Harvest Soup and Biscuits

We tried a bit of this tonight. Kannon thought it was wonderful! I think it would be nice to have in our food storage since we don't have a cow.

It really wasn't bad at all. Very much like a smooth butter in a tub from the refrigerated section. Kannon's mom gave us this one. She found it in the Elko, NV Walmart. We don't have it here, but we're still trying to find out how to order some. You can read more about it at www.mrewholesalers.com For dinner I made a Harvest Soup from my Taste of Home's Quick Cooking 2004 cookbook. I have 5 of their cookbooks and absolutely love them. When I asked what else I should serve, Kannon said biscuits. I kind of knew he'd request that!

Ben and Sarah were quick to discover the Acorn Squash. It wasn't that noticeable, but they freaked out. I made them each try some and then they picked around it. I guess next time I'll leave it out, or better yet, puree the squash and add it back in!


Joshua, though, couldn't get enough. Some days we just can't get him to eat his dinner. He plays with it and finally gets to where he's throwing it and then he's done. But tonight he silently ate 2 bowls of it and half a biscuit before heading excitedly to the tub for a bath. (Because we can't have dinner without a bath right afterward!)

Ben chowing down on his biscuit sandwich. He spread the middle of it with sugar-free grape jelly. I bought some awesome biscuit cutters from Pampered Chef. They have a really large cutter; 4 inches. We like to make ours that big!

And here's the last of the soup. Mmmm. I ate til I was full!

Harvest Soup

1 pound lean ground beef

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

3-1/2 cups water

2-1/4 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes

1 cup chopped red potatoes

1 cup chopped peeled acorn squash

2 tsp. beef bouillon granules

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

In large saucepan, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain well. Add the water, potatoes, squash, bouillon, bay leaves, chili powder, pepper, allspice and cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add the tomatoes. Cook and stir until heated through. Discard bay leaves. Yield: 6 servings.

1-1/2 cups equals 241 calories

Food for Susan

A few weeks ago I was talking to my sister, Susan, about food. She said they were going to try and eat at home more often which would require her to plan and prepare. I thought I'd give her a few ideas that are simple to prepare, healthy, and oh, so yummy!

Well, this first one wasn't as yummy as I thought it would be. But, not too shabby either. It was one I made around Valentine's day in an attempt to have a healthy treat. I found the recipe in my "YOU on a Diet" book by Roizen and Oz. Here's the recipe:

"Dive into the Dark Side" Bars

1 cup toasted walnuts

3/4 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

5 brown rice rice cakes, broken into chunks

2 Tbsp. agave nectar

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

5 oz. 70% dark bittersweet chocolate bar, broken into chunks (I used 60% cacao chips)

5 Tbsp. fat-free milk or orange juice

In a food processor chop walnuts. Then add raisins and cranberries, chop. Then add rice cakes, chop. Add agave nectar, orange juice, vanilla, and cinnamon; process until mixture holds together. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch-square baking dish; cover with plastic wrap and press into a firm, even thickness. Remove plastic wrap.

Combine chocolate and milk over a double boiler of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread chocolate evenly over rice cake mixture, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Cut into 12 bars. 110 calories per bar.

It tasted pretty good. The chocolate wasn't as sweet as we've been used to. And they didn't hold together super well. I'd like to find a way to fix that. If you try this and find the answer to the crumbles, let me know!

This is one of my favorite foods. So easy to make.

For our family of 5 I browned 1 pound of 93/7 hamburger. Sauteed 8 oz of mushrooms. Chopped about 4 Roma tomatoes. The kids don't like the feta cheese, but you just layer them on your plate and eat. The combination of hot and cold and the flavors of each ingredient are incredible! For this meal I also microwaved some frozen veggies and we had bread with butter. I got this from Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Solution Menus.

And another simple, colorful and delicious meal.

Chicken breast

Sweet potato or yam

Romaine lettuce salad

I baked our chicken breasts sprinkled with season salt at 350* for about 30 minutes (check for pink). The sweet potatoes are peeled, then tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt pepper and basil. Bake until tender.

We like to eat our fries with a mayo mixture. I know that's not the healthiest choice but it makes them so delicious!
About 1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp. lime juice

2 minced garlic cloves

Stir together and dip those fries!