Celebrating Earth Day Series - Hanes EcoSmart & Arbor Day Foundation

What an exciting week this is because we will be enjoying some great Earth Day celebrations next week, family coming to visit, my daughter's birthday and lots of parties. To celebrate Earth Day, I am going to bring you some great posts for a week, starting off with this one about Hanes.

Our family loves Hanes: From my husbands drawers stocked with their undershirts, to their Tees that I use for layering, to the tagless undies that are my daughters favorites, we are always well-stocked. So, I was thrilled to learn about some steps that Hanes is making to make their products more eco-friendly and contribute to Earth Day by teaming up with the Arbor Day Foundation.

A. How is Hanes working towards being more Eco-friendly? First of all, they have launched Hanes Green (I have sure you have seen some of the news commercials) to share what they are working towards:

*At the end of 2009, approximately 30% of the energy we used came from clean, renewable sources

*Since 2007, our energy efficiency programs have reduced the amount of energy we use to make our products by 11 percent.

*In 2010, we were named an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Partner of the Year

*They currently have 3 LEED certifications and have applied for four more.

*Their CO2 emissions feel 41% for some divisions and thy have reduced they water use per product by 18%.

*Most exciting to me is their current release of the EcoSmart textiles that are made of recycled plastic and other end textile end products that are normally throw away.

B. Partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation From April 1 - May 15, 2010, when you purchase three Hanes products, you will receive a free Earth Day t-shirt with proof of purchase through mail-in redemption. For every t-shirt redeemed, Hanes will make a $1 donation to the Arbor Day Foundation. For every $1 of Hanes donations, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree, up to 20,000 on Hanes' behalf.


Wait, you want to try to win an Earth T-shirt?
To enter: Leave a comment telling me 'What Earth friendly or 'green' practices do you use at home, work or on the road?'

Additional Entries (Null if entry above not completed): These are optional however, you must leave a comment for each one separately.

1. Join the Savor the Thyme Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment with your FB name

2. Follow @savorthethyme on Twitter.

3. Post this on Twitter (can do every day if you wish but need separate comment for each entry) 'Celebrating Earth Day with @savorthethyme & @hanescomfort Giveaway! http://bit.ly/aMwg9s

4. Subscribe to the Savor the Thyme RSS feed (on the right sidebar).

Mushroom, Ham & Peas Alfredo ‘Baked’ Potatoes

Here is another example where some leftovers or a review of the fridge/pantry can result in another great meal. Normally we are not big Alfredo sauce eaters however, the sauce came with the package of Newman's Own goodies for the Family Bites program and this is what I created.

Honestly, I as a bit skeptical as to how the flavors would come together but I loved the result. In fact, it was so good that I wanted to share the recipe with you as a reminder to experiment and to use potatoes and miscellaneous items to create a quick, economical and tasty meal!

In fact, empty the fridge and create a potato bar tonight!

Ingredients (Yields: 4 servings):
4 large potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 oz ham steak, diced
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup Newman’s Own Alfredo Pasta Sauce (or a light version if you can find it)
Chives, diced, optional

Instructions:
1. Place potatoes into a large microwavable bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the microwave for 8 minutes. Using a knife, pierce the potato. If it is still firm in the center, microwave another two minutes

2. Preheat pan to medium high with 1 teaspoon oil. Add the mushrooms and ham steak and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté until mushrooms and ham until browned.

3. Reduce heat to low, add the Alfredo Pasta Sauce and peas and allow to simmer gently until warmed and thickened.

4. Pour the sauce over the Potato and top with chives if you wish.

Broccoli and Squash Macaroni & Cheese: 30 Days 30 Ways

Happy Monday Everyone,

I am taking part in the 30 days, 30 ways with Macaroni & Cheese. You can find my contribution of Broccoli and Squash Macaroni & Cheese today. Enjoy and indulge.

EatingWell Wednesday - A Fantastic Sweet Potato Casserole

Recently, I have been asked about dessert options and with Thanksgiving coming, I wanted to think of a classic made a bit healthier. Naturally, I headed to EatingWell knowing that they would have a 'madeover' option.

Their sweet potato casserole incorporates, orange zest, vanilla and honey and I knew from the scent that it would be amazing.

For the topping, I used oatmeal in place of pecans. In addition, since I did not have OJ concentrate, I placed some OJ in the freezer and voila', my frozen concentrate was born.



By the way, this recipe is featured in Day 2 of a Year of Savoring the Thyme on Whrll.

Roasted Cauliflower, Red Pepper & Garlic Soup

Saturday was a windy, wet and dreary day thanks to Storm Ida so we were all craving soup. I was thinking of a roasted red pepper soup but when I saw the head of cauliflower an idea struck. In addition, the oven was already hot baking a chicken pot pie so in went the cauliflower and garlic.

Now, I must state that I roasted the peppers myself but it does take some work so if you want to save some time, use the jarred. Also, if you do not like the flavor of any of these foods roasted, than do not bother with the soup.

Ingredients:
1 head organic cauliflower (cut into florets)
3 large cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 large roasted red peppers
4 cups organic vegetable stock
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ cup 1% milk


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets and garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a single layer on the baking sheet.

3. Roast until golden brown, approx. 20 minutes, place in a bowl and allow to cool while you prepare the peppers.

4. Set oven to broil and place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil until they begin to char/blacken

5. Place the peppers into a paper bag, close and set aside.

6. Now chop the garlic and cauliflower up into smaller pieces and place into a pot with the stock, add the thyme and turn burner onto medium.

7. Remove the peppers from the bag and peel off the skin. Chop and mix with the cauliflower & garlic.

8. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid, turn the burner down to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

9. Place half the contents and ¼ milk into a blender (lid vented for steam) and puree. Pour into a bowl and repeat with the remaining and ¼ milk

I also wanted to share that Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod had just posted their Slow-Roasted Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper soup.

Carrot & Butternut Squash Soup : Hope to Heal

I have three friends that need healing: one with pregnancy related nausea, one with a back injury and one that is feeling sickly. How can I help? Maybe with a warm bowl of soup an a hug.

I was lucky enough to find organic carrots and butternut squash and since one friend is vegetarian, I used organic vegetable broth as well.



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 stalks organic celery, chopped
1/4 teaspoon organic ginger powder
1 teasoon fresh thyme, chopped
4 large organic carrots or 1.5 cups, peeled and chopped
1/2 large organic butternut squash, peeled an chopped (2 cups)
4 cups organic vegetable chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon salt (I would taste prior to adding)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a soup pot/Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery and cook until the onion is softened and translucent, 8 to 12 minutes.

2. Stir in curry powder and thyme, then add carrots and squash. Stir well over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add broth. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer until the carrots and squash are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids to a food processor, adding about 1/2 cup of the broth and puree to desired smoothness. Pour the puree back into the pot and season. Serve hot with a dab of yogurt if you wish.

This would be perfect to freeze in quart batches.

Trader Joe's Rice & Bean Chips with Adzuki Beans

Happy Snacker. That was me a few weeks ago. It was a super long day and I found myself dropping in to Trader Joe's to grab some nitrate-free meats for sandwiches and I was hungry. A piece of fruit would not stop this crunch & salt craving. So, I wondered wide-eyed down the chip aisle wondering if I could quell this craving and find something exciting.

The red bag jumped out at me with a photo of spiced tortilla chips and so I grabbed the bag and flipped it over to examine the ingredients list and nutritional information. Here is what it said: Rice flour, corn flour, adzuki and/or black beans, sunflower/safflower oil, rice meal, sugar, rice bran, salt, red chilis, cumin powder and garlic powder. 7 g fat, 2 g protein and 1 g sugar per 20 chips.



What to think? I am happy because there is nothing 'enriched' or 'modified'. Is there a good amount of fat, sure, but I expected that and it did not deter me. Sugar was low and all real ingredients so I went for it. Plus, it is gluten-free.

Conclusion: Sweet and salty. Yes! Nice texture? Yes! Unique? Yes! A bite to them from the chili. cumin and garlic? Yes! Good for entertaining? Yes!

An Ice Cream Float Social!

The joys of summer: sun, breeze, warmth, friends and ice cream! To wrap up this great series on Ice Cream (and celebrate the last day of the Social Challenge), we decided to have some of our lovely friends over to enjoy some ice cream floats.

Both real chocolate and vanilla ice cream were on hand as well as Hansen's Soda (we heart you Hansen's!) in vanilla, root beer and mandarin lime. The girls opted for chocolate while the boys went for the vanilla. The moms were standing by for whomever decided they choose the wrong combination and lucky for us, we had a volunteer give up his float for a plain bowl of ice cream.

I am not waiting for you to give me the spoon!

Bring it on Mom!

Forget the spoon


Talk about double fisting!

To enter this Ice Cream Social Challenge (cohosted by Tangled Noodle and Scotty Snacks) or simply learn more about it, please read this post or take a look at our pineapple sorbet and sandwiches.

Oh, did I mention that there are prizes??! Coupons for FREE Stonyfield organic ice cream/sorbets, A custom Etsy T-Shirt, A book!

National Ice Cream Day - Ice Cream Sandwiches

Oh Happy Day! A day where you can celebrate ice cream and feel the need to have some, in the name of celebrating. I mean, you must show some love and respect by eating some right? So we did that by making ice cream sandwiches. Oh, by the way, did you know about the ice cream social challenge going on? Read more about it.



I choose carefully when acquiring the items for our outdoor indulgence by buying some soft organic double fudge cookies and some yummy Stonyfield Vanilla frozen yogurt. My intention was to buy their 'Gotta Have Vanilla' ice cream but when scooping, I saw that I had bought the 'Gotta Have Vanilla' frozen yogurt which saved us many calories and was so tasty. I also want to throw out some more love to Stonyfield as they are awarding the winners of our contest with coupons for free pints of their frozen goodness. Also, there are other prizes as well, such as, a great T-shirt from Etsy.



In addition, I would be choosing Stonyfield whether there were coupons involved or not. Why? Here is the reason directly from their website: "Our rich and creamy ice cream and frozen yogurt are crafted with the freshest all natural and organic ingredients. They are also produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones or toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers."

Do not forget to enter and tweet about it so all your friends know using the #icsocial (@savorthethyme @scottysnacks @tanglednoodle)!

Here is a little snippet showing the love of the ice cream sandwich.

Lil Kids in the Kitchen - An Ice Cream Social

Welcome to the second installment of 'Lil Kids in the Kitchen' and this time we made ice cream. That's right, the old fashioned cream, milk and sugar kind and we had a blast. We enjoyed it over this fourth of July weekend as we finally had some summer weather.



We had two friends over to help and each has their turn.



Note the messes have already begun-good times!

The recipe below is from the Hamilton Beach Website as this was my first attempt so I was not venturing on my own yet.

We even had each kid whisk and then the real mixing began once I got a hold of the bowl.

Yes, we did share with the friends: the scenario was 6 spoons diving into the pot (yes, the two extra spoons were the moms). I realized afterwards that I had not taken any pictures however, my daughter was willing to demonstrate.

By the way, are you going to participate in our ice cream social? Read my post from last week so you are 'in the know' and can join in the fun!

Next up, we conquer Sorbet!

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream:
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon juice
2 cups (500 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 cup (250 ml) milk (I used 1%)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Start the freezer and pour mixture through
hole in lid. Freeze until desired consistency or unit stops.

National Ice Cream Month - Ice Cream Social Challenge

Hello World! As you may know, July is National Ice Cream month and so it is time for a new challenge! But first: can this blog, being all about eating and being healthy write about ice cream? I asked that myself and realized wait, I want people to eat real foods. None of that processed and artificial junk so if you want a little bit of real ice cream once in a while, is it so bad? No. And by making our own, I can be sure we are not getting all that fake frozen stuff that some folks market as ice cream. Okay, off to the challenge.

What could the challenge be this time? How about making your own ice cream! Yes, go ahead and make is any flavor you want, any color, be crazy or conservative. I am going to take this journey with you by creating ice cream with my kids. Naturally, I will be making it real, as in using the old fashioned ingredients of cream, milk, sugar, etc. I hope to make some sorbets or yogurts to cut down on fat, sugar etc. along the way but enough about me. What do you want to do with it after creating it? eat, wear it? paint with it? Do nothing or anything you want (G rated only). Wait, you do not want to make it? Do you want to visit a local ice creams shop and send us a video? Having an ice cream party that you wish to vlog about? Just want to see how many photos you can take of ice cream? Go for it!

There will also be some surprises for the winners but I am keeping mum for now. We have so many details to share but why overwhelm you as you have ice cream plan to make!


Mandy73 via Flickr

Oh, and I am not presenting this challenge on my own, oh no, as this whole idea was concocted by our favorite snacker, Scotty of ScottySnacks. The other blogger in on this is my co-host from the Eating Your Words Challenge, yes, that right, Tangled Noodle....now, onto the details!

Have a great homemade recipe? Did you visit a favorite ice cream shop or a unique local dairy/creamery? Anywhere and any way you've recently indulged in ice cream ecstasy, let us know; entries can be a blog post, a vlog, video, or just a photograph!

To enter:

1) Post about your ice cream creation on your blog, linking back to ScottySnacks, SavortheThyme and Tangled Noodle. Then send us a link and photo of your post! We welcome any posts that were published before the start of our challenge. Enter as many times as you wish.

2) No blog? No problem! Send us a photo, video or vlog of your entry telling us what, where and when it was taken. Provide a URL, if applicable (a still shot or capture would be great, too).


3) International entries are encouraged but due to some limitations, some prizes may not be available.

4) EMAIL YOUR ENTRIES TO: IceCream@ScottySnacks.com. Please include your name and e-mail address so that we may contact you should you win a prize.

Deadline is Friday July 31, 2009!

Since this is a Social Media Ice Cream Social, feel free to show us some sweet tweet love. Tweet about this challenge using the #icsocial (@savorthethyme @scottysnacks @tanglednoodle)!

There will be a round up at the end of the month on all three sites!

Thanks for your participation!
Jennifer, Scotty and Mrs. Noodle

EatingWell Wednesday: Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cob

Forgive me for skipping EatingWell Wednesday last week but I was out of state and out of sorts. At any rate, I had a number of corns on the cob that I needed to use up and was not sure what to do with them besides the old boil and butter. Although I do love my corn that way, I took a quick trip to EatingWell.com and guess what? The image of grilled corn was right in front of my eyes with the title 'Mexican Grilled Corn'. Sold.

I knew immediately it was meant to be since was already going to be grilling some bison burgers (I will share the new recipe once I perfect it). I must admit that I was a bit thrown by a recipe with mayonnaise as part of a corn topping but I had everything we needed and I was intrigued by sprinkling cheese on the corn. Please note that I used non-fat Greek style yogurt in lieu of the regular type.

Although the kids stuck with the buttered version since they were already thrown off by the grill marks, my hubby and I enjoyed this Mexican grilled corn treat. I found that we did not need to sue a tablespoon of the topping as the recipe dictated and and remember to be light with the cheese since we are all watching our figures. Wink. Wink. Oh, this recipe will definitely impress guests..

Martha Stewart and I make Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes

Saturday morning was already going to be an extremely busy morning but the kids had asked me on Friday to please make pancakes in the morning. I said yes remembering I wanted to create an oatmeal pancake recipe. Sure enough early Saturday morning came and as soon as I remembered my obligation and realized I had not planned ahead, I ran to Martha Stewart online for a recipe. The first recipe that popped up is 'Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes' so off we went to the kitchen.




Since I rarely find myself following a recipe exactly and I am always try to up the nutritional content in some way, I opted to vary the recipe by using 1 cup of unbleached organic flour to 1 cup of organic whole wheat flour. I then followed the recipe to a 'T'. The result was tasty and the kids enjoyed them however, I think they would have been less dense if I had cut the oats down to 1 cup.

Do you like your pancakes light and fluffy? If yes, then follow her instructions and see how they come out but I have to wonder: Which is better nutritionally? To use all AP flour with all the oats called for OR use some whole wheat flour but cut down on the oats?

EatingWell Wednesday - Curried Carrot and Apple Soup

While residing in my bed all weekend I found myself without much of an appetite except for soup so I found this fabulous recipe and asked my hubby to make it for me. I was a taken aback by the strength of the curry so depending on your love of curry, you may wish to add less. Hey, my nose cleared up so it was a great. I really enjoyed the apple (we used a granny sweet) as the sweetness was refreshing with the curry. Also, great soup to freeze!

By the way, you can follow me on Twitter @savorthethyme


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
5 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (3 cups)
2 large McIntosh or other apples, peeled and coarsely chopped (3 cups)
1 bay leaf
4 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt (I would taste prior to adding)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, dill or basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or medium soup pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook until the onion is softened and translucent, 8 to 12 minutes; do not brown.

2. Stir in curry powder, then add carrots, apples and bay leaf. Stir well over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add broth and salt. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer until the carrots and apples are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove the bay leaf. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids to a food processor, adding about 1/2 cup of the broth; process to a smooth puree. Pour the puree back into the soup. Reheat and season with pepper. Serve piping hot, garnishing each serving, if you like, with a dab of yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

Sauces made Simple

Friends often ask me 'what do you do to change up the basics?' or 'what else can I do, quickly, to my chicken/fish/steak?' Often my responses are spices and sauces. I find myself most often playing with pan sauces but had set a goal for myself this year to branch out a bit and so when I found this great article titled 'Sauce made simple' in the April edition of Cooking Light magazine, I knew this was a hint to get going on the sauces. Please do not let some of the fancy names such as bechamel or aioli throw you off--all of you singletons and moms can do this!

I know, some of you might say 'Aren't most sauces unhealthy?' As cooking light points out "Even rich, buttery sauces, such as bearnaise or beurre blanc, have a place in a healthy diet. Just think strategically about the foods with which you pair them. Choose steamed vegetables, fish, shellfish or other lean meats to keep total saturated fat within reasonable limits."

Cooking Light has many great sauce recipes online but I will share two in this post: red wine reduction bechamel. Since so many of my lovely friends also enjoy wines, I will start of with this Red Wine Reduction Sauce which would be great with beef, veal, venison or duck. Grab a pre-made jar of beef demi-glace to have on hand make this an even quicker option.

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Ingredients
1 cup full-bodied red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon)
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons Beef Demi-Glace
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 10 minutes). Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Add butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper.

Bechamel Sauce (great for chicken, beef, casseroles and vegetables)

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Yield
1 1/3 cups (serving size: about 2 1/2 tablespoons)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground white pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Preparation
1. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender (do not brown), stirring occasionally. Sprinkle flour over onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Gradually add milk to flour mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth; bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Strain mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.

3. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if desired. Serve immediately.

More sauce can be found here, just scroll down the page for the sauce category.

National Food Month - Oatmeal Cookie Challenge Round-up

I am giggling. I can not help but think of Cookie Monster saying 'C-o-o-k-i-e' and then saying it out loud that way. Like most, I get my share of cookie cravings and often guilt if I eat more than one so I try to up the nutritional ante so that I feel a bit proud of my cookie indulgences. Yes, I could eat only one, but I find I have more when trying out recipes. I consider it quality control. My husband likes to join the QC department also and here is his feedback to my recipe below. 'I want it to be sweeter. When I eat a cookie, I want sweet'. Since I am not going for cavities when I eat cookies, feel free to toss some brown sugar into my recipe if you wish but I like them the way they are: Fluffy, Chewy and Not Too Sweet'. Please try my recipe and give me your feedback and I will continue to experiment and improve my QC department.

Not-so-Basic Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
3/4 cup organic blue agave nectar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350° degrees (make sure the rack in the middle of the oven). Line baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.

2. Whisk together agave nectar, applesauce, egg white, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix oats, all purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, flax seed and salt together. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until blended.

3. Place about a tablespoonful of dough onto the baking sheet, press them down lightly (not too think but not a big blob) spaced cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Variations:
A. Take 4 tablespoons mix and add 1 tablespoon dried cranberries (photo above)
B. Take 4 tablespoons mix and add 2 tablespoons semi-sweet mini chips

Want some more amazing recipes: Here are 3 more from some fabulous foodies. Check out their recipes.

Sarah from Winged Snail had applesauce and agave nectar on her mind as well but added the fiber and nutrients of apples, raisins and walnuts to her yummy ‘Apple Granola Oatmeal’ cookies.






Kevin, we all love Kevin, of Closet Cooking. This time he is wowing us with his Apricot and White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. We are obviously meant to bake together as:

1. He is trying to seduce me by including white chocolate.

2. We are baking soul mates as we used the same amount of flour and rolled oats. Kisses to you Kevin!





Lauren of ‘Bytes from Texas’ has really impressed me by utilizing all whole wheat flour as well as, ready for this? Figs and Apple Butter in her Hippie Oatmeal Cookies. Hands in there air for this one!




As a side note, I have concluded that 1.5 cups of rolled oats is the key to the bet oatmeal cookie

Roasted Yellow Tomato, Garlic and Fingerling Soup

Update: I am submitting this recipe in Girlichef's Chili's in May contest.

TomatoMania. Yes, Tomato Mania. What is it? A contest going on at SippitySup. I found his contest Saturday afternoon and set to work. Have you seen the videos Greg has entered in my past contests? Look here and here. So, the contest: Naturally, tomato sauce popped right into my mind. No, Jen think outside the box. Wait, there were some great looking yellow tomatoes at Sandy's Fine Food Emporium the other day. Once home, I stared at them while listening to the news reports of snow storms in Colorado. Man, must be cold there.....nothing like a soup with some heat to warm you up. Yes, soup! So, what else to put in it? it needs heat and I want it to be a bit thick but not with cream. I also grabbed some fingerling potatoes at the store as I had never eaten them before. Why not utilize them in the soup as a thickener and some green chilis for heat? Done.

Ingredients :
1 lb. yellow tomatoes, sliced in half and cored
3 cloves of garlic, skin intact
½ lb fingerling potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, diced
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
½ can (~2oz) green chilies (half a 4.25 oz can)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oikos fat-free Greek Yogurt (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cover baking pan with parchment paper and place tomatoes, garlic and potatoes in pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife easy penetrates the tomatoes and potatoes. Remove from oven to allow to cool slightly.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions in a deep pot or Dutch oven over for about 8-10 minutes. While the onion is sautéing, remove the skin from the tomatoes, potatoes and garlic, roughly chop all of them.

3. Once the onions are slightly translucent and brown around the edges, add the tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, broth, oregano, parsley, and chilies. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for ~10 minutes.

4. Remove the pot from the burner, allow to cool slightly and then begin to puree with an immersion blender (you can use a blender but mine is broken: please remember to vent if you use one however as the steam needs to escape.) I like my soup a bit chunky so puree to your desired consistency. I then ladle some and place a dollop of Greek yogurt on top.

Yield should be 4 cups.

Tropicana 50 - My version

Finally. I had received coupons for the new Trop50 a number of weeks ago however, they did not have any information on the website for me to link you too. Well, not only is there some information online but coupons also. Have any of you tried it yet? It looks as if they use Stevia as a sweetener. I am not sure I will buy it as I have a cheaper and effective way to cut the calories and sugar: I simply pour some of the regular Tropicana in my glass, and add water. I am guessing at a 60:40 ratio. Brillant eh?

Also, I thought the company has abandoned it's new packing for the former? hum.

French Toast with Vanilla, Cinnamon and Agave Nectar

It is Priscilla's (Priscila's Baking Adventures) fault. Yup, she did it. She posted a recipe titled 'french toast with vanilla and cinnamon'. Gosh, how do you resist? I could not. Now, I must state this now and hope you stick with me: I do not have a photo. I started off just trying to modify a recipe and ended up whirling my family into such a frenzy over having french toast that it was attacked with little evidence that it ever existed. Try yourself and find out how good these two recipes are!

Ingredients:
6 slices organic whole wheat bread
6 eggs
1/2 cup 1% milk
3 tbsp. Madagascar pure vanilla
1.5 tbsp. cinnamon
Organic Agave Nectar

Directions:
1. Whisk eggs. Spray a skillet with non-stick spray (I used 'butter') and set burner to medium.
2. Add milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix well.
3. Coat bread very well with egg mixture. Place in pan. Cook on stove flipping once.
4. I used a small amount of butter and then drizzled agave nectar on each piece.

Apparently I am an amazing mother having invented the best breakfast ever. I, on the other hand, felt a pang of guilt having never offered french toast to either child in their lives. YIKES!

Earthy Mushroom Soup

My daughter discovered her love of mushroom soup at Preschool and we now have our own version. We leave it chunky yet thin.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1.5 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 shallot, minced
1.2 sweet onion, chopped
8 oz. white or baby bella mushrooms, chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (use stock if you have it)
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 cup 1% milk

Directions:
1. Cook rice per instructions on bag/box. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add shallot and onion and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms, reduce heat to medium and cook about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add broth, parsley, thyme, and paprika, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add milk and rice, heat thoroughly and serve.