Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Last day of Soup Week! It's been really fun and my little sisters have enjoyed coming over and eating all my leftover soup! Broccoli-Cheddar is a classic, so I thought it would be a great one to end with. I made the croutons. Cut up a piece of bread, dip it in olive oil, and cook at 400 degrees, until golden.

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 onion

1 potato

2 tbsp olive oil

2 celery stalks

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups cream

1 cup water

2 cups cooked broccoli

1 cup cheddar cheese

croutons (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop the onion and celery stalks. Saute in the oil in a pot. 

2. Chop the potato. Add the potato, chicken broth, cream, and water. Bring to a boil, than simmer 10 minutes. 

3. Puree the soup in a blender. Return it back to the pot and bring it to a simmer again.

4. Stir in the broccoli and cheddar cheese. Once melted it is ready to serve.

5. Enjoy.

Butternut Squash Soup

Day six of Soup Week! I love fall and squash is delicious! Butternut squash is also a great source for fiber, vitamin C, A, and E. This was actually one of the fastest and easiest soups to make so far.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 onion

2 tbsp butter

2 lbs butternut squash

1 tbsp thyme

3 cups vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes. Cut the onion.

2. Add the onion, thyme, and butter to the pan, and saute until soft.

3. Add squash and broth. Let simmer until the squash is tender (about 10-15 minutes). 

4. Put in a blender and puree.

5. Pour back into the pan. Once cooled, dish into bowls and serve. 

6. Enjoy!

 

Sausage-Bean Soup

Day five of Soup Week! 

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients: 

4 garlic cloves

1/2 onion

pinch of red pepper flakes

3 sweet Italian sausage links

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups baby spinach

1 can white beans

1 Parmesan rind

extra Parmesan

Directions: 

1. Cook the sausage than cut into thin slices.

2. Chop the garlic and onion, and put in a pan with the red pepper flakes and olive oil. 

3. Add the broth, spinach, beans, and Parmesan rind.

4. Simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Pour in a bowl and had the desired amount of Parmesan to soup. 

6. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Day four of Soup Week! This is a recipe my mom used to make me a lot when I was younger and I still love it. It was the only time we had Frito's in the house. It has no meat, so it is vegetarian friendly. I usually add a little bit of sharp cheddar cheese.

Makes 8 servings

217 calories

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1/3 can tomato paste

1 can corn kernel

1 can pinto beans

1/2 pkg taco seasoning

(optional: Cheese, Avocados, Frito's, etc.)

Directions: 

1. In a large pot, pour all of the contents of the cans, except the black beans. Drain the black beans and put only the beans in the mixture.

2. Add the taco seasoning and tomato paste. 

3. Add two can's worth of water. 

4. Bring to a boil. Let simmer on a lower heat for 25 minutes.

5. Pour into a bowl and put on desired toppings. 

6. Enjoy. 

Greek Egg-Lemon Soup

I enjoy Greek food and the local place I go to has a delicious soup. I found a recipe (from Women's Health Magazine) that matches almost perfectly. Day three of Soup Week!

Makes 2 servings

190 calories

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1/4 cup orzo

1 egg

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup baby spinach leaves. 

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil, than add the orzo. Lower heat and let it simmer until it's tender (about 8 minutes).

2. Whisk together the egg and lemon juice in a bowl. 

3. Remove pan from heat. Measure out 1/2 cup of the hot broth. Pour it slowly into the egg/lemon mixture. Whisk it to keep the eggs from scrambling. Pour the mixture back into the pan, continue to whisk. 

4. Add the spinach and bring up to a low heat. Let the spinach wilt, 2-4 minutes. 

5. Enjoy.

Motivation 2

Pesto-Bean Soup

Day two of Soup Week! You could switch out the chicken broth to vegetable broth to make it vegetarian friendly. For a vegan version also take out the cheese.

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

5 cloves of garlic

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cans cannellini beans

1 cup of water

3 tbsp pesto

2 tbsp Parmesan

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped olives

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

Directions:

1. Mince the garlic. Put in a large saucepan with the red pepper flakes and olive oil. Saute. 

2. Add the cans of beans and the water. Let cook for 8 minutes. 

3. Add the pesto, Parmesan, chicken broth, and celery. Cook for 15 minutes.

4. Add the chopped olives and roasted red peppers. 

5. Enjoy. 

Carrot/Orange Soup

Today is the start of Soup Week! I will be posting a soup a day. It's going to be soup-er! This is one of my favorite soups. It's tangy and delicious; also full of vitamin C.

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs carrots

4 cloves of garlic

1 orange

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 1/4 cups of water

1 1/4 cups of orange juice

1 tbsp nutmeg

1 1/2 cups of light cream

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the carrots. Grate the zest of the orange (the skin). Peel the garlic. 

2. Put carrots, zest, garlic, orange juice, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Make sure the carrots are soft.

3. Let the soup cool. Pour into a blender and add the nutmeg. Puree the soup until smooth. 

4. Pour the soup back into the saucepan.  Stir the cream into the soup. Let it heat back up, but not boil. 

5. Enjoy!

Mini Tacos

These bite size tacos are great for parties or just a fun dinner. Easy and tasty. This was an idea from Pinterest. I just love Pinterest.

Makes 24

Ingredients: 

24 won-ton wrappers

1 can of pinto or black beans

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

1/2 pound of ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning

chunky salsa 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the beef and add the taco seasoning to it. 

2. In a small muffin tin, place the won-ton wrappers. 

3. Scoop the beans and meat into the wrappers. 

4. Sprinkle cheese on the top. 

5. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Once it's out of the oven, add the salsa to the top. 

6. Enjoy!

10 Steps for Weightloss

Janae's List

Step One: Take a "Before" picture. You don't have to show anyone if you don't want to, but have it. People would tell me "Oh, you've lost so much weight!", but sometimes you can't see it on yourself. If you do this, you'll find it a great way to track progress.

Step Two: Take measurements. Just like taking a "before" picture. It's a great way to track your progress. Weighing yourself is fine, but if you gain muscle than the scale is going to trick you. Write it down in a journal or keep a note in your phone. 

Step Three: Find out healthy weight goal. You need a realistic goal and timeline, whether you are bulking up or slimming down. 

Step Four: Action Plan. Five days a week commit to at least 30 minute work outs. Walking, yoga, dancing, etc. Get that heart rate up! Move, Move, MOVE! 

Step Five: Cut out all Trans Fat and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I could list more things, but to keep it simple start with that. As Jillian Michaels says in her recent book, Master Your Metabolism, "If it doesn't have a mother or come from the ground, avoid it."

Step Six: Read the labels while shopping and check serving sizes. Knowing what is in your food and how much a serving size actually is can really help when trying to lose weight. 

Step Seven: Try to cook as many meals from scratch as possible. I know this can be tricky with how busy life can be, but still try to eat the best you can. The less processed foods, the better. Also do NOT skip meals. 

Step Eight: Drink lots of water! Cut out soda and other sugary drinks! Just do it! 

Step Nine: Let yourself have a cheat day. Fridays are my "Cravings Day". I go on a date, and eat somewhere nice, or eat a cupcake. Forgive me, I am human. Sometimes on a Monday I will be craving something really bad, but than by the time Friday rolls around I don't even want it anymore. This method can help with cravings. Plus studies have shown that when you restrict yourself from something you are more likely to pig out on it later. Moderation is key. Sorry in advance for the picture below (I am just really proud at how this cake turned out). 

Step Ten: Be kind and patient with yourself. This is a long process; Rome wasn't built in a day. You can't beat yourself up if you don't lose five pounds after two weeks. Every body is different and you have to try and have a positive attitude about it. Make a motivation board with goals and things that make you happy. Remember you need to be getting healthy for you; not because a High School Reunion is coming up. 

Chicken and Peach Kebabs

This is one of the those recipes that I just threw together so there isn't a lot of structure to it, but it's not to hard to make.

Ingredients:

2 peaches

1 onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 chicken bratwursts

fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Cook the bratwursts. 

2. Cut them into half inches pieces.

3. Cut the peaches and onion, and put in a bowl. Mix with the oil and thyme.

4. Add to Kebab sticks.

5. Broil for 10 minutes on high (my oven has only high and low).

6. Enjoy.

Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo

So, I enjoy going to Olive Garden. When I go, I love getting calamari and don't even get me started on the bread sticks! When I go I love to get the Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo dish. It is so tasty, but the downside (besides how many calories it is) is that it is $16 for a plate! I decided to make it myself and it isn't to costly. It's not to hard to make either. I didn't actually track the calories on this dish, but I can try to do all the math later.

Makes 4 large

or 6 smaller servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of steak

1 1/2 cups of Italian dressing

2 tbsp chopped rosemary

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 cups of spinach 

1 cup of chopped green onions

15 oz Alfredo sauce 

3-4 tbsp Gorgonzola crumbles

(save some of the crumbles to sprinkle on top)

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes

1 pound of fettuccine pasta

Directions:

1. Cut the steak into 1 inch cubes. In a mixing bowl or glass dish put the Italian dressing, rosemary, and lemon juice. Place the steak in the marinade and let sit in the fridge for two to three hours. Make sure to turn the meat over half way through. 

2. Once the meat is marinated you can cook it to your liking (medium, rare, etc). I used a George Forman grill. Place the cooked pieces to soak in a bowl with balsamic vinegar. 

3. Start the pasta, cook according to the package. 

4. In a sauce pan, on low heat, pour the Alfredo sauce. Once heated add the Gorgonzola crumbles so that they can melt and blend well. Next add the spinach and the chopped green onions.

5. Once the pasta is done, add it to the sauce, and stir it together. 

6. Dish the pasta and dress it with the steak, sun-dried tomatoes, and Gorgonzola crumbles. 

7. Enjoy. 

In case anyone needs visuals, here is what I bought. The meat is already cooked in this picture, so the lemon and Italian dressing aren't in the picture. I bought this all at my local grocers, Harmon's. Also if you aren't familiar with cheese, Gorgonzola is a Italian blue cheese. I love all cheese for the most part, but not blue cheese so much. Gorgonzola has just enough of a different taste for me to like it. I would say pair this with a light salad because it's a very filling/rich dish. Every once and awhile you need to treat yourself to something special, and if you cook it yourself than it will be less calories than if you ate out at a restaurant. If you have any questions let me know!