Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Hi ya!  Happy first of November!  Not sure what the weather is like where you are, but we've had rain for the past 9 days straight.  Whenever I feel like complaining about that I remind myself that we're fortunate where I live that we only got the "tail end" of Hurricane Sandy.  My heart goes out to all who has suffered serious losses....

The culmination of dark skies and damp temps have had me craving comfort foods something serious.  Usually I pull something out of the freezer for dinner in the morning but forgot to yesterday with the chaos of getting costumes & make up on for the kids.  All day at work I was mentally going through my food stock trying for figure out what to make for dinner that was fairly quick, yet hardy.  My mind kept going back to the potatoes I hadn't used yet and before I knew it, a recipe was brewing in my head!

Now, I'm positive I'm not the first person to come up with a potato soup recipe like this, but I thought I'd share how I made it seeing as it was a HUGE hit with the fam!  In fact, there was barely a cup leftover when all was said and done.  That, my friends, is a successful meal at my house!  :)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

* 4 slices of bacon, chopped
* 2 lbs of potatoes (I used a bag of mini white potatoes, skin on)
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 tsp crushed garlic
* 1 Tbsp dried thyme
* 4 cups broth (I used homemade chicken stock)
* 2 cups milk (I used 2%, but feel free to use what ever is in your fridge)
* salt & pepper to taste
* 1 tbsp chili powder
* 2 cup grated cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup of chopped chives

Directions

1.  In a large pot, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.  Set aside.

2.  Add onion & garlic to bacon drippings and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.

3.  Add the potatoes, thyme, chili powder, salt & pepper.  Cook for 10 mins letting the potatoes brown slightly.

4.  Add the broth.  It should cover your potatoes.  Let boil, reduce heat and cook until soft.

5.  Hit up the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth, or, if you prefer, a bit chunky.  Add some water if you find it's too thick.

6.  Stir the milk in and bring back to temperature.  Don't let it boil as the milk may separate on you.

7.  Serve with bacon pieces, cheddar cheese & chives.

8.  ENJOY!!

What is your favourite fall/winter comfort meal?

Remember to check out the pa Krista's Kraving's Facebook page.  I post lots of neat things there!!  :)

Bye for now!!

A New Recipe & An Old One

I love weekend mornings because there’s no alarm to wake me up! Well, my alarm never really wakes me up (I’m usually awake 10 minutes before it goes of), so I guess it’s the knowledge that there is NO alarm set that appeals to me. Does that even make sense? Oh, dear me! I guess the point of that whole sentence is that on weekends I’m usually up early on my own and it’s nice to know that I don’t have to rush right into the shower.

I was especially psyched to get up this morning because I had a new breakfast to try out. I got the idea from this Tosca Reno cookbook that my co-worker lent me. I was a little skeptical at first, but with my extras it turned out marvelous!



Pumpkin Quinoa & Oats

-1/4 cup quinoa (soaked overnight)
-1/4 McCann’s Irish oats (quick cooking)
-1 cup water
-cinnamon
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 Tbsp pumpkin butter
-2 Tbsp Craisins

*Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes checking to make sure it doesn’t dry out
*Add last 3 items to the pot, stir well and let simmer for 1-2 minutes.
*Put into you favorite bowl and enjoy immensely!



This is the brand of oats that I used...



After dinner last night I went with my hubby while he went on the hunt for new hockey gloves. One of the stores was (conveniently) located beside a William's Pub and I seized the opportunity to run in a buy a Chai Tea Latte!



Still the best! I decided to go for that Lara Bar last night by about 9:15pm. I tried the apple pie and is was delicious! I really enjoyed the cinnamon-y flavor of it.



I spent the rest of the morning doing chores around the house. Not my favorite past time, but I am glad when the house is clean. My hubby went golfing this afternoon so I let both the kids have a friend over for a few hours to keep them occupied. Before they arrived, I made a batch of Pillsbury peanut butter brownies for snacks. Dangerous thing for me to have around the house but I didn’t need to worry about it because the kids polished off 10 of them! The girls were fine, but the boys were bouncing off the walls! I know, my own fault. I kept mints & gum in my mouth all afternoon and managed to stay away from the two survivors.! The kids sure enjoyed them, though!

For lunch I made a salad with tomato, kalamata olives, mushrooms, a little feta cheese and the rest of my baked tofu. I used a couple sprays of Caesar salad dressing, too.




This was a really good, filling salad! Later in the afternoon I quartered a honey crisp apple and spread some almond butter on it for a snack.



By 5pm the kids friends were gone and I could finally rest easy. Everybody was good and well behaved, but there’s certainly added pressure when you have other people's kids in your care.

I made my Apple & Pepper Porkchops for supper tonight.



This is such an easy, tasty recipe! More importantly, it's one that everyone likes!


So, my house is a two storey with the third (bottom) level being a finished walk out basement. We live on top of a hill and the view from the back of our place on the top floor is magnificent! I'll end this post tonight with a shot that I took this morning from my bathroom window. It over looks the city to the west...



Bye for now!

My First Award & A BSI Recipe

Before I get started with the days events (or lack there of!), I wanted to give a great big THANKS to Cory at Zesty Cook for my very first Bloggers Excellence Award! You put a big smile on my face and brightened my day with your nice blurb about my blog. I will be sure to pass the “torch” along!

I had planned to sprinkle some of my new cranapple granola on my oats ever since I bought it last night so I was really looking forward to my bowl of breakie this morning!




It did not disappoint!

-1 cup water
-1/2 cup Quaker oats
-1 Tbsp pumpkin butter
-2 Tbsp cranapple granola
-cinnamon




I savored every single bite of my breakfast and was sad to see the end of the bowl. The “Enjoy Life Foods” granola was really good and acted as an amazing companion when mixed with the pumpkin butter and oats. It makes me happy when a meal (even as simple as oats) comes together as planned.

My night time snack last night was a toasted English muffin with cranberry sauce. Delish!



As I walked by the office candy dish I saw CHOCOLATE! There’s no way that I can walk by chocolate so I grabbed a handful.



Yummy, yummy in my tummy!

I’m happy to report that the fire has been re-ignited! My lunch run today was fantastic and it felt empowering to feel that my strength was back!

I came across some vending machine freebies in the staff lunchroom today and picked these up as they looked interesting.




These plantain snacks tasted just like chips to me. Quite disappointing actually. Mind you, I’m not quite sure what I expected them to be like. I put a few on my lunch plate along with my toasted muesli bagel and cream cheese, but I think I'll give the rest of the bag to the kids.



I just love all the seeds on these bagels and they’re really filling to boot! I left work a little early today and managed to get the grocery shopping done. As much as I like doing groceries, it’s so nice to have it done and out of the way so I can relax on Friday evenings. I also stopped by Tim Horton's and picked up a box of the Pumpkin Spice tea.



Tonight’s dinner featured the BSI of the week – lentils! Thanks to Shannon at Tri To Cook for picking such a versatile ingredient!

Lentil & Rice Pilaf Stuffed Peppers

-1 onion
-1/2 cup shredded carrots
-1 cup lentils
-3 + 1/2 cups water
-1 can fire roasted tomatoes with juice
-2 minced garlic cloves
-1 cup brown rice
-1/2 cup pepper pieces (I used the tops of the peppers to be stuffed)
-1 Tbsp basil
-salt & pepper
-6 peppers, tops cut off and inside cleaned out
-grated asiago cheese

*Pre-heat oven to 350*

*saute onion & carrots for about 5 minutes. Add water and lentils. Bring to a boil & then turn down heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

*add can of tomatoes, garlic, rice, 1/2 cup water, pepper pieces, S & P and basil. Cover & cook for another 15 minutes. Check to make sure mixture doesn't dry out. Add more water if needed.

*Put peppers in a casserole dish trimming bottom as needed so they stand straight. Fill with about 1/2 a cup of lentil/rice mixture. Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp of grated asiago on top.

*Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!



I am very happy with the outcome of this recipe! Traditional stuffed peppers (with meat and rice) has always been a favorite of my hubby and I alike and this version was just as tasty. The kids just ate the pilaf on it's own and the hubby and I enjoyed the stuffed pepper version. I kinda spoiled my dinner by taste testing the dish as I went so I didn't even bother putting my salad out. One of these peppers was more than enough for me (for now)!

I see a hot chocolate in my future and maybe a Lara Bar, too. I have a feeling that by 9pm or so, I'm gonna have a good hunger on! The rest of tonight is going to be devoted to finishing my magazine reading and delving into a new cookbook that my co-worker lent me. I've already scouted out a new twist on my oats that I'm hoping to try tomorrow! I hope everyone has a very good Friday night!

Bye for now!

Whole Foods, A 10K & A Recipe

Wow! I had the most fantastic, productive day today! I'm just thrilled! I started my morning off by sleeping in until almost 7:30. Then I ate a bowl of pumpkin oat bran...so good!

-1 cup water-1/3 cup oat bran
-1 Tbsp pumpkin butter
-cinnamon
-cinnamon sprinkles



Once I had the kids dropped off at school, I picked my sister up and we drove to Oakville (about 45 mins) to Whole Foods. I haven't been there since Mother's Day! I was really hoping that they carried some Honest Foods products like the country squares or granola planks, but no such luck. I spoke to a manager and he told me that they have issues bringing food over the border because of government restrictions. Bummer. On the bright side, the Lara Bars were on sale and even though they didn't have any different flavors from what I can get here, I couldn't pass up 2 for $3.00. Normally, one is between $1.59 - $1.89. I got an apple pie, which I haven't tried yet, and my fave...cinnamon roll. I also bought a carton of unsweetened Almond Breeze, a box of Chris & Tal's Mushroom & Swiss burgers (they're 70% soy, 30% beef), a box of Mighty leaf tea in assorted flavors, 2 packs of Shiritaki noodles and a pouch of Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal.



While there I sampled 4 different types of cheese, a bite of raspberry filled brownie and some homemade applesauce. On our way home we picked up some Starbucks. I had a grande non fat cafe latte with a shot of sugar free cinnamon dulce syrup. I forgot my camera at home so no picture, but it was really good! Our last stop was my work to pick up an order of baking from one of the local high schools. It's a trade school and the bakery pumps out the most amazing seasonal treats ever for dirt cheap! My hubby always buys something and today's order was 2 pumpkin pies, 2 dozen pecan tarts and 1 dozen pumpkin tarts. Yes, he is a freak, but I love him anyways! The irritating thing is that he can eat all this stuff and not gain a pound! Not Fair.



All this was only $22.00. Unreal! I planned a 10K treadmill run as well and ate a Honey Crisp apple and 2 Ryvita crackers a half hour before I hopped on.



It took me 66 min 03 sec to hit the 10K mark, but I DID IT!!!! I am just tickled pink. Now, my treadmill doesn't have weight/gender settings, just time/distance/calories. I assume it's set up to calculate the stats for a 150lb person. This is what it told me - 6.00 miles, time of 66:03 and 1009 calories. I know I did the distance because my pedometer tracked that the same (11109 steps) but I'm sure the calorie burn wasn't quite that high. I'm just glad I toughed it out. YIPEE!

My post workout meal was a toasted Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted English muffin topped with half a mashed banana mixed with 1 tsp of almond butter.



Delicious! My tummy seems to be back on track so I thought that 1 tsp of almond butter couldn't hurt. About an hour later I felt hungry again so I ate another apple.

It's a gorgeous day outside so I decided to leave the van in the driveway and walk down to the school to get the kids. By myself, it's about 30 minutes round trip. With the kids it's more like 45 minutes. They were excited to walk home to our house because they've never done that before. They're used to walking to the sitter's house.

For dinner tonight I made a recipe featuring the Blogger Secret Ingredient---POLENTA! Sabrina over at RodeyGirl Tests picked the ingredient and I was up to the challenge. Considering that I was raised in a traditional Italian family, I have had polenta many, many times and I have always loved it. The trick for me was to make a recipe that strayed from the way that I'm accustomed to eating it. I think I got it!

Polenta Shepard's Pie

BASE

*1 lb lean ground turkey
*1 onion, chopped
*3 cups diced mushrooms
*1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
*1 can mushroom gravy
*cumin, salt & pepper

TOPPING

*1 1/2 cup water
*1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Breeze
*1/2 cup polenta
*1 Tbsp butter
*2 Tbsp fresh herbs (I used basil, parsley, oregano)
*2 oz jalapeno havarti cheese, cubed
*2 Tbsp grated asiago

DIRECTIONS

1) Saute onion until translucent, then add turkey. Cook over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink. Add mushrooms and cook 5 more minutes. Add frozen veggies and cook until thawed. Add cumin, S & P and can of gravy. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.

2) Meanwhile, bring Almond Breeze, water, butter and herbs to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta and continue to stir until thick (this should only take a few minutes). When thickened, add cubed Havarti and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

3) Spray a casserole dish and pour meat mixture in. Top with polenta and smooth over the top of the meat. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of grated Asiago cheese on top.

4) Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 deg oven. When done, let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into 6 portions.

5) ENJOY!



And my portion...



This is the brand of polenta that my Mom has always used and so I use it too!



I ran this recipe through the Spark People recipe builder and came up with this (approximates as some of the ingredients I used weren't available and I had to select another brand)

308 calories, 14.8g fat, 2.4g fiber, 22.7g protein

And that, my friends, is my Blogger Secret Ingredient recipe! Regardless of how I do in this contest, it was a definite winner in this house! My DS ate his whole piece which is a miracle in itself because he apparently doesn't like veggies. He changed his mind to say that he liked the peas/carrots & corn in this dish. Haha! My hubby ate 2 pieces and then went back for more. I know it's good when he gets up for seconds! My DD loved it and even I went back for another small scoop. For dessert, I sampled a pumpkin tart.



Scrumptious!

I plan on relaxing this evening with the 4 (yes, that's right, 4) magazines that I received in the mail this week.

Bye for now!!

A Splendid Day For A Walk

It was SO cold this morning that I did NOT want to get out of bed! I was so warm! What pains me more is to wake the kids up from their cozy cocoons. Poor babies! We all had nice warm breakfasts to heat ourselves up. DD had the last 3 pancakes from yesterday and DS had himself a bowl of Quaker Oats in the cookies n’ cream flavor. He used to hate oatmeal, so I’m glad to have found a flavor he enjoys! My bowl was a classic mix of flavors and really hit the spot taste-wise.

-1/2 cup of unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze
-1/2 cup water
-1/4 cup oat bran
-1/4 cup Quaker oats
-1/2 a banana
-dash of cinnamon sprinkles



I still felt hungry when I finished, but I knew my breakfast just needed to digest so I waited it out. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later the hunger was gone.

I was a bit snack happy last night, but I was expecting that seeing as I didn’t have a “normal” lunch yesterday. I managed to keep things healthy, though, so that’s a plus! I ate the last pumpkin muffin (no photo) and about an hour later I had a sliced apple with almond butter.



I had to drop my vehicle off today so the scrapes from my little fender bender incident could be buffed out. Good thing the lady that hit me has a husband that is part owner in an auto collision center so no insurance company had to become involved. Anyhoo, no vehicle = no lunch run for me today. I did go for a walk around the neighborhood instead, though. It was still only 9 degrees Celsius at noon, but the sun was shining bright as can be and I put on an extra sweater with my jacket and some mitts that were hanging around in my desk from last season. Perfect! I did 2.5 miles in about 35 minutes. I tracked my route, here’s the link I used to do that. On my way back I stopped off at Tim Horton’s for an extra large pumpkin spice tea to warm myself up!! I’m loving this flavor!

For lunch I ate the last Basa fillet and a big helping of my BSI recipe from yesterday.



Not as pretty as it looked fresh out of the oven, but just as tasty! Around 3:30pm, I snacked on a cup or so of green grapes.



It was dance night again so we had another “fend for yourself” dinner night. I raided the fridge for odds and ends and cam up with this scramble.

Chicken & Vegetable Egg White Scramble

-1oz of cooked chicken breast
-1 beet, diced
-1/4 cup shredded carrot
-1/3 cup chopped up sweet potato fries
-1/2 cup egg whites
-tsp each of cumin & curry powder
-dash of salt & pepper

*spray a small pan with PAM and add chicken, beet, carrots & sweet potato. Cook over medium heat until hot.
* add spices & stir well
*add egg whites and with a wooden spoon stir until whites are set
*Plate and enjoy!



I know it's kinda funny looking! I blame the beets and the curry powder for the funny color. Just trust me....it tasted REALLY good!! I served this with a toasted Ezekiel 4:9 English muffin.



My sweet end consisted of a handful of All Bran guardian cereal. I was pretty full after my meal, but my taste buds always want something sweet to end with.

The rest of the night will be spent puttering around the house and catching some TV time. There may be a Fage in my future, but we'll see!

Bye for now!

Hectic Hump Day

Breakfast today was a big bowl of….you guessed it! Oats! Here’s today’s combination.

-1 cup water
-1/2 cup Old Wessex 5-Grain cereal
-1/3 cup pumpkin puree
-1/2 cup wild blueberries
-cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice



This meal kept me satisfied until lunch at 1pm. Go oats!!

At about 8pm last night, I became pretty hungry. I decided to pop a mint in my mouth to see if it would do the trick. Well, by 8:30 the cat was starting to look pretty tasty so I figured that for his sake I should get a snack. I decided on cereal with milk which is strange for me because I usually prefer it dry. What a monster bowl I made!



This is a half cup of each Kashi Puffs, Kashi Honey Sunshine, Kashi Digestive Wellness and All Bran Guardian with 3/4 of a cup of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze. This was delicious and filling! Yum Yum!!

I had a reader ask me about Fage and what it was, so for anybody out there who is unsure, it’s a thick, creamy, tangy, delicious Greek yogurt. I’m sad to say that it is not available in Canada. Whenever I go to the States on a shopping trip, I pick up as much as I think I can eat before the expiry date. I enjoy it mixed with honey or any kind of jam. It’s also great as a topper on thick soups, stews and chili. If you ever have the opportunity, try some. You won’t be disappointed!

I sipped on a Stash vanilla chai tea this morning. I did a wonderful job of warding off the damp chill from outside!



I felt kinda tired and draggy on my lunch run today. I woke up with stiff joints, too, so I hope I’m not coming down with another cold! I am glad I stuck it out, though. I feel much better regardless of the aches.

For lunch today, I packed 2 slices of ham and a good cup of steamed veggies. I enjoyed a triple chocolate chunk cookie for dessert.



Throughout the afternoon, I also munched away on a pumpkin muffin and...I can’t believe I’m going to admit this...2 more cookies! We had a very stressful afternoon at work and actually ending up staying an hour late to finish. I realize that I still need to work on my mindless eating habits some more!

I de-stressed when I came home by cooking a wonderful dinner! Cooking and/or baking always helps to soothe me when I've had a crazy day. Here's what I made...

Smoked Gouda and Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Turkey Cutlet

Serves 1

-1 turkey cutlet
-1 ounce smoked Gouda
-1/4 roasted red peppers
-salt & pepper
-steak spice

Flatten out the cutlet and season with salt & pepper. Place Gouda and peppers along the top of the cutlet and roll tightly. Spray with oil mister and sprinkle on steak spice. Place covered in 350* oven for 45 minutes.

I also placed some sweet potato fries along side the turkey roll and kept the seasonings the same.



This was SO good! Some of the cheese oozed out as it melted and gave the sweet potatoes and nice cheesy coating that was lip smacking! Obviously, the stuffing ideas are endless, but this was a good selection for me. Next time I'd like to roll some spinach in with the filling, as well. That would be great color!

The rest of the evening will be spent folding laundry (Hey...it's gotta be done, right?) and at 9pm, I'll be tuning into "The Workout" with Jackie Warner. I've become hooked on this show even though I know they're re-runs from a few years ago. I think she'd make a wicked good trainer! I'm looking in my crystal ball here and seeing that there is a yogurt in my near future.....updates tomorrow! Enjoy your evening!

Bye for now!

Quick Day

So, I’m a little slow but I finally realized that it’s still dark out when I get up in the morning. Isn’t that a sure sign of the seasons changing?! That and I noticed that there are leaves all over the lawn now. Time to rake a big pile to jump into!!

I prepared a nice warm, soothing bowl of oats this morning and served it in my leaf bowl to commemorate autumn!

-1 cup water
-1/2 cup Flax Seed Porridge
-1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
-lots of cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice
-drizzle of agave



Again, this bowl had the perfect consistency. I’m quite certain that the trick to it is not adding any dairy/non-dairy milk and cooking it almost too long (if you know what I mean!)

The morning zipped right on by! I looked up at the clock at one point and was already 11:30am! I like when the work day zooms by, but I wish time would slow down when I get home! I don’t want to be wishing my life away!

I bought these cool Ryvita crackers over the weekend...



Are they ever light and crisp! They also have a nice gentle saltiness to them from the sunflower seeds. And an impressively short ingredient list to boot! Check out the texture on these guys! Mmmmmmmm......



I snacked on one around 11am with a cup of Stash Holiday Chai and the other around 2pm. Here's my Chai. This flavor is great! It reminds me of the scent of cloves.



I made it home at lunch today to dust off my treadmill! Geez, I haven’t been on it in 4 days! It seems like lately the tail end of my week becomes unexpectedly busy. I should be able to get home at lunch everyday this week but Thursday. Anyways, it sure did feel good to run today. I was having a “stretchy” morning. For some reason I kept feeling the need to stretch my back out. My 3 mile jog took care of that! Phew!

I’ll warn you right now…my lunch today was very boring. I was lazy last night and the end result was me scrambling for something to take at the last minute this morning. I ended up with the last 2 pieces of baked tofu and a bunch of grapes, plus the 2 Ryvita crackers.



Even the picture is uninspiring! I also sipped on a Stash Apple Cinnamon tea. Oh, the scents of fall! Unfortunately, a good smell was all this flavor had going for it. To me, it just tasted like sweetened water. Very disappointing. My husband has been drinking it, though, so he must enjoy it.



Although tonight was dance night, the kids had a PD Day and spent the day at the sitter's house. What this boils down to is that I got to cook dinner instead of us fending for ourselves. I must brag for a moment because my dinner creation turned out wicked awesome tonight! I had pulled pork chops out but didn't want to BBQ them so here's what I created....

Apple & Pepper Porkchops

-1/4 cup water (or broth)
-1 onion
-1 each red & green pepper
-3 celery stalks
-1 gala apple
-1 cup marinara sauce
-5 pork chops
-cinnamon, coriander, cumin, basil, salt & pepper

Combine water and veggies in a large sauce pan and cook down for 10 minutes. Stir in all spices and cook for a few more minutes. Spread veggies to either side of the pan and line chops down the centre. Let cook for 3 minutes and then flip over for another 3 minutes. Spread veggies around chops, add marinara sauce and cover. Cook over low heat another 10 minutes and then serve.



The pork chops were butter knife tender and the veggies had a smooth, almost creamy feel to them that hinted at a buttery sauce....with NO butter at all! The kids not only liked it, they asked for seconds! That's a sure sign to me that I made a great dinner! I truly love when a meal comes together so wonderfully. For me, that's what I love most about cooking.

My sweet end was a pumpkin muffin and 2 chocolate chip cookies.

One thing I need to figure out with this blogging business is how to create a link to my recipes so that I can display them in my side bar. Can anymore help me out??

I plan on spending the remainder of the evening with my Chatelaine magazine that came in the mail today and Dancing With The Stars on the tube. My husband decided to make a loaf of bread in the bread maker so I should have a tantalizing scent wafting through the house very soon! I'm glad that by the time it's done it'll be too late to taste test. Warm bread can be a very dangerous thing! Enjoy the evening!

Bye for now!