Tonight's Dinner Is Brought to You By...

Today, I found myself at home on a Monday rather unexpectedly. A certain little munchkin was sick, so I was home playing nurse-mom. Fortunately, she is feeling MUCH better tonight. I think she will be back at school tomorrow.

For some reason, I really was in the mood for Chicken Tortilla Soup today. I really wanted to run out to the store to grab a few things, but I didn't want to take sickly out on the town. What to do...what to do? Then I remembered Lettuce Carry.

I have been seeing commercials for Lettuce Carry in the mornings, and have wanted to try it. From their website:

"Lettuce Carry is a new grocery shopping experience in Charlotte, NC.

We offer over 15,000 diverse items at your fingertips, this includes a complete selection of fresh food (including local and organic), household items, health and beauty supplies, tobacco, beer and wine.

We then deliver your items right to your door at no charge (next day standard delivery) and our drivers accept no tips. Best of all, you save money because our low overhead costs means we can keep our prices low."

Well, all that sounded great to me, so I thought today would be a perfect time to give it a try! I shopped for the items I needed and checked out.

I could have had free delivery if I had waited to get my groceries tomorrow, but it was worth the convenience to pay $10 for a delivery today. I really love the fact that you can pick the 2-hour time slot that works best, so you aren't stuck sitting around all day waiting. And they even called to tell me when they were 10 minutes away! I chose the 4pm-6pm time slot, and they arrived at 4:15. Did I mention that they have a NO TIPPING policy?! So if you choose next day delivery it is absolutely free.

Prices were fairly comparable to a grocery store, and if you are a Couponer, they do accept manufacturer coupons. (I didn't have any,though, so I cannot report back about coupon use.)

The groceries all came in nice, reusable bags, which was above and beyond what I was expecting. Also, many of the meats are local! Another bonus!

I could definitely see using this service during lunchtime at work and having the items delivered around the time I would get home. After all...no one wants to hit the grocery store after work. Am I right?

Lettuce Carry delivers all over the greater Charlotte area- even to Rock Hill and Fort Mill, SC! If you are tired of going to the grocery store, give them a try!

Click here to visit the Lettuce Carry website.

Now, let's talk about this Chicken Tortilla-ish Soup I made tonight. I don't know what brought on this craving...maybe just the cooler fall weather. I have been making soup at least once a week. I also welcome any excuse to make spicy food.

Chicken Tortilla-ish Soup

 

If you want to make a Paleo-friendly version of this soup, then skip the corn and the cheese. I decided to add cheese mine for a little treat. Since I don't buy tortillas anymore, I took a cue from PaleOMG and used crushed Plantain Chips (just because I had them on hand) and sprinkled them over my soup. They added a little crunch. I am sure you could also add some sour cream as well if you like.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (mine were baked)
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3/4 cup frozen yellow corn kernels (I am sure fresh would be fine also)
• 1 14-oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 10-12 oz. chicken stock
• Handful of chopped cilantro
• Cumin, ground cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste (I used a TBSP of cumin, 1/2 tsp. cayenne, and a dash of salt and pepper)
• Optional extras: crushed tortilla chips or plantain chips, shredded cheese, sour cream

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, heat EVOO over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper. Sauté until tender. Add corn kernels. Sauté one minute longer. Add diced tomatoes. Stir. Add spices, chicken, chicken stock, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes covered over low heat. Serve hot with any garnish you like!

This recipe will serve 3-4 people.





You can enjoy it naked (above) or accessorized (see below).

This soup was so delicious! One of the best things I have made in quite a while! I hear it's gonna be chilly this week...make yourself a batch!

 

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The Good and Evil of the Internet

Let's talk about the Internet. You know, it is hard to believe, but when I was in school, there was no such thing. I remember when I was senior in high school, I had 2-3 friends who could get online at home. Back then, we called it "surfing the net." If you say that now people will look at you like you have grown three heads! ;)

The Internet is...in a word...AMAZING. Seriously...A. MAZ. ING. You literally have the world at your fingertips now. The other day, I was going to make Paula Deen's Broccoli and Swiss Casserole. I pulled into the parking lot at the grocery store and realized I had left the recipe at home. I pulled out my iPhone and Googled it. Within seconds, I had the recipe and ingredient list on my screen. From my PHONE, people. Technology is amazing, right?

Last week, I made this amazing soup. Guess how I found it? That's right... The Internet.

It was pretty cold and chilly around here last week, so I was in the mood for soup. I happened upon the blog, Paleo Savvy, while surfing the net. That's right, I said it. Anyway, as I was clicking through recipes, I stopped at this one: Asian Chicken Soup with Napa Cabbage and Bok Choy. I love bok choy, cabbage, and sesame oil, so I knew I needed to try it! The only change I made to this recipe was using beef broth instead of chicken broth, and I did that unintentionally. However, the soup was still great! I really like how the carrots were peeled with long strips. It just made it prettier.

This soup was very tasty and probably a lot healthier than something you might get from a local take-out spot. It is also Gluten-Free and Paleo-friendly! Visit Paleo Savvy for the recipe! You can also download a portion of her new cookbook for free!

 

So now, I know you are wondering why I said the Internet can be evil. I'm about to go off on a little rant, so feel free to stop reading here. You've been warned.

I've been really disheartened the past few days seeing so much ugly talk over the Internet regarding the election. Here are some comments I have seen on Facebook and Twitter:

• I'm never voting again.
• I'm moving to another country.
• Congratulations, voters. You just ruined America.

Seriously, people?! I wanted to say (and now I AM saying it) to these people: do you have a roof over your head? Did you eat breakfast this morning or dinner last night-- or both??? Did you go to a restaurant this week? Did you drive your own car today? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then you are better off than many others in this world. No president has ever been or will ever be perfect. Regardless of who you supported in this election, it's time to pull up your big girl (or boy) pants and support the country. Comments about how awful things are don't help any of us.

This past Sunday, my Sunday School class had a great discussion about what would make the world a better place. One of us made the comment, "What if we all just prayed for each other and supported each other?" Think about how much better the world would be if we did that. Lets just try that and see what happens.


End rant.

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Easiest Vegetable Soup + Blogger Eats

Happy Monday!  I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend!  We did.  We enjoyed lots of family time and even got some housework done!  Which made me remember that way back in the spring, I vowed to do better about keeping the house clean.  I even pinned a schedule on Pinterest, hoping to try and follow this.  We did it for about a week or so, but then a busy week hit and… Fail.  Now we are vowing it again.

Well, I may not be the best housekeeper in the world, but I did cook a little. 

As soon as fall starts to approach, I start thinking about things like…

boots

leaves

cocoa

soup

chili

apples

Wassail from Windy Hill Orchard

pumpkin

pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks

stews

blankets

long sleeves

candles

The list goes on and on.  I am always sad when summer ends… but once fall begins to come around, I remember how much I love this time of year, when everything cools down and the fall colors start to appear in nature. 

Yesterday was sort-of a gray day, so I felt like making soup.  This is the easiest soup to make.  This is the soup recipe I give to my friends who swear they cannot cook anything.  So if you’re one of those people who always goes for the complex recipes with many steps… I can tell you this soup probably isn’t your thing. 

 

Easiest Vegetable-Beef Soup

I make this soup almost every 2nd or 3rd week in the fall and winter.  It’s so simple, but it is filling and tasty.  I like to make a big batch on Sunday night and then eat it for lunches or an easy dinner during the week.  Back before I was (mostly) Paleo, I woulod have paired it with a grilled cheese.  Now I pair it with apple slices or some extra veggies.  Maybe even a slice of quiche!  One batch makes about 5-6 servings, but it really depends on how big your bowls are! 

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

2-3 cups of frozen, cut-up veggies (I use about 1/2 a bag of those frozen soup veggies with beans, corn, peas, and carrots—but you coulod certainly use fresh—whatever you have on hand)

2 cups frozen cut okra (again—I am sure fresh would also be great)

1 12-oz. can V-8 or Vegetable Juice

1 32-oz. carton chicken or vegetable broth

salt, pepper, bay leaves, or other seasoning

Preparation:

Brown ground beef with chopped onion.  When beef is browned, drain fat if needed.  (Depends on how lean the beef is.)  Add chicken broth and V8 to the pot.  Mix with a spoon.  Add frozen veggies.  Mix again.  Add seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 more minutes.  Serve hot with your favorite soup sides!

Seriously, I told you it was easy, right?

Yay for pre-prepared lunches this week!

Speaking of preparing meals in advance… last night I tried out this recipe from PaleOMG: Tex-Mex Hash Breakfast Casserole!  I love a breakfast hash, that is for sure.  So as soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it out. 

It turned out amazing!  It is so filling and hearty, and I love anything spicy in the morning.  I’d bring tacos to work for breakfast if I didn’t think I would get some crazy looks.  But I WILL take this to work. 

Stop over at PaleOMG! for the recipe!

Alright, friends… hope you have a great week!  For those of you who are having a rainy week (like us!), stay dry!

Spicy Gazpacho and Return to the Pool

Hello friends!  I hope all of you had a great week!  This has been a pretty full week, with us getting carpet.  That was a couple full days of work to get ready for the carpet and then get the house back in order afterwards.  (I’ll admit… I still have some work to do.)  Plus, I have taught 3 Zumba classes this week.  Even though I am not working, I feel like there has been a lot to do!

Today, I returned to the pool.  A couple of years ago, I was doing a lot of swimming and water aerobics.  I loved it, but I have not been doing it lately.  I have found that water aerobics instructors, like any other fitness instructors, are all very different.  Some are very relaxed and cater more towards those with limited mobility and arthritis.  Others are hard core and you get an amazing calorie-burning workout.  My favorite instructor cut back her classes drastically, and her only class is Friday nights now… which is a hard night to make it to class.  It seems like there is always something going on.  I haven’t been swimming laps either, and I missed it.  So I decided that this summer was going to be my return to the pool.  Not just to lay out and relax… but to swim, too. 

Lookie what I got today…

…a swim cap and goggles!  I’ve learned the hard way that big hair drags you down.  I wasn’t even sure if a swim cap would fit over all my hair… but it did—just barely!  It really helped me to not have to deal with my hair in the pool.  And eyes + chlorine = pain.  I don’t know why I have never owned goggles. 

I swam 1100 meters today: 12 laps of breaststroke, 8 laps of freestyle, and 2 laps of sidestroke.  I have also always been afraid of the cold pool, but I realized that it actually doesn’t feel cold after about 2 laps!

After all that swimming, it was time to have some lunch!  Post swim lunch:

Spicy Gazpacho, Turkey, and organic red grapes! 

(shout out to me—made this bowl myself!)

I am excited to share this gazpacho recipe with all of you!  I have been eating gazpacho all my life.  My mom always made it in the summers, and we would always eat it after long days swimming.  Then last week, I was visiting my sister Adrienne and she made some.  I’ve been wanting to make it ever since!  I didn’t consult any recipes to make this.  It’s based on what I remember my mom making and watching my sister make it last week.  You do need a food processor to make this.

Spicy Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 2 medium ripe tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 handful of baby carrots
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1 bell pepper (I used a yellow pepper)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of V8 Juice (add more if you like it thinner, less if you like it thick)
• 1/8 cup EVOO
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar (I think rice vinegar or white wine vinegar would work also)
• Frank’s Cayenne Sauce (Amount can vary—I used several tablespoons because I wanted it to have a kick—but you can adjust to your liking)
• salt, pepper to taste
• chopped green onions (optional—for garnish)

Preparation:

First, rough-chop all the veggies.  Then place each veggie (chopped) into the food processor.  I started with tomatoes. 

Chop them, then put them in the processor.  Transfer to a bowl.  Then move to your next veggie.  Chop, process, and add to the bowl.  When you get to the garlic, process that with your last veggie, since the cloves are a little small to process alone.  Mix all together. 

Add the V8, EVOO, vinegar, hot sauce, salt and pepper to the bowl.  Mix well with a large spoon or spatula. 

Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.  Before serving, garnish with green onions.

This makes a great light lunch—especially in the summer when the weather is hot.  Pair it with a meat or half a sandwich.  It really is so filling!  And you are getting a serious serving of veggies! 

Here’s to summer, swimming, and spicy gazpacho!

Southern Christmas Show Demo!

Hello, readers!  I have missed writing this week!  My laptop cord broke, so I haven’t been able to blog in a few days!  But I got a new cord today—Yay!—and now I am back!

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend! 

You know, the further we get into the month of November, the more excited I am about the upcoming holidays!  I absolutely love the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas stretch.  In fact, I’ve already been listening to some Christmas music!  ;)  Earlier in the week, i had an opportunity to help with a demo at the Southern Christmas Show.  The dance-fitness company I teach with likes to go out and do demos at differemt events, just to show what a regular Zumba class or DanceOut class is really like.  I always love attending the SCS, so I was excited to help with this demo. 

 

Here I am with 2 other fellow instructors:

Jenny, Kyle, and Me!  We were also joined by about 10-12 other participants.

If you want to get in the holiday “mood,” then this is the perfect place.  I had never been on “Preview Night” before.  One bonus—free parking!  And as a demo participant, I got to attend the show FREE! 

Our demo was lots of fun and we had lots of people interested in taking classes with us.  Afterwards, it was time to explore and shop! 

When I attended the SCS last year (click to view), I got hooked on  Duplin Wine.  Most of their varieties are too sweet for me, but I love their Burgundy.  I made sure to stop by their area and got a little care package for myself. 

I didn’t spend too much—just got a few gifts, and some Darby Creek Soups.  I always want soup during fall and winter, and I like these soup mixes.  They are really easy to make for a weeknight dinner and you can add in extra fresh ingredients to make it “sorta-homemade.”  I chose three varieties: Tortilla Soup, Navy Bean Soup, and Split Pea Soup.  I can’t wait to try them out! 

Actually, tonight I am making a different sorta-homemade soup: Broccoli Cheddar.  I can’t wait!  I’ve been thinking about it all day!

Happy Sunday! 

Storm Clean-Up, Carowinds, and Easy Eating

How was your weekend?  Ours was full of food and family time.  Two of my favorite things!

Remember the big storm from last week?  Well, yesterday ended up being “clean-up day.”  Ryan had borrowed a chain saw and was ready to be cutting limbs all day, but during the midmorning hours, my neighbor texted me that she was sending “her tree man” over when he finished with her yard.  Talk about an unexpected present!  Unfortunately, our tree in the front yard was too damaged to save, so we had to cut it down.  But our trees in the back yard only needed pruning.  Take a look at the pile of branches/leaves in front of our house!

Wild, huh?  Boy, does the city have their work cut out for them!  Every house on our street has a pile of branches as big as this one! 

Last night we enjoyed noodle bowls with edamame, broccoli, and chicken. 

I love making this.  It’s just as good as ordering Chinese takeout, but way healthier!

Today, we decided the weather was perfect for a quick afternoon trip to Carowinds. 

 

No big Roller Coasters for us today… just the kiddie rides.  Ryan and I are planning an “adult day” at Carowinds soon, though.  It’s fun to go ride all the scary rides!

I’m really looking forward to summer vacation starting soon.  I am looking forward to having more time to cook (and clean!).  Tonight I was able to cook one of my favorite meals: chili.  I made a nice big pot so that we could have leftovers this week.  :)  I used a version of this recipe, but I used fresh onion tonight, and I added extra Cayenne Pepper. 

I know soups and chilis are more “winter meals,” but I love them just as much in the summer!  I’m weird, I know!

Goodnight, all!  Have a great week!

True Love and Noodle Love

Happy Monday!!!

I am ending the night with some true love… The Bachelor finale.  Do you watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette?  I just can’t help myself.  I am a sucker for that show.  I can’t wait to see who Brad chooses! 

Today, I want to talk about convenience foods.  Lately, my life has been so busy that I am doing a terrible job of planning ahead and cooking meals for myself and my family.  I think that poor planning is one if the biggest pitfalls of getting (and staying) healthy.  Some nights I am coming home at 9 p.m. and I am starving… so I eat whatever is quickest. 

Sometimes it’s frozen convenience foods, like this lasagna we had last night. 

Good, yes.  Best ingredients?  Probably not.

But today I cooked two meals that only took a few minutes, but turned out pretty tasty!

Today, I had several meetings with teachers planned, so I decided to make chili. 

I planned to make this into chicken chili, but the grocery store was out of those convenient packages of grilled chicken strips.  Grrrrr…  So at the last minute, I added Morningstar Farms crumbles to the chili.  I love all the Morningstar Farms products.  This chili was delish with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream mixed in.  And it took me just FIVE minutes to prepare this in the slow cooker!  Now, these directions are to prepare the soup in a slow cooker for a lunchtime meal.  But you could definitely make this on the stovetop, too!  (Much quicker!)

Sorta Homemade Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili

• 1 pack Bear Creek “Darn Good Chili” Soup Mix
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 12-oz package Morningstar Farms “beef” crumbles

Preparation: Fill slow cooker with 7 cups of hot water.  Turn on high for an hour.  Add tomato paste and stir so that it breaks up.  Add the chili packet.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  Add crumbles and cook 2 more hours on high.  Serve with chips, cheese, and sour cream!

Then tonight, I decided to try something new.  My friend Diana over at The Chic Life is constantly making these Noodle Stir Fry dishes, like this one.  I’ve been wanting to try this!  So tonight I did! 

I cooked Udon Noodles, and then drained them and set them aside.  I stir-fried my broccoli and edamame in a skillet with a little canola and sesame oil, and some reduced-sodium soy sauce.  When everything was almost cooked through (to crisp-tender) I added the noodles to the skillet and added a sprinkling of sesame seeds. 

And wow… this was so good and took only a few minutes to prepare!  The longest part was cooking the noodles!  I will definitely make this again… SOON!  SO much better than getting takeout!

OK… the Bachelor is getting INTENSE!  I’m gonna have to give it my full attention…

Good night!