Butternut Squash Soup

If you follow me on Instagram then you may have seen my post about the butternut squash soup I made the other day. With all the dreary weather Hurricane Joaquin has brought up the Carolinas I have been craving cozy clothes, cups of coffee, and soups. All the soups. I've had a butternut squash hanging out since we went to the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago and I knew I needed to do something with it. Enter the delicious soup below. . .

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

nutmeg

salt

pepper

Directions

Cut squash in 1 inch chunks.

Melt butter.

Add chopped onion and cook until soft

Add squash and stock.

Cook until squash is soft (mine took around 20 minutes).

Remove squash chunks and puree.

Pour blended squash back in pot.

Sprinkle with spices and enjoy!

This tasted even yummier with a little Greek Yogurt on top!

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers

One awesome part of our Whole30 journey was trying new recipes. A few were "eh" and a few were "oh, yea!"-this one fell into the latter category. Great for supper as well as something to nosh on guilt-free during a game. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

2 onions

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. dill

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried chives

5 peppers

1/2 cup hot sauce (we like Frank's)

1/2 stick of butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice onions and layers in 9x14 dish.

Lay chicken breasts on top.

Mix spices and sprinkle on chicken.

Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until chicken is done).

While the chicken is cooking melt the butter and hot sauce together. 

Cut tops off peppers and hollow out.

Take the cooked chicken and onions and shred it very finely (we use our Magic Bullet for this).

Combine the shredded chicken and hot sauce mixture.

Fill the hollowed peppers with the chicken and hot sauce mixture.

Place stuffed peppers in baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with guacamole and enjoy!

Veggies and Cheese Egg Casserole

I knew that I wanted to make something special for us to enjoy on Christmas morning. My mom always had lots of stuff to choose from, but with just the two of us eating I knew I only needed to make one thing, but to make it good. I found this recipe and tailored it to our tastebuds. In the week since I first made it we've already made it again. This is a great, healthy meal tat can be warmed up and snacked on throughout the week. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, diced

12 eggs

2 cups mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Crack eggs in bowl and whisk.

Stir in veggies and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes in a greased 9x13 pan.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

I recently stumbled upon the bare bones of this recipe and quickly tailored it to something we would enjoy. I love it because it's easy and the perfect meal for a chilly evening. David loves it because it fills him up with lots of different flavors. Next time you're looking for something to warm up a cold night try this yummy soup!

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts

2 yellow onions, diced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

3 tbsp garlic, minced

1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

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Directions

Place chicken in crockpot.

Add onion, pepper and garlic.

Por tomatoes and chicken stock over the top.

Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and paprika.

Cover and cook for 8 hours on low.

Shred chicken before serving.

Top with avocado, cheese, and/or sour cream.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

These freezing temps have me craving warm soups that I can load with all sorts of toppings. Bonus points if it can be made in a crockpot! Below is a yummy find that I tweaked to fit our tastes:-)

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika

Toppings
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, sliced

DirectionsAdd the chicken to the bottom of the crockpot. 
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic on top of the chicken. 
Pour the diced tomatoes and chicken stock over the top. 
Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.
 Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Shred the chicken before serving. 
Top with cilantro and avocado.
Enjoy!

Mashed Cauliflower

My sweet husband loves him some cauliflower, I, on the other hand, could take it or leave it. After subjecting him to my favorite dishes over and over again I decided to try one of his favorites in a new way and see if I liked it any more. I was surprised to learn I did! Try this recipe for mashed cauliflower next time you're considering adding it to your meal!

Ingredients 

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup almond milk

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

Directions

Boil a large pot of salted water. 

Add cauliflower and cook until very soft (10-15 minutes).

Drain in colander.

In a separate saute pan, warm olive oil over medium-low heat.

Add garlic and saute for roughly 30 seconds.

Mash with a potato masher in a large bowl. 

While mixing, slowly add the milk.

Mix in the salt and pepper and the minced garlic with the olive oil. 

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Just like most Americans I LOVE anything pumpkin flavored. Here is a childhood classic, with a bit of a pumpkin twist. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

Cookies

 1 cup room temp butter

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla 

3 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Coating   

1/2 cups white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of allspice

Directions

Beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

 Stir in the pumpkin puree.

Add in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate  bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. 

Stir until fully incorporated. 

Cover and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix the coating ingredients in a small bowl. 

Make dough balls and roll into the sugar mixture. 

Lightly flatten cookies with heel of hand (don't smush!).

 Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until baked through. 

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Part of my 30 Before 30 List was to try a new recipe every week. We knocked that out a long while ago and I've gotten into a routine of making the same recipes over and over. One of the joys of summer is the time to try new recipes, and we have a new favorite!

1 1/2 pounds of cooked shrimp

1/4 tsp cumin

salt

pepper

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbls minced garlic

2 tbls lime juice

2 tbls cilantro

Pull the tails off the shrimp and place in bowl.

Season shrimp with cumin, salt, and pepper.

Heat olive oil on medium heat.

Cook shrimp until pinkish color.

Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and add lime juice and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Chicken

We love us some chicken in our house and I'm always on the hunt for new ways to fix it. Here is one that will definitely be repeated again and again!

Ingredients
2 1/2 Tbl. brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
5-6 chicken breasts

Directions
  Preheat oven to 425.
Combine sugar, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.
 Coat each chicken breast thoroughly with this mixture and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

In honor of Halloween I am sharing a new favorite pumpkin recipe!

It's Fall and I needed a new recipe to share with our Community Group. This little gem is what came about!

Ingredients

 1 package yellow cake mix

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup melted butter

1 can pumpkin puree

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease a 9x13 inch pan. 

Reserve 1 cup cake mix. 

In a large bowl, combine the remaining dry cake mix with 1 egg and 1/2 cup melted butter. 

Mix well, and then pat into prepared pan. 

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour over crust. 

In a small bowl, combine reserved 1 cup cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons softened butter. Crumble over pumpkin filling. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chips Bars

I love pumpkin and it's fall, so what's a girl to do? Get to baking:-)

Ingredients

 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin

 1 package chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt

Cream butter and sugar until smooth.

Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. 

Add pumpkin puree and mix well. 

Mix in dry ingredients until just combined. 

Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. 

Bake bars for 35-40 minutes.

Cool and serve.

Enjoy!

Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops

I love pork chops, but my poor husband was getting tired of just grilling them plain. This was the perfect compromise:-)

Ingredients

 1 boneless pork chops

salt

pepper

2 Tbsp. Honey Dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

1 cup canned crushed pineapple

 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Season pork with salt and pepper on all sides.

Whisk together mustard, honey, and pineapple.

Reserve 1/2 cup for later.

Pour remaining marinade into a Ziploc bag and add pork.

Toss to cover all sides, then seal bag and marinate for 2-4 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high and brush with oil.

Remove pork from bag and shake off excess marinade.

Place pork on grill and cook roughly 4-5 minutes per side, or until done.

Brush reserved marinade when you flip.

Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10-12 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Black and White Chicken Chili

We needed a new easy winter go-to recipe. You know the kind that stick to your bones and taste good for days afterwards. This little gem is just that!

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can black beans

2 cans navy beans

1 jar salsa verde

1/2 cup water

shredded cheese to sprinkle

Directions

Drain and rinse the beans. 

In large saucepan, mix beans with salsa, chicken and 1/2 cup water. 

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Enjoy!

We enjoyed this over quinoa. Mm mm mm!

Baked Tilapia

I have recently started cooking more fish at the request of my dear husband. In the past the only thing from the sea that I would consume was shrimp, but I am slowly expanding my horizons. Here is a tilapia recipe that has been getting a lot of face time around our house!

Ingredients

4 tilapia filets

2 tsp butter

1/2 tsp of Old Bay seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 lemon, sliced

 Directions 

Preheat the oven to 375.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. 

Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter. 

Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic salt. 

Top each one with a slice or two of lemon. 

Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Garlic and Basil Carrots

This past week a friend of mine from work gifted us with a ziploc baggie of fresh basil. Talk about a good friend! I quickly hurried home to figure out what in my kitchen could be transformed with this gift. I came up with the following yummy and healthy recipe!

Ingredients

1 bag of carrots, chopped

1 Tbl. minced garlic

1 Tbl. olive oil

2 Tbl. fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Cook carrots in boiling water for for 2 -3 mins until softened.

Combine the garlic and oil in a nonstick pan. 

Cook over a moderate heat until you can smell the garlic.

Add the carrots and cook until well combined.

Toss in chopped basil and sautee until carrots begin to char a bit.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Brownies

These yummy, chocolatey treats were easy to make and absolutely delicious! The best part? They aren't totally horrible for you:-)

Ingredients

 1/2 c applesauce
1 1/2 c sugar
2 Tbl vanilla extract
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c shredded zucchini

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 9x13 dish with nonstick spray.

Mix applesauce, sugar, and vanilla.

Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Fold in zucchini.

Pour into 9x13 dish.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Protein Bars

This summer I've spent some time investigating the foods we eat and one that caught my attention was protein bars. David eats the things like candy and a lot of them have about the same amount of sugar as a candy bar! After much playing around in the kitchen I think we've come up with a pretty good recipe. Let me know what ya think!

Ingredients

 1 cup peanut butter (we use Trader Joe's all-natural)

3 Tbl honey

1 1/2 cup chocolate whey protein (David likes Gold Standard 100% Natural Whey)

 1 cup uncooked oats

8 Tbl water

1 Tbl unsweetened cocoa

Directions

Mix the PB and honey in a bowl.

Microwave for 30 seconds.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Mixture will be slightly crumbly.

Press firmly into an ungreased 8x8 dish. 

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Cut into 12 bars and enjoy!

Each bar has roughly 17g of protein!

Grilled Rosemary Chicken

Summertime means grill time! This is just a mix up of a few things we had in the kitchen. It was super yummy and super flavorful. Tasted even better tossed in a salad!

Ingredients 

1/4 cup lemon juice 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 clove garlic, minced 

2 tablespoons rosemary 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Directions

 Combine lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. 

Add chicken and toss until coated.

Cover and let marinate.

Grill chicken.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries

As I’ve mentioned MANY times before, I love me some sweet potatoes. Here is another way to fix them when your hubby gets tired of eating the same recipe over and over :)

Ingredients
2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1-2 Tbsp spice or spice combination of your choice 

I used paprika and sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cut each sweet potato into wedges. 


Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil. 


Mix well to combine. 

Sprinkle with salt, sugar and spices of your choice. 


Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. 


About 15 minutes in flip them.


Enjoy!


Roasted Cauliflower

I am always looking for new recipes to try. Heck it's one of the tasks on my 30 Before 30 List! With this recipe below I took a simple head of cauliflower and mixed it with what I had in my kitchen. Voila!

Ingredients


1 head of cauliflower


1 tbsp olive oil


1/2 tsp salt


1/8 tsp pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Cut the cauliflower florets away from the core and toss the core.
Toss the cauliflower so it’s coated with oil.
Space the cauliflower out on a baking sheet, so the cauliflower pieces are not touching.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is brown on top.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!