Hello again! It’s Celeste from The Whole Serving, I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays with friends and family. The weather is finally getting colder here in Texas and that’s perfect for soups like the one I’m sharing today.

I remember when I was a child, my siblings and I would eat lots of creamy tomato soup from a can with a side of grilled cheese.  Oh how the thought of that soup brings back comforting memories. The soup I have for you today is my modern-day version of that childhood soup with an added ingredients to add in extra veggie servings.

The extra ingredient is, wait for it….Butternut Squash and I added potatoes to give the soup its creamy texture.

After sauteing the onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil just add the rest of the ingredients and let it all simmer. After cooling a little blend in batches until smooth. At this point you hae the option of adding in milk, cream, parmesan, pesto or nothing at all. I opted for pesto only because I wanted to keep it on the healthier side.

I served my soup with a side of Pesto Toast. It’s sliced french bread with a smear of pesto topped off with Asiago and lightly toasted.  The next time you’re looking for a comforting soup without that overindulgent feel give this one a try.

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Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Calories 138kcal

Author TheWholeServing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cups chopped onions about 1/2 medium onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 28 oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 12 oz. bag of ready to use diced butternut squash ipurchased mine from Trader Joe's
• 3 small honeygold potatoes quartered
• 1 hand full of fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 to1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• fine sea salt to taste
• 1 french baguette
• pesto sauce (I used a jare of Classico Pesto Sauce
• Asiago cheese

Instructions

• In a large stockpot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute until garlic is fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes to pot, when it starts to boil reduce heat to medium low and simmer stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Taste and add salt as needed.
• When vegetables are fork tender remove from heat and cool slightly.
• In batches transfer soup to blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
• At this point you can blend in crean, milk, parmesan or pesto. I added pesto to my soup.
• While soup is cooking pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare bread.
• Slice baguette lengthwise, spread with pesto and sprinkle on asiago, place in oven and bake until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and slice.
• Serve soup with pesto toast.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5g | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.9g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 4.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Sodium: 261.5mg | Fiber: 6.5g | Sugar: 7.1g

If you like this, here’s more you may like.

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

Vegetarian Taco Soup

The post Creamy Tomato Basil Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

But I love them.

I love their crispy outsides and their soft potato center.

So what could be better than tater tots?

Tater tots with cheese.

And bacon.

Everything is better with bacon.

So I made this Tater Tot Casserole Recipe for dinner that I pinned from Hillbilly’s Southern Recipes and they really did the trick. It made me sooo  happy to eat them! And no matter how your day went today, having some of these will make you happy too!

And if you eat the whole pan yourself, I promise not to judge.

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Cheesy Bacon Ranch Tater Tots

Author Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 bag frozen tater tots
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese or more if desired. I desired a little more!
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup real bacon bits
• 1/4 cup green onions
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cook the tater tots on a cookie sheet per the package instructions.
• Mix the sour cream, ranch dressing and milk until well blended.
• Drizzle the sour cream ranch mixture over cooked tater tots.
• Sprinkle the cheese, bacon bits and green onions all over the top of the tater tots.
• Place the cookie sheet back into the oven until the cheese melts and serve immediately.

This Pin Rocks!

This awesome post has been shared with Home Stories A to Z and Living Well Spending Less

The post Tater Tot Casserole Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

   Right now I am packing to fly to Virginia to see my sister Sherri.  Debbie is going to meet us there and then we will be off to New York City for a fun trip with our sweet mom!  But before I go, I have a super yummy soup recipe for you!

Just yesterday, Sherri let us know to pack warm clothes because it is going to be cold in Virginia AND in New York!  One of the places that we are definitely going to visit in New York is Little Italy.  Gah! The food!  If they have anything like this Italian Sausage Soup, I will be consuming it.

This hearty soup is chock-full of potatoes, spinach, cream and sausage. It’s the kind of meal that will keep you full and satisfied for hours!  Thank you Chung-ah from Damn Delicious for the awesome recipe!

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Italian Sausage Soup

Course Soup

Author Adapted by Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage casing removed
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 onion diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound red potatoes diced
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• In a large saucepan or stockpot heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add and cook Italian sausage until browned, around 3-5 minutes.
• Make sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks.
• Drain off all excess fat, season with pepper and salt to taste.
• Add garlic, onion, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes.
• Cook and stir frequently until onions become translucent, about 2-3 minutes, season again with pepper and salt to taste.
• Stir in the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, cook until tender, around 10 minutes.
• Stir in spinach until it begins to wilt 2-3 minutes. Mix in the heavy cream until it is heated through, season with pepper and salt if desired.
• Serve immediately.

Three more great soup recipes!

Tomato Basil Soup 

Spicey Chicken Tortilla Soup

Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

You can also find Made From Pinterest  on:

Pinterest │ Facebook │ Twitter │ Instagram │ StumbleUpon │ Hometalk

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As with every new year, probably the most common New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight (or eat healthier, or exercise more).  I know after the overindulgence of the holidays, which seem to start in October with Halloween, we might be looking for satisfying and healthier meals.  I know I am, but I don’t want to eat just salads and fish or chicken. For me, the best way to get back on track is to cut down on the carbs! However, I still need some stick to your bones kind of food.

So when I saw a pin for Black Bean and Beef Chili with Cilantro, Lime and Avocado Salsa from Kalyns Kitchen I knew I would love it and had to give it a try. I’ve been a fan of Kalyn’s site for quite some time. The recipes I’ve tried from her have never disappointed and they’re simple to make!

If you’re looking for a fantastic, flavorful, and healthier low carb chili, give this Beef and Black Bean Chili recipe a try.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!  And don’t forget, Super Bowl is coming up…this would make a great addition to your Super Bowl festivities.  The guys will love this chili too!

See you next month!

All the best, Judy

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Beef and Black Bean Chili

A delicious chili recipe that's low carb and satisfying very slightly adapted from Kalyns Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3 cans black beans
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• pinch ground Chipotle chile pepper or one diced chile from a can of Chipotle Chiles in Adobo
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. very lean ground beef less than 10% fat
• 1 C. diced onion
• 1 T or more regular chile powder
• 1 T or more ground Ancho chile pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile pepper
• 2 tsp. ground cumin I used about 3 tsp.
• 2 C. homemade beef stock or 1 can beef broth
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped (reserve half for guacamole)

For the guacamole:

• 1/2 red onion finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• 2 avocados
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place 2 of the 3 cans of black beans in colander and rinse well and drain. Set aside.
• In a food processor puree the third can of undrained beans, tomatoes with their liquid, and pinch of Chipotle chile powder or whole chipotle, depending on which you're using. Process until smooth.
• In bottom of heavy soup pot, heat 2 tsp. olive oil, add ground beef (breaking it apart as you cook it) and diced onions. Cook until beef is browned and onions are soft.
• Add all the chile powders and cumin and saute about 30 seconds more.
• Add beef stock, pureed bean mixture, drained beans from colander and tomato paste. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes (or longer on low heat). Taste to see if you need more chili powder, if you used a whole chipotle chile you probably won't need any more spice.
• About 5 minutes before serving, stir in half of the chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup lime juice and continue to simmer. Taste chili and season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve Chili hot, with a generous scoop of guacamole on top of each serving.

Make the Avocado Salsa

• Slice avocados in half lengthwise and remove pit. Scoop out flesh and put in mixing bowl with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, cilantro, red onion. Stir to combine and lightly mash the avocado. (Original recipe had the avocado just diced). Cover and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

 If you like this and want to read more please  follow I’m Bored, Let’s Go here:
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You might also like:

Carnitas

Mexican Taco Casserole

 Refried Bean Soup

This post has been shared with Living Well Spending Less.

The post Beef and Black Bean Chili Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Have you ever gone to a restaurant when you are hungry, really hungry, and the food was amazing? Once, after a long day at Disneyland where my kids, Debbie, my mom and I were having so much fun we didn’t stop to eat and so much fun we stayed until closing,  after which we were starving. So we found a pizza place outside the park. That pizza was incredible. Best we had ever had! Two years later I brought my husband back so he could also experience its awesomeness. Only it was not what we remembered. In fact, it was not so good at all. Things taste better when you are “starving”.

I just have to tell you, I was not hungry when I devoured so much of this by myself. I did not eat it to satisfy my body’s need for food. Nope, not at all! I did it because it tasted so, so good! Pure pleasure. This is not an every day bread pudding. It is special occasion bread pudding. Which seems contradictory. Bread pudding is a homey dish. Not this bad boy! Roll out the red carpet for this wowzer! Seriously, you have got to make this. Tomorrow! If you are looking for something special for the holidays…this is it!

You could even put green food coloring in the vanilla sauce so it would be red and green for Christmas. Gotta say, that sounds disgusting, but just being honest, I would totally eat it. Green sauce and all.

It is just that good.

This party of a good time Rockin’ Raspberry Bread Pudding is loaded with cream and butter. I am telling you now, buy the big carton of whipping cream. I told you, this is not your everyday bread pudding. This is gussied up and ready to go to the ball. It is okay to indulge. You are not going to eat like this every day. I might, but you probably have more self control than I do. If not, then sorry for introducing you to this wonderful dessert that will make you want to stick your face in the bowl to lick up every last bit of it and then take your finger and wipe it off your forehead and chin and eat that too. Or your welcome, depending on how you look at it. Probably both. More on the your welcome side, because I am not genuinely sorry.

And neither will you be the minute you taste it. Enjoy this mouth party inspired by Purple Chocolat Home’s Raspberry Bread Pudding.

This Pin Rocks!

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Rockin' Raspberry Bread Pudding

Author Adapted by MadeFromPinterest.net

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

• 1 1/2 loaves aged or day old white bread - I used 1 1/2 loaves of Challah
• 1 qt. heavy cream
• 3 C. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 5 C. raspberries fresh or frozen
• 1 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. apple juice
• 1 small container fresh raspberries

Vanilla Cream Sauce

• 1 1/3 C. butter
• 5 T. flour
• 3 C. heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 C. sugar

Instructions

Bread Pudding

• In a large bowl mix the cream, sugar, egg and vanilla.
• Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch cubes and add to cream mixture,
• coating the bread well. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring every
• minutes to allow cream to absorb.
• While bread is absorbing the cream mixture,mix the raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring
• until sugar is dissolved.
• Butter a 9x13 baking pan and then layer 3/4 full with the bread mixture.
• Next pour fruit filling over the bread mixture, spreading evenly.
• Top with the remaining bread. Bake 40 minutes at 375.
• Serve warm topped with vanilla cream sauce.
• (If you want it to cut into nice squares you can chill
• it and then cut it into squares, then microwave it
• for 20-25 seconds per piece and top with sauce.)

Vanilla Sauce

• Melt butter in medium saucepan and add flour. Stir
• minutes until it has a nutty aroma over low, do not brown. Add
• salt, cream and sugar and cook over medium until mixture is thick. Remove from heat
• and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over the pudding. Top with fresh berries.

This amazing post has been shared with Tatertots and Jello and  Living Well Spending Less!

The post Rockin’ Raspberry Bread Pudding appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

My mother is elderly and we were sitting in the DMV waiting to get her a handicapped parking placard.  As we sat in the metal and plastic folding chairs, we calmly waited for our number to appear on the tv’s that were hung from the ceiling wondering how long it would take for F504 to show up.  We were sitting on the front row so we had a great view of the counter and the luckier people who had made an appointment and were being helped sooner than we were.

Directly in front of us was a young mother and a darling little 4 or 5 year old girl.  Two things soon became apparent.  The first was that the mother did not speak English and was having a little difficulty in communicating with the DMV employee.  The second was that the little girl was dancing and hopping around, with her legs crossed together and she obviously needed to visit the little girls room!

As I sat and watched the two, I could overhear that whatever the mother had come to the DMV for, she was short about $10.00.  She supplied multiple debit/credit cards which were declined.  She called her husband to no avail and the DMV worker started helping her dig through the bottom of her purse for extra change and they found about $2.50.  Meanwhile her little daughter danced on.

More than once, the thought came to help this sweet young mother but I stayed glued to my chair.  After they found all the change they could, I finally had enough nerve and walked up to the counter and handed the DMV worker a $20 bill.  The mother had her had down still looking in her purse so she did not see me offer the money.

The DMV worker then told the mother that someone had given her some money and pointed to where I was sitting.  The young mother turned around said “thank you” and I smiled and nodded.

Obviously I should have gotten some change back since they needed around $7.50 and when the DMV worker glanced at me to come and get the change, I quietly shook my head no and motioned for her to give it to the mother.  After the transaction was over, this sweet young mother took her dancing daughter and with tears streaming down her face, thanked me for the help.  I started crying, the DMV worker started crying and I know that we all felt warm and fuzzy inside.  I wished that I could be in the position to do this everyday.  I felt like I was the one who received the most that day and have vowed to look for more opportunities to help someone in need.

One warm and fuzzy thing deserves another and boy do I have just the thing for you today.  This Tomato Basil Soup Recipe is seriously amazing.  Because you blend it in a blender, it is smooth and creamy and is the perfect soup for fall.   Pinky swear.  You will want to skip a spoon and just chug it straight from the bowl.

I have never made homemade Tomato Soup before in my life, but after pinning this from Butter with a Side of Bread I felt like I was up to the challenge!

Here is the recipe that you might even want to tattoo on your arm so that you never lose it.

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Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

Course Soup

Cook Time 7 hours hours

Total Time 7 hours hours

Author Adapted from Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup Pesto sauce I used Costco's. It is UH-mazing! But you can make your own too
• 5 1/2 cups diced/ stewed tomatoes Three 14.5 oz cans
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup diced onion
• 2 stalks celery sliced
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp sugar which helps to cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes
• 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• In a crockpot, pour in all of the stewed tomatoes, sugar and oregano. Set on high.
• In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and add the sliced celery and chopped onion. Cook until onion is clear and celery is soft. Around 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and then stir in the pesto. When well incorporated, combine this mixture into the crockpot with the tomatoes.
• Cook in your crockpot for 6 hours on high. Make sure you walk into your kitchen every once in a while just to smell the amazing aroma it is going to provide!
• After six hours, transfer the soup by two cupfuls at a time into a blender and blend until smooth. Put into a separate bowl until all the soup has been blended. Then transfer the blended soup back into the crockpot and add your heavy cream.
• Let cook for one more hour and then get ready for this soup to disappear. Never EVER make just one batch. I always double this!

So drink some Tomato Basil soup and then look for ways to render a service to someone.  Then it will be a doubly warm and fuzzy day.

This Pin Rocks!

I love my crockpot and this is the one that I love!

 This amazing post has been shared with: Living Well Spending Less and Whipperberry

The post Tomato Basil Soup Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta from Lemon Tree Dwelling

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken with Sage from Hun…What’s For Dinner

Turkey Veggie Meatballs from Simply Fresh Dinners

Seared Italian Chicken Thighs from Dixie Chik Cooks

Parmesan Potato Bites from This Silly Girl’s Life

Homemade Baked Ziti from My Family Mealtime

Sweet Potato Spinach Bacon Burgers from Tastes of Lizzy T

Garlic Butter Prawns from Creative and Delicious

New England Pot Roast from Mommy On Demand

Pear and Gorgonzola Quiche from The Painted Apron

Pimento Cheese Pinwheels from Sewlicious Home Decor

Once again, we enjoyed seeing all of the recipes, projects, and ideas that were linked up.  We can’t wait to see what you have in store for us this weekend.  Please join us for our next Super Saturday Link Party, starting at 7 P.M. EST on Friday night!  We welcome all kinds of projects–recipes, cleaning tips, decorating, and crafts–to name a few.

The post Share It Thursday from Link Party #31 appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I’m excited to be back at Made From Pinterest and share one of my favorite recipes in their awesome space. This dish has great flavor! And, of course, it has cheese in it. If you follow my blog, Bakerette.com, you will know that chocolate and cheese are my thaaaang! And this here Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake is my thaaaang. I had one of those days where I had thawed some chicken but wasn’t quite sure what to make with it. It was 5:30 pm and the family was hungry. What could I whip up with this chicken that would be tasty and satisfying? I scoured the fridge and found some asparagus, cheese (my daily staple), seasonings, and some other items. Then I found I had a hodge-podge of noodles that I needed to use up. And the light went off…I’ll create a chicken asparagus pasta dish and wa-la…this flavorful casserole was born. So quick and easy. I made it just under 30 minutes. If I make this again, I think adding sautéed mushrooms would be awesome. I also think mixing in an Alfredo sauce would make it absolutely divine! But even without those two items, the dish itself is perfectly yummy!

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Chicken asparagus Pasta Bake

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Bakerette.com

Ingredients

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 1 pound asparagus chopped
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Seasoned Salt I like Lawry's
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese grated

Mix-in Options

• sautéed Mushrooms
• Alfredo Sauce

Instructions

• Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Rinse and drain.
• In a medium saucepan, steam asparagus for about 8 minutes and spread out in the prepared baking dish.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, warm up 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat. Add cubed chicken. Season with Seasoned Salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through. Add onion, garlic, oregano, and Herbes de Provence; stir, and continue to cook one minute longer.
• Remove chicken from burner and spread out over the asparagus in the baking dish. Top with cooked pasta, olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until well combined and coated.
• Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Place on the middle rack of the oven and broil on high for about 5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.

Notes

Adding sautéed mushrooms to this dish would be amazing. Another twist to consider is mixing in alfredo sauce for a creamier delight. Yummmm!

Thank you Sherri, Tracy, and Debbie for letting me play in your space today! Have a wonderful weekend! If you liked this recipe, you might also like these other dishes found at Bakerette. Click on the pictures for the recipes:

You can also find Bakerette on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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