T'was the Night Before Easter Cookies and Devotional

Long ago in my MOPS group we got a newsletter that had a recipe for resurrection cookies in it. I tried the recipe and kept it. I loved the idea, but there were a few things I didn't like about the cookie. Like the nuts. And that there was no chocolate. Nice idea, blah cookie.

I can't be the only person with candy canes left.

In our house we try to emphasize Easter as much as Christmas. Birth, death and resurrection of the same Jesus. We do have an in-house egg hunt and give a bigger gift in our yearly recycled Easter baskets. Easter, much like Christmas, has been ridiculously commercialized. Ridiculous. It's easy to be sucked in. I've already put away a fun sized bag of Reese's Eggs. This recipe/devotional is a good reminder of what Easter is about, and if you forgot to start the Resurrection Eggs on the right day you can still cram it in the night before or even during the week.

My adaptation has a Christmas twist. It's good to read the "Legend of the Candy Cane" too while they are eating them on Easter Sunday. The recipe begins Saturday night.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of mints - or leftover candy canes
1/2 chocolate bar
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
zipper baggie (freezer)
wooden spoon/meat tenderizer/hammer
masking tape
Bible

Directions and Devotion

1.Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Place the mints and the chocolate bar in the zipper baggie. Let children break them apart using spoon or tenderizer into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by Roman Soldiers and read John 19: 1-3.

In bag pre-meat tenderizer

Delish chocolate and peppermint

3. Let you children smell the vinegar. Put a teaspoon of vinegar into a large mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink and read John 19: 28-30.

4. Add the egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life and read John 10: 10-11.

5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand and let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

Salty sweet hands

6. So for the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the sugar to the bowl and explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him, and then read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

7. Beat with mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3: 1-3. This is a good time to have them get read for bed, clean up or read the Legend of the Candy Cane. The egg whites have to be stiff.

Whip it.

Whip it good.

8. Fold in the chocolate and mint pieces.

9. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus's body was laid and read Matthew 27: 57-60.

10. Put cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus's tomb was sealed and read Matthew 27: 65-66.

11. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb were sealed and read John 16: 20, 22. Send the kids off to bed and eat the other half of the chocolate bar as you prepare for the rest of the possible chaos on Easter Sunday.

12. On Easter morning, open the oven door and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies should be hollow. He has risen! On the first Easter morning, Jesus's followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28: 1-9.

A Christmas Easter cookie

Spring Roll, Sweet Chariot

I can't help it. As soon as I say "Spring Roll," I want to sing..

Spring roll,
Sweet chariot
Coming forth to carry me home...

Tasty bundles. Easy to make and made to order. As a gluten free gal these days, I've been looking for more meals everybody in the house can and will eat. Making multiple meals is a hassle.

I ate way more than this. This is just the pretty picture.

I bought circular and square spring rolls wraps. After looking at a few recipes, I decided to use some of the vegetables I had in the house. We didn't have Thai basil or lime. We'll try those another day.

Our ingredients:
 -strips of carrots
 -strips of cucumber
 -strips of orange pepper
 -romaine lettuce strips
 -an egg omelet cut into strips
 -rings of green onion
 -leaves of cilantro
 -brown rice vermicelli soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained. A tablespoon of hoisin sauce added and cut up to fit easily into the rolls
 -cut up cooked chicken (We added this tonight)

It took some prep, but it was worth it.

Really, add whatever you want and will eat. I made the sauce in a pan whisking on a low heat until smooth.

The Sauce:
 -a tablespoon of peanut butter
 -two tablespoons of hoisin sauce
 -a tablespoon of soy sauce
 -water to thin

Easy for little hands

With clean hands the kids can make them to order. Soak the wraps in warm water for 5 seconds or so. We had to replace the water every once in a while because it got cold. Place wrap on a plate and working quickly add your filling. The wrap will get soft on the plate. Fold, wrap and roll. Eat, dip and enjoy. Repeat until everything is gone or everybody is full.

Soaking, eating and enjoying

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

This recipe is a staple in our family. It's easy and terribly good. The original recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. My adaptations are slight. Unlike most zucchini bread recipes, the original recipe has only a quarter cup of oil. I reduce the oil farther, and it is still moist. When the garden produces more zucchini than we can eat, I shred and freeze it for cold days like today when I don't mind the oven being on. It can be made vegan with an egg replacer. Since the first loaf is gone within half an hour of taking it out of the oven I normally make three loaves at a time.

So yummy! You are welcome.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar*
1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini
2 tbsp cooking oil*
2 tbsp apple sauce
1 egg
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel**
1/2 cup semisweet morsels

*The original recipe calls for 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup of oil.
** I use dried lemon peel

1. In a mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg.
2. In another mixing bowl combine sugar, shredded zucchini, cooking oil, egg and lemon peel and mix well.

3. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Pour batter into a greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan.



6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (When making 3 loaves, I rotate the loaves every 18 minutes)

7. Cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Or eat it all before completely cooled. The loaves can be frozen. I usually wrap them in cling wrap and then in aluminum foil.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Pie

This Thanksgiving I was blessed once again to have my parents cook. I did contribute a very very small part and made two pies. One of the pies was a pecan pie, and the other was this buttermilk pie. Someone (I am so sorry I have forgotten who) gave us a pie book with a pie plate when we were first married. I go through my recipe books often donating the ones I don't use and this book, American Pie by Theresa Kennedy, always makes the cuts. There are some unusual pie recipes in the book. It appeals to my Frankenfood side. I still haven't made all the pies yet. This Thanksgiving, I tried two new recipes. I had the ingredients, and buttermilk pie sounded so interesting.

Buttermilk Pie

1 pie crust*
2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons lightly salted butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Ease crust into 9-inch pie pan; trim the overhang to 1 inch and flute the edges.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, flour, and melted butter and beat until the flour is completely blended. Add sugar and continue beating.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and blend.
5. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle it with nutmeg. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes**or until the filling is set. Serve warm or chilled.

The book says "An old fashioned recipe that might seem unusual to pie eaters today. The custard filling is tangy and sweet, reminiscent of pies made with cream cheese." It was interesting. It had almost lemony in flavor, but it was still distinctly buttermilk. It was eaten and well received.


*I buy a pie crust. Gasp! There is a recipe in the book for crusts. It currently does not fit into my slacker lifestyle.
** This pie is pretty fast to make which fits into my slacker lifestyle.

Mark Kennedy's Pecan Pie

We were given a pie recipe book, American Pie by Theresa Kennedy, with a pie dish early in our marriage. It has a lot of cool and unusual recipes in it. I usually make Aunt Dear's Pecan Crème Pie* because it is easy and delicious. I thought I had all the ingredients, but I didn't have any light corn syrup. I did, however, have dark corn syrup and all the ingredients for the pie on the next page, Mark Kennedy's Pecan Pie. It takes a little more work**, but it was good. It's much richer than Aunt Dear's. It was well received, and I came home with an empty pie dish. I also made buttermilk pie. The recipe for it is in the previous post if you are interested.

Pecan pie ready for T-day travel

Mark Kennedy's Pecan Pie

1 pie crust***
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lightly salted butter, softened
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1. Roll pie crust into pie pan with 1 inch overhang. Flute edges as desired and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
3. Place the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Beat for 3 minutes on medium speed with an electric mixer, or by hand until the butter is completely incorporated. (It turns a nice lighter brown)
4. Add the pecans and stir to blend. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 1 hour.

Yum yum good.

*I'll post this some time. It deserves its own post.
**I'm a slacker pie maker so it really doesn't take that much extra work.
***I buy a crust. Slacker. You can make one if you are purist.

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Protein Scones

This recipe is adapted from an oatmeal-raisin scone recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book circa 1989. I grew up with the Joy of Cooking as a cookbook staple at my house, and my husband brought the BH&G cookbook into our marriage. I confess I use it more than Joy. If I needed know what to do with fresh goat's milk, Joy would be the place to go. If I need a meal in half an hour, it's BH&G all the way.

I've made the oatmeal-raisin scones many times before and added cranberries/white chocolate chips or raisin/chocolate chips or even made them according to the recipe. Stunning. I know. Last week as I noticed my rarely used chocolate protein powder, Muscle Milk. Since I've drastically reduced my milk consumption and making a smoothie gets the blender dirty, I haven't been using it very much. I do use my vanilla protein for an overnight refrigerator apple oatmeal cup which is fantastic. More on that later. School is almost over. Anyway, I thought adding a couple of scoops of protein powder to the recipe would be delish, and I could offset the ooky aftertaste with a little buttermilk. After making it, I declared myself a genius, and the next day made another batch. Yesterday I made substituted 1 cup of brown rice flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour for the white flour and added 1/4 cup of peanut butter. Very good and really filling.

This was the last of the gf peanut butter model. All gone.

I know it's not a traditional scone as it uses egg for a binder. It's definitely not low cal, low fat or sugar free. That, however, often translates into delicious. On another note, because I am a lazy cook, I don't often roll out my scones and cut them into cute triangles anymore. It gets another dish dirty, and I'm probably not caught up with dishes anyway. I mix the dough to the right consistency in the bowl, deliberately using a large bowl, and then scoop out the scones with our ice cream scoop. Lazy but effective. Scones are fast and tasty.

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Protein Scones

Fresh out of the oven...soon to tummy

1 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/3 cup butter
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut butter using pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in protein powder. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Combine egg, buttermilk, milk and vanilla extract in another small container. Stir into flour mixture until moistened. Add tablespoons of more milk if needed until dough makes large ball or teaspoons of flour if too moist. (If you want) move dough to lightly floured surface, pat dough into 7-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges. Place on baking sheet. Brush with milk (again, optional). Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Serve warm.

Tweak and substitute with what's in your kitchen. I probably will.

Soup's On: Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

More soup for you! This took a while to post. Life keeps swelling up on me. I get a daily recipe from Allrecipes.com and in the thick of the Thanksgiving season this one came up. I love pumpkin and buy up many cans when it first comes on sale in the fall. That shortage a few years ago was very sad for me. I make soup, breads, pancakes and muffins with it. Black bean pumpkin soup intrigued me. The color of the soup is not becoming, but the subtle pumpkin flavor is yummy.

All dressed up with sour cream and cilantro. Ready to eat!

I tweaked the recipe a bit. Shocking! Thanks to Fake Meats, I made it gluten free and vegan using Soy Curls. I soaked them and cut them up. I like a bit of texture in my soup. I've also made it with cut up cooked chicken and chicken broth or beef broth. For me the secret is in the sour cream. I add a dollop of sour cream to mine, and it just comes together. It does dirty the blender, but it's worth it.

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

3 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

That onion does not look medium...

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1-2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion diced
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
a bay leaf
2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 (14.5 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 cans (about 4 cups) vegetable broth
Optional and Tasty...
1 cup Soy Curls, soaked for 10 min and cut up
1/2 cup corn

1. Put the diced tomatoes and two cans of black beans in the blender and puree. Put them in that order or you may have to add some of the broth to get it to puree. If you want a chunkier soup with a thinner broth puree only one can of black beans.

2. Saute the onion and garlic in butter. The original recipe calls for more butter. I couldn't do it. Do as you will. When the onions have softened add all the other ingredients. I pour a little broth in the blender to get as much of the remaining contents out and for easier cleaning. Simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally.



Even enjoyed by my little critics.

Aussie Lime Pie

What's a girl to do when she's out of chocolate? Troll through the Allrecipes.com app. Last week I had lemons and was looking for something to do with them. I made a lemon chiffon pudding that was so so, but I ran across this recipe. It sounded so interesting. I'm a fan of frankenfoods, foods that merge ingredients that aren't normally paired. Fusion is the fancy word. I'm not that fancy.

Looking good in the oven

When I went to the grocery store this week, I picked up limes just to try out the recipe. We had several cans of condensed milk hanging out in the pantry not doing anything in particular. Older sister was at a play date, and littler sister needed some attention. This was perfect.

Aussie Lime Pie

The crust is amazing

2/3 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup flaked coconut
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter melted
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp light corn syrup (I used honey)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks (the whites will go into the oatmeal pancakes in the morning)
1/2 cup lime juice (I juiced 5 limes and was a little short)
2 tsp lemon rind


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2. Mix oats, coconut, flour and sugar in a medium bowl.
3. Mix butter, baking soda and syrup until frothy and pour it into the oat mixture.
4. Stir well and press the mixture into the bottom and the sides of the pie pan.

Best helper!

5. Combine condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and lemon rind. Pour it into the well.

This becomes....

6. Cook for 20 minutes in preheated oven or until filling is firm. (Our crust overflowed so you may want to put a pan under it.) Chill before serving.

This! It's like a key lime pie in a macaroon crust.

Soup's On: Chicken Tortilla Soup

When I had my first daughter, I was overwhelmed. I am thankful for all the friends and family who were patient with me, came to help me and listened to my emoting. I am not sure who gave me the stapled sheets of crock pot recipes. Whoever it was, thank you. They became invaluable to the family until I could get my head above water. I'll let you know when that is. It really hasn't happened yet.

On the top of the first sheet was a recipe for chicken taco meat. It involved taking 1 lb of chicken breasts, 1 package of taco seasoning and 1/2 cup of chicken broth, putting them in the crock pot and then shredding it several hours later. A few of the following recipes on the page used the chicken taco meat. I found 3 lbs of chicken yielded about 8 cups of chicken taco meat. I would, and still do, freeze the meat in 2 cup servings. It's great for dinner in a pinch. We almost always have rice or tortillas in the house. Chicken tacos is an easy go-to dinner for us.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

We also love the Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe. Normally, we have it with chips, cheese and sour cream, but it's good on its own too. Super easy and super tasty. I've even put it in the crock pot if I'm well planned for the day. Sometimes we have forgotten if it was one can chicken broth and two cans diced tomatoes or vice-versa. It tastes good either way. The way below is preferred. I use regular diced tomatoes.

Utilizing the crock pot...

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cups of shredded chicken taco meat
1-2 cup frozen whole corn
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Worcester sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 - 14.25 oz chicken broth
1 - 14/5 oz diced peeled tomatoes seasoned with Mexican spices (do not drain)
1 can tomato condensed soup




Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Chocolate Pavlova

My dad is from Down Under. Growing up I heard words like petrol and friends loved my dad's accent. Though we never had shrimp on the barbie, we did have fruit cake, plum pudding and pavlova. I am still trying to acquire a taste for fruit cake and plum pudding. Pavlova was an easy instant love. It's originally from New Zealand. The base is a meringue that is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It's topped with whipped cream and fruit. And it's delicious.

My piece of pavlova

 

Pavlova is a little tricky to make. I remember my father being frustrated and throwing out ruined pavlovas. He says now that he has it figured out. A few years ago I found this recipe for chocolate pavlova and made it for my dad. Chocolate is a nice addition. I made it again for his birthday a few weeks ago. I too find that I am still working out the kinks in the recipe. After the holidays, we had some left over whipping cream. Chocolate pavlova seemed like the perfect dessert on Saturday. We topped ours with blueberries and mango. Needless to say, there were no leftovers. Especially after parent-only second dessert.


Chocolate Pavlova

1/2 cup egg whites, at room temperature (from 3 to 4 eggs - do not use liquid egg whites)
1/8 tsp of each salt and cream of tartar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp of sugar
1 1/2 tsp each cornstarch and vanilla
1 tbsp raspberry or red wine vinegar (used regular)
1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder, sifted (used Hershey's dark chocolate cocoa)
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 cup strawberries, ripe mango, kiwi fruit, whole raspberries or blueberries (or a combo)

1. Heat oven to 350 F. In a mixer whip the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until foamy with whisk attachment.


Room temperature egg whites

2. Add 1 cup of sugar, the cornstarch, vinegar, sifted cocoa, and vanilla. Continue whipping until stiff, smooth and glossy, and then for 5 minutes more. Really, go fold some laundry and come back.

After the eggs are foamy add yummy stuff

A load of dishes later

3. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a pizza pan. Use a pencil and a pie pan to draw a 9 inch diameter circle on the paper. Flip the paper over (you can still see the circle) and spoon the egg whites into the circle with a spatula. Spread it to the edge of the circle, making waves and swirls on the top surface.


Oven ready

4. Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 300 F. Bake the meringue for about 45 minutes more until it has puffed up and cracked on the top.

5. Turn off the oven and prop open the door. Let the meringue cool in the oven to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The meringue can be held at room temperature for up to 10 hours before serving.


Out of the oven

6. When you are ready to serve, whip the cream with the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar. Place the meringue on a serving dish and pile the cream on top. Spread it within 1/2 inch of the edge and arrange the fruit on top of the cream.

Enjoy! We sure did.

Decorated with whipped cream, blueberries and mangoes

Soup's On: Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I can't tell if I'm a runner with a food problem or a foodie with a running problem. At least they work together. Anyway...

This is vegan and gluten free.

With cheese and sour cream, it's vegetarian and gluten free.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe with the same name at allrecipes.com. It's a vegetarian recipe, and normally I replace the chicken substitute with chicken. This time, however, used soy curls instead. My friend Kim and her husband own a company called Fake Meats. They graciously gave me the soy curls to try in the recipe. The whole family ate the soup, and there were no leftovers. I consider that a success. We garnished ours with cheese and sour cream. I totally forgot about the cilantro. It made it out of the fridge but not to the soup. Oops.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Yum! Yum!

1 (19 oz) can green enchilada sauce
1 can garden vegetable broth
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup soy curls
4 (6 inch) corn tortillas, torn into strips
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste



1. In a saucepan, mix the enchilada sauce and vegetable broth.
2. Season with garlic powder, chile powder and cumin. Bring to a boil and reduce to low.
3. Mix in the beans, tomatoes and corn. Simmer until heated through.
4. Add soy curls and tortillas. Cook until heated through. Stir in cilanto and season with salt and pepper to serve.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Soup's On: Lasagna Soup

I have a binder where I keep a good number of my recipes. I want to properly cite where I got this recipe because whoever gave it to me deserves a thanks, but I can't. In the binder it's on a copy of an editorial page from the Chicago Tribune next to a recipe for coffee syrup. It's an ink jet copy, and I must have carried it with wet hands because some of the instructions have been penciled back in. According to the editorial the recipe has been adapted from the lasagna soup in the Windsor's Lounge at the Palmer House Hilton.

My husband can make it look so pretty.
It tastes even better than it looks.

It's a great soup. I served it a few years ago at my church's women's retreat. It got rave reviews, and there were no leftovers. It really tastes like lasagna.

Lasagna Soup

4 oz Italian sausage, removed from casing, or ground beef
1 small onion, diced


It appears I have no brand loyalty.

1 large clove garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 can (15 oz) tomato puree or spaghetti sauce
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 beef bouillon cubes
4 cups water
1 tsp each; dried basil, dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
crushed red pepper flakes
3 lasagna noodles, broken into little pieces
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


1. Crumble sausage into a 4 quart nonreactive saucepan or Dutch oven. Cook until browned. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato puree or spaghetti sauce, bouillon cubes, water and seasonings. Heat to a boil; simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.

2. Add lasagna noodles; continue cooking until noodles are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Taste and adjust seasonings; serve with a dollop of ricotta cheese and top with mozzarella cheese.


I've made the soup with both puree and spaghetti sauce. It's equally as good. I tend to use two cans of diced tomatoes because I almost always have them on hand. I also tend to use ground beef because it it's in the house. The hardest part of this soup is breaking up the lasagna noodles. It hurts my hands because the noodles are hard to break into small enough pieces. The pieces expand quite a bit when cooked so they have to be about quarter-sized or smaller to fit on a spoon after they are cooked. I have contemplated putting them in a bag and using a meat tenderizer but haven't tried it yet. Enjoy.

Soup's On: Pumpkin Chicken Chowder

This recipe is adapted from a recipe that my friend Becky used when we went Trick-or-Treating. I say adapted because I helped her put it together, and I make it from memory. My friends, Becky and Jodi, and I took our kids out Trick-or-Treating this year together. It was windy and bitterly cold. Really, what do I expect? Most the girls' costumes are cold even if you are standing inside. My girlios all wanted to be fairies, princesses or some other form of magic royalty with no sleeves. I couldn't talk them into being a bear or an eskimo. The soup was lovely to have when we got back, and the adults even got a chance to sit around and talk like adults. It was such a nice time.

This is a gluten free crockpot soup. I cooked two chicken breasts which came out to 12 oz. The original recipe calls for red pepper. However, red peppers were three times the price of green, and I went with the green pepper. I also used brown rice so it takes a little longer in the crock pot and makes the soup thicker.

Pumpkin Chicken Chowder:

Pumpkin chicken chowder ingredients

1 can (14.5) pumpkin
3 cans chicken broth
8 oz cooked chicken, cubed
1 onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup rice
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper





Put all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Enjoy!

Seriously, this soup is so good. I can't wait until lunch for leftovers :)

Soup's On: RW Clam Chowder

Crock pot soup! This recipe is from the February 2010 Runner's World. It's a low fat but still creamy clam chowder. It's very light and gluten free. The first time I made it we didn't have any fat-free evaporated milk so I put in two cups of 2 % milk.



Low preparation. Yummy tummy.

Slow-Cooked Clam Chowder:

1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 8-oz cans of clams
1 8-oz bottle of clam juice
2 tsp garlic, minced
3 russet potatoes, cubed into bite-size pieces
1 12-oz can fat-free evaporated milk

In a skillet, saute the onions and celery in the olive oil. Transfer to a slow cooker and add other ingredients except canned milk. Cover and cook on high for three hours (or low for six hours). During the last hour add the milk. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with hearty whole-grain bread. Makes four servings.

Calories per serving: 385 Carbs: 56g Protein: 28g Fat: 5g Zinc: 36% DV

I confess I've served it without the whole grain bread, and it's still delicious. I don't drain the clams. They just get dumped right in. I'm not a big fan of potatoes, but my husband is. This is a recipe makes us both happy and full. Instead of putting the milk in the crock for the last hour, I'd suggest putting it in at the end. The girlios have trouble with the curdled look.

Wicked cup of chowda'