Make: Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Now that the weather is turning colder, I’m in the mood for home-cooked meals & cozy evenings.

Which means, hello soup season!

Isn’t fall the quintessential time to enjoy all things soup?  Chili, chicken noodle, creamy broccoli… give me all the soups!

To ring in fall, I made my first batch of creamy chicken & wild rice soup the other night, and it hit the spot, so I thought I’d share my recipe.














My recipe inspiration stems from The Double Dipped Life -- though I have quite a few variations to her original recipe.

To make my version, you'll need:

½ c. butter

1 chopped onion

1 t. minced garlic

1 c. frozen corn

2 c. frozen shredded zucchini

1 c. sliced carrots

¾ c. flour

8 c. chicken broth

2 boxes uncooked Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice without the seasoning packets

Shredded chicken, from a rotisserie chicken – about 1 lb of chicken

1 t. salt

1 t. curry powder

1 t. mustard powder

1 t. dried parsley

1 t. black pepper – more, if you’re my husband

2 c. half and half

I do want to note, my soup is thick – so more chicken broth can be added if you like your soup more soupy :)

Melt the butter in a stockpot.  Stir in onion, garlic, corn, zucchini, & carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes.  Add the flour & stir well. Over medium heat, add chicken & then the chicken broth, stirring consistently.  Bring mixture to a boil & then reduce the heat to low & let it simmer.

Add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, dried parsley, & black pepper.  Stir well, then add the half & half, stirring as you pour.  Let the soup simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours being careful that it does not boil, and stir occasionally.

This soup also freezes well – we like to freeze our leftovers in portion sized contains & take them for lunch.

I’d love to know, what soups are your go-to for the colder months?

Linking up at:
Elizabeth & Co | Adventure of Mel

Make: fruit & yogurt popsicles

I realize that I'm a day late & a dollar short with this, being that summer is nearing it's end & today is the first day of September (what?!), but these are too yummy not to share.  And they can be enjoyed year round, even though they taste best on a hot summer day.

Earlier this summer we purchased this homemade popsicle mold & I had grand plans of making all sorts of concoctions. 

As per usual, life happened & the popsicle mold got pushed to the back of the cupboard.  It wasn't until recently that I remembered we bought this, and I needed to put it to use. 

I used ingredients that we already had in the fridge -- yogurt, strawberries, & kiwis.  Nothing fancy, but frozen yogurt with mixed fruit doesn't need much else to make it delicious.

All you need to do is plop some yogurt in, followed by some fruit, then some more yogurt & then some more fruit.  Let it freeze for an hour or longer, and whhh-laa!

Super tasty & easy homemade popsicles!  Plus, they're a healthy alternative to regular ice cream.  I plan on trying a Nutella/fudge mixture for our next batch... those likely won't be as healthy :)

Have you made homemade popsicles?  What is your favorite blend?

Make: Pizza Loaf.

In addition to this baked chicken fajita, another staple in our weeknight dinner rotation is Pizza loaf.

Of course, the recipe comes from my favorite cookbook, Taste of Homes Most Requested Recipes, and the recipe can also be found here.

What I love about this, is that you can customize it to your liking, adding whatever toppings you desire, & the left-overs are just as good as the first time around.

And, it's kinda fun to make :)






























Buon Appetito!

Make: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Pretty darn quick here, we're going have an over abundance of zucchini from our garden, so I've been scouring the web for yummy zucchini recipes.  Recipes in which you actually have no idea zucchini is a major ingredient in, because frankly, I am not a major fan of zucchini, but my husband is.

However, I love baking with zucchini, and basically, this recipe had me at "double chocolate".
















This double chocolate zucchini bread by Sally is unreal.  It's SO good -- full of moisture & flavor & you have NO idea if you didn't bake it, that it contains a cup & a half of zucchini.

I did just a few things differently than the original recipe -- I only had regular vanilla yogurt on hand, not Greek.  I didn't have instant coffee or espresso powder, so I left that out, & I used organic cacao powder.

My slight variations didn't matter one bit -- this bread was still incredible.














Pin it. Bookmark it. Print it off.  Do whatever it is that you do.

Bottom line, make this recipe ASAP.  You will not be disappointed!

Make: Pizza Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad.

It's a side that nearly everyone loves, but yet we only make for a special occasion.  You know, for a family gathering, a baby or bridal shower.  And why?  I mean, most of the time I could make a meal just out of pasta salads, but yet I never whip one up for supper.  Hmm, maybe that should change.

Anyways, we all have a favorite, and this one happens to be mine:

Pizza Pasta Salad 

(This recipe shared to you from a former co-worker of mine; I have no idea where it originates from)

12 oz. box of Rotini noodles, cooked, drained & cooled

1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes w/ basil, garlic & oregano, drained

1 can pre-sliced black olives, drained

Pepperoni, cut-up

Dried Hard Salami, cut up

Fresh mozzarella or provolone cheese, shredded

1/2 c. (more or less, depending on how saturated you like your pasta salad) Newman's Italian dressing (I've heard Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil works just as well, but I've never tried it)

Add everything together in a serving bowl, toss, & enjoy!

Make: Baked Chicken Fajitas

Are you wanting the easiest weeknight meal in all the land?
An entire meal that requires only ONE dish... a meal that is ready in 30 minutes from start to finish?
Well you're in luck because I'm gonna share a favorite staple dinner that we consume often.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

The recipe originates from one of my most favorite cookbooks ever, Taste of Homes Most Requested Recipes, circa 2011.
Seriously, this cookbook is loaded with yummy, practical recipes that we make again & again.

You can find the original recipe here (or in the book below), but I'll share my tips to make this recipe even more easy.






























The recipe calls for one onion, one green pepper & one red pepper, but I've found this lovely melody in the freezer section at the grocery store which has everything you need & is already prepared.






























Once your chicken breasts are diced (1 lb. worth of them), throw them in your baking dish, add 1 can of diced tomatoes, add veggie blend, & drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil (I use extra virgin olive oil).

Then add your spices (2 t. chili powder, 2 t. ground cumin, & salt to taste) -- stir it all together so everything is evenly coated & bake uncovered for 20-25 mins. (or until chicken is no longer pink & veggies are tender) at 400°. 

*I like to add a little seasoned salt, pepper, & crushed red pepper flakes for extra flavor.






























Wha-laa, it's that easy!






























Enjoy with your favorite fixins', wrapped up in a tortilla shell.

Make: Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

I'm gonna go ahead & apologize in advance to your waistline, but these cookies bars are to die for.

The original recipe comes from AverieCooks -- she calls them Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars, and below is my version.

I've slightly modified the recipe, only because I didn't have all the ingredients in my pantry at the time, and they still turned out magnificent.






























You'll need:
1/2 c. melted butter
1 egg
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. flour
1 c. Peanut M&Ms
1 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F & lube up an 8x8 baking plan
2. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, vanilla & mix until smooth
3. Add the peanut butter & mix until smooth
4. Add the floor & mix until incorporated, but don't over-mix
5. Fold in Peanut M&Ms & chocolate chips
6. Put batter in prepped baking dish & lightly smooth over the top
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is set - make sure a toothpick comes out clean.  (I think these are better if they're slightly underdone!)
8. Let bars cool for 30 minutes before cutting into them
9. Try not to eat the whole pan



Let me know if you make these -- I'd love to know what else you throw in yours!

Make: Pecan Pie

It wasn't until about a year ago that I tasted my first pecan pie, and then I kicked myself for not trying it sooner.  They are SO good.

I quickly set-out to find a recipe; of course I landed on the Pioneer Woman's website, and I knew it was a safe bet to try one of Ree's creations.

You can find the recipe here.










































































Pssst! I totally cheat & use a store-bought frozen pie crust because really, it tastes just as good.

Pair a slice (or two!) of this pie with coffee and, ohhh -- you'll be in heaven!