Progresso Soup-er You Giveaway!!

I love Progresso Soups. There is just something about a can of chunky, hearty, tasty, full of veggies and other goodies, soup that does not have to be mixed with water. Just imagine my excitement to find out that Progresso makes several soups that are 100 calories or less! Also, these "Light" soups contain a Weight Watchers point value on the can, which is so helpful for those of us who are or plan to be on the WW diet plan. Yay!

Recently, MyBlogSpark and Progresso sent me a package in the mail that contained several goodies, including several cans of the Progresso new Light soups in different flavors. I have not tried all of them yet, but from those I have tried I love them all! One of my very favorites is the Zesty Santa Fe Style Chicken with only 2 WW points per serving. It.Is.Delicious! It contains corn, rice, black beans, chicken, and other goodies and has just the right amount of spice. One of the flavors I cannot wait to try is the New England Clam Chowder.

I have not started my weight management plan as of yet (due to being pregnant), but once I have my little boy (only 3 weeks left! Woohoo!) I plan to start a weight management plan to get rid of these extra pounds I have put on from the pregnancy as well as a few more. I plan on joining Weight Watchers again, and these soups will be perfect to add into my diet - especially since they have the WW points value right on the can.

What about you? Do you currently have a weight management plan? Do you plan on "getting in shape" once Spring arrives? Why wait - start now with Progresso Light soups! I promise you that you will not be disappointed. Even better, why not try and win a Progresso package for yourself so you can try the soups for free?

MyBlogSpark and Progresso have graciously allowed me to have a giveaway on this blog for one of their Progresso Souper You packages. Here is what you will get:

All you have to do to be entered to win this awesome package (complete with yoga mat, aerobic bands, water bottle, arm bands, soups, etc.) is to leave a comment telling me either: A) What flavor of Progresso Light soups you would most love to try or B) How you would incorporate Progresso Light soups into your weight management/healthy living plan. Good luck! (Giveaway will end on Wednesday, March 16 and winner will be announced shortly thereafter).

Cake Mix Cookies

I have been posting a lot of "sweet" recipes lately, so why stop? :) Just last week, a dear friend of mine blessed us with a crib and an entire nursery theme (complete with curtains and everything)! She wouldn't take anything for them, so I decided to put on my apron and bake up some goodies for her and her family. I decided on this pumpkin bread for her and her hubs, and wanted to make some kind of cookies for the girls.

I had a couple of cake mixes in my pantry - one dark chocolate and one basic yellow. I had heard of cake mixes being used to make cookies, so I started browsing the net to find a recipe. I found this recipe on Betty Crocker's website, but decided to use the dark chocolate mix instead of the yellow. What kid doesn't like "double chocolate" cookies?? :) Here is the recipe:

Mix Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix (I used Pillsbury Dark Chocolate - shhh! don't tell!)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I omitted these)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a dark or nonstick cookie sheet). In large bowl, beat cake mix, butter, vanilla, and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by slightly less than tablespoonsful 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until edges are set (centers will be soft). Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Enjoy! Makes 42 cookies (according to recipe).

(Photo from bettycrocker.com.)

Easy Skillet Pasta

I was struggling with what to make for dinner tonight. I have cooked every night for the past two weeks and was running out of ideas! There is only so much you can do with a pound of hamburger or some chicken tenderloins, right? Plus, my hubby has started a strict diet and I am trying to eat healthier. So, I ventured to the WWW and checked out the Kraft website. I typed in some ingredients I had on-hand (hamburger, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese) and a few seconds later I had a huge list of recipes that included those ingredients. How awesome is that?!!

I decided on a super easy "skillet pasta" that only took 30 minutes total to make. Here is the recipe from the Kraft website. I changed mine just a little, so here is my version:

Easy Skillet Pasta

2 cups tri-colored rotini pasta, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 slices Kraft Singles cheese, quartered
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta until tender, drain and set aside. Brown hamburger in a skillet, drain. Stir in minced garlic, oregano, and spaghetti sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add Kraft singles and stir until melted in. Add pasta. Stir until pasta is coated. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.

I basically just omitted the peppers and some of the garlic, and changed a few of the steps. This was SO delicious! My hubby said it tasted like lazagna. Score! And, it was only 6 WW points per (1 1/3 cup) serving. I'm looking forward to having this again tomorrow! YUM!

When it's freezing outside and you need something to warm your tummy.....make this!!

This is one of my FaVoRiTe soups, especially on a cold, snowy day. It is very filling, and pretty spicy. Pair it with some cornbread and you will be in comfort food heaven! :)

Santa Fe Soup

1.5-2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans white shoepeg corn
1 can Ro*tel tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 cup water

Brown ground beef, drain. Add onions. Cook for a few minutes or until onions become translucent. Pour into crockpot along with other ingredients. Stir well. Cook on High for 2 hours, then on Low for at least an hour or longer. Enjoy!!

*This is great paired with cornbread or corn chips or tortilla chips.

Mashed Potatoes = Blah...

I LOVE potatoes! I love them any way you can cook them. One of my favorite potato dishes is a cheesy potato casserole. It is super easy to make and soooo good. However, tonight was the first time I have made it for my family.....weird, huh? Especially since potatoes are one of the only veggies my husband will eat. I have been trying some new ways to make potatoes other than the traditional "mashed". I am just so tired of having "mashed" potatoes for dinner all of the time. Even my little man won't hardly eat them anymore!!

For the cheesy potato casserole, you can shred up fresh potatoes or you can buy the frozen shredded hash-brown type. I took the easy way out and bought the frozen kind. Hey, easy and convenient are my two favorite words when it comes to cooking! I hope you enjoy this casserole as much as we did. :)

Cheesy Potato Casserole

1 bag frozen hash brown (shredded) potatoes
3/4 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 T. onion flakes (or you could use 2 T. finely chopped onions)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I actually used colby-jack because it was what I had on-hand)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a 11x7 baking dish (or 9x13) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove an sprinkle with corn flake topping. Return to oven and bake for 30 more minutes.

Topping

2 cups crushed Corn Flakes cereal
3 T. butter, melted

Mix together and sprinkle on top of potato mixture.

**I paired this with honey mustard grilled chicken and green beans. YUMMY!! Would also go great with any pork dish.

What to make with that leftover turkey....

Merry Christmas everyone (although a tad bit late)! I pray each of you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. We got to spend Christmas with my family and are going to spend it with my in-laws this weekend. I didn't think we would get to do any traveling based on the predicted weather forecast, so I put a turkey breast in the crockpot on Christmas Eve. Well.....needless to say....we have TONS of turkey left over! We have eaten it for two meals already, had a sandwich or two, and haven't even put a dent in it. So, I got creative tonight and made a Turkey Pot Pie. Very easy, quick, and delicious! And, a good way to use up that leftover turkey. :)

Turkey Pot Pie

1 pkg. refrigerated pie crust (you can use one or both)
2 cups turkey, cut up or shredded
1 can mixed vegetables, drained
1/2 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 can green beans, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of water (use soup can)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together turkey, veggies, and cream of chicken soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into pie plate (if using both crusts, put one crust into pie plate first). Top with pie crust and pinch all around to seal in filling. Make four slits in top of pie crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Enjoy!!

It's Fiesta Time!!

So, now that Thanksgiving is over and we are literally "stuffed"... it's time to start thinking about eating all of that delicious comfort food again for Christmas! Turkey and ham and dressing, oh my! This is my favorite time of the year, not just because of the food, but because of the cherished time I get to spend with my family and friends.

But between these two holidays that are full of yummy food and treats, we kind of need a break from the turkey and dressing. Some people feast on pizza and fast food, some revert to salads, and others live on turkey sandwiches (from the oodles of turkey they have left over!). One thing my family and I like to do is have a "Fiesta Night". This may include eating out at a local Mexican restaurant, swinging through a Taco Bell, or making Mexican food at home.

Recently, MyBlogSpark along with Old El Paso provided me with an Old El Paso "Family Taco Night" prize pack. The prize pack included a packet of Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes, and a $10 gift card to purchase my taco fixings. I was super excited! The serving dishes are so cute, and perfect for a Fiesta Party. Plus, the $10 gift card was a great bonus! :) I ended up purchasing a couple of the Old El Paso dinner kits and a couple more packs of the Old El Paso seasoning. The dinner kits I purchased were these:

This was definitely what we needed after "stuffing" ourselves with turkey and all the fixins'. :) Actually, I guess you could even make these with leftover turkey! Ha!

What about you? Do you have a "family fiesta night"? What do you usually make? Do you have a special dip or queso recipe? Leave a comment and you could win a prize package too (thanks to Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark)! Here is what you could win:
Winners will be announced at the end of the week. Good luck!!

Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is only 2 days away! Many of us will be traveling over this holiday weekend to be with friends and family, some will be cooking at home, and others will be dining out. Whatever you may be doing, I pray that your Thanksgiving Day will be blessed with an abundance of food, love, and family/friends!

Now, if you are wondering what you can make to take to your "potluck" Thanksgiving, or just need an extra dish for your table, here are a few recipes that are quick, easy, and delicious! I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.


HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING!! :)

*Sweet Potato Casserole

*Green Bean Casserole

*Cornbread Dressing

*Pecan Pie

*Pumpkin Cake

*Pumpkin Bread

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!" --Psalm 118:1

Friendship Tea

I mentioned in my previous post that I recently attended a Tea Party. It was a Ladies Tea with several of our church members. We had a great time!! We played games, ate some amazing food, and drank lots of yummy tea! There were so many kinds of tea it was hard to choose which one to taste first. From chai to mint to raspberry to darjeeling...and then there was the Friendship Tea that I made. It is basically a citrusy, spicy, sometimes bitter tea and is sometimes referred to as Wassail.

The recipe that I used for this particular Friendship Tea came from my mom. My hometown always has a Homemakers Christmas Bazaar, and since Mom is the secretary for the Extension Office there, she always has to work the bazaar. Every year she helps make the Friendship Tea and Country Ham Biscuits to sell for breakfast at the bazaar. YUM!! Those two go hand-in-hand. You just cannot have a country ham biscuit without a cup of hot Friendship Tea! :)

Okay, here is the recipe for the tea. Now I will tell you that this makes a BUNCH of tea. It is perfect for gift-giving (I made baggies to hand out to our ladies at the tea) - just put it in a little decorative container or a baggie and make it all pretty. I'm sure someone would love to have this!

Friendship Tea

2 cups instant tea
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups lemonade mix (such as Country Time)
2 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 1/2 cups Tang orange drink mix

Mix all ingredients together well. To make an individual cup of tea, you will need 2-3 tablespoons per 8 oz. of boiling water. If making a crockpot (or stovetop pot) full, you will need 2-3 cups per pot, depending on how strong you like it. You will probably have to "sample" it a couple of times to get the right depth of flavor. Just make sure to add a little at at time so as not to make it "overpowering". :) (I think mine was a little overpowering - - pretty strong and kind of bitter. Next time I will add less tea mixture and more water.)

Hope you enjoy this tea! It is perfect for a cool fall evening or cold winter night. Just curl up with your blanket (or in this day and age - a Snuggie!), a good book, and a warm cup of Friendship Tea. Mmmmmm..... :)

Chinese Take-Out....from the Freezer Section!

I LOVE Chinese food! From the places in the mall (where they are always offering samples) to the "whole in a wall" take-out restaurants (THE best, in my opinion) to the nice, sit-down restaurants (such as PF Changs). I love it all! Now I have to let you in on a secret.....my husband HATES Chinese food! He cannot stand rice, broccoli, or anything that resembles a vegetable (other than potatoes, corn, and green beans!). So, I have to get my "fix" whenever I can.

If we go to the mall, it's easy to satisfy my craving. We go to the food court, he gets Chick-Fil-A, I get Chinese. Simple as that. But what about the rest of the times my palette is salivating for Sesame Chicken, or General Tso's, or an egg roll?? Well, I believe I have found a solution: Tai Pei.

I am usually a bit "iffy" when it comes to frozen Chinese food that you find in your grocery store. It usually tastes fake or unusually spicy, or sometimes even rubbery or soggy. I was having one of my "cravings" though, while at the store the other day, and decided to pick up a bag of Tai Pei Stir-Fry Creations Beef & Broccoli. It was about $5 for the whole bag (enough for 2+ lunches for me!) and takes about 10 minutes to cook. I decided to give it a try today.

The bag includes stir-fry vegetables (in this case broccoli and onions), a bag of sauce, a bag of rice, and a bag of beef. All you have to do is thaw the sauce packet in hot water, pop the bag of rice in the microwave for 3 minutes, and stir-fry the meat and veggies until cooked through. Then throw the sauce in and saute for a few minutes until everything is well-coated. Pull the rice out of the microwave, top with the stir-fry, and voila!! Lunch (or dinner) is ready! And, it was delicious! The beef and broccoli and beef were very tender, the rice was fluffy, and the sauce was so tasty!

I would highly recommend the stir-fry creations by Tai Pei and am anxious to try other items Tai Pei has out there. I hope you will try them sometime too!

When you just need a little chocolate...

I have a SUPER EASY recipe for those times when you just need a little chocolate. It takes two ingredients, a sheet pan, and an oven. That's it!! I just made some a little while ago. Now you can fancy these up by drizzling chocolate on top of them and/or dusting on a little powdered sugar, or just keep them simple and plain. Are you ready to find out what they are?? Okay!!

Chocolate Croissants

1 roll refrigerated crescent rolls
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll crescent rolls. Place as many chocolate chips in each crescent roll as you would like (just make sure they don't start busting out of the sides). Roll up each crescent roll and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven. Devour immediately (or make them fancy, if you can wait that long!). :)

You could also make these really cute and serve them for dessert (fancied up, of course), maybe with some ice cream or something. You could use different types of chips, if you would like, maybe white chocolate or peanut butter chips. Be creative!!

Tater Salad

I love potato salad. It is just one of those things that must be present at any cookout, in my opinion. I do like cole slaw and pasta salad too, but there is just something about "tater salad" that strikes my fancy. :)

As much as I love this stuff, can you believe that I have never made it? Until this past Saturday, that is. We provided lunch for our new members after church this past Sunday (hot dogs, pulled pork BBQ sandwiches, tater salad, chips, baked beans, Poke Cake) and instead of purchasing a big tub of the stuff I decided to try my hand at it. Of course I called my mom to see how she makes hers and she told me everything I needed to know to make it. (Thanks, Mom!)

There are so many kinds of potato salad out there, and I love just about every one of them. I believe my favorite, though, is the mustard potato salad. It's tangy and sweet and just reminds me of what potato salad should be. Here is my "recipe" (I use this term lightly because I pretty much just added stuff!):

Mustard "Tater" Salad

5 or 6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon onion flakes (or you can cut up a small onion)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish (or you can chop up a medium size sweet pickle)
1 Tablespoon of sweet pickle juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until fork-tender, but not too soft (unless you want a "mashed potato" consistency), drain. Allow to cool. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. You can eat it right away, but it actually tastes better after it has chilled in the fridge overnight or for at least a couple of hours. Enjoy!

By the way, if anyone has any good "tater salad" recipes, I would love to try them!

Cream Cheese Frosting

I had so much fun hanging out with friends tonight, and babies too! I hosted a Gerber Generation House Party and had some Mommy-friends and their little ones over for games, food, and fun. I will post more about the party with pictures in the next day or so, but for now I have to tell you about this amazing frosting I made to go on the top of my devil's food cupcakes. It is to.die.for. I also like to put it on this cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all together. Frost cupcakes (or cakes, or cookies, or just eat it straight from the spoon!) I usually keep mine in the fridge just because the cream cheese needs refrigeration. Enjoy!!

The Easiest, Yummiest, Peanut-Buttery-est, No-Bake Cookie Goodness you will ever make!

I.Love.No-Bake Cookies. Actually, I love any sweetness that you don't have to bake (and all of those that you do have to bake, too!). :) But these....oh, these...are so easy a caveman can do it. Plus, the ingredients you need you probably already have in your pantry. I got this recipe from my friend Melanie. Mel is always making yummy things, and these are one of her specialties.

Melanie's No-Bake Cookies

1 stick butter
1 T. cocoa**
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oats

In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cocoa, sugar and milk and stir well. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and peanut butter. Add oats one cup at a time and stir well until all incorporated. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let set for a few minutes or until cookies are "dry". Enjoy!!

These are soooooo good! And sooooooo easy! The tricky part is the boiling for 1 minute part. If you boil for less or more than one minute, the cookies will not turn out. Enjoy-- but I'm warning you, don't eat too many of them or you will definitely get a belly ache!!

**If you like your cookies more chocolatey, you can add more cocoa to the mixture. These are light brown in color (kind of like the color of brown sugar) because of the amount of cocoa added.

When you don't have any food in the house....

It has been raining ALL DAY LONG here in "Derby City," and I don't have any groceries in my house. I used the last 4 pieces of bread to make hubby and little man a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch (we had tomato soup too, but made with water since we are also out of milk!). I have been trying to "clean out" my fridge and my pantry lately before going grocery shopping so I don't overstock on items. Well....I think I waited a little too long this time.


If you were to look in my fridge right now, you would see the following things: 5 slices of cheese, some shredded cheese, a can of crescent rolls, sour cream, some Coke Zero, a half a jug of Pedialyte, a pudding cup, 3 sticks of butter, and condiments. No milk, no eggs, no juice, no lunchmeat. The freezer is just the same - 3 chicken breasts, some ice cream, a bag of frozen broccoli, some frozen cherries and corn, and ice cubes. I promise I am going to the store.....tomorrow. :)


So what do you make with what little you have in your house? I came up with a recipe using the crescent rolls, chicken, sour cream and cheese, and half a can of cream of chicken soup. I call them "Chicken Pockets". Here is the recipe (or what I just threw in a bowl!):


Chicken Pockets


3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (colby jack is best, but I only had mozzarella)
2 cans crescent rolls**


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together shredded chicken, soup, sour cream, and cheese.
Unroll crescent rolls. Pinch two crescent rolls together to form a rectangle. Place a heaping spoonful of the chicken mixture in each rectangle. Pull up corners and pinch sides together to form a little purse, or "pocket". Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

**I only had one can of crescent rolls, so I had quite a bit of chicken mixture left over. Maybe I'll get some more at the grocery tomorrow.... :)