Mmmm, soup!

 

In honor of today's first snow of the season, here's a yummy soup recipe for you: Macaroni and Cheese Soup! I made this specifically for my 3-year-old daughter, but I really liked it too! It makes a pretty hearty meal, especially the next day, when the pasta has absorbed a lot of the "soup".

I'm sure this is just one of MANY soup recipes I'll be sharing this winter!

 

 

Macaroni and Cheese Soup (adapted from www.skinnytaste.com)

 

4 oz  (or so) dry elbow macaroni 

1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced ( I used dried minced)
1 TBL butter
2 TBL flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth 
1 cup lowfat milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt and fresh pepper to taste
2 cups (about 10 oz) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces (I used frozen)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
2 TBL parmesan cheese



Boil pasta, according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Chop onion, carrot and garlic. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt  butter. Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add flour and fresh pepper to the pot and stir until smooth. Slowly add chicken broth, milk and dry mustard powder; whisking constantly. Set heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil. Cover and cook on low about 10-15 minutes. Add broccoli florets and parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes or more to your liking.  Add cheddar, mixing well until cheese melts and immediately remove from heat. Add cooked elbows and mix well, adjust salt and pepper if needed. Eat right away so the pasta doesn't absorb all the broth.

Mmm, muffins!

 

Now that November seems to be in full swing; with frosty mornings, bare trees and snow clouds looming, it's time to do some baking! Regan and I enjoy muffins in the mornings for breakfast, so when I get a burst of energy, I bake a lot and freeze some. This recipe is a tasty way to get veggies in your kid (and yourself), and use up some leftovers from the fridge! Oh, and it makes your whole house smell good too - bonus! 

 

This recipe is a combination of several recipes I found online (mostly on Pinterest, of course).  The muffins turned out really moist and tasted fairly strongly of sweet potatoes, which you may or may not like...I thought they were tasty, and of course Regan liked them!  Feel free to alter the recipe to your liking!

Applesauce Sweet Potato Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes, baked squash, pumpkin or carrots
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
one egg

crumb topping:
2/3 cup oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbl. butter, melted

Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix applesauce, milk, puree, sugar, oil and egg.  Add the flour mixture and mix just until moistened.  Divide batter evenly into muffin tins and sprinkle with topping.  Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Halloween Treats!

 

So, you know how I don't know how to stop making things for holidays? Yes, it's overkill, but I can't turn my creativity off...ever...for our Halloween party this week, I decided two kinds of cookie weren't enough, so the day before the party I tried a NEW recipe I found on; wait for it: Pinterest! They were quite labor intensive, but when has that stopped me? They turned out terrific (and they tasted good too!)

Black Cat Cookies (from www.landolakes.com)

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Candy corn
Red cinnamon candies

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until well mixed. Combine all remaining ingredients except candies in medium bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture to butter mixture. Beat until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a ball; flatten to 1/2 inch. Wrap each half in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours). Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch round cookie cutters. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Using fingers, pinch up ears at top of each circle. Make indentions in the dough (with a piece of candy corn) to mark where the eyes will go (once the cookies are removed from the oven) and press 1 red cinnamon candy on each cookie for nose. Press tines of fork on each side of cookie below eyes to form whiskers. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set. Immediately press candy corn "eyes" on the cookies and l let them cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling rack.

 

I baked the cookies for the shortest time possible so they were chewy and brownie-like...yum!

 

 

I also made some "goodie bags" for all the kids who came to our party: three kinds of candy corn combined with "harvest" colored M&Ms. It's taken me 3 days to un-Halloween our house....bring on the next holiday!