Double duty. Black bean soup/bean and avocado enchiladas

Fall is upon us and nothing is better than a nice warm soup.

I was going to call this post two for Tuesday but like usual I am slightly late. I am telling you having kids kills your brain cells.

Both these recipes are gluten free and vegan unless you add sour cream and cheese.

Beans full of fiber and delicious. They are also cheap. Being a public servant that is also important to me because everybody knows we make the big bucks(insert massive sarcasm) Plus when I make beans I get to hear Aiden sing his lovely song. "Beans, beans the magical fruit the more you eat the more you......."Well you get my drift. Life with a boy is never boring. Let's hope he doesn't rip one in that batman costume he is wearing it could be interesting.

I digress how about the recipe

1T olive oil

1 large onion

2 stalks celery

2 carrots

1 cup organic salsa

1 T taco seasoning

1 to 2 cups veggie broth

2 cans of black beans drained and rinsed.

2 cans of undrained black beans

1 can of corn

Chop onion, celery and carrots. Pour oil into a soup pan. Sauté veggies until tender. Add salsa and taco seasoning. Cook until tomatoes start to break down.

Throw it in the blender with the 2 cans of undrained black beans. Blend until smooth.

Add 1 cup of veggie broth to the pan. Add drained black bean, corn and pureed beans to mix. Cook for 30 minutes to let flavors blend.

Copycat Pasta E Fagioli

I love a certain restaurant chains Pasta e Fagioli soup. So I tried to recreate it. I believe I came very close.

At the end you can add cooked pasta. I didn't because it is yummy all on its own.

Top with parm cheese.

Best part. Totally gluten free and only 300 calories.

1 lbs extra lean ground beef

2 tsp oregano

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 celery chopped

1/2 shredded carrots

1 28oz can chopped tomatoes 

4 cups beef broth

2 cans kidney beans.

Pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce

Cook ground beef with onion, celery, and carrots, oregano, and garlic. Add tomatoes, broth, beans and spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 2 hours or longer. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Meal 1 Crock pot meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas

Crock pot meatloaf
2 lbs ground meat($5.00)
1 packet dry onion soup or 1/2 cup homemade mix ($0.60)
2 eggs whipped($0.20)
1 roll ritz crackers, crushed($0.50)
1/2 cup onion chopped(free from the garden)
Garlic powder
Ketchup


Mix first 6 ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Shape into crock pot size loaf. Line crock pot with foil. Place loaf in crock pot and top with ketchup. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Simple Mashed potatoes
2.5 lbs washed,peeled, chopped potatoes($1.25)
Stick of butter ($0.50)
Milk (1/2 cup)

Boil potatoes 20 to 30 minutes until try slide off a fork easily. Drain and let rest for 5 minutes to let steam escape.
In a large bowl mash or whip potatoes with butter,milk, salt and pepper until desired consistency is reached.
You can adjust the butter, milk, salt and pepper to you taste.

Cooked frozen peas ($1.00)

Total cost $8.05 with leftovers for lunch!

The $10 challenge

I love to cook and eat. Sometimes I go way over the top with cost and difficulty. Sometimes my recipes turn out and sometimes my dogs won't even touch them.
Well for the next 20 days every supper I make is going to cost under $10. It will be real food too!
Starting with tomorrow. Crock pot meatloaf, mashed potaotes and peas,
I can do this!

Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix

5 t beef bullion granules
3 T dried onion flakes
1 t onion powder
1/4 t pepper

Mix together. Makes one packet.

Natural Hardwood floor cleaner.

This works for real hardwood and laminate floors too.
My sister once told me that a group of pugs is called a grumble. Well we have a grumble of pugs and a six year old human child who spills everything. Keeping my old wooden floor clean is a challenge. I have tried almost everything Lysol, simple green, oil soap. They would clean the floor but they would streak and dirt would stick to it easily so it would look dirty every day. Most days we just use the swifter dry and dry dust it. Some days it really needs a bit more.

1/2 gallon hot water
1/2 gallon vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice

The vinegar and water clean and the lemon juice removes residue. I hand wash it to prevent pooling.

Aidenism....Life with Cool Bill

Aiden is not into all the new toy fad. So one day while walking uptown we found this old antique truck. It is dented and missing its paint. Aiden obviously fell in love with and had to buy it for a whole $10. His hard earned allowance. I asked him if he was sure if he wanted to spend his money on this crappy old toy. He replies it was a well made toy just in need of some love. Aiden always does things his own way and marches to his own beat. I love him for having the courage to be different. He doesn't realize how special he is to all of us.
He named the truck Cool Bill. Our adventures start here!

Nacho average casserole

Chips

8 corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350.
Cut corn tortillas into 6 equal pieces.
Place on cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake a few more until crisp. Set aside to cool.

For casserole
2 cups cheese
1 cup beans cooked
1 cup chicken
1/2 small onion chopped
2 cups lettuce
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 guacamole
1/2 sour cream.

Place chips in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top with cheese onion and chicken. Bake for 20 minutes until cooked and crunchy.

Remove from oven. Top with lettuce, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

You can also add what ever else you like. Olives and tomatoes would be good.

Sugar free blueberry pie

I love fruit pie. I hate sugar and Splenda. So enter in the Stevia. It happens to be peek blueberry season here. Yum, yum yum. They are my favorite fruit. My taste buds are extremely excited but my butt is not. I guess I will work out harder tomorrow.

6 cups blueberry
Sweetener equal to 1 cup
1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup flour.
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 salt
2 T butter cut into slices.
1 egg beaten.

Double recipe pie crust.

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.

Place bottom pie crust in pan. Pour blueberry mix in. Place butter on top. Place other pie crust on top. Cut off excess crust and press and seal edges.
Brush with egg.
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. The at 350 for 50 minutes.
Cover the edges if needed. Remove from oven and let it cool at least an hour.

*note this pie needs to cool so it sets up!

Summer bread salad(It is tomato season)

My sister happens to be one of the pickiest people I know. I threw together this recipe in hopes she would like it.
My child still is on his vegetarian kick and he loves his tomatoes.
The base for this dressing is a vinegar and olive oil mix.
The key to this salad is fresh mozzarella.

1 loaf of day old French bread cubed and dried overnight
3 T olive oil

Mix bread cubes and olive oil. Bake at 300 until toasted.

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 T chopped fresh basil
1 T olive oil
1T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chopped garlic
Mix tomatoes, basil, oil, vinegar and garlic in a container. Chill at least 2 hours to blend.

1/2 cup mozzarella cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix 1 cup of toasted bread cubes, tomato mix and the mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.

You can save the rest of the bread cubes for salad.

Cucumber sandwiches

My sweet animal loving 6 year old has declared himself a vegetarian. So we have been struggling to come up with new, healthy tasty recipes.


8oz softened cream cheese
1 T Italian seasoning
2 T mayo

Mix together and chill over night.

1 English Cucumber
1 loaf of French bread
Dried dill weed

The next day. Wash and slice cucumbers.
Toast bread lightly. Spread cream cheese mixture on bread. Top with cucumbers and sprinkle with dill. Serve.

Fruit dip

Summer is upon us. Time for fresh fruit.
This recipe was given to me along time ago by my aunt.

Easy Fruit dip
1 8oz flavored softened cream cheese
1 7oz marshmallow cream

Mix those together. Chill and serve,

Try it with strawberry, pineapple or honeynut cream cheese.

As Aiden says it is Easy, Peasy, lemon squeezie!

Lemon baked chicken

3 to 4 chicken breast.
1 lemon
1/4 cup homemade Italian seasoning mix.
1/2 cup butter

Melt butter in a 9x13 pan. Place chicken in pan. Sprinkle on Italian season then pour lemon juice over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes until juices run clear.
Can also be made in the crock pot. Cook on low 6 hours.

Gluten free Italian seasoning mix.

2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder
2 T sugar
4 T oregano
1 t white pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 t seasoning salt
1/2 t thyme
2 t basil
2 T parsley
4 T sea salt

Should equal about a cup. Store in an airtight container. Use in my chicken bake.

Sunday Aidenism 04/21/13

Wearing PJ's in public.

"My mommy says we don't wear PJ's in public because we have class!" Aiden says to the woman wearing pajamas in line at target.

Thinking about a pug

Pug are amazing creatures.

The Pros
They are smart.
They are friendly.
They are sturdy for a toy dog.
They love children!
They love to dress up.
The require little grooming.

The cons
They shed
They can be hard to house train
They can be stubborn
They require lots of people time. They do not do well being separated from their families.
They can have health issues. Please make sure you find a reputable breeder.

Pugs, pugs and more pugs

Enjoy our pug pictures :)

Some are old. Some are new. Some mine and some are my mom's.

All of them are owned and loved by us.

If you would like more information on the breed or breeder referral please email me @ heatherkmoore8@aol.com or visit www.pugs.org

All picture are property of Heather Moore and they may not be used without permission.

Crock pot rosemary, garlic chicken

We all have a case of the Mondays today. As you can see from my 2 older pugs. Jersey and Emma. They are 10 and 9. Aren't they sweet?

I am feeling lazy. Not lazy enough to eat processed junk though. I have been craving rosemary. I love it. It is my favorite spice.

I didn't really measure this dish.

2 chicken breast( mine were still frozen)
1T EVOO
Dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1. t better than bouillon.
Salt and pepper

Place bouillon in the pot add garlic and chicken. Pour oil over chicken. Add the rosemary.
Add salt and pepper if desired.
Cook on low all day.

Cheesy Potatoes in Heavy Cream

In this house these potatoes rule. A few simple ingredients layered in an easy casserole.
5 large potatoes peeled and sliced
1/2 small onion chopped
2 T butter
2 cups heavy cream(not milk)
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
8 oz cheese grated
Parsley (optional)

In a 9x13 pan and butter thinnest sliced.
Layer half the potaote and onions. Top with salt and pepper , garlic powder. Pour 1 cup heavy cream over top. Layer remain potatoes. Top with remaining cream more salt and pepper. Then add the cheese. Top with parsley if desired.

Bake on bottom rack at 400 covered with foil for 1 hour. Remove foil. Move to top rack and broil until brown. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Notes
Use real butter
Do not substitute milk for the cream. Half and half with work if you want lower calories.
Don't be afraid of the salt and pepper they make the dish.
Grate your own cheese. It just tastes better. They add something to bagged cheese that causes the sauce to thicken.

Try this with ham cubes and Swiss cheese.
Happy eating!

Homemade lemon all purpose cleaner. Green and frugal.

32 to 36 oz bottle filled with warm water
2 T Dr. Bonner's orange castile soap
1/2 t essential lemon oil

Mix together. I used it on everything but glass. It smells great and works well.

Homemade bacon cheese crackers! Think cheezits but with bacon. Regular and gluten free recipe.

I love cheese crackers. I really love them. I could eat an entire box. They are so expensive. Plus we have never had a decent gluten free variety.

So we made one

1 cup all purpose flour, bisquick or GF bisquick. I have used all 3 with success.
4 T cold butter
2 cups cheese
3 slices cooked bacon
1/4 cup ice cold water

In a large food processor put flour, butter, salt cheese and bacon. Pulse till mixed and crumbly. While it is running add 1 cup very cold water.

Mix till Dough forms. Form into ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough out so it is supper thin. Cut into shapes. I put mine back in the fridge on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes to let the butter get firm. Bake until crunchy. It is about 10 to 15minutes depending on size.

Easy gluten free Mexican

Healthy and filling

Baked corn tortilla
Black beans
Quinoa ( we use cilantro lime)
Grilled chicken
Cheese
Avocado
Sour cream

Make sure you go easy on the sour cream and cheese. They are high in fat.The beans and the quinoa have added protein. The avocado is a heart healthy fat.

Gluten free baked jalenpeno poppers

Trying out a new recipe tonight. It is lower calories and gluten free. I am in love!

4 oz cheddar cheese
4 oz cream cheese
10 jalapeño peppers
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 T butter

Mix cream cheese and cheddar. Slice peppers in half and remove seeds and membranes. Stuff peppers with cheese mixture.
Preheat oven to 400. Mix corn flakes and butter together. Sprinkle on top of peppers. Bake for 20 minutes

Holidays

Well vacation and the Holidays are over. It was a blast at Disney and I enjoyed the time with Aiden and my family including my pug Emmah.