Crock Pot Black Bean Soup

It's getting chilly and I have been looking to add to my crock pot soup collection!! This weekend I thought I would try out a black bean soup (with just enough kick to taste it, but not so much that the kids can't take it!).

This recipe made me excited for a few reasons:
1) My kids liked it (that is always a reason to be excited about a new recipe)
2) I finally found a reason to use the immersion blender I got as a wedding gift 15 years ago!!

So without further ado...here is the latest Cup of Judy crock pot recipe!!

 

 

 

 

Crock Pot Black Bean Soup 

(serves a family of 5 with left overs - you can cut this in 1/2 if you want a smaller portion)

Ingredients:
1 Medium Onion Diced
1/2 Large Red Pepper Diced
4 Celery Stalks Thinly Sliced
2 Tsp Minced Garlic (or 4 cloves if you are using fresh)
4 15.5oz Cans of Black Beans (I used 2 low sodium and 2 regular)
4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
3 Cups Hot Water
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper (or more to taste)
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (or use the juice of 1 fresh lemon)
3 Tbsp Cornstarch

Directions: 

• Cut up the onion, celery, red pepper and put in crock pot.

• Add the garlic, black beans, cumin, crushed red pepper chicken bouillon and water. 

• Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

• Stir in corn starch and lemon juice. 

• With an immersion blender, puree the soup (I like to leave it with some whole black beans or you can make it completely smooth).

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, tortilla strips or a fresh baguette.

Turkey Meatball and Kale Calzones

These easy calzones made for a quick and yummy alternative to Saturday night pizza (and they have kale - don't tell the kids!).

Ingredients: 

13 frozen fully cooked turkey meatballs 

1 package of chopped frozen Kale 

1/2 package of frozen peppers and onions

2 refrigerated pizza crust dough 

1 jar marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425
• Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• Microwave the turkey meatballs  (times vary - follow guidelines on the bag)
• Combine frozen kale with peppers and onions and microwave for 3 minutes
• Cut up the meatballs into smaller pieces.
• Add meatballs, marinara sauce and cheese to the kale, peppers and onions. 
• Mix together and set aside. 
• Unroll the refrigerated dough onto a cookie sheet and divide it into quarters. 
• Add the filling to eat quarter and fold over. 
• Press edges with a fork to seal. 
• Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

When I cooked these the first time, I only made 4 calzones so I had extra filling. I added my extra filling to cheese tortellini for a quick meal later in the week! It was also delicious!!

Easy One Skillet Chicken Stir Fry

This dinner is one of my kids FAVORITE meals and it is sooooo easy!! You can add more veggies, try out different stir fry sauces....lots of opportunities to change this up!!

Easy One Skillet Chicken Stir Fry 

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts 

2 bags frozen stir fry vegetables (or one stir fry veggies and one broccoli)

1 can water chestnuts (my kids love these, so I put in extra!)

1/2 cup stir fry sauce (my favorite is the Wegman's brand)

Optional - garlic powder 

2 cups brown rice 

1 1/2 cups water

Directions: 

• Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and cook in the skillet until no longer pink.
• Add frozen vegetables, water chestnuts, stir fry sauce and water and bring to a boil. 
• Stir in rice, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir and remove from heat for another 5 minutes

Crockpot Chicken Philly Stuffed Peppers

Fall is in the air and Football season is starting up...who doesn't love a Chicken Philly Sandwich?!

I decided to try a recipe that satisfied the craving without sacrificing too many calories (and it's in a slow cooker so it saved me on time!!)

Crock Pot Chicken Philly Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients: 

4 large peppers
1 lb boneless chicken breast
1 Onion (Chopped)
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 can sliced mushrooms
4 Tbsp Steak Sauce 
Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese

**You could also add rice or quinoa to this recipe if you wanted 









Directions: 

• Cut the tops of the peppers off - chop up the pepper tops for the filling.
• In a skillet, cook the chicken with onions and garlic with margarine until no longer pink
• Combine chicken and onions with chopped peppers, mushrooms and steak sauce.
• Put peppers in the crockpot and add the chicken filling
• Cook on low 8 hours
• Before you are ready to serve, add cheese into the peppers so it is melted.

Crockpot Summer Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Soup

This recipe was perfect for the end of summer and I think you can alter it to make different soups or just to your specific tastes (add lentils instead of orzo, add peppers or other summer veggies!!).

I used the tomato soup ingredients from my Crockpot Hamburger Soup as my base (tomato soup, garlic and beef bouillon) - it is so easy and gives the soup a really nice flavor.

When I did this recipe, I doubled it so I had enough to freeze and enjoy once the school year gets underway and we are running to different events with little time to cook a healthy meal! 

Summer Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Soup: 

3 Chicken Sausage links (I used fully cooked- no prep!) 
Corn (1 can or 1/2 bag of frozen or 1.5 cups fresh)
Green beans  (1 can or 1/2 bag of frozen or 1.5 cups fresh)
1 Zucchini - cut in half and then sliced
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes (I used onion and garlic flavor)
1 Tsp minced garlic
1 Can condensed tomato soup
1 Beef bouillon cube
2.5 cups water
1 Cup Orzo Pasta (add in 30 min before serving)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Cocoa Chia Strawberry Parfait

 "Everybody loves parfaits...Parfaits are delicious!" - Donkey in Shrek 

A favorite breakfast item in my house is the parfait. I like them because they are easy and healthy. The kids love them because they can put them together all by themselves. Win-win!! 

This week, I discovered Cocoa & Chia granola at Wegmans. In case you haven't heard of chia seeds, they are very good for you. They contain calcium, fiber, protein, omega-3 and more. In fact, here is a great article that discusses reasons to add chia seeds to your diet 10 Health Benefits of Chia Seeds. 

I made this morning's parfait with the Cocoa & Chia Granola mixed with Wegmans Strawberry Super Yogurt and fresh strawberries. Layer them however you wish and dive right in!!!

Fun Food Ideas: Baseball Breakfast Burrito

My kids told me that they were getting tired of waffles for my food art, so I've been brainstorming some new creative breakfast ideas with ingredients other than waffles...

I was inspired by our recent trip to Yankee Stadium and created this Baseball Breakfast Burrito and it was a hit (get it?!) with the kids! The only daunting part was the baseball stitches, which I used a toothpick to "paint" ketchup on. I thought afterward that you could probably also use a red pepper, by cutting up little pepper pieces (I would do this the night before). 

Baseball Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients (per serving): 

• 2 Egg Whites
• 1 Cheese Slice
• 1 Spinach Tortilla
• Ketchup

Directions: 

• Cut the round tortilla into the shape of a baseball field

• Cook the egg whites (I had a baking device that keeps the eggs in a round shape while it cooks, but you could also cook the egg whites and then use a small bowl or a cookie cutter if you have one big enough to make the round shape)

• While the eggs are cooking, cut the cheese into 4 squares and place them on the tortilla as bases. 

•  Place the round egg white in the middle and then with a toothpick, "paint" your red stitching with ketchup or use the red peppers. 

Peach Ginger Crockpot Chicken

I love my crockpot in the summer as much as I do in the cooler months, especially when I can combine summer flavors in my recipes!!

Peach Ginger Chicken 

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp ginger (I used minced)
1 tsp nutmeg
12 basil leaves
1 cup orange juice
4 large peaches - sliced thinly

Directions:
1) Season the chicken with the salt and pepper on both sides
2) Put chicken in the crockpot
3) Add remaining ingedients into the crockpot with the chicken
4) Cook on low 3-4 hours



Here are the two dinners that I made with the chicken:

Peach Chicken on Wild Rice

 

Peach Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey Roasted Pecans

Mixed Greens
Sliced Peach Chicken and Peaches
Honey Roasted Pecans
Goat Cheese
Balsamic Vinegar

 

 

 

 

 

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

 

One of my favorite healthy recipe sites is Skinnytaste.com - she has healthy, simple and delicious recipes for just about everything!!  This week, I had produce in the fridge that needed to be used, so I started looking for some recipes on my favorite site. I found a great chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe and I thought I would try adding raspberries as well - the result was DELICIOUS!!!

 

I made both regular muffins and mini muffins for the kids, which has been a perfect on the go breakfast this week.

 

Skinnytaste's Recipe :

 

As Muffins:
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 muffin • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 175.6 • Fat: 5.7g • Protein: 3.4g • Carb: 31.9g • Fiber: 3.2g • Sugar: 15.5g
Sodium: 248.4 mg 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (I used unbleached)
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (regular whole wheat flour would work)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1-1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini (not packed)
• 1 cup of fresh raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Add chocolate chips and gently mix to combine.

In a medium bowl, mix egg, vanilla, melted butter, apple sauce, zucchini and raspberries. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes (mini muffins for about 10-15 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes.

Thank you Skinnytaste for the great recipe and the raspberries added a unique fruity pairing with the chocolate!

Chicken Caprese Kabob

I love grilled chicken and this summer, we've been grilling extra chicken and using the left overs for meals during the week.

Here was a really simple but delicious and healthy left over chicken meal that I made this week.

Chicken Caprese Kabob 

Ingredients: 
Grilled Chicken Breast - cut into bite sized pieces
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Basil leaves
Fresh Mozzarella cut into squares
Balsamic Vinegar (I use the kind in the spray bottle)
Pasta (you can really use any pasta, I had fettuccine in my pantry so that what I used!)
Olive oil (just a tsp or so to toss in the pasta)

Directions: 
Put chicken, basil, mozzarella and tomato onto a skewer in a repeating pattern.
Cook pasta and toss with olive oil and some basil
Place skewer on top of pasta on a plate and spray with balsamic vinegar

**Tip: If you are looking for an easy appetizer, I love putting fresh mozzarella, basil and a tomato on a toothpick and spray with the balsamic vinegar!!  

Fun Food Ideas: Pig Waffles

This week's waffle creation was inspired by some really cute pig cupcakes that my sister-in-law made. When I saw them, I thought that pigs would make a really great waffle idea too!!

My boys are going on a field trip to the zoo with their class, so I thought an animal themed waffle breakfast was in order, so here is my pig waffle!!!

I really love that the kids like the yogurt on the waffle with the fresh fruit instead of sugary syrup - it is a win-win! 

What you need:

1 regular waffle
1 mini waffle
2 blueberries
1 strawberry
2 chocolate chips or Mini M&M's
strawberry yogurt

Summer Salad on the Go!

This is my new road trip lunch solution!! I am officially in love with these Arnold Whole Wheat Pita Pocket Thins - they are 100 calories per half and I've started putting salads in them for healthier eating options on the go!

I made this one this weekend and it was a such a better option than drive thru or a standard sandwich!

Chicken Mango Salad Pita: 

• 1 cup spinach greens
• 1/2 cup chopped chicken breast
• 1/4 cup mango 
• Golden Raisins
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette** 

Toss all the salad ingredients together in a bowl and then put in the pita pocket!

 **If you are packing this as a meal for later in the day, I would put the vinaigrette in a small separate Tupperware container and add it right before you are ready to eat. Otherwise, your pita might get soggy!

Other Summer Salads to try in a pita pocket:

• Chicken Poppy Salad - Chicken, Strawberries, Blueberries, Greens, Poppy seed Dressing 
• Greek Salad - olives, feta, greens, chicken and a greek dressing
• Cobb Salad - greens, chopped egg, turkey bacon, tomato with Ranch 
• Southwest Salad - chicken, greens, black beans, corn, onions, tomato and salsa ranch dressing
• Steak & Blue Salad - sliced Steak, blue cheese, walnuts, greens with a Balsamic
• Caprese Salad - fresh mozzerella, tomato slices, basil leaves and Balsamic

Fun Food Ideas: Cowboy Pasta Salad

If you read my "Mom Fail" post...this is the pasta salad that I was supposed to bring to a Western Themed luncheon!! It still looked cute and tasted great, even though it never made it to the intended destination!!

Cowboy Pasta Salad

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups uncooked wagon wheel pasta
• 1 can corn (drained)
• 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1/2 cup Kraft Ranch BBQ dipping sauce
• Monteray Cheese 
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 Red Onions chopped
• Optional: 1 cup chicken

Directions:

1) Cook the wagon wheel pasta al dente (otherwise it's squishy and falls apart)

2) Drain the pasta and rinse in cold water

3) Toss pasta with corn, black beans, tomatoes, onions and chicken 

4) Stir in BBQ Ranch sauce 

5) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving

6) Before serving, add cilantro and use a cookie cutter to make some fun cheese stars to put on top 

Fun Food Ideas: Owl Waffles

WHOOOOO wouldn't love this for breakfast?! 

Here is another easy and fun way to start someone's days with frozen waffles and a little creativity!

What you need: 

• 2 Round regular waffles
• 2 Mini Waffles
• Plain Yogurt (or vanilla)
• 2 blueberries
• 1 Strawberry

Directions: 
1) Toast the waffles


2) Take one of the regular round waffles and cut out "wings" from each side.

 

3) Take the middle section from that first waffle and cut in half








4) Place the other round waffle on a plate and put your wings and head/ear in place.










5) Put the mini waffles on the top of the regular round waffle and at the base of the head/ears.









6) Put a teaspoon of the yogurt onto each mini waffle and spread evenly. Add the blueberries for the eyes and the tip of the strawberry for the nose.



7) Serve and enjoy!!

Perfect Summer Salad

What do you do with left over corn on the cob??? Put it in a salad!! 

Summer Salad (single serving)

 

Ingredients:

1 Corn on the cob

6-8 Cherry tomatoes - halved

1 Grilled chicken breast

1/2 Avocado
1/4 Cup fresh cilantro
Newman's Lite Lime Vinaigrette

Directions: 
Cut the corn off the cob, add remaining ingredients, top with Lime Vinaigrette to taste.

This was an easy salad that I threw together for dinner, but would definitely make again in a bigger batch for a group, maybe adding quinoa or spinach greens! 

Healthy Kid Friendly Dinners To Go!

Every night this week, we've had a sporting event which means running home from work and running back out the door with a dinner on the go for the kids. I didn't want a week of Happy Meals for the kids, endless PBJs, etc but didn't have time to cook dinner each night either. So, I brainstormed a few dinner on the go ideas that could be made the night before, don't require utensils, can be packaged in a container and are healthier than drive thru options.

 Here are the 3 dinners that I came up with (and they turned out to be kid approved!!). 

Turkey/Cheese Stick/Cherry Tomato Kabob

You could really do any kind of kabob and the kids thought this was a fun way to eat dinner!! The yogurts in tubes are great for on the go eating. I threw in some crackers and fruit to complete it out. I have also switched recently from juice boxes to fruit water - the kids love strawberry water and orange water!

Chicken and Cheese Pita

I love pita bread for on the go dinners because unlike sandwiches, everything stays IN the pita (anyone who has to clean out a car after kids eating can relate!!). I baked some chicken earlier in the week and just sliced it up and put it in the pita with some cheese - we actually had a few minutes before leaving so I warmed them in the microwave for a few seconds, but I think they would be good cold as well.

 

 

Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Homemade Potato Chips

Again, I used the chicken that I baked earlier in the week for the chicken nuggets. I cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, put some olive oil on them and tossed them in a bowl with flavored breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. I baked them at 400 for about 10 minutes since chicken was already cooked.

The homemade baked potato chips are my new favorite lunch item for the kids:

• Thinly slice 2 potatoes
• Toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and kosher salt (to taste). I also added some Tuscan seasoning for a little "zip"! 
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Put potato slices on baking sheet in single layer
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes
• Flip the slices that are starting to brown and then watch carefully - they will all start to crisp at various times. Remove them as they are done and set on a plate or baking rack to cool completely.

Easy Crockpot Taco Soup

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! It's been a REALLY cold spring around here so soup seemed to be a more appropriate choice to celebrate the day and this recipe was a huge hit with the whole family!!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Ingredients: 

1 package Jenny-O Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey

1 jar of garlic and onion marinara sauce

1 can (undrained) diced tomatoes with chilies

1 can (undrained) corn 

1 can black beans

1 can chili beans

1 tsp minced garlic

2 cups water

Toppings: 

Cheddar cheese

Fresh Cilantro

Jalapeno Peppers

Tortilla Chips or Salad Strips

Avacado

Directions: 

Brown the ground turkey until no longer pink

Put all ingredients into a crock pot 

Cook on low for 8 hours

Enjoy with a Margarita or Corona!! 

Fun Food Ideas: St. Patrick's Day Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

I was just cleaning out pictures from my phone and forgot about the little St Patrick's meals I did for the kids. Before I delete the pictures, I thought I'd add it to the blog for future reference!!

Dinner: Individual Shamrock Pizzas

My kids loved that the peppers looked like Four Leaf Clovers - you can't go wrong with a fun pizza!

Lunch: Make Your Own Grilled Chicken Wrap (Spinach Tortilla) 

My daughter loves being able to put her own sandwich wraps together at lunch. I added a green apple and some pickles for some extra green!

Breakfast: Green Smoothies, Fruit Rainbow and a Pot of Gold (Mini Egg Muffin)

Green Smoothie Recipe: 
I really didn't measure - I just put the following into a blender!
Plain Yogurt (about 1 cup)
Kiwi
Banana
Kale (I needed lots to really make it green)
Pineapple
Ice

"Pot of Gold" Mini Egg Muffin: 
6 Eggs
3 Tablespoons of milk
1/3 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Spray Mini Muffin tins. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended. Fill mini tin about 2/3 full with egg mixture. Bake 8-10 minutes until eggs are set.

This recipe makes about 16 mini eggs, so youl could cut the recipe in half or you can freeze some and use for quick breakfasts later!

Fun Food Ideas: Flower Breakfast

Happy (Belated) Earth Day!!! I meant to do this for the kids for their Earth Day breakfast...but I will admit that I just couldn't drag myself to the grocery store for a cantaloupe and grapes on a Monday night. My kids thought it was great anyway!!!

So here is my cheerful flower made from my favorite mini waffles and cantaloupe and grapes!!!