Butternut Squash and Apple Soup...also Veggie Stock!

We all have our Fall favorites:

Chai Tea
Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Pumpkin Pie
Hot Chocolate

They also pack a load of calories and sugar! Why are all the good things so terrible for us?! Sheesh! So on my diet I'm trying my hardest to cut out bread, sugar and unhealthy carbs! My "adventure" if you want to call it that, has lead me to find natural ways to sweeten things, and healthy versions to our old favorites!

This leads me to share with you TWO of my favorite and easy "self created" recipes.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP

Ingredients:
1 Large carrot, sliced into rounds
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 apples, cubed
1 medium butternut squash, cubed
5 cups (or more...depending on how thin you want the soup) vegetable stock
1 Teaspoon curry powder
1/8-1/4 cup soy creamer
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by peeling and cubing the butternut squash. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes, or until soft.

While the squash is baking, chop up your onion, carrots, celery and garlic and place in a medium sized stock/soup pot with some olive oil and cook until tender.

Add your diced apple and curry powder. Cook, stirring frequently,  until apples are tender.

Once everything is soft and the flavors are blended add your roasted butternut squash and vegetable stock. Bring back up to a soft boil.

Using an emersion blender, blend until pureed. If you don't have one then you can use a regular blender and blend in small batches.

Add the soy creamer and stir until blended together.

Enjoy with toasted seeded bread or a hearty crusty french bread!


HOMEMADE VEGGIE STOCK

Ingredients:
Anything left over from your veggies! Cut off the ends of your carrots or celery or peel carrots, sweet potatoes, onion skins, garlic...anything! I usually add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsley ends, etc. to my stock.

Instead of throwing everything away, store it in a Walmart bag or gallon baggie and keep in your fridge until you have enough to fill a large soup pot. Place your veggies in the pot and fill with water until just covered. Boil until veggies are soft and strain into a different pot.

You can use right away or freeze until needed.

I typically don't salt it until after adding it to my soup because there might be a chance of over seasoning.

Healthy Energy Bars

So my husband and I have recently decided to start the Advocare 24 Day Challenge! I'm super excited to get started and get my post baby body back in shape! :)

Here is a recipe for a super healthy energy bar that will keep your spirits up for much longer and keep those hunger pains away! Since I made up the recipe, feel free to add as much or as little of the ingredients as you would like! Make this bar your own by using different ingredients, too!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Cups Old fashioned oats
1 Cup Unsalted dry roasted peanuts
3/4 Cup Unsalted Sunflower seeds
1/4 Cup Whole flax seeds (you could also use ground flax seeds)
1/2 Cup Dried blueberries
1/2 Cup Dried cranrasins
1/4 Cup Dried apples (cut into tiny pieces)
3/4 Cup Organic Brown rice syrup
1/2 Cup Adams Natural Smooth Peanutbutter

Add all of your dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix up well with your hands or a spoon.
Next, add your peanut butter and brown rice syrup. Stir together with a non-stick spatula until everything is coated with just enough "stick". If you need to add more syrup...feel free to! You want the consistancy to be really stiff so it binds together really well. If you added too much and your mixture is runny...add more oats.

Pre-heat oven to 350º F.

Grease a 13x9 baking dish and press the mixture into the bottom until it is a uniform thickness.

Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Cut into whatever shape is desired...I cut mine into squares.

Store in an airtight bag and enjoy for a snack!

OTHER ADD-INS:

Rice crispies
Honey
Organic chocolate chips
Kashi cereals
Cocoa powder (to make a chocolate version)
Any dried fruit
Walnuts
M&Ms...not that healthy, but kids love them!

Feel free to tweak the amounts to you desired taste!

Multi-tasking Momma!

So this past week I have learned a whole new meaning to the word MULTI-TASK. Lots of tasks...all done at once.  For you moms out there- you know exactly what I mean. Even moms that are fresh into the joys of motherhood.

Now let me tell you the truth. Motherhood is one of the most sleep deprived, stinky, messy, challenging, craziest jobs out there. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking it is a walk in the park. It is every bit of NOT. If you think waking up in the middle of the night by the neighbor's barking dog is bad, try waking up at all hours of the night to feed your baby...who can be fifty times louder than the neighbor's dog... not once, twice or even three times. Sometimes it's ten times it seems!
Try shopping with a cranky little man that loves to beller like a cut cat the minute you step foot in the door.
How about walking in a store and your baby has a blowout and everyone around is giving you the stink-eye... with the question floating in the air, "was that HER or the BABY??"

I recently went to the Oregon Jamboree with my husband and nine week old baby. I don't know who was the bigger hit..Landon in his plaid shirt or the music artists! It was almost 100 degrees outside and in the shade it was still 85! We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible, but it was hard!
Since multi-tasking is my new found friend, it was a cinch. HA! Just kidding...again. It is hard to breast feed when you and your baby are sweating so bad that you have to break the suction from your body to switch sides for nursing. The two "terrible stinkers" we had during some concerts were just a minor bump in the road after we figured out there was a designated chancing station. Best moment ever: when my husband changed a super bad diaper while I could run to the bathroom before I peed my own pants! Talk about a blessing!
Needless to say, we made it through the throngs of people juggling the baby, folding chairs, diaper bag and baby "essentials".
I think our multi-tasking endeavors are getting smoother....

Just to prove it- how's this for multi-tasking!:
This evening once the heat wasn't roasting us like an oven...Landon and I trekked out to the garden to check things out. I say "checked things out" because in my mind I thought there would be no way I could get a whole lot accomplished without Landon sleeping.
BIG SURPRISE!
So I had Landon in the stroller and he is chillin'. He is surprisingly cool, calm and collected as I'm weeding and thinning out the radishes. I glance over to check him...and I'm almost afraid to look. He is looking right at me! Shoot! There goes his happy place! He gives me a huge grin and coos. Talk about melting your heart! So by this time I turn around singing some song and I'm thinking, "we've got this!".
By the carrot rows he has turned his smile upside down and is starting to cry. I think he has even drummed up some alligator tears! Like any mom would do I rushed over and scooped him up and tried to calm him down. I know he must be hungry, so what do I do? I whip up my shirt and let him nurse while I'm thinning the carrots Cambodian woman style like I'm working in a rice paddy or something. Landon is so happy...he is getting dinner...and I'm thrilled! I've learned a new way to multi-task. Yeah, baby!!

For the record, I LOVE the responsibility of being a mother. I cry sometimes when I get overwhelmed with the love I have for my son. I don't ever want to take for granted the sleepless nights or messy diapers. My little man won't be so little for long, and I'm sure I will want the crazy times back! Landon really is a good baby, and even though we have had a few nights I thought would never end, he is so happy. He is already starting to try and laugh... so I know good times are coming!

Tonight I was able to put Landon to sleep while making dinner with some of the things harvested from our garden! Here is a recipe for my favorite homemade vinaigrette! Hope you enjoy!

BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Two large hand fulls of Basil leaves, make sure the tough stems are removed.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all in a blender and use to dress a salad or a dip for fresh veggies! Ingredients can always be twisted to your taste! Make it yours!

It's The Little Things...

This past year has been such a whirlwind!! I know that people usually post these sort of posts at the beginning of the year, but for me-well, my year really began in August of 2012. August 18th was the day that the man of my dreams took my hand and heart in marriage! Not a month later we found out we were expecting...and May 31st, 2013 we welcomed our son, Landon Charles Bozarth into the world! Our precious little man was born at 9:05 in the morning and was 20 1/4 inches long weighing in at 8 pounds 8 ounces :)

All things aside, I can't wait to see what the rest of this year brings- get ready for some super cute pics of Landon at hunting camp this year! I bet he will become a hunting obsessed little kid with the way Brad and I are so involved in it! :) We shall see!!

I have learned to take each moment in stride; there are too many times to count where I don't get enough sleep...times I just want to take a shower...but I wouldn't trade the small things for anything! The little baby smiles, the grasp of a tiny hand around my finger. It feels wonderful and empowering to be accepted, to be wanted and needed! The amount of trust and utter reliance my son has in me is amazing. I am so blessed!

Baby Shower for Landon Charles

So this week has brought so many fun and wonderful memories! I can hardly believe that we only have six (give or take a few) weeks until our baby boy will be in our arms!! I have so many emotions runing wild its crazy!

On Saturday my family and husbands family hosted the CUTEST baby shower! I am so impressed with how everything turned out! They really out-did themselves! :)

22 Weeks Along...

So those of you that know me, will know that I am prego... for those of you that don't- well I am now 22 (a couple days shy of 23) weeks pregnant!!

We just had our appointment with the Dr. and had the "anatomy" ultrasound done. For those of you that have been through all of this before.... this is the "BIG" day for some people. :) If the baby cooperates, you get to find out what your little peanut is!

Brad and I went in first (for a private moment before everyone else came in) and found out first that-

 

 

He grabbed our family from the waiting room (My parents and brother and his mom joined us) and everyone came in to see the little man. :)

We are so ecstatic that words can't describe how happy we both are! The name that we have picked out so far is (you never know... things could change):

 

Landon Charles

The middle name is for Brad's Grandpa and My Great Grandpa.

So it looks like we get to decorate in the rustic lodge theme for the baby nursery after all!! :)

Chili and Cornbread Waffles

Breakfast for dinner? I think so! My sweet tooth was over-exhausted though after almost a whole box of Hot Tamales (gaa! How is the world did that one happen?!), so what else to do with my Belgian waffle maker that I pulled down from the cabinet??

Chili and Cornbread Waffles!

Genius? Maybe.  Easy? You betcha!!

Sweet Cornbread Ingredients:

1 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients together and spray BOTH sides of your waffle maker with cooking spray.

The first "waffle" I turned out looked like an animal mauled it! You HAVE to spray your waffle maker REALLY WELL!!!

Once the cornbread is fully cooked and crisped up, pull off of the waffle maker and butter it on up! (Insert "mmmmmmm!" here)

Scoop the chili onto the waffle and garnish with grated cheese and even some sour cream if you wish. 

SUPER delish and SO easy! Fun for kids to help with, too!

4,000 Page Views!!

 

WOW.  I am truly speechless! I got over 1,000 page views in the last three days! This is unreal! Thank you to everyone that follows my posts! I truly love it, and can't wait for what 2013 will bring for new recipes, crafts and fun stuff to post!

 

Way to go- and THANK YOU!!

My Dream Baby Nursery/Wish List

My mind is reeling with ideas and things that I would LOVE to do for a nursery... but we don't find out what we are having till the 22nd of this month! :) Soooo... this is my wish list in pictures!!

I am seriously in love with this for a boy's room!! I think we could scrounge up some old barn boards... I just love the rustic look... paired with the gauze curtains- it has such a soft feel, too!

For a girl's room... I want to do something that is soft and feminine, but maybe not so much pink :) Vintage/rustic is what I'm aiming for.

 

I love the simplicity of this... Probably my favorite picture I've seen so far!!

 

 

 

 

 1.) Baby carrier! I have a feeling that we will be active and out and about with our little one....

2.) Baby stroller. I think a "two-in-one" sort of deal would be nice... We can attach it to the stroller portion, but also hook it into the base in the car.

 

3.) Homemade Baby Food!! This one really should be number one! This is something that I want to do, not necessarily for a "wish list", but it is so important to me! I will be posting some blog posts here soon, to show you what I will do/have done! :)

 

4.) Baby accessories. I'm sure we will get oodles alone at the baby shower... but as a first time mommy- I don't have any of it yet!

 

 

 

 

 

Italian Breadcrumb Crusted Cod

Fish. Hmmm.  What to do with it?? I am always lost- and generally revert back to the recipe that my mom would always do with Salmon or fresh Steelhead that we caught from the river by my Parent's house as kids. She would "dab" (Her favorite cooking term) a little butter on the fish and sprinkle it with brown sugar and salt and pepper. SO GOOD. But sometimes you want something more, you know?!

Sooooo.... the creative side of me combined my own thoughts with something that my Mom said would be good. Here goes! My husband and I loved it, so you should, too! hehe

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon mayo
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter
1 fillet of Cod (or fish of your choice)

 

Start by spreading the fish- on the top side- with mayo. Cut the butter into thin sliced cubes and place randomly on top of the fish.

 

 

After sprinkling with the breadcrumbs, place onto tinfoil.

 

Place another sheet of tin foil on top of the fish and roll up the sides to make a little "packet".  Place on a baking sheet a bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

 

 

Remove the fish and peel back the top tin foil layer and bake for 5-8 more minutes at 500 degrees until the top is crispy and the fish is done.

 

 

 

For a quick and easy tartar sauce, mix a couple of spoon-fulls of mayo with salt and pepper and sweet relish. Add some dill if desired.

 

Savor your new created dish! This recipe makes for really moist, flavorful fish!

 

 

Hearty Tomato Parmesan Bisque

I love a good soup during the winter... heck- all year round! (I'm sure you have caught on by now. hehe)

 

For tonight's dinner I decided to make this Hearty Tomato Parmesan Bisque, along with Italian herb and bread crumb crusted cod and a hearty loaded baked potato. FULFILLING! This mama-to-be has been so hungry lately and this meal did just the trick.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can Italian herbed diced tomatoes
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (depends on how cheesy you want your soup to be)
5 Tablespoons of butter
2 cups of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

 

In a large soup pot cook the celery, onion and minced garlic in the butter. When the veggies are tender, add the chicken stock. Next, add the two cans of tomatoes- do not drain! You want all of the good juices!

 

 

 

 

Simmer all the ingredients until the tomatoes start to break down and the celery is tender.

(About 10-15 minutes)

Add the Parmesan cheese to the mixture and give it a good stir...

 

Then place the entire pot of soup into a food processor or blender. (You may have to do it in batches if you doubled the recipe) Puree the soup and return it to the soup pot.  Add salt and pepper to taste... I should have checked my soup before adding more salt- it didn't even need it, so it ended up a little salty. If you do make the mistake of adding too much salt, or garlic, add a little cream during blending to neutralize it.

 

 

 

Top with croutons or chopped parsley and enjoy!

 

 

This is the dinner I made for tonight... but feel free to pair it with whatever strikes your fancy!

 

 

How To Segment Citrus Fruit

This little trick is something that every housewife should know! It can be sort of time consuming (especially if segmenting multiple citrus fruits), but it is well worth the outcome! Mix with diced pears, peaches and pineapple for a wonderful fruit cocktail.

 

 

Start by slicing the top off of one orange. (Or grapefruit)

 

 

 

Cut the peel off of the fruit, top to bottom, to reveal the flesh inside. You should be able to see little "white lines". These are going to be your cutting guidelines.

 

 

Cut in between the "white lines"... cutting the fruit pieces out- leaving the "white lines" folded to one side and out of your way as you work.

 

 

The finished product! Segmented fruit! I chose to do oranges and grapefruit, but like I stated above, feel free to mix it up to make your own fruit salad!

 

 

 

 

 

Gnocchi, Sausage and Kale Soup

 

For those of you that were fans of the Zuppa's Toscana Soup I featured, http://www.huntressofthenorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/02/olive-gardens-zuppas-toscana-soup.html

 

you will also find favor with this recipe! It is SUPER similar, I just added Gnocchi instead! The flavors and textures are different, but I think you'll like it :)

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 32 oz. carton of chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

1 lb. of Italian Pork Sausage

1/2 onion, diced

3-4 large stems of kale, chopped (2 good sized handfuls)

1 16 oz. package of gnocchi

salt and pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

Bring a large soup pot with roughly 32 oz. of chicken stock and 4 cups of water to boil.

 

Start by dicing up one whole onion and place into a small skillet to cook until tender. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic toward the end and cook with the onion.

 

Add the onion and garlic to the boiling stock.

 

 

Brown one package of Italian pork sausage and add to the pot.

 

 

 

Next, finely chop up a good couple of handfuls of kale and add them to the pot the same time you add......

 

GNOCCHI!!

 

 

Should look something like this....

 

 

Let simmer for two to three minutes or until the gnocchi starts to float.

Add one cup of heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Seriously, this is the fastest soup ever! Filling, and tasty, too!

 

 

 

 

Cranberry Orange Scones

I have many favorites when it comes to desserts.  Most are so sweet you should see your dentist straight away. This next little gem I'm about to share with you is not dessert, but is it? I made it mine one night. :)

If you are tired of the "too sweet" or "too rich" desserts/scones/cookies, etc.- this is for you!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel (I zested one entire orange)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 teaspoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup half-and-half cream (I actually used heavy whipping cream because that's what I had on hand and I thought it would make them more moist...)
1 egg
1 Tablespoon milk

In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour, 7 teaspoons of the sugar, grated orange peel, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Cut in the chilled butter until it resembles fine crumbs. (I used two butter knives, but you can pulse it in a food processor if that is easier for you)

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 5 to 6 times. 

I used an ice cream scoop to make my scones a uniform shape, but feel free to roll out and cut into triangles or whatever shape you prefer.  Place scones onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes (or until the edges are golden brown) at 400 degrees. (NOTE: I ended up pressing mine flat with the bottom of a cup to ensure the middle got cooked properly)

Once scones are cooled, mix together 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar and 1 Tablespoon of orange juice for a glaze.  Spoon a little bit onto each scone and let it drizzle down the sides.

There ya have it- super easy and fun to make!!
I thought they were very moist and flaky... the perfect combination in my book! :)

ENJOY!