It’s 94 degrees and can you say GAZPACHO?

Posted on August 3, 2010 by jacqui722

I’ve had a craving for this cold, spicy soup for days…I’ve been on vacation, had tons of fun on the Carnival Destiny…but did they have what I craved on that floating  never-ending array of food?  Nope.  I had to come home and make some myself.  I have a nice container to add to the cooler for our 7 hr drive to Savannah, GA tomorrow.  Hopefully my husband won’t mind the garlic breath!  Here’s the recipe:

1 unpeeled cucumber

2 red bell peppers, seeded

2 large tomatoes

1 large shallot, or 3 smallish

3 cloves of minced garlic

3/4 of a large can of Sacramento tomato Juice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tsp of kosher salt

1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (or substitute a few squirts of hot sauce)

2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

Fresh chopped basil and cilantro

Directions:  rough chop the cucumber, tomato, bell peppers and shallots, add to food processor and pulse.  Do not over process-go for a small. coarse chop.  Remove to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours.  The longer it sits, the better the flavor.

Gazpacho

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July 4th cupcakes

Posted on July 16, 2010 by jacqui722

How cute are these cupcakes that I made with my nearly 20 year old daughter? Patriotic as Uncle Sam and Mom’s Apple Pie. Just as yummy I might add….how will we ever top this?

Apple & Blueberry "Pie" cupcakes

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July 4th and the masses will be arriving around 2pm….

Posted on June 30, 2010 by jacqui722

This calls for an awesome cookout, right? Family gatherings always make me smile and everyone contributes. My sister-in-law to be will be bringing her famous Ceviche. Mom will be bringing the artisan breads and buns. I will be making the most wonderful potato salad, passed down from my husband’s grandmother. Peppers and onions will adorn our grilled sausages, hamburgers and hot dogs. Bring on the food- or as my wise mother aways says, “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we diet!”

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Baking bread and other cozy things

Posted on June 22, 2010 by jacqui722

Following along on my quest for organic healthy eating, I am now baking my own bread. What a difference! I don’t have a bread machine, but really- it’s a relatively simple thing to do if you have a nice basic recipe. The first whole wheat bread I made was quite dense- I used whole wheat flour only for the bread and even though it was delicious, it was sooooooo filling!  Even so, after the first loaf I was hooked.  I ordered a bread making book from Amazon and am at this moment waiting for it to come so I can try some new things.  I really like the artisan-type breads they have at Costco, and if I could make my own taste like that AND make it organic it would really be a wonderful thing.

I did surf around a bit and found a really good, basic recipe and tried it out tonight after work. It called for a combination of whole wheat flour and unbleached bread flour, making it a lighter bread than the one I made before. I used organic flours, honey and eggs. REALLY GOOD. Here’s the link to the recipe http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/simple-whole-wheat-bread/Detail.aspx
I suggest cutting the recipe in half… the original makes 2-3 loaves. I halved it to make one rather nice, large loaf.
ENJOY:))

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Jumping into organic with both feet

Posted on April 6, 2010 by jacqui722

After watching the movie “Food Inc” it changed the way I think about food. As a breast cancer survivor, I always wondered the proverbial “Was it something I ate?”. After seeing the movie, the answer is undeniably yes. And so the rest of my life begins. Organic is safest way to survive on this planet. My husband and I both are ready to give up the antibiotics, the hormones and the pesticides, to launch into a whole new world of healthy and clean-eating foods. I vow to pass this on to my daughter so that she might be spared from the horrors of cancer and chemo.
It really is a life-changing decision, and I know it won’t be easy. But maybe, just maybe I will actually be able to stick to this way of life. And, thankfully, if I ever waiver, all I have to do is watch the movie again to set me on the right track.

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Family Cookbook

Posted on January 31, 2010 by jacqui722

Well, I’ve been working on compiling a cookbook of family recipes and family favorites. I’m using lulu.com and it’s going pretty well so far. It’s quite an undertaking, but the result will be a beautiful hard-bound cookbook to pass down to my daughter and my brother and sister’s kids. So many times family recipes are taken for granted, especially the ones from your great grandmothers or great aunts. It’s very sad when they pass away without ever giving the recipe to any of their family! This is an important project to me and will probably take me months to gather and complete, but I have a good start.

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Candy Cane Martini :)

Posted on December 5, 2009 by jacqui722

Just in time for Christmas!

1 shot vanilla vodka

1 oz peppermint schnapps

a couple of ounces of Godiva White Chocolate Liquor

splash of Half n Half

Crushed candy cane (for the rim)

1 mini candy cane stirrer

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Turkey Soup

Posted on November 28, 2009 by jacqui722

Ok, I’m ready for some healthy food after a wonderful Thanksgiving feast.  Soup is one of my favorite things to make, and we’ve got lots of leftover turkey…so here goes!

1 tbs Olive Oil

Large clove of garlic, minced

1 medium shallot, minced

2 slices of turkey bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 large carrot, sliced into coins

1 stalk of celery diced fine

4 cups of chicken or turkey broth

Leftover turkey, any remaining skin & bones removed

1 can white beans, rinsed & drained

1/4 cup ditalini pasta

Saute bacon in olive oil until just underdone, add the garlic and shallots and saute a minute or two more until the garlic is fragrant.  Add the red pepper flakes, celery and carrots and saute a minute or two more.  Add the chicken broth, turkey & white beans.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer.  Add the ditalini and simmer for 30 minutes.

That’s it!  You can add more veggies if you like- sometimes I add baby spinach or greenbeans.  Mushrooms are good to add as well.  Pretty much a low fat, healthy soup- enjoy:)

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Easiest Crockpot Recipes

Posted on November 4, 2009 by jacqui722

P.S. most of these are low fat/low calorie recipes ’cause that’s the way I roll

Fiesta Chicken Chili

4 cans of Chunky brand Fiesta chicken, rice and beans (found in the soup aisle)
Salt  & Pepper
Sprinkle as much chili powder as you would if you were making chili.   Cook on low for at least 4 hours
Serve w/ shredded cheddar and sour cream.

Salsa Chicken

4 chicken breasts, a jar of salsa, a chopped onion, chopped green pepper and some taco seasonings… dump in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours… shred with fork. top with sour cream.

Great over rice, pasta or used in a lf tortilla.

Spicy  Steak

1.5 lbs flank steak
1/3 c. water
2 tbl. chili powder
a few pepperoncini  –depends on heat level that you like
2 tbl. juice from pepperoncini bottle
salt/pepper
cook on Low for 8 hours. Serve with a baked potato–nice and spicy!!

Chicken Stroganoff

6 (4 oz.) Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts Halves
1 (10 oz.) Can 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
16 oz. Fat Free Sour Cream
1 (1 oz.) Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Spray crock-pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place frozen chicken breasts in bottom of crock-pot. Combine Soup, Sour Cream and Onion soup mix. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 7 hours. Divide evenly and serve over rice or noodles for additional points.

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin
1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
dash garlic powder, optional

Sprinkle pork tenderloin with salt and pepper; place in slow cooker.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over pork tenderloin, turning pork to coat all sides. Cover and cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours (HIGH 3 1/2 to 4 hours)

Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 of each:
FF cream of chicken soup
FF cream of onion soup
FF cream of mushroom soup
FF cream of celery soup
small pack of 2% Velveeta cheese (cut into small chunks)
1 pack of frozen broccoli flowerets chopped or fresh broccoli chopped
skim milk
Put all in crock pot and mix together. Add enough milk to desired thickness. Cook on low.

Beef Italiano

1 small roast (any kind you like)

1 can Tomato sauce (canned or homemade)

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 packet of Good Seasons Italian Vinagrette dressing

dump all into the pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

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Cheddar Ale Soup for Bruce’s Birthday

Posted on October 10, 2009 by jacqui722

My brother’s birthday is in October, so we celebrate with an Octoberfest theme.  This is the soup I make for the appetizer, which the menfolk of the family always enjoy.  Beer & Cheese?  Of course they like it!

CHEDDAR ALE SOUP    (serves 6)

5tbs Butter                                                                              2 cups pale ale (whatever you’re drinking)

1 large leek, finely chopped                                                         2 bay leaves

1 cup of celery, finely chopped                                                  1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup parsnips, finely chopped                                                   1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large cloves of garlic, minced                                                  2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup all-purpose flour                                                              1& 1/2 cups crumbled Stilton Cheese

4 cups chicken broth (canned is fine)                                       Salt & Pepper to taste

Melt butter over low heat in a large pot, add the leek, celery and parsnips.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 to 12 minutes or until very tender.  Add the garlic and cook for about a minute.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes.  Gradually whisk in the stock and the beer.  Add the bay leaves & cayenne.  Bring to a boil slowly, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t overflow.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until flavors come together and the soup has reached a nice consistency, about 1 hour.

Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.  Add the cheeses a little at a time, stirring until almost melted after each addition.  Season with salt & pepper.

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