Just when we all thought things we were in the clear as far as cold, winter, weather goes, Mother Nature rears her ugly head and BAM early spring snow storm!  Yeah, I was about as thrill as the rest of you. Usually, I crave warm, hearty meals on days like this, but my mind and cravings have already shifted to yearning for lighter fare, so that is why I LOVE this recipe for White Bean, Sausage, and Kale Soup.  It is warm and hearty, without being too heavy in your stomach.  The kale adds that freshness that you are wanting in this season, and the flavor is AMAZING.  Let me share with you on how I make it.

You will need:

1 lb. of smoked sausage, sliced
2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch of curly kale, stemmed and chopped
1 onion, diced
8 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. extra virgin oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

How easy was that!?!

This soup is so simple, so filling, and so delicious.  I can’t think of anything I would rather indulge eating during this unexpected early, spring winter than this White Bean, Sausage, and Kale Soup.  Now pardon me while I go in for a bite.

Mmmmmmm…….OH YEAH.

For even more great recipes head on over to thekitchenwife.net, and as always…

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~

 

Print

White Bean, Sausage, and Kale Soup Recipe

A simple and flavorful soup that is filling without being too heavy. Perfect for those cooler, early spring nights.

Servings 6 -8 servings

Author Mandee Pogue aka The Kitchen Wife

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of Smoked Sausage sliced
• 2 15 oz. Cans of Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
• 1 Bunch of Curly Kale stemmed and chopped
• 1 Onion diced
• 8 c. Chicken Stock
• 1 tsp. Dried Thyme
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place a heavy bottomed pot over medium/high heat and add the oil.
• Once the pan is hot, add the diced onion and cook 1-2 minutes, until soft and translucent.
• Add the sliced smoked sausage to the pot and let brown, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the beans and thyme to the pot. Stir and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock to the pot.
• Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the kale and let simmer another 5-7 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning and make any adjustments.
• Serve and enjoy.

The post White Bean, Sausage, and Kale Soup Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

This Creamy Asparagus Soup is sure to be a family favorite with just 6 ingredients! It’s also a festive recipe for St. Patrick’s Day!

Top of the mornin’ to you! It’s Jen of Bakerette and I’m here to share with you a recipe that is small in ingredients, but LARGE in taste! I think this soup recipe will become a family favorite. The bonus side of of this creamy asparagus soup is that it’s a very simple soup recipe to make.

I’m not really a projects person when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day crafts, but I AM a cook and I love to make green recipes or celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish recipes. To see some of these recipes scroll to the bottom!

No matter how you wrap it up, I think you’ll love this soup recipe. This creamy asparagus soup is:

Creamy

Satisfying

Flavorful

Very low in cholesterol

Low in calories

Low in fat

High in dietary fiber

High in iron

High in manganese

High in potassium

High in thiamine

Very high in vitamin A

High in vitamin B6

Very high in Vitamin C

There’s nothing but positive about this creamy asparagus soup recipe. Serve it with slices of French bread (I have a fantastic and easy French bread recipe) and a large, vegetable-packed salad!

Enjoy!

xoxo Jeni

Print

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 167kcal

Author Bakerette.com

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. asparagus spears trimmed
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ cups finely chopped shallots about 10
• ½ pounds boiling potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
• 4 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• <span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1"><span></span>1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice</span>
• Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
• Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

• Set aside 8 spears of asparagus to garnish. With the remaining asparagus, chop into 1-inch slices.
• Warm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in shallots and saute until shallots are golden brown (about 8-10 minutes); stirring often. Mix in potatoes, chopped asparagus and water. Cover and turn heat up to medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in bouillon cube and salt. Cover and cook until potatoes are fork tender (about 20 mins); stirring occasionally.
• While soup is stewing, blanch remaining asparagus spears in a pot of lightly salted boiling water (about 3 minutes). Remove from water, place in a colander and immediately rinse under cold water; set aside.</span>
• In a blender or food processor, transfer soup in batches and blend until smooth and creamy. Return to pot and stir in lemon juice and ground pepper and simmer until soup is warmed through. Divide between 4 bowls and garnish with asparagus spears and if desired, freshly chopped parsley. Serve while hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.1g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 5.8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 320mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4.2g

Recipe adapted from VegetarianTimes.com

Here are just a few recipes I’ve made that are amazingly easy and classic St. Patrick’s Day/green dishes that are great for a traditional Irish meal!

Make-Ahead Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Are you a choco-holic like me? You’ll love these healthy, No-Bake Andes Chocolate Mint Bars that are green, festive and oh so delicious!

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

It’s 5 Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Curry Soup

This 5 Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Curry Soup is so flavorful and so healthy too! It only requires 5 ingredients. YEP! You read that right! 5 ingredients.

You can serve this recipe as a soup, or you can make it a little thicker and serve it as Massaman Curry over rice. My kids absolutely love this 5 Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Curry Soup and ask for it regularly. You’re family will love it too!

I love to teach my kids about other cultures and curry is definitely a great way to teach your kids about foods from around the world. There are many different types of curry. Just look it up online and you’ll see that different countries use different spices and serve it with different meats and veggies. It’s actually quite interesting.

Before we get cooking, let’s talk about slow cookers, shall we? Not all slow cookers are created equal. I’ve had my fair share of them, but I’ve finally found my favorite. It’s a Crock Pot brand Cook and Carry Oval 6 quart and it is programmable. You can latch the lid closed for easy transportation. I don’t know about you, but I am taking my Crock Pot to all sorts of pot luck dinners and that lid has saved my life. You really need to check it out. You can learn more about my crock pot HERE on amazon. (affiliate link)

But you are not here for a history lesson or for me to tell you about my slow cooker, are you? You want the yummy, EASY recipe, right? Your wish is my command.

5 Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Curry Soup

• 4 chicken breasts, diced
• 2 – 13 1/2 oz. cans coconut milk
• 4 large carrots sliced on an angle
• 4 or 5 potatoes peeled and diced (you can use any type of potato)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup water
• peanuts (optional)
• coconut (optional)

Combine coconut milk and water in the crock pot. Stir in curry powder, chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with peanuts and coconut if desired. Serve with warm Naan Bread. Alternately, you can serve over rice.

You will add this recipe to your menu after you try it. It’s so delicious and the flavor is just right. I have eaten at many Thai restaurants, and this recipe tastes just like the Massaman Curry I order there.

Here is a printable version for your convenience.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:5]

Be sure to head over to my blog at Tips From a Typical Mom and get more family friendly recipes, free printables, parenting tips, product reviews, and family fun activities. While you’re at it you might as well follow me on Pinterest too!

Check out some of my most popular posts:

Annette’s Potato Soup

How to Organize Your Home in Just 6 Days!

7 Tips for Stressed Out Moms

Thanks for stopping by everyone! I hope you enjoy the rest of the winter with your family eating all sorts of yummy soups!

Love, Annette

The post 5 Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Curry Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Hey guys, it’s Margaret Anne from Natural Chow back with another simple and delicious recipe for ya!

I’m sure I’m not alone in this but when it’s cold outside and the sky is dreary, all I want is comfort food. And right now my go-to recipe has been this chicken and rice soup.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can make a batch and store it in the fridge for an easy meal later in the week. I’m all about meal prepping to save time during a busy week and this scrumptious chicken and rice soup is perfect for that.

I get the feeling a lot of people are gonna see this recipe pinned from Land O’ Lakes and think “that’s going to take forever and be so hard to make,” but you guys, this is one of the easiest soups you will ever make!

Let’s talk ingredients: chicken, rice, diced onion, butter, frozen vegetables (I use organic), chicken broth, a few spices, water…and that’s it.

See, I told you it was simple.

My family is known for devouring an entire pot of this delicious chicken and rice soup in no time at all. Even the little ones love it.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s easily customizable. Wanna add in some celery? Go for it. A pinch or two of cayenne pepper? Do it. How about swapping some brown rice for the white rice? I 100% support that decision.

Whether you’re making this hearty chicken and rice soup for a bunch of hungry kiddos or whipping up a batch to prep for the week ahead, this recipe is sure to become a staple in your house.

Here’s the recipe:

Print

Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup

This Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup is the perfect pick me up on a long chilly day and is super easy to make!

Servings 6 servings

Author Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/2 small yellow onion chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 8 ounces 1 cup water
• 2 cups cooked boneless chicken breast
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 12 oz bag mixed frozen vegetables (mine had corn, green beans, peas, & carrots in it)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and toss in chopped onion. Stir and let cook for about 3 minutes, or until soft.
• Add in the chicken broth and water and bring to a slow boil, stirring occasionally. Add in the cooked chicken breast, rice, frozen vegetables, and spices and cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper and serve.

The post Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

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.

Print

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.

Carole here from My Kitchen Escapades and this recipe was the yummy result of the cold weather hitting Minnesota last week. To mark the occasion, I decided to ignore my to-do list and spend the afternoon reading my son’s favorite book “The Giver” by Lois Lowry while eating three (yes, three) bowls of this yummy soup.

I present this yummy Sausage and Spinach Italian Soup to fill that need! Loaded with Italian sausage, cannellini beans, spinach and potatoes.

When I was deciding on what type of soup I wanted to create for this special occasion, I knew it had to be creamy and loaded with good stuff I could pile onto my spoon. My cold day recipe was especially successful with my family and they especially loved dipping some homemade french bread into the crazy delicious broth! This will definitely be on repeat at Casa Jones this long Minnesota winter!

Print

Sausage and Spinach Italian Soup

Ingredients

• 20 oz mild Italian sausage removed from the casing
• 1 large onion chopped
• 8 oz baby portabella mushrooms chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 C chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 15 oz can cannellini beans drained
• 1 pound red potatoes diced
• 12 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 3/4 C heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• sliced provolone cheese

Instructions

• In a large pot, brown the sausage over medium high heat until no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the grease in the pan. Set aside the sausage. Add the onion and mushrooms to the sausage drippings and sauté until they begin to soften, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute, then add the oregano, basil and red pepper. Stir well then add the chicken broth, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Add the bay leaf, beans, and potatoes and allow it to begin to simmer. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach in large handfuls, allowing them to wilt down before adding more. Add the cream and mix it in well. Taste the soup and add any needed salt and pepper to the finished soup before serving.
• To serve, ladle oven safe bowls with the soup and place a slice of provolone on the top of each bowl. Put the soup under a high broiler until the cheese begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes, then serve.

x

If you like this recipe, check out this Chicken & Potato Chowder

The post Sausage and Spinach Italian Soup 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!

Print

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

The post Italian Sausage Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

So what does this Weight Loss Soup Recipe have to do with our Bucket List? No, it’s not on our bucket list to lose weight. Well, kinda…Read on!

My husband loves snow skiing.  As a second job, he has worked as a Pro Ski Patroller for almost 20 years.  So one of the things on his bucket list is that he wants to ski in all 50 states.  Obviously some states don’t have a ski resort and for those states, he usually tries to find a city park, he puts on his boots and skis and will ski down a hill.

He was well aware that the southern states were going to be a challenge. However, just last week they had a storm which deposited snow in the southern states.  Hubby just so happened to have some vacation time coming so we spontaneously flew to Dallas and rented a car for a massive road trip!

In just four days, we drove through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,  Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee and my husband skied in every state!  We knocked 10 states off his bucket list for a grand total of 30 and so now he has only 20 more to go.  Isn’t that great?

I am not a skier so what did I do during this trip?  Well what else do you do on a road trip but…eat?   Some days we were driving for 12 hours and of course we needed some snacks during our drive.

I might have eaten four candy bars in one day.

Geezo Peezo, no, I really didn’t.

Okay, maybe I really did. 

Which is where today’s post comes in.  Whenever I need to lose a few  pounds this is my go-to food.  It is flavorful and satisfying and is virtually fat free.  (There is just a trace in the corn)  It really helps me to get back on track.  I seriously can eat it every day (and I do) and the pounds start dropping off!    You seriously are going to want this recipe.

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

Print

Weight Loss Soup Recipe

Course Main

Author MadeFromPinterest

Ingredients

• 1 14 oz can of cut green beans
• 2 14 oz cans of whole new sliced potatoes
• 1 15 1/2 oz can of corn
• 1 14 1/2 oz can sliced carrots
• 1 15 oz can of kidney beans
• 1 14 1/2 oz can of Del Monte Zucchini with italian sauce
• 2 14 1/2 oz cans of Del Monte fresh cut diced tomatoes with basil oregano and garlic
• 2 14 oz cans of fat free chicken broth

Instructions

• Drain the green beans, potatoes, corn, kidney beans and carrots of all liquids.
• Put into large pot.
• Add the canned zucchini, diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 5 minutes. It's then ready for serving!
• You can also put all of these ingredients into a crockpot for a few hours on low.
• **See notes!

Notes

Sometimes to make a thicker broth, I will blend the diced tomatoes before adding to the soup. I love it this way!

If you also  have a bucket list and you are having too much fun while you are crossing off your activities, make sure to come home to this soup!

If you are looking for more soup recipes, you won’t want to miss these:

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

This awesome post has been shared with Whipperberry!

The post Weight Loss Soup Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I am from Southern California and have always loved me some good Mexican food.  Now that I live here in Utah, authentic Mexican food is harder to find.

I don’t really know how “authentic” this Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup is but it sure makes me feel like I’m at home in Southern California surrounded by all of my favorite Mexican restaurants.

Another thing that I love about this soup is that you can make it as mild or as spicy as you would like.  Me?  I like more of a mild spicy flavor.  My husband? He wants to burn his nose hairs off.  It’s all up to you!

But no matter how spicy you make it, I know that you are going to want to keep this recipe close to your el corazon (heart) because you are going to love it so much!

How much do I love it?  It is one of my favorite recipes that I have and I could eat it EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.

It’s that good.

Oh and did I mention that this soup is made in your crockpot?

Yeah, baby.

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

Print

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Course Main

Author Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 pound chicken shredded
• 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion
• 1 4 oz can chopped chilies
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups water
• 14 oz chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can whole corn
• 1 15 oz can black beans drained
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder - More if desired for a spicier soup
• 1/4 bay leaf crushed
• 1 tsp cilantro

Toppings

• Crunched tortilla chips
• Sour Cream
• Grated Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients and cook in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
• Serve with crunched tortilla chips, sour cream and grated cheese

Notes

I ALWAYS double this recipe!

This awesome post has been shared with Living Well Spending Less!

The post Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

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

Print

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:
FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | GOOGLE+| BLOGLOVIN

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.

This white bean and kale soup is so healthy and low fat. It’s quick, easy, and so tasty and filling. Mixing part of the beans in a blender gives the soup the nice creamy look and taste.

I hope everyone had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas. This Christmas was a challenge because my grandma passed away. She lived a long, sometimes hard, but beautiful life…she was 96 years old. She was in good spirits. Had her full faculties, but was recovering from a fall. As she was being bathed, the air seeped from her lungs and she slumped forward and died. That is the way I want to go, folks. In good health, with a good mind, and just drift away. She deserved to die gracefully with dignity and ease.

Once I made it through the funeral, I went to the doctors Christmas Eve day because I had been having a fever, severe back pain, etc. I knew something was wrong. Every bone in my body ached. It turned out I had a full blown case of a kidney infection and UTI. The doc put me on antibiotics, but I am having a hard time recuperating. My fever keeps spiking to 102 and my bones have not quit aching. Very frustrating. I was ready to cancel our Christmas plans with one of our kids and their family, but I felt like I couldn’t do that. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without family to celebrate it with. We ended up having a lovely meal.

As a means to soothe my aching body, I made this white bean and kale soup. It’s quick, easy, and so tasty and filling. Mixing part of the beans in a blender gives the soup the nice creamy look and taste.

Print

White Bean and Kale Soup

Course Soup and Stews

Cuisine English

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Bakerette.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
• 8 large garlic cloves crushed or minced
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 4 cups finely chopped raw kale
• 4 cups low-fat low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 15 ounce cans white beans, such as cannellini or navy, undrained
• 4 plum tomatoes chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Instructions

• In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are soft and transparent.. Add finely chopped kale and continue to saute, stirring frequently until leaves are wilted.
• Pour in 3 cups of broth, 2 cups of beans, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add remaining beans and broth to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 15-30 minutes more depending on how soft you like your kale. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

For more delicious soup recipes, visit Jen at Bakerette.com:

Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

Cheesy Potato Soup

Mushroom and Kale Soup

Find Bakerette on the Web at Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram

Thanks Jen! Love and hugs to you and yours.

This awesome post has been shared with Home Stories A to Z and Whipperberry

The post White Bean and Kale Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Leek and Gruyere Bread Pudding Baked in a Pumpkin

 Pumpkin Quesadillas

Pumpkin Risotto

 Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Creamy Mushrooms

Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin Bread Rolls

Honey Butter Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

*****

For Pumpkin Recipes 1-10 {Sweet Breads & Breakfast} – Click HERE

For Pumpkin Recipes 11-20 {Party Foods} – Click HERE

For Pumpkin Recipes 31-40 {Pies & Cakes} – Click HERE

The post 40 Sweet & Savory Pumpkin Recipes: 21-30 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.

Print

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.

It’s officially Fall–you know what that means?  Time to break out the pumpkin!  We spotted both sweet and savory pumpkin dishes that piqued the interest of our tastebuds.  Check out these 9 Sweet & Savory Pumpkin Recipes from our link party.

Chai Tea Butterscotch Pumpkin Bread from Life With the Crust Cut Off

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes from Carmel Moments

Pumpkin Muffins from Swanky Recipes

Parmesan Butternut Squash Dip from Carmel Moments {not pumpkin….but pretty close!}

Pumpcornbread from Belle of the Kitchen

Pumpkin Corn Cheddar Soup from Homemaking Hacks

Pumpkin Lasagna from OMG Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Roll from Upstate Ramblings

Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Thanks again for sharing your projects and recipes with us during our link party! We hope you were as inspired by these featured links as we were. Please come back for our next Best Recipes and DIY Projects party, starting at 5 P.M. MST on Friday night! And keep an eye on your social media over the weekend, too. We like to showcase links that catch our eye during the party via Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. You might see your links featured there!

This awesome post has been shared with: Skip to My Lou and Home Stories A to Z

The post Pumpkin Time! Sweet & Savory Recipes appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Tomato Pumpkin Bisque Mostly Homemade Mom

Lasagna Soup from Whats Cooking with Ruthie

Everything Soup Delightfully Tacky

White Chicken Chili from Delightfully Tacky

Southwestern Sweet Potato Parsnip & Corn Soup

Corn Chowder from Delightfully Tacky

Creamy Cheddar Swede Dreams

 Chicken Soup with Homemade Herbed Noodles

Potato Cheese with Fresh Dill

Tuscan Bean Soup from Saveur

Roasted Pear – Butternut Soup from Home is Where the Boat Is

Buffalo Chicken Chili from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Roasted Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed bananas from Culinary Covers

Golden Trio Chipotle Fall Soup From Healthy. Happy. Life

Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup from Leila Dishes

Roasted broccoli and Cheddar Soup from Closet Cooking

White Bean Kale Soup, French Onion Soup style by A Cozy itchen

Balsamic Beef Soup by Weed ‘Em and Reap

Sundried Tomato & Chicken Minestrone Soup from Weed ‘Em and Reap

Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and Parsley or Basil Pesto from Food52

Cheese Tortellini and Beef Soup From Mommy Moment

Loaded Baked Potato Soup from Weed ‘Em and Reap

Creamy Beef, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup from Czech in the Kitchen

Sweet Potatoes Soup with Spicy Jalapeno from I hear Exercise Will Kill You

Spinach Tortellini Soup Recipe by Taste of Home

Hearty Black Bean Soup and Roasted Corn Soup from Seriously Soup

The post 25 Fabulous Fall Soups appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

We love our wonderful readers! This pin was recommended to us by one of our faithful followers, Donna of Virginia. She is a busy mother of  6, who is dedicated to family meal time and told us that this 8 Can Taco Soup is a winner! Did you know that you can send us a pin? We love it, because sometimes readers share an idea they found on Pinterest they would like us to review, but without a link, it is pretty tough to be sure we are reviewing exactly what you wonderful readers are talking about. If you are not already following us on Pinterest, make sure you do! Then, when you find something you would like to recommend, or if you have found a pin that flopped for you, and you think it would make a great post here on MadeFromPinterest, send it to us! Even if you have never tried it and would like us to test it out for you, we will give it a shot! We love this great feature from Pinterest and would love to hear from more of you.  All you have to do is hover over the pin you want to send us and then click the send button that has a paper airplane icon. For the name, type in MadeFromPinterest. Wait, don’t send it yet! In the upper right hand corner there is a little conversation bubble. Click on that and you can send us a little note about why you are sending us the pin. We can’t wait to hear from more of you!Donna says this recipe is a life saver on a busy night and she is not kidding. I call this kind of recipe an emergency dinner. I have a list of emergency dinners that I always have the ingredients on hand for. To truly qualify as an emergency dinner, the ingredients have to be either shelf stable, or in the freezer and must not require thawing (that is code for sometimes we eat chicken nuggets and fries). It also has to be something that I can have on the table in 20-30 minutes. This is important in our household, we are very scheduled. I always have a plan. The problem is, not everything goes as scheduled, and not everything goes as planned. This is where your list of handy, dandy emergency dinners comes in. On the night when you have forgotten to take the meat out of the freezer, when one of your kids announces they need to go to the store to get poster board for their major project that is due tomorrow that they haven’t started on, and when on that same night there is a football game and your son is performing for the first time with the band, and all of this is happening when your husband is out of town (I am not making this up), you don’t need to order out. Because honestly, you probably don’t even have time for that. Just pull your 8 cans out of the pantry (16 if you are Donna, she doubled it to feed her crowd.). The hardest thing you are going to have to do is open all the cans and do some rinsing and draining. Pour it all in the pot, stir, simmer, done! This a perfect meal on a busy game night. You can even put it in a thermos and eat it on the way!This pin from High Heels and Grills is a life saver! It rocks.

Print

8 Can Taco Soup

Author Adapted by MadeFromPinterest.net

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 15.25 oz. can sweet corn, drained
• 1 12.5 oz. can white chicken breast, drained
• 1 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
• 1 14 oz. can chicken broth
• 1 packet taco seasoning

Instructions

• Put all the ingredients in the pot, heat and serve!

Notes

It really is that good and it really is that easy!

Linking today with these parties:  Simply Sweet Home, Thirty Handmade Days, Living Well Spending Less, The Pin Junkie, Serenity Now Blog, French Country Cottage, The Frugal Girls, While He Was Napping, Romantic Home, The Answer is Chocolate, Simply Designing, Shaken Together Life, Naptime Crafters, Truly Lovely Blog, Chic on a Shoestring Budget, Shabby Nest

The post 8 Can Taco Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup. Doesn’t it just sound…hmmm, weird? Honestly, I would not have chosen to try this soup based on the name and ingredients. I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t think of cauliflower as a good soup item. It wasn’t in any soups I had ever tried. Until…I went to lunch with a friend.Have you ever gone to a new restaurant and been so overwhelmed you just seriously could not decide what to order? I was visiting a friend in Utah and she suggested we meet at Zupa’s. Being from the east, I had never been there. We don’t even have Cafe Zupa’s here. It is a Utah thing. Everything on the menu looked great, so I just followed behind my friend and said, “I’ll have whatever she is having.” Which was one of the smartest things I have ever done. I don’t remember anything else that was on my tray, just the cauliflower soup. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before! And it didn’t really taste of cauliflower. It tasted like wow, and felt in my mouth like mmmm! I came very close to getting back in the very long line of people and ordering 4 more bowls. When I got home and realized there was no such thing as Cafe Zupa’s in my area, I went through a mourning process, I was so sad I would never have that soup again. It took some time on Pinterest, but I found it. A copy cat recipe that satisfied! Woohoo! Now it is one of my all-time fall faves for dinner. It is easy, quick, and perfect with a fresh loaf of bread. (Don’t think you have time to make bread? Try this trick for getting the dough to rise in half the time!) I don’t think it needs any other sides, cause, ya know, the veggies are already in it!This is creamy, smooth, velvety and hearty. It is everything you want it to be. Only it isn’t, because until now, you probably didn’t know you wanted Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup. Well now you do. Trust me. Once you try it you will have to resist the temptation to skip a spoon and just drink it. Unless you are home alone, and then you should just go ahead and slurp away in whatever manner pleases you. Bon Apetit!

This soup rocks! Glad we found it at Butter With a Side of Bread.

Print

Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

Author Adapted by MadeFromPinterest.net

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk**
• 1 1/2 cups water**
• 1 can 13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces chicken broth
• 1 head 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese shredded

Instructions

• Melt butter over medium heat in large saucepan.
• Add onion and cook until translucent, 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
• Whisk in flour and salt, then slowly add milk, chicken broth, water and mustard.
• Add cauliflower and bring to a boil. Bring down the heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender about 15 minutes.
• Puree mixture in batches and return to pot.
• Add 1 1/2 cup cheeses and mix until melted through and incorporated into the soup.
• Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Notes

**1 can of evaporated milk and 2 cups of water can be substituted for the 2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups water.

Great parties we are linked with today: Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Simply Sweet Home, Thirty Handmade Days, Living Well Spending Less, The Pin Junkie, Serenity Now Blog, French Country Cottage, The Frugal Girls, While He Was Napping, Romantic Home, The Answer is Chocolate, Simply Designing, Shaken Together Life, Naptime Crafters, Truly Lovely Blog, Chic on a Shoestring Budget, Shabby Nest

The post Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Or if you are in the mood for another great recipe! :)), when I saw pictures on Facebook of some of my favorite family members having their Easter egg hunt. After looking at the pictures, I felt that I had no room to complain about my wind and drizzle. Mind you, it hasn’t stopped me from whining, just made me aware that there are others with more right to whine than I. Why?

In the front of the picture is my darling niece in her pajama pants, snow boots and jacket, lifting her brightly colored Easter egg of the snow covered ground. At least where I live my winter dormant plants in the garden are showing small signs of life again. It gives me hope.

One of the few things I like about winter is soup. This recipe for Tortellini Sausage Soup was warm and comforting on a cold day. I would eat soup year round, but my wonderful hubby says soup belongs in winter, not summer! So during the winter, we have a lot of soup, since I don’t get to have it as much as I would like the remaining months of the year. A friend of mine taught me how she plans her menu each week for her family. She has a list of meals her family enjoys. Each week, she looks at her calendar and picks from the list what she will prepare that week. She chooses simpler meals for busy days and the more involved for days where she will have more time.

The tip I learned from her that I like best, is that she has a list of last minute, emergency meals for when everything goes wrong, that can be prepared from ingredients she always has on hand and takes a short amount of time to prepare. This is a perfect cold weather emergency meal. It can be put together in about 30 minutes and all the ingredients can be stored in the freezer or pantry.

Print

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Author MadeFromPinterest.net reviewed from Partyinmykitchenparties.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked Italian sausage
• 3 cups uncooked tortellini
• 4 cups water
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 6 chicken boullion cubes Sherri from MadeFromPinterest.net used chicken base
• 1 tbsp. oregano
• 1 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tbsp. chives
• salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

• Put all ingredients except tortellini in medium size sauce pan and bring to boil.
• Allow to simmer about 15 minutes.
• Add tortellini and allow to boil according to pasta pkg. instructions.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Thank you to Party in my Kitchen for a tasty winter emergency meal.

This Pin Rocks!

Spring on over to these sites we are linking with today! – Chef in Training – Housewife How To’s – Mandy’s Recipe Box

The post Tortellini Sausage Soup appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.