipes I've been trying lately!  Although I have really developed a love for cooking I would still consider myself a novice.    I do love to try new things though, and here are some recipes that we have tried (and have loved) in the Stockhoff Home.

1. Worlds Best Dinner Rolls from Our Best Bites (make them even smaller and they are great for slider sandwiches)! 2. Southwestern Burritos from Creation Corner  3. GUILTLESS Alfredo (a staple in our house) from Our Best Bites  4. Nutella Sandwich Cookies from  Kathleen's Gonna Want Seconds  5. Raspberry Sherbert and 7up Punch from Busy Budgeting Mama (Had this at a gathering recently and really enjoyed it -scroll down a ways to see recipe)

We have been well fed at our house, which is certainly something to be grateful for!  So what are some other things on our menu this week? 

White Pizza with Chicken and Spinach and Jana Salad

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry from Our Best Bites

And a little Corn and Cheese Chowder for one of our rainy Washington days... from the Pioneer Woman

Click below to see a couple more recipes we are going to try! 

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas from The Cook Next Door

Baked Doughnuts from Mels Kitchen Cafe

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Cake from HowSweetEats on Tasty Kitchen

Check out my Pinterest for even more delicious looking recipes. Happy Cooking! 

A Recipe, Or Two

I am, like, on a blogging role or something.  However I better not speak too soon and jinx myself!

A while back (over Memorial day) we went to a little BBQ at some friends house.  One of the gals brought a salad that I just couldn't get off my mind.  I recently asked her for the recipe so I could make some here at home...and she was kind enough to share!  Since I am not sure what the official name of the salad is, I will call it the Jana Salad (since Jana is the name of my friend who made it), clever I know.   Anyway, if you make this - I can pinkie promise that you won't regret it.  Seriously. It's really good.

Jana Salad
Romain lettuce, cleaned and chopped
cooked and crumbled bacon (I used turkey bacon, but either way is still delish!)
dried cranberries
fresh, sliced avocado
candied almonds
Brianna's poppy seed dressing

Candied Almonds
2Tbsp Butter
Approx. 1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup white sugar

Melt butter in pan over medium to medium high heat.  Add almonds and sugar...stir continuously!  If you leave them for even a second they will burn (trust me).  They will begin to brown quickly.  Cook to a nice dark golden color.  Spray a plate with cooking spray and sprinkle almonds on plate to cool.  Once cooled crumble up and add to salad.

As Noah would say, 'ummy ummy ummy'.  I ate some of this for dinner last night and again for lunch today.  Andy and I both love it and even Noah ate some (it may have been because Andy told him that the almonds were candy, but we take what we can get).  

You can also find the roll recipe HERE at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  They were great, except I left out the cheese in the middle...I am sure they taste wonderful both ways.

Enjoy!

Will Cook For Food

I know, my title is so clever, right?  Or maybe I just think so.  Anyway, you all (who frequent my blog) know that I love to share recipes.  I love to try new recipes too.  I get really bored with making the same stuff all the time, so I when I plan my weekly menus I have to put at least two new recipes in there to try (sometimes more).   Here is a short list of some of the recipes I have recently tried, and ALL of them have been a hit at our house.  I apologize for the lack of beef - but I am not super comfortable cooking beef unless it's ground! ha.  Maybe you can give me some pointers on cooking a good steak, I would gladly take them.

1. BBQ Chicken Pizza Braid from For the Love of Cooking  2. Rumbi Rice Bowls from Favorite Family Recipes   3. Ham and Cheese Sliders from The Girl who Ate Everything 

4. Sweet and Sour Chicken from The Brown Eyed Baker

5. Chinese Chicken Salad from A Farm Girl's dabbles  6. BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing from Erin's Food Files

Can you say YUM.  Don't they look delish?  All the pictures came from their respective websites.  I am awful at snapping my own pictures - but non of them disappointed.  SO tasty!  

To find some more of my favorite recipes (or just some I plan to try) click HERE to check out my Pinterest!

Just A Little Bit Dangerous...

Remember that Roxette song?  I totally thought of that as I typed my title!  If you click on the link to enjoy the song, I am sure you will appreciate the hairdos (and the outfits) as well.  Oh Sigh.

On to a few things I find dangerous (in a good way)...and then maybe another little recipe, just for you.  I have had many friends/family comment on how they tried the Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos and how much they love them...so if you have yet to make them, get on it!

So the other day I had the chance to get together with some ladies over at my friend Emi's house.  Emi is fantastic, and her blog The Cloth Diaper Report is so popular that she has the privileged of testing out all of these wonderful products.  Check out her blog if you haven't heard of it already.   Anyway, the other morning we had a little Nutella party...I had never tried it before, but it is definitely dangerous.  Noah loves it, I love it (and can even eat it with my nut allergy)...and um, it tastes a lot like chocolate.  I think even Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network uses it...so I mean, Nutella is pretty awesome right?  You probably already knew this.   Anyway...like I said dangerous, but delicious.  We are hooked.

Another delicious but dangerous thing in my life at the moment.. (why does it always have to be food?!?) ..these babies!  The only Easter candy I have bought (I do my best to completely avoid that isle).  I tried these at a friends house and had to get a bag for our house....I think Andy is secretly cursing me under his breath, because he loves them too!! (ps. the cherry and lemon ones are the best :)

Are you ready for more food? eeesh, this is beginning to sound really sad, I do have other things in my life that I enjoy, you know....  Anyway, I thought I would also include a little recipe for you.  I inherited this recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law the summer after Andy left for Afghanistan (when I was visiting them).  I love it, and I am pretty sure you will too. 

Yaki Tacos  

Sauce/Marinade: 

1 3/4 cups cold water, divided

1 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 pineapple juice

1/2 tea garlic powder

1/4 tea onion powder

Tacos: 

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Monterey Jack cheese

Pineapple tidbits

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Green onion

Flour tortillas

Mix 1 cup water, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic powder and onion powder in a small sauce pan.  Slowly bring to a boil.  Mix remaining 3/4 cup water and tbsp of cornstarch together and slowly add to sauce.  Mix well and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer sauce until thick.   Once marinade/sauce is thickened reserve 1 cup and refrigerate (you will use this on your tacos as a sauce).  Pour remaining marinade over chicken and refrigerate 4-6 hours or over night.  

Drain marinade from chicken and saute until cooked.  Serve on tortillas with remaining ingredients and reserved 1 cup sauce (I usually reheat the sauce that I reserved, as well as warm my tortillas..either in the microwave or a warm pan).  Enjoy! 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I have not been shy about my love for the Our Best Bites cooking blog.  Recently the girls who run the blog came out with a cookbook.  I was browsing through it at my friend Brittany's house and she recommended these wonderful taquitos.  So I went right home and found the recipe on their website.

We had it for dinner last night and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Andy loves 'mexican' type food and says he could eat it almost any night of the week.  These were certainly easy to make, and easy to eat...because they tasted so good.  The best part is, you can eat them with a fork OR your hand.  Seriously, isn't food you can eat with your hands just wonderful?  I agree.

 Picture from ourbestbites.com  {don't report me for using it!}

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

from Our Best Bites {click to see original post}

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken {I cook mine in this micro cooker from Pampered chef, super quick and easy!}
1 C grated pepperjack cheese  {I used Monterrey jack}

Small corn tortillas  {I used flour tortillas and they were awesome}

Salt and Cooking Spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.  Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

***

Can you say DELISH?!?!  Yum...in fact I am having leftovers for lunch today, and I am certainly not regretting it! 

We enjoyed these taquitos with black beans and rice (both recipes I got from my friend Brittany as well).  Find them below or pair taquitos with your favorite side dishes! 

Black Beans {Refried Style}

1 Can of black beans, drained (but not rinsed)  
1 tea Onion powder
1 tea Cumin
1/2 tea dried Oregano
1/2 tea Chili powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 Cup chicken stock/broth


Place all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil,  mash slightly with potato masher and set aside to cool.  Beans will thicken as they cool.


Chili Rice {Made simple with Minute Rice}


2 cups Chicken stock/broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tea Cumin
1 tea Chili powder


Add all ingredients into pot and bring to a boil, once boiling add 2 cups MINUTE rice.  Stir and set aside for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed.  

***

Add a little green salad with your favorite dressing and you have a complete (and tastey) meal!  Enjoy! 

{More} Recipes to Share

So my meal planning has become a biweekly routine and I feel lost if I haven't done it.  I suppose that is a good thing, but it can also be very stressful.  Self-inflicted of course.   This time I thought I would share some more recipes with you...from my menu this week.  Some I have tried, some I will be trying.  

Recipes I've Tried, and Love....

Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Chowder- from Taste and Tell
This is my friend Deborah's very successful recipe blog...and this chowder is by far one of my favorite recipes of hers.  We tried it by chance, and it has quickly become a staple in our home (in fact, Andy is eating some for lunch as I type this).


BBQ Chicken Pizza - from Cooking Light
I shared this recipe before on my blog, and still make it on occasion.  We LOVE homemade pizza! 
The only difference with this recipe is that I usually use a homemade crust...you can find it here.


Sweet Potato Fries - from Our Best Bites
Not only are sweet potatoes good for you, but these are baked...so I pretty much consider them guilt free (aside from the Fry sauce I make to dip them in, hehe)  We love these! 


Cobb Salad - from MyKitchenCafe
Minus the blue cheese, I love Cobb salad!  I keep it pretty simple with chicken, avocado, turkey bacon, egg, tomato and maybe even a little black bean.  Top with homemade ranch and you have a YUMMY dinner.  Serve with these breadsticks and your life will be complete, for a moment at least! 


Recipes I Can't Wait to Try...


Mini Cheese Meat loafs- from Taste and Tell
I am NOT a fan of meatloaf.  I put this on my 2 week menu with a little bit of skepticism...but I figured I probably haven't had it in 15 years, so I might as well give it a shot.   Another reason I decided to try it is because Deborah said her husband hated meatloaf, and he ate every last bite of these...that gives me a little motivation to give it a shot!  


Turkey and Spinach Lasagna - from Tasty Kitchen
This may sound a little presumptuous, but if I could...I may just replace all ground beef with ground turkey.  Ok, maybe not ALL...but I am really excited to try this recipe.  For some reason it just sounds delish! 


Fiesta Chicken Tacos with Mango and Jicama Salad- from Taste and Tell
I've already decided that if I can't find the Jicama, I am going to make this mango salsa...and maybe just serve it with this cilantro lime rice.  mmmmm. 


I  have discovered that the dinner possibilities are endless!  Now if I could just figure out what to make for lunches I would be set!  Enjoy! 

Help Yourself

This is what happens when mom just can't make dinner quick enough....

Noah has been known to help himself to the pantry.  Usually he goes for the bread, but this time I guess he decided to switch it up a little and enjoy some Baked Lays.  Trust me, by the time he was finished a good 1/4 of the bag was gone.  I'd say that's pretty substantial for such a small belly.  


I do feed him.  Really.  In fact, here is a little recipe for what we ACTUALLY had for dinner tonight.   I love anything that is a) chicken and b) cooked in the crockpot!  This checks both of those boxes, so of course it was a winner to me :) 


Pulled Chicken Slider Sandwiches
from Or So She Says

{Picture from Or So She Says}

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp prepared mustard
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 12 slider sized rolls

1. Place 3 chicken breasts in the base of the slow cooker.
2. In small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste plus 2 cans worth of water, the cider vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar. Add a little salt and pepper is you wish. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic to the sauce.
3. Pour sauce over chicken breasts. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 4-6 hours.
4. When chicken is finished in the slow cooker, scoop it out into a bowl and using 2 forks, “pull it” apart.
5. Scoop some sauce from the slow cooker and add until reaches your desired ‘sauciness.'  Serve on slider sized rolls and enjoy!

There is also a recipe for pineapple coleslaw on the link above, but I made my own variation.  

Coleslaw

1 bag coleslaw mix (found with prepackaged lettuce)
Sliced almonds
Dried cranberries
1 apple (cut and cubed)
Brianna's poppy seed dressing.

Mix all together (use your own desired amounts of almonds, cranberries and apple). Enjoy!

Hot Hoagies

Ok, another recipe from another one of my favorite recipe blogs.  You don't mind do you?  How would I describe this dish???? Warm, cheesy, crispy and just plain delicious!!   I put this on our menu plan when I first saw it over at Tasty Kitchen...but Melanie has her own recipe blog that I also love and you can find it there as well....  Anyway, here it is...the Hot Hoagie.

(Picture from melskitchencafe.com)

Hot Hoagie

click HERE to Melanie's original post. 

1 loaf french bread, cut lengthwise
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (in a pinch, you can use two large cans chicken breast)
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combo of monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheese)
Olives, chopped (0ptional – I omit these due to my kids’ preferences)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place french bread on large baking sheet. Mix all topping ingredients together in a bowl. Spread topping evenly on top of both lengths of french bread. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

Can you say YUM?  First night we had it with some veggies and fruit salad...then the next night we ate the left overs with some bbq chicken salad.  The left overs were just as great!  

Winter Salad

I saw this salad on one of my new favorite recipe blogs See Jane Cook.  Seriously, you should check it out.  Anyway, I love salads for dinner, and I loved this one too.  I am glad I had so many leftovers, because I fully plan on having some tomorrow for lunch! 

Picture from cjaneinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Winter Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Dressing:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp diced green onion (or just onion)
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup veg oil
1 Tbs poppy seeds

Salad:
1 head Romain lettuce or a mixture of different kinds of lettuce
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup slivered almonds. (or you can use cashews if you want)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I actually used Craisins)
1 apple-peeled, cored and diced 
1 pear-peeled, cored and diced

Directions:
1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. Add oil in slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.
2. In a large serving bowl combine the lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, almonds, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.



Trust me, it's worth trying.  The dressing is really light and not too lemony, and don't even worry about peeling the apple and pear, I didn't - and it was still really good!  Serve it with a little bit of french bread or some homemade rolls.  Heck, maybe even a little of your favorite soup OR eat it alone.  Yuuuuummmmmy!

Recipes to Share...

Well, the meal planning is going really well so far.  I can honestly say that I really enjoy cooking SO much more, especially now that I don't have to think about what to make!!  We have tried some really yummy new recipes and I thought I would share the links to some of our favorites.  Maybe you can add them to your menu and enjoy them as much as we have!! 

* Homemade Pizza using THIS dough recipe. 
It is so simple to make and you don't even have to let it rise.  It's my new favorite...I will never ever buy pizza dough again.

* Southwestern Cobb Salad from My Kitchen Cafe
I forgot the chives for the Green Goddess dressing so we used just homemade ranch instead.  It was awesome.  Next time I will use less onion (since I am not a huge onion fan to begin with).  Also, take her advice use turkey bacon!  Its a healthy alternative but still tastes great!

* Turkey Chili and Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie from Rachel Ray
Um Yum?  Yes Yum!  I don't always love Rachel Ray's creations...but this one was sure tasty!  We actually had it tonight for dinner with a little green salad and cornbread.  mmm.  I halved the recipe and there was PLENTY of left overs.   This was the first time I have ever had, let alone made any type of shepherds pie.

*Cheesy Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Quesadillas from kevinandamanda.com
We love quesadillas at our house...and these were especially tasty!  A couple changes I made...first I used turkey bacon and cooked it in the microwave and instead of cooking my scallions and chicken in bacon grease, I cooked it in olive oil instead.  They still had GREAT flavor.  We will definitely be making these again!

Other yummy meals we have had....
BBQ Chicken Salad,  Basil Pork Chops,  Yaki Tacos, Turkey Sloppy Joes, Won Ton Chicken Salad (my mom's infamous recipe!) and lots of leftovers (as you can imagine). 

I am surprised how much I enjoy meal planning, and searching for new recipes has become my favorite pastime!

Mid-Year Resolutions

Actually - it's really past mid-year,  more like end of the year.   Regardless, I have made a resolution.  This may or may not be the 100th time I have made this same resolution, but this time I am keeping to it.  Really.  And I have a secret weapon (which I borrowed freely from someone).  So what is the resolution you ask?

Meal Planning

Ok so maybe it's not a very exciting resolution...but it's one I have tried to master and have yet to.  The reason I am starting this now?  1) No better time to start than today, that's what I always say!  2) To make more healthy, planned and balanced meals for my family and 3) To save myself time and money by avoiding random trips to the grocery store every other day.  If I have a plan, I can stick to it.  If I feel like switching some of the days up, it doesn't matter, I already have what I need!  See...this plan is tried and true and I am going to make it work for me.

So here's my new secret weapon....tips from My Kitchen Cafe....she even gives you a simple spreadsheet that can help you plan your meals!  

I am sure many of you are a lot more successful at this than I am, so because I love tips and tricks...do you have any??? If you do, please share - heaven knows I can use all the help I can get....

In the mean time, here are some of my favorite recipe sites that I will be trying new recipes from.  I have already made a list, and I can't wait to get started.  Now if payday would just hurry up and get here!

My Kitchen Cafe

Your Home Based Mom

Fav Family Recipes

The Pioneer Woman

You can also find some more great sites listed under my links. 

Mushroom Soup!

So I have been a little delinquent in sharing our weekly recipes.  I have been taking pictures and trying new things, I just fail to post them!  So I thought I would share this recipe - because we LOVED it.  If you aren't a fan of mushrooms then you can just skip this post all together...but if you are a fan, read a head.  Trust me - you will love it. 

I have become a HUGE fan of The Pioneer Woman.  Especially all of her recipes.  Let's be honest, that's really the only thing I've looked at.  But everything I've made off of her website has been delish!  And this soup was no exception.  You will have to forgive me for the lousy photo.  I am obviously not a photographer by trade, but I hate making recipes when I don't know what the finished product is supposed to look like! 

You can find the original recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website here - or just read below.

The Mushroom Soup

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Small Carrot, Finely Minced
1 whole Celery Stalk, Finely Minced
1 Tablespoon Garlic, Crushed And Minced
1 pound White Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
4 ounces, fluid Chablis White Wine (*Note I used Chicken Broth in place of the wine)
4 ounces, fluid Tomato Juice
4 ounces, fluid Chicken Broth
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
¼ cups Water
1 pinch Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions
Heat oil, over medium heat, in a large deep pot.


Mince the carrot and celery nice and fine. Too big and the soup will end up chunky. Toss into the pot and allow them to soften while you slice the mushrooms. (Please remember to clean the mushrooms first. You probably already knew that … I’m just sayin’.) Next, add your garlic, right as the carrots and celery start to cook down.  Add the mushrooms to the pot and allow them to reduce and soften. Pour in the Chablis, and let it cook with the mushrooms for a few minutes.

Add the tomato juice, and the chicken broth. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes before adding the heavy whipping cream, and bring to a soft boil.

Grate Parmesan and add it to the pot. Let this cook for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and blended with the soup. Add the cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water, then pour into the soup.  Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes or so, until thickened. Salt and pepper the soup to your own tastes.

SO YUMMY!  I also made some of these bread sticks to have along with it, they are super simple and quick to make.  It was the perfect combo!

Some of my other favorite Pioneer Woman recipes:
Mini Meatball Sandwiches
Beef and Bean Burritos

Surprisingly Tasty!

I first saw this recipe on my friend Cari's blog a few months ago.  I have been wanting to try it since then, but kept forgetting about it.  While browsing her recipe blog the other day I ran across it again, and decided this time I was actually going to make it.  Don't be deceived by the ingredients.  We were pleasantly surprised!  These tacos are super tasty, especially with all the fixins!

You can find Cari's original post here...or read below.  Thanks Cari!  We really enjoyed this!

Lentil Tacos

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tea canola oil

1 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 tea chili powder

1 tea ground cumin

1/2 tea dried oregano

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup salsa

Serve With:

taco shells, tortillas or chips

shredded lettuce

chopped fresh tomato

shredded cheddar cheese

avocado

sour cream

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Uncover, cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture has thickened.  Mash lentils slightly.

Stir in salsa.  Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell/tortilla.  Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado and sour cream.  Enjoy!

* This was my first experience cooking with lentils.  It was fairly easy, but to be honest I wasn't sure how 'tender' they were supposed to be.  Ours were tender but still had a little bite to them.  They were great though.  Next time I may let them simmer a little longer to get them just a tiny bit softer.  Aside from that minor note, we really enjoyed these (and I just may be having left overs for lunch!).  If you are trying to convince yourself into making them - think about this...lentils are a great source of FIBER and PROTEIN and carry hardly any fat.  That should do it!