Souper Sunday: Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup

This is definitely for the lazy cook!

The entire prep took me 10 minutes (most of that was peeling / cubing the potatoes)

Great meal for
1. you don't feel good
2. you don't feel like cooking
3. you're freezing
4. you're cleaning out your fridge / freezer

I made enough for dinner and a couple days of leftovers (so, adjust accordingly)
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts (chunked up)
4 Potatoes (peeled and diced into cubes)
1 medium onion diced
1 lb bag of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
1 carton (I think it's 32 oz) of Chicken Stock
1 pack of Goya Chicken Broth
1 cup of water
1 tbsp. parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste (I would wait till it's done to add salt & pepper - the broth / stock combo can be a little salty)

Put all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 10-15 minutes (to cook the chicken). Simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat.

That's it!

Serve with bread and maybe a salad! Chicken soup ALWAYS hits the spot!

Law of Attraction

In the craziness of life I try to take time out to reflect on how blessed I am and how much I've accomplished.

As I'm growing older, with everyday - I try to become more optimistic. I like being happy. I like how I feel when there is no drama in my life. I like laughing.

Most importantly, I love my life.

By no means is it perfect. Shit, I thought because I survived teenagers - the rest would be smooth sailing!  No one warned me about adult children!

But, it's all good. I try to take each challenge and make it into an opportunity to learn and gain from it. There is no need to dwell on things I can't control. There is no need for me to worry about things that inevitably will work themselves out.

So, I wanted to put down on "paper" all the things that I am grateful for...

1.   My health
2.   My ability to think and verbalize the thoughts that cross my mind
3.   My humor and being able to laugh at myself
4.   My family (including my pets)
5.   My job with ***
6.   My bed & TV - both give me a way to relax
7.   My ability to coupon which also encompasses my talent to make something from nothing
8.   My computer & the internet - including facebook and other social media, which is not ideal - but it is a nice way for me to stay connected with family and friends and keep up with daily life
9.   That I am not perfect - it gives me something to aspire to
10. That I can do things for others and use my expertise to help them improve their lives

I invite you to do exactly what I did.

Things may not be going great for you. You might be in the middle of a shit storm... but, if you sit down and list out just a few of the positives that you have in your life - the Law of Attraction will open up the door for other things to start looking up.

I promise.

An offer you can't refuse: Stacking Coupons

If you're not familiar with "stacking" - it is a great way of combining a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon to save additional money. If you take that combination and add it to a store sale... JACKPOT!!

Some grocery stores, drug store chains and big box stores offer store coupons.

A few weeks ago I went to Target and stumbled on this great deal:

Target had a sale on L'Oreal Hair Color



I had a Target coupon + a Manufacturer's coupon



The Target coupon was actually for $2 off (misprint from the Target website).

My total out of pocket was $1.99 each - plus tax.

Meatless Meal: Tomato Basil Pasta

I found this recipe on Facebook. I have made it a few times and when you're in a rush or don't know what you feel like eating - this is very quick and easy. I always make sure I have the ingredients on hand.

I can promise you - the taste is restaurant quality!

I like to add some garlic bread and a glass of red wine. If I play some Billy Joel, I feel like I'm back on Long Island eating in my grandparent's kitchen!

Tomato Basil Pasta
12 ounces pasta (I prefer linguine or fettuccine)  
*depending on the thickness of the pasta - you may need to add a little water
1 large can diced tomatoes with the juice 
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

*I also add about a pound of Asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces - I like the flavor it adds to the pot. Aldi sells frozen asparagus - so, I always have a couple bags in the freezer.

Directions:
Place pasta, tomatoes, asparagus, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I leave about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot because the noodles are going to absorb it anyway once it cools.

The starch leaches out of the noodles and makes a rich, warm sauce for the noodles. The other ingredients cook right along with the pasta Ingredients.

No straining, just stirring!

Season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot.

Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Meatless Meal: Roasted Vegetable Soup

O. M. G.!!!
 
Today began Souper Sunday.  My first selection is Roasted Vegetable Soup.

I always do chili or stew, so adding a real "soup" is nice... especially because it is absolutely dee-lish!
 
I found the recipe here
 
1 head garlic
3 pt. cherry tomatoes
2 large bell peppers, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch chunks
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
 
Preheat oven to 450°F

1. Rub papery skin off garlic, and cut off top of head to expose clove tips. Place on square of foil, and drizzle with 1 Tbs. water. Wrap garlic, and roast 35 to 40 minutes, or until soft.
2. Toss tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and oil with paprika in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread on 2 baking sheets, and roast 35 to 40 minutes, or until vegetables are browned and tender, stirring once. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into bowl of food processor; add half of roasted vegetables and 1 cup water. Blend until smooth, then transfer to large bowl or saucepan. Pulse remaining vegetables in food processor until chopped, then stir into puréed soup with corn and vinegar. Warm, if necessary.

So, I have to tell yous... it is Uh-MAY-Zing!

I added a variation (because I beat to my own drum)....
I only did 1 TBS of Red Wine Vinegar
and I added a 1/2 roasted eggplant - to the ingredients (I had it in the fridge)
Instead of water I used vegetable stock
and I added extra corn
and a can of black beans...

The hardest part was the mess. You have to run the roasted veggies through the food processor... but other than that - I am very pleased!

It is very hearty and full of flavor!!! The Paprika added a nice yum to it!

And, I baked bread!!

Another meatless meal - added to the menu!

Juice Fast: Transition Back to Food

I've been away for a few days - attending to life.

I had an old friend come to town on Monday. We met for drinks and dinner. It was the first meal I'd had since the week before so, my selection was a Spinach Salad with Apples, Tomatoes, Walnuts and Cranberries. It was very satisfying. I washed it down with some Bud Light - my other favorite juice!

Tuesday I started my exit from fasting. I have lost 15 pounds total on this fast. I have 15 more to go. I will do another fast in a couple of weeks. I need to keep my body guessing to keep my metabolism up and also allow it to catch up to the rapid weight loss.

The Transition
Everyone probably has their own way of transitioning back to whole food. Mine works for me and helped me keep off almost all of the 23 pounds I lost last year.

Some thoughts for the transition:

1. Continue to drink a lot of water. Sometimes I add Lemons to my water. Lemon is a natural internal antiseptic which helps remove free radicals and toxins.
2. Continue to have juice for a couple meals per day (meal replace). Choose a meal (I usually do dinner) that you add in food. After a couple of days, add in a second meal - until you're completely transitioned back.
3. You have been drinking fruits and vegetables for "X" amount of days... start adding those fruits and vegetables as food, not juice.
4. Find some recipes that utilize beans (black, pink, red, white). Beans are a great source of protein and make you feel full when mixed in with vegetables and a starch.
5. Try to stay away from meat for the first few days. If you must, have a piece of chicken, turkey or fish (preferably baked or broiled) - no larger than a deck of cards.
6. Portion control. Don't let your mind trick you into thinking that you've been deprived. On the contrary, your body has been getting everything it needs. Your mind controls a lot of what you put in your mouth. Win that battle.
7. Don't get into a routine (this is my personal struggle). It's easy to go back to your old ways - because it's more than likely your old ways were easy. Make the effort to make fresh juice. Make the effort to prepare your food from scratch. This is just disciplining yourself to take care of yourself.
8. Stay away from processed and fast food. No explanation needed.

Everyone is on a journey. We may be on different paths but inevitably most of us have the same goal to live a happy rewarding life. Getting there is all about balance. You can't eat cookies and chips everyday without adding in more healthy choices to balance it out. You are what you eat and food like products generally don't come from the earth, they come from a science lab. Don't be a science project.

I think (on a food perspective) if we get back to a simpler time before fast food restaurants and boxed foods - we'll all start to see some of the chronic illnesses that are crippling our society, reverse themselves.

I truly believe that.

 

 

 

My Cadillac

It's a beautiful day today. We had a huge storm come through on Thursday and it broke the heat and humidity. We've been going down in the high 50's the past 2 nights. I've turned off the A/C and opened all the windows. I love weather like this.

Sunday mornings around Denton are generally a ghost town. The crisp air in our bedroom this morning made me want to go for a bike ride.

After 9am, when the church crowd starts moving around - it can get hectic... but, Denton is a college town. Not too many college kids can wake up for class - let alone church. If you stay off the main roads - it's really a nice peaceful way of touring, without looking like you're casing the neighborhood. Even some of the main roads have bike lanes - it's a bike friendly town.

Let me give you a little history on my bike.

In 2008, when we were talking about following Raquel to Texas to watch her play basketball - Aboy and I would have conversations like, "when we get there - we can buy his and her motorcycles, this way when it's not basketball season - we can take long rides and enjoy the scenery".

HA! That never happened!

So, meet my Harley (or Honda, Kawasaki, etc...)



She's the best we could do. Turns out - life was just as hectic in Texas as it's been every where else we've lived! Work, the kids, life in general... not much time for us to make the time and money investment in motorcycles...

But, that's OK. Owning a motorcycle (for me, anyway) is on the bucket list. I'll be 60 years old - chilling on a Honda Shadow, going to the grocery store (don't forget the knapsack on my back - holding my coupons!).

Well, as I live in the present, we did end up picking up 2 beach cruisers in 2009 when we first moved here. We were living in Grand Prairie at the time. I was carless for a while and would take my beach cruiser to the post office, the grocery store and the convenience store. I felt like I was 13 years old again!

I call her my Cadillac now because she sits in the garage and only comes out for a tour on nice days.

Over the past few years - Aboy would ask, "Do you want to get rid of the bikes? It's not like we ride them" and I'd always say no. We had a garage sale last year and had them on the front lawn so we could get things out of the garage and you wouldn't believe how many people wanted to buy them.

For days like today - is the reason I say no.

Look at some of my great (corny-ass) features!

The basket and rack:
(what's the point of riding to the store if I have no way of carrying anything back!)





My seat:
(a little wide with gel cushion)



And most important - My bell:
(which I use when I pass other cyclists and pedestrians)



It also boasts white wall tires, a chain guard and a kick stand - all standard, of course. There are no gears and the brakes are the kind that you have to push back with the pedals. We went old school!

I have to admit - I feel like Miss Gulch when I ride the damn thing...

 

I grew up in the 70's. We didn't have shit like helmuts, elbow pads or knee pads (sometimes, my bike didn't even have brakes!).

If you're in your 40's and you don't own a bike, you should get one! You can find one for under $100 and it's a great way to stay young!