We’ve had a relatively mild winter here with plenty of warm days scattered in. I feel like, in a way, it makes the cold days worse. Today it’s chilly and rainy and suddenly feels like arctic tundra.
What does that mean? Comfort food, of course. This veggie-loaded chili is just perfect for a rainy Lenten Friday.
Continue readingThis post is sponsored in conjunction with#NationalSlowCookerMonth . I received complimentary product from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #NationalSlowCookerMonth recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
On busy days, my slow cooker is pretty much my best friend. I love being able to set it up, walk away for the day, and have a hot meal ready when we’re walking in the door at dinner time.
And is there anything more comforting than a hot bowl of soup? And this is comfort food you can feel good about – this plant-based meal is full of veggies!
Happy National #SoupSwapDay! Sharing soup with friends in the doldrums of winter is pretty much my favorite. I mean, what better mood booster is there than a great bowl of soup on a snowy day?
Today, I’ve teamed up with some of my blogger buddies to bring you seven new soups perfect for a soup swap!
Happy #SoupSwapDay! This is seriously one of my favorite food days – both on the blog and in real life! Each year, I host friends for a soup swap. It’s an afternoon of soup sampling, good conversation – and we go home with enough soup for the cold winter days.
Online, I get together with my blogger buddies to share new soup recipes. This cheeseburger soup is one the whole family has been loving!
It’s been a week for comfort food around here. When you’re feeling low, is there anything better than a bowl of chili? Not really, especially when it’s this easy to make.
This buffalo chicken chili is perfect for cool fall days – and simple enough for a weeknight.
Welcome to our third Lenten Friday! Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite new soups.
I don’t like to limit soups to winter – they really can be great make-ahead meals any time of the year.
Happy National Soup Swap Day! It’s seriously one of my favorite days of the year.
I mean, really, what is better than getting together with your friends on a chilly January Saturday and eating lots of soup?
This Slow Cooker Pepperoni Pizza Soup is my contribution to this year’s soup swap. Since it’s essentially pizza in a bowl, it’s a crowd pleaser – and especially a hit with the kids.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #UncommonFlavorsofEurope. I received product samples from the sponsor to aid in the creation of this post. All opinions are mine alone.
Do you know where your food is from? Do you know what’s in it? It’s a perpetual goal of mine to do better when it comes to food quality. We’ve made some big strides by joining our local CSA, but I’m always learning – and have learned there are some things you just can’t get locally.
Take, for example, Asiago PDO. True Asiago PDO is made only in the Asiago Plateau region of Italy – and has been made exactly the same way for more than 1000 years. PDO stands for “Protected Geographical Indication”, and is issued by the European Union. Foods baring the PDO designation have the strongest possible links to historical practices.
This vegetable stew is what we made for Family Dinner Book Club last month, and it’s such a great option for Lenten Fridays. It’s a dump and go slow cooker meal – perfect for the end of the week.
I honestly wasn’t sure how this would be received by the kids since it really is just a big bowl of vegetables – but I was pleasantly surprised that they were happy with it. You could easily switch up the veggies to fit your family’s tastes – or add chicken or pasta.
Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew
(adapted from Chef Sarah Elizabeth)
Serves 6-8
3 red potatoes, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup cut green beans
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 lemon, for the juice
Add everything, except lemon, to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours, until potatoes are easily cut with a fork. Stir in juice of the lemon and serve.
A note: The #foodbloggers4tx event was organized before Hurricane Irma started marching her destructive path through the Caribbean and Florida. While today’s post reflects on Harvey and helping those still picking up the pieces, my heart is with those in Irma’s wake, too – and I’ll have a post up with ways to help soon.
We, like most of the rest of the country, watched as Hurricane Harvey pummeled Texas. It’s so hard to watch so many people lose everything in these situations – where nature just takes over and nothing you do will help.
When it’s my neighbors or friends that are struggling, I tend to cook. Food is my love language, so a dinner or try of baked goods always makes be feel like I’m doing something good. But when the trouble is hundreds of miles away, I turn to groups that already on the ground feeding people – in this case, Houston Food Bank.
It’s hard to downplay how much good local organizations like the Houston Food Bank do. If you’re looking for a way to help out, donating to them is a great way.
Texas-Style Chili
(from House of Yum)
Serves 4
1 lb. ground beef
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. onion power
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
Fritos, shredded cheddar, and chopped red onion, optional, for serving
Brown the ground beef in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking up, until no longer pink. Drain the grease and add the tomato sauce, broth, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Stir in all spices until well combined.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve the chili over Fritos, topped with cheese and onion, if desired.
