Soups, Snacks, and Savings!

           Ok, I know I have been out of the blogging world for a while, but I am back.  I recently returned to being a stay at home Mom (which I LOVE so so so much) and am no longer working at the school.  We bought a new house and moved, started home-schooling our boys, took a trip to FL, and have had 3 different out of town visitors in the past month.  Our baseball team (TX Rangers) made it to the Playoffs this year (2nd year in a row) so we have been attending some Playoff games, and I attended a Taylor Swift concert this past weekend with my friend Becca.  We have been busy : )  The good news is that I have several recipes and ideas to share with you. 

          Firstly, I completed my half marathon on August 14th.  It was a blast.  There were over 1600 competitors.  It was a 100 degree day here in TX.  We actually had record breaking heat this summer, which made training a challenge, but it feels great to push yourself and do things that seem too hard.  I ran the half in 2 hours and placed 35th in my gender and age division.  My husband was the for the entire race and it was great to have his support.

         I am definitely interested in another half at some point. So far I have ran one in 6 inches of snow, and one in 100 degree heat, so it would be nice to try one in the spring or fall : )  But first I think I am going to try an Olympic triathlon.  I believe my sister in law Kimmie is going to join me, as soon as we figure out which one we'd like to compete in.  Kimmie has lost over 65lbs now and continues to inspire and motivate people.  Wow - 65 lbs.  She looks amazing!!!!


           My mother (Pat Wesolowski) is my go-to person when I have any kind of cooking or recipe questions.  She is one of the best cooks I know.  Being the mother of 9 children she also has great advice on making great food without spending a fortune.  She was able to visit us recently and I took advantage of her knowledge.  I really wanted to learn how to make some new soups.  She not only helped me learn a few specific recipes, but taught me the general idea so that I can create my own soup recipes.  I think knowledge of what foods you like and what works well together is one of the best things you can have as a cook.  It's great when you're able to create your own recipes with the ingredients you love and already have in stock. 

           First we made a roast, which was huge, and provided us with several leftovers.  We had extra gravy and meat which we froze separately.  With some of that gravy and meat we made vegetable beef soup.  In one pot we heated the gravy and meat.  In another pot we boiled all of the fresh veggies together. Potatoes, carrots, celery, beans, onions... just add whatever veggies you and your family prefer.  After veggies are soft we drain the water and add those to the meat and gravy, along with any canned veggies you may want to add. (we added kidney beans)  Also add some tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes.  We purchased those in gigantic cans from Sams and froze several extra bags of sauce and tomatoes for future soups : )  Now just season to taste.  Some fresh garlic, Cumin, a little salt and pepper.  The soup is fantastic!  If you think you'll eat the leftovers within the next few days you can keep them in the refrigerator.  We decided to put it in Tupperware and freeze it.  That made for a super easy meal the following week. I moved it from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight, and the next day for lunch heated it in a pot - it was just as good the 2nd time.    We also made the same soup with ground beef last week and that also was delicious. 

           Another soup we made was a Mexican Style soup, this time in the crock pot.  Here are the ingredients

32 oz chicken stock
3 cans white beans (do not drain)
whole rotisserie chicken (debone and tear into pieces)
16oz jar of salsa
8oz cheese block (mont. jack or colby jack, chopped)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
black pepper to taste

add all of these ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.  Add a little shredded cheese to garnish each bowl. This makes a large amount and is great to freeze as well and save for later. 

       Smoothies are one of our family's favorite snacks, they are healthy and filling. My boys love helping me make them so it can be a fun activity as well.  We use lots of frozen strawberries and a few other frozen fruits.  (usually some peaches and a few pineapple)  Add any juice, one or half of a banana, and low fat vanilla yogurt.  Yum!!!!

          I LOVE to watch the show "Biggest Loser" and so does my sister in law Kimmie.  We decided this season to have viewing parties every week at my house.  This is tricky because I want to make snacks and be healthy, but not everyone who comes is going to have the same food/health preference. I decided to make something healthy each week along with something that might not be defined as "healthy"  : )  One of my favorite snacks to please everyone is to make a fruit tray and dip.  This dip is DELICIOUS!!!  It is so good and so simple.  You just mix marshmallow cream, cream cheese, and sour cream.  8oz of each blended together.  Seriously, this tastes great with any fruit.  This way there's the option for fruit without dip, or as much dip as you want. 

And lastly, a simple side if you're feeding lots of people.  I am usually only cooking for 2 adults and 2 children, so as a side I'll make a little squash and zucchini, some broccoli or another vegetable.  A cheap way to make a large side is to buy a bag of red skinned potatoes.  Cut them up and boil in water with fresh minced garlic, salt, pepper, chives and diced white onions.  So simple, just boil for about 45 minutes, drain, and add a little butter.  Here's a pic with the potatoes as a side.

           PLEASE, everyone share your own recipes, inspirations and ideas. I love getting no ideas and would appreciate hearing yours : )  I know everyone has to have a few go-to recipes that they make on a regular basis.