Tasty Tuesday

Simple. Simple. Simple. That’s how I like to keep my weekdays! Here is another great Easy Weeknight Meal to throw into your 2-week rotation! I received this recipe at my bridal shower several years ago. Everyone was asked to bring a recipe card filled out with their favorite recipe. I treasure these recipes! When I glanced over the following recipe, I wasn’t sure what to think. Initially, I thought it sounded odd. But, as a newlywed, I became daring with trying new recipes. This one was a major score, being surprisingly fragrant and devilishly delicious. It’s a soup, perfect for these chilly nights that are now upon us! For you parents out there, it’s also a great way to get some veggies into those kiddos of yours!

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Ginger Carrot Soup

• 1 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
• 4 1/2 Cups Chopped Carrots
• 1 Large Potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 2 Cups Evaporated Skim Milk
• 2 tsp Crushed Dried Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

1) Saute Butter and Onion until tender in a large pot

2) Add Carrots, Potato, Broth and Ginger

3) Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender (20-30 minutes)

4) Puree in small batches with a blender or food processor until smooth (*I use a hand blender, and blend directly in the pot. WAY easier!)

5) Return soup to pot on stove.

6) Add evaporated milk, rosemary, salt and pepper.

7) Heat through, serve and enjoy!

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Despite your initial thoughts, give it a try. You will be surprised! Do all the chopping (ie: prep work) the night before, so all you have to do is saute, simmer and puree! Better yet, make the entire soup the night (or weekend) before: the soup tastes even better when the flavors have time to mingle, and thickens up nicely.

Make sure to serve this with crusty bread and a simple side salad!

Have a great week!
Read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

For many, this week marks the Beginning Of School. Some of you lucky people out there may have already begun the school year, and yet others will have one more week of Summer. Hubby (local Chester County teacher) officially starts school tomorrow. Not only does he start school, but he also has his first grad class of the Fall. This means he leaves the house at 6:45am, and will not return until after 7:30pm.
That’s a long day.
I’m sure I am not alone. Whether it is a spouses crazy schedule, kids crazy schedule or YOUR crazy schedule, things are sure to be busy from time to time (or every day) this Fall. In some ways, I welcome it. As much as I don’t like being busy and unrested, I do like the routine and rhythem of the Fall. And cooler weather.
Today, I continue with my theme of EASY SCHOOL YEAR RECIPES. Try them. Love them. Print them. Rotate them. Save yourself the stress! In a few weeks, once I have spit out a solid 2 weeks worth of recipes, I’ll do a sample 2 week rotation, complete with links to the recipes. Hopefully, this will make mealtime easy on all of us.
I’m not really sure where I found this recipe. I made it once last year, and kind of forgot about it. The dish was really good though, so I am actually making it this week. I hope you do too!

6 tasty ingredients + slow cooker = awesome.

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Slowcooker Pineapple Chicken

•1 bottle barbeque sauce (plain or choose a flavored one for a different taste)
•1/2 of a 15 ounce can pineapple chunks (WITH juice)
•1/2 green bell pepper, diced
•1/2 onion, chopped
•1 clove garlic, minced
•4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a large bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, pineapple with the juice, green pepper, onion, and garlic. Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour sauce over the chicken.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours (varies depending on your slowcooker)

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As a side note, this week I will be using a bottle of teriyaki sauce/marinade instead of barbeque sauce. Just to see what happens. And I’m craving a little teriyaki. Can you blame me?

OK – more School Year recipes to come! See you next week!

To read more about Steph’s life and recipes, check out her personal blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

To accompany last week’s recipe, I wanted to post another SIMPLE and EASY week night meal for the up and coming Start of School. Like I said last week, schedules get crazy and hectic this time of year. The days start off by waking up, and there is plenty of work/school/extra-curriculars in between. Suddenly it’s 6:00pm, and you realize, “Oh. Dinner. Right.” Last week, I shared a great Baked Ziti recipe. I’ll add another recipe to add to your Busy Week recipe box, so it will be stocked once school hits!

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Laura. She has 3 kids, and is my “go-to” Mom resource (“Help! I have a newborn! What do I do?” and “How do you discipline a toddler?” and, of course, “What should I make for dinner?”). She’s awesome. I made this recipe a LOT last Winter, as it’s hot and heavy and filling. It’s so simple and easy, though, I think it is a great meal for the Autumn as well.

This would be a great meal to make in the morning and let simmer on the stove all day. It’s also easily made in the evening, if you can spare an hour for prep/cook time. Otherwise, SAVE YOURSELF THE TROUBLE: Make it the night before, after the kids go to sleep. Put it in the fridge. Reheat it when you get home from the 5,620 things you have to do the next day.

And, can I say it smells AMAZING while it’s cooking? It does.

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Stovetop Veggie-Beef Stew

•2 pkg stew meat (I usually cut the pieces a bit smaller)

•1 medium onion, chopped (did you know you can freeze

onion to use later?)

•olive oil

•1 large potato, diced (about 1 inch)

•1/4-1/2 cup red wine

•frozen veggies – carrots, peas, green beans, corn, etc. — your choice

•1 can tomato paste

•seasonings – salt & pepper, oregano (to taste)

•1/2 cup shredded cheddar (optional)

1) Saute onion and meat in olive oil in a large soup pot until meat is somewhat browned.

2) Add potatoes and saute until somewhat browned.

3) Add red wine and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and let simmer for roughly 20-30 minutes.

4) Add veggies, cheese (OPTIONAL), tomato paste & seasonings to taste, bring to a boil, then simmer another 30 minutes.

5) Serve with crusty bread and ENJOY!

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Now, when I made it, I did NOT use the optional cheese. It was delectable enough without it. If you are a cheese fan, add it in or sprinkle it over the top. Yum!

If you have a BIG family, or hope for a LOT of leftovers, double the recipe. We had plenty of leftovers with our family of 3 – but every family is different.

Have a great week!

To read more about Steph’s life and recipes, check out her personal blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.