Tomato Parmesan Basil Soup - Slow Cooker or Stove Top

It's snowing again.  Therefore, I shall justify sharing a soup recipe with you. 

Ya know what?  Even if it was summer, you should try this.  It's a healthy, filling dish.

Just plain marvelous.

Here are the necessities.

 Please don't poke fun at my measly pile of carrots.  They were all I had.

Dump two cans of diced tomatoes in a crockpot.  Juice and all.

Heave, throw or just nicely toss 1 cup each of diced celery, onions and carrots into the pot.

Add 1 tablespoon of dried basil.  If you're using fresh basil, (I'll try not to be jealous) use 1/4 cup.

The recipe calls for oregano, which I didn't have.  If you'd like to use this spice as well, use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.  Or 1 tablespoon of the fresh goods.

Add 1/2 of a bayleaf. However, I had some small dried bayleafs, so I threw in 3.  (That's my favorite single-digit number...well, it's actually 9, but that would have made Tomato Parmesan Bay Leaf Soup, which no one would eat. I refrained.  Wisely.)
 

Stir all of that yummymess, put the lid on, set the crockpot to LOW and let it do its business for 5-7 hours until the flavors are blended and veggies are soft.

Or if you need the soup faster, do like I did and switch to the stovetop.  I had the soup in the crockpot on HIGH for 1.5 hours, and my veggies weren't near soft.  Plus, I was cooking for our extended family.  I had a deadline, people.  To the stock pot it went.

About 30 minutes before serving, mix up a roux.  Here is my roux that I mixed together.  Get a smaller sauce pan.  Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter on low heat, and whisk 1/2 cup of flour slowly until mixed.  Let cook for a couple of minutes, even though the original recipe said to cook for 5-7 minutes.  If I would have done that, a small fire would have started.  Use your brain and do what's best for you. 
After you've made that life-altering decision of how long to cook your flour and butter, slowly add 1 cup of hot soup into your roux.  Stir, stir, stir.  Will be slightly thick.  Add another 3 cups of hot soup.  Stir, stir, stir.  
 

 

Pour all of the combined roux and 4 cups of soup back into the stock pot. 
Add 1 cup of parmesan cheese, 2 cups of warmed half n' half, salt and pepper to taste.  I used lactose free fat free milk, which made it perfectly tasty as well.  I'd imagine the half n' half would make it even more creamier.
 

Cover and cook soup on LOW (or simmer on stovetop) for another thirty minutes.  Plenty of time to get some grilled cheese together.

Combination of Perfection.

Enjoy!
 

Tomato Parmesan Basil Soup - Slow Cooker Recipe
Adapted from Karen Peterson
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

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Hooray for A Snow Day!

We finally got what we've been praying for all winter.  Fourteen days before Spring.  

A full SNOW DAY!!  A whole 2.5 inches.
Who cares, Michigan residents?!  We'll take it however we can! :)

Breakfast.  The day started out decently.

Eggs Florentine & Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Heavy advocators of Harley-Davidson.  And broccoli. 

Biker stud diggin' in.

After breakfast, we decided to head out to the slopes.  The sledding slopes.  We started getting dressed to go outside in the snow.  Approximately 2 1/2 hours and 14 layers later, we piled in the van and were on our way.  Boys were excited.

With most schools closed due to the weather, the one place that we normally go to was pretty packed.  We drove around until we found something that worked.  We had it all to ourselves.

Fun going down.  Not so fun walking back up for whoever had the chunky one. ;)

He loved clomping around in all of his snow get-up.  

After the second or third time down, the boys were starting to lose their happy faces.
We persevered for more memories. :)

Multi-tasking at its best.  Videotaping with one hand, steering a sled with the other, while avoiding invisible tree stumps and protecting the firstborn.   I'm 29, and there's no excuse for this weird laughter coming outta me.   None at all.  

We lost.  

It wasn't long before faces turned beet red, noses became drippy and the fusses started to commence.

We went down a couple more times, against our better parental judgement.  Cole's crying had escalated, echoing off the amphitheater walls, and we knew we needed to hit the trail fast before the park ranger tracked down these very loud wails to an expected crime scene.  

It was the longest walk back to the van.

Cole was now complaining that his feet were really hurting.  And I had carried him back so it wasn't from the trek to the van.  His socks were still dry, but his feet were FREEZING.  He wouldn't let me rub them.  On our 5 minute ride home, I googled everything from frostbite to hypothermia.  Got home, changed his clothes/socks, wrapped him up in a blanket, laid him in my bed with more covers and he was ready for a video. :)  After his video was over, I asked him, "How are you feeling?  Are your toesies any warmer?"  He said, "I feel berry dood (good)."  

Ahh, sheww.  Nothing a video couldn't fix, and he still has all 10 toes.  

All three guys took a longgg winter's nap.  We ate dinner and took the boy's to Barnes & Noble for some train time.  

Fun snow day.  

Now.  What's the chances for another one tomorrow?

Wishing and hoping and thinking and praying...

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The REAL FOOD Epidemic - Part I

Have I lost you already?  Don't be scared off.  Give me a few more paragraphs. :)

First off, I want to apologize because this will be poorly written.  I have so many thoughts, running every which direction, that I'm having a very hard time bringing them all together for just a introductory post about real food.  I feel like I could write a book on this information, and that's with doing minimal research and study on it.  Ever since I was in college and took nutrition classes for nursing prereq's, I've been enamored with it all.  Just so intriguing to me.  Please bear with my fragile mind as I try to share. :)

And no, this didn't count as a paragraph, so keep reading for a few more.    

Courtesy of eafromtheheart.blogspot.com

For the past year, the "Real Food" challenge has sparked awareness in my life, and slowly I've been making changes to our family's diet.  It is insane how terrible most of the food on the grocer's shelf is for our bodies, ingredient labels full of 20-40 items, most of them I practice pronouncing for fun.  Yet, most people ignorantly still buy and consume these products.  Because it's AVAILABLE and CHEAPER.  And they haven't been let in on why it's harmful for them.   Click here for a list of foods that the United States still produce and sell, even though these same foods are banned in other countries.  And click here for a blog that I follow that gives examples and more information on this same matter.  Just plain cuh-razy.

 I'm not one of those complete "crazy health-o" people.  Just yet.  

I know I'm still alive, and we ate all types of bad things for us growing up.  And the thing is -- we still will eat that sometimes.  Obviously, I've cut some major things out of our diet or attempted to.  But I'm not to the point yet (nor will I ever be, maybe) where everything that is unhealthy is forbidden to ever eat again.  Once in a while, it's ok.  Most likely, if you start eating real, you will less likely want to eat the "bad stuff."  But if I do feel the craving (***more about this later***), I might just do it.  Remember, it's better to cut out some of the processed food, and start adding the whole food, even if it's starting out small, than not do anything at all.  

Some cravings that I might just indulge in every so often just for the fun of it.  Rulebreaker me. :)

I'm not going to neglect myself from possibly drinking an ice cold Pepsi (loaded with high fructose corn syrup) on a summer day and indulge in a bologna sandwich (separated, processed "meat.) with garden fresh tomatoes and mayonnaise (artery-cloggin' saturated fat) slathered on there.  

Or refrain from buying some nachos and a quart of processed "nothing close to real" cheese to dip them in while at a ball game.  

Or not allow my kids to eat a funnel cake (refined grains) deep fried in heavens only knows what type of oil loaded with whipped cream and sprinkles (full of artificial dyes) while at Disney.

Or not give in to a good ol' hotdog during a cookout...and we're not talking the organic grass fed, all beef, no nitrate junk hotdogs.  We're talking mechanically separated, greasy, bun of hot diggity dog.  THAT kind.  

Sometimes, you should just be allowed to do that if you want to.  Key word is sometimes.

I mentioned that I'm still alive - and have survived what junk I've put into my body.
Just a few questions....
Who knows what will be discovered later on as I get older though?  Could this unhealthy eating cause havoc in the years to come?  Most definitely.  Could I be enjoying better quality of life with a changed diet?  Most definitely.  Could I feel more energetic instead of surviving in a state of constant fatigue by improving the things which I feed myself?  Most definitely.

We're at the beginning of this journey to better living.

These are some of the bebay steps that I have been attempting to do for the sake of myself and my family.

1. Little to None Processed Food - I've been trying to make my own stuff for many things.. Might not be AS healthy as what it could be - but it's LOTS better KNOWING what's in the product, whether it has refined grains (health-o's cringing) in it or not. I will say that living by a school cafeteria makes this one hard.  We do eat up there to save money sometimes.  With that being said, we are eating lots more processed food than we probably should be.  The school can't help that - they have their budget.  And it's our choice to eat up there when we do.  I do try and go on the more "healthier" nights.  Do I get any credit for that?? :)

2. Little to None High Fructose Corn Syrup - You'd be surprised to find out what all has High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in it.  Things you wouldn't even think of.  Some of the more obvious ones are soda, juices, breads, kid's snack foods, yogurts, cereals, salad dressings and on and on.  Start reading the labels and steer clear of that stuff.  See below for a bit of info on HFCS.  Or you can read more about it here: High Fructose Corn Syrup 101

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT believe that artificial sweeteners are alternatives to HFCS as this diagram suggests.  I believe that they can be harmful to our systems.

3. Little to None Coloring Agents/Artificial Dyes - As one of the links above says, Americans eat with their eyes.  So manufacturers of food add "color" --chemical agents-- that will be appealing.  The main ones that I try and avoid, especially for the kiddos, are blue 1, blue 2, yellow 5 and yellow 6 and red dye 40.  Not only is allowing chemical agents (the same ones that are put in lice shampoo that KILLS lice) into your body unhealthy, there might be a possible link to hyperactivity with these artificial dyes.  Let me say - I have two cutesytutesy boys.  God made boys active and hyper.  That's NORMAL.  They also have enough God-given energy, that I don't want to fuel them with more that comes from ucky chemically created dyes.  I'd rather be safe and less worn out than sorry.  ;)

4. Less Refined Grains (white flours and sugars) - I still haven't done much with this category.  I still cook/bake with some white flour and sugar.  Even though I've been using Truvia, it isn't the best, because it's still processed.  The best sweeteners are the natural ones - pure honey and maple syrup...things of that nature.  Things that have been left alone and not tampered with.  But hey - I'm learning about this stuff, and it will take some time.  We're making a bit of progress here.

To each his own.  If you're already improving your diet, then hoo-rah for you.  If you haven't started yet, it's obviously your decision on how far you want to take this.  Your body will thank you for whatever help you choose to give it.  Little or lots.  ANY improvement is better than nothing. :)

I highly encourage you to read some of these provided links.  Get more informed so you can make better decisions about what you put into your body.  It affects more than what you think.  (More of that to come later.)

ALL OF THIS TO SAY - 

I will still have recipes on here that might not be the healthiest.  I will also be sharing some healthier ones that I've been testing and have passed with good reviews.  Now, if I could only figure out my tabs on the blog, I would have them organized for you.  Until then, they'll be all mixed together.  

Best wishes to you and yours for healthier eating!! 

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Coats, coats and MORE coats!!!!!!

I could cry.

You know the "Avoid the Dressing Rooms and Their Somehow Depressing Mirrors at All Cost" syndrome?

Today, NOT the case. I couldn't stop smiling. Like a total goon.

You don't believe me. If you were with me, you would. I keep talking about my deals. My hubby just said, "You need a padded room."

He picked me up from Stein Mart...I jumped in the car, quite the frolicker, considering that's the most jumping or exercise I've done in days. First thing outta my mouth, "I just spent your whole check." Sarcasm, folks. Hubby: "Are we gonna have enough money to eat on?" "Umm, no, but we're gonna have lots of coats to keep us warm while we starve."

There you have it. COATS. LOTS of them. Anne Klein. Michael Kors. Kenneth Cole. Jones New York. Three to four hundred dollar coats. For pennies.  One thousand, five hundred and thirty-six pennies for the cheapest one.  AMAZING.

Classy, beautiful coats. That will be in style when I'm 50.  Good thing because I got one in every color and style.

And I guess the rest of the family will be freezing while they starve...because these are all for me. ALL for ME. :)

Worriers - rest assure, they have plenty of coats. And we have plenty of money for food. I, however, did not have a nice coat. I had been waiting for a good sale for one that I really liked. Found a gnarly long, dressy Jones New York belted beauty at a thrift store for $.69 that you'll see me donning soon. But I wanted some different colors. Hours ago, I got just that.

Nice note about the Michael Kors one.  It was marked wrong, but because of someone getting happy with their red clearance pen, I got this baby for WAY cheaper than I was supposed to.  Yippy-yi-yay!  

Jones New York - Black and Camel. 

Jones New York - Charcoal.  Just a little different style than the above ones.

Kenneth Cole - Taupe Puffer Coat, complete with down and feather-filled warmness.

Anne Klein - long creme beauty.  I've been especially looking for one of these for a LONG time.

Since I wrote this blog first, I have taken some of the coats back.  I went overboard buying so many, that I didn't need them all.  You say, "Uhh, sorry, you only need one."  And I say, "You're crazy.  I'm not passing up incredible prices for pretty coats that will last me for decades." :)

So, I would love to hear which one you like the best.  And if you don't like any, don't feel free to say anything.  Haha!!  

Off to cuddle with some wool on a nice wintery walk. :)  

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