I am thankful

Dear Readers,

I am thankful this Thanksgiving.

Earlier this month, we were blessed with our daughter, Ella, through adoption. She is such a joy!

This Thanksgiving, please take some time to reflect on your blessings.

And please, dine well!

I'm off to bake a triple layer pumpkin pie. I won't count the carbs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rachel

Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

I'm a huge fan of whole-wheat beer bread. I make loaves of it, slice it, freeze it, and pull pieces out whenever the bread fits the meal.

Cooking Light's November 2008 issue features a section called "Holiday Cooking." On the same page as the recipe I'm about to share are recipes for other varieties: apple-cheddar beer bread, manchego-jalapeno beer bread, and sopressata-asiago beer bread.

Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil




• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion




• 1/4 t black pepper




• 1 t garlic powder




• 3 cups of white flour




• 3 T sugar




• 2 t baking powder




• 1 t salt




• 1 cup of shredded Colby-jack cheese




• 12 oz of beer




• cooking spray




• butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.




2. Cook chopped onion in olive oil in a large skillet until soft. Stir in garlic and pepper.




3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.




4. Mix in onion mixture, cheese, beer. Stirring until all is moist.




5. Spoon batter into a glass loaf pan (that has been sprayed). Pour 2 T of melted butter on top. Bake for about one hour or until the top is golden and hard.

Once cooled, remove from the oven, cool, slice, and enjoy!

Turkey & Potato Soup

Ahhh, Cooking Light woos me again. The November issue boasts of recipes that utilize leftover Thanksgiving ingredients like turkey and mashed potatoes.

I'm writing this prior to Thanksgiving, so I have no leftovers. Regardless, I was able to make this soup.

Here's my modified version.

Turkey and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of chopped onion





• 1 cup chopped celery





• baby carrots





• 1 packet of Oscar Mayer Recipe Real Bacon Pieces (found on the salad dressing aisle)





• 3 cups of fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth





• 3 Jennie-O Boneless Turkey Breast Tenderloins, prepared as package directions and then cut into small pieces





• 2 1/2 cups of mashed, cooked potatoes (I always leave the skins on)





• 1 T of sage





• salt and pepper to taste





• olive or canola oil





• optional: cauliflower puree (just to add more veggie)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, stirring and cooking for about six minutes.





2. Add the broth, turkey, potatoes, entire packet of bacon bits, and sage. Stir vigorously (will be thick due to the potatoes) until blended. Bring the mixture to a boil.





3. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.





4. Ladle into bowls and serve. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper.

Cook's note: This freezes very well! It's also very filling. Tastes great with a dollop of fat-free sour cream on top.

This soup is amazing with "Basic Beer - Cheese Bread." Recipe to follow shortly.

BEST Comment Competition!!!

I'm offering you, one of my dear readers, my first giveaway: a brand-new apron! Just in time for holiday baking!!!



Reply to this entry offering up a comment on my blog. Comment on whatever you like---a favorite recipe and for what occasion you made it, for example. Or pick your favorite blog entry and share what it meant to you.



I'll announce the winner late next weekend! So get to writing! And be creative!

Earth Day Bars

Yep, it's not Earth Day.


But once upon a time, in April of 2007, I picked up an issue of Family Fun magazine...probably in a doctor's office or at my gym. I came across the following recipe, which has become a favorite in my house. Of course, I've modified it a little to fit my dietary needs. :)


Earth Day Bars


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat baking mix




• 1 1/2 cups of oats




• 1/2 cup of Splenda Brown Sugar Blend




• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened




• 1 omega-3 egg




• 1/2 t cinnamon

and, 1 cup total of one or a combination of several, of the following:

• coconut flakes




• chocolate chips




• chopped dried fruit




• nuts

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.




2. Mix all ingredients except the "one cup of choice" in a large bowl. It will be crumbly and moist.




3. Mix in the "one cup of choice."




4. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Press bar mixture evenly into the pan.




5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.




6. Allow bars to cool for 20 minutes before cutting.

With the oats, whole wheat mix, and your choice of add-ins, this healthy snack will surely make you feel "earthy."

Tip From My Kitchen III

Try a new grocery store. There's a thought.



I live about 1.5 miles from an Aldi store.



I forget it's there.



That is until yesterday when a flyer stuck in my free town's free newspaper offered me $5 off my $25 Aldi purchase.



So today I picked up the following groceries:

1. 1 can of pumpkin puree


2. 2 cans of diced tomatoes


3. 2 bags of frozen fruit chunks


4. 1 bag of chopped walnuts


5. 1 bag of halved pecans


6. 4 frozen salmon filets


7. 1 box of bran flakes cereal


8. 1 bag of sweet onions (6 in total)


9. 1 box of unsalted butter (4 sticks)


10. 1 bag of frozen asparagus

Total minus coupon: $21.

Woo-hoo!