Treat Your Family to Imagine Soups

 

  

 I live with very picky eaters. My oldest doesn't like what the middle boy eats and the baby doesn't like it if its not eggs or chicken. I received the Imagine soups and knew this was going to be something that I ate by myself. I was not upset about that though. I just love soups. They are easy and usually last a day or two. The bad part about soups most of the time though, is the fat, calories and stuff they add that is not healthy or needed in a soup, in my opinion. When I got the Imagine Soups the first thing I noticed immediately was that they say Organic on a few of them. The next thing was I flipped them over and seen on the back of them it states *NON-GMO ingredients, non dairy, no added MSG, no artificial ingredients or preservatives. Some of them are also gluten free so there is a soup for everyone. The first one I tried was the organic vegetable broth. I ended up putting it in vegetable soup and it was so yummy. It is pre-seasoned which was so helpful to me because I usually end up forgetting the seasoning till its done and I eat it. I used the organic chicken broth in chicken and dumplings. I saved some of the broth and used it in mashed potatoes too and it made it so creamy and flavorful.

Chicken Noodle Soup

 Chicken Noodle Soup

What you will need:
1 1/2 lbs chicken cooked and either shredded or cubed (leftover roisterer chicken works the best)
2 stalks of celery chopped
3 carrots chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cans or 3 1/2 cups Organic Chicken Broth
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley
2 cups uncooked egg noodles

What you will do:
Melt the butter in a skillet and saute' the carrots and celery for 3 minutes. Then add the flour and cook for another minute. Add the carrots and celery and remaining ingredients to your crock pot then gradually stir in the broth, water, salt and pepper. Cook on low for 2-3 hours or until the noodles are tender.

ENJOY!! 

Sneaky Blends Cookbook

 *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, you'll be helping to feed the little angels here at Snowbirds to Seashores.

 

  I am all about eating and being healthy. The only problem I really have with that is, the food I do not like is kale, broccoli, spinach which are pretty much what is good for you. I have the Sneaky Chef book which tells you how to sneak healthy ingredients into foods and the kids do not even know they are eating healthy. The kids could not tell that they were eating the healthy foods and they could not taste it so I decided to try it for myself. This book is by the same author so I knew it would be great. I received the Sneaky Blends book by Missy Chase Lapine.

Spinach & Herb Chicken

Spinach & Herb Chicken

  

What you will need:
8 chicken tenders or 1 1/2lbs chicken breasts
2 Tbsp Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
1/2 cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 1/2 Tbsp White Wine (I use the cooking kind)
1 cup chicken broth
1 box of CousCous cooked according to package


What you will do:
 Add the chicken to your crock-pot. In a bowl combine the EVOO, Spinach & Herb Mix and White Wine.
Pour the mixture over your chicken and allow to cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve the chicken over couscous.

Makes 4-5 servings.


ENJOY!! 

Homemade Sloppy Joes

 Homemade Sloppy Joes

What you will need:
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 can tomato paste
 1 can tomato sauce
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
package of your favorite rolls or buns

What you will do:
Brown the hamburger with the onions and drain off fat. Transfer the meat to your crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 2-3 hours.


ENJOY!! 

Baked Sun Dried Tomato Crusted Tilapia

Baked Sun Dried Tomato Crusted Tilapia

 What You Need:

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder2 teaspoons paprika1 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese8 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil4 Tilapia fillets1/3 cup flour1 egg beaten
What You Do:
Place the breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and Parmesan cheese into a food processor and pulse until everything is mixed well. Then add the sundried tomatoes and olive oil and pulse again until you have the consistency of coarse meal.Spread some olive oil in the bottom of your roasting pan and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350*F. Rinse off your tilapia fillets with water and pat dry. Spread the flour onto a small/medium sized plate. Then put the beaten egg in a shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs in a bowl as well. Then you will start by dredging the tilapia fillets in the flour until lightly coated, then dip in the beaten egg until coated and let the excess drip off. Then place a handful of the breadcrumb mixture onto a large plate and place the fillet on top of the mixture. Then sprinkle a good amount of breadcrumb mixture over the top of the fillet and press them down with your fingers. When both sides of te fillet are well breaded, place the fillet in your roasting pan.

Place your roasting pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. To tell if the fish is done it will easily flake with a fork.

I serve steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce with our tilapia. 

Nostalgia Electrics - Soft Pretzel Maker with Recipe

 

One thing my family loves to do is snack. But I try my hardest to give them the healthiest and best of everything which is not always easy. One of our favorite snacks it soft pretzels but the store bought ones are never as good as the fresh ones. With that said I am super excited to tell you about our new snack machine it is a Nostalgia Electrics soft pretzel maker. 

BBQ Ribs

 BBQ Ribs

What you will need:
2 - 3 lbs pork ribs I use the ones that come individual so no cutting
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon cayenne red pepper
1 tablespoon Rustic Herb
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can cherry cola
2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce ( we use sweet baby ray's)


What you will do:
Spray the inside of your crock-pot with cooking spray. Mix the brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne red pepper, rustic herb and garlic; rub the mixture into the ribs. Layer your ribs in your crock-pot along with the onion. Pour the cherry cola over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until ribs are tender. When the ribs are tender remove them from the crock-pot and drain and discard the liquid from the crock-pot. Put your BBQ sauce in a medium shallow sized bowl. Dip the ribs into the sauce and then place back in the crock-pot and cook for 1 hour on low. These ribs will fall off the bone when done as you can easily see from my picture below. :-)

ENJOY!! 

Artichoke & Spinach Chicken

 Artichoke & Spinach Chicken

What you will need:
1 lb chicken breast; cubed
10.75 can of cream of chicken soup
1 packet Artichoke & Spinach Warm Dip Mix
1/2 cup water
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and cut up
salt & pepper to taste
12 oz. prepared spinach pasta or your favorite pasta


What you will do:
Spray the inside of your crock-pot with cooking spray. Add the cube chicken to your crock-pot.
Mix the remaining except the pasta in a bowl and pour over top of your chicken. Cook on low for 2-3 hours or until tender. (Add 2-3 tablespoons water or milk if the chicken becomes too dry.) Spoon chicken mixture over hot pasta.

Makes 3-4 servings.

ENJOY!! 

Scalloped Potatoes

 Scalloped Potatoes

What You Need:

2 pounds of potatoes washed
3 tsp butter, melted
olive oil spray (or any cooking spary)
1 tsp of salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
4 oz cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp bayleaf
1 tsp thyme


What You Do:
First peel and slice your potatoes they should be able 1/8 in thick.

Next place your sliced potatoes in a bowl with the melted butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder; toss to coat the potatoes.

In a saucepan bring the milk, thyme and bayleaf.

While waiting for your milk to boil, add a single layer of potatoes in a greased baking pan. Next, add a layer of cheese, then add your remaining potatoes. Add the remainder of the cheese and pour your milk over the potatoes.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

ENJOY!!!

Protein Fruit Smoothie

 Protein Fruit Smoothie

What You Need:

1 cup Greek Vanilla Yogurt ( I used Chobani because it has the most protein)1/2 cup Vanilla Almond Milk1 cup fresh fruit
What You Do:Place all ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth. I then freeze the smoothie and place it in Pumpkin's lunch box and by the time he has lunch it is thawed and he can drink it.

In the smoothie pictured we used 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and a half of a banana. We have also done a mixed berry with fresh strawberries, blueberries and black raspberries. 

Italian Chicken w/ Green Beans & Carrots

 Italian Chicken w/ Green Beans & Carrots

What you will need:
1 1/2 to 2lbs chicken
3 carrots cut into thirds
2 cups fresh green beans
1 bottle Italian Dressing
2 cups Parmesan Cheese


What you will do:
Squirt a small amount of Italian Dressing in the bottom of your crockpot then place 2 to 3 breasts in the bottom of your crockpot. Squirt some more Italian Dressing on top of the chicken and sprinkle with half of the Parmesan Cheese. Place the rest of your chicken on top and then add your veggies squirt some more Italian Dressing on top and with the remaining Parmesan Cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

ENJOY!! 

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Lasagna

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Lasagna 

What You Need:

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 jar or 24 oz Light Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup crumbled bacon
3 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups fresh baby spinach

What You Do:
Preheat oven to 375*. Cook noodles according to directions on package; drain. In a bowl combine the Alfredo sauce, milk and oregano; whisk until blended. Set aside.

Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the mozzarella cheese and bacon to the chicken then mix well.
To assemble the lasagna, spread about 1/4 cup of the Alfredo sauce mixture over the bottom of your 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with noodles, overlapping to fit. Layer half of the spinach over the noodles; top with half the chicken mixture. Repeat layers starting with half of the remaining sauce. After layers are done pour the remaining sauce over the top of the lasagna.

Cover your dish with foil and Bake for 30 minutes.  Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 minutes or until bubbly.

Cut and ENJOY!!

Broccoli Sausage Alfredo w/ Goat Cheese

Broccoli Sausage Alfredo w/ Goat Cheese

 What You Need:

1 head of Broccoli4 Spinach & White Cheddar Chicken Sausage links1 jar of Light Alfredo Sauce1 box of your favorite pastacrumbled goat cheese

What You Do:
Cook pasta according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking cut the broccoli into florets and steam them. Cut the sausage links into pieces and add them to the sauce in a pan to warm the sauce once the pasta  is done drain and return to pan. Add the steamed broccoli and warmed sauce to pasta and mix. Once it's all mixed put on plates and top with goat cheese. 
Enjoy!!!

Fried Green Tomatoes

 Fried Green Tomatoes 

What You Need:
4 Large Firm Green Tomatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tsp coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
vegetable oil for frying


What You Do:
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 in thick slices and discard the ends.

Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together in a medium sized bowl. Place the flour onto a plate. Mix the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper on another plate. Dip the tomato slices into the flour to coat. Then dip them into the egg and milk mixture. Dredge in the breadcrumbs to completely coat.

In a large skillet pour the vegetable oil ( you'll need enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over medium heat. Place the tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 to 5, depending on the size of your skillet. You do not want to crowd the tomatoes they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip them over and fry on the other side. Drain on a paper towel.

ENJOY!!!

Meatloaf Parmesan

 Meatloaf Parmesan 

What you need to gather up:
Spaghetti
Spaghetti Sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Left Over Meatloaf

 

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside. Take your leftover meatloaf and cut it into slices. Place the slices of meatloaf in your greased baking dish cover them with your spaghetti sauce and put in oven for 20 minutes. After the meatloaf has cooked for 20 minutes top with mozzerella cheese and cook for 10 more minutes. While the meatloaf is in the oven prepare your spaghetti as directed on the box.

 

When everything is done you can either serve your meatloaf on the side with the spaghetti or on top. Everyone in our house loved this recipe and it was a great use of leftovers too!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did...

 

 

Pizza Lasagna

 Pizza Lasagna

What You Need:

1 jar of pizza sauce

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

1 large container of cottage cheese or ricotta

1 package (4 cups) mozzarella cheese

2 eggs

2 packages of pepperoni about 45 pepperonis

2 tablespoon Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix

1 box of lasagna noodles (can be oven ready)
Anything you like on your pizza can be added to this recipe just add in with the pepperoni layers

What You Do:

Preheat your oven to 375* degrees. While the oven is preheating if you are using noodles that need cooked cook them now. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix the pizza sauce, crushed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix together. In another medium sized bowl combine the cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix. 

Spread some of your pizza sauce mixture in the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish then add a layer of noodles. On top of your noodles add a layer of the cheese mixture, a layer of pepperoni, top with sauce and then continue your layers. You should get about 2-3 layers after you do the final layer of noodles add sauce on top of noodles then the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and another layer of pepperoni's. 

Bake for 25 minutes covered and then uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown. Serve with garlic bread and a tossed salad.  

ENJOY!!!

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

  Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

What You Need:
1 lb organic chicken breast, cut and cubbed
 2 tablespoons EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 garlic clove, miced
1 jar of Bertolli light Alfredo sauce
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 teaspoon dried Parsley
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
salt and pepper to taste


What You Do:
In a large skillet add the EVOO, garlic and cubed chicken. Cook the chicken until no longer pink and cooked through. Add the Alfredo sauce to your skillet with the Parsley and salt and pepper. Leave on low.

Cook your broccoli until just starting to get tender but still a little crisp about 5-8 minutes in boiling water. Once the broccoli is cooked, drain it and add it to the chicken and sauce mixture.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions then drain.

Top your noodles with the chicken, broccoli and sauce mixture. Serve with Italian Bread or your favorite bread.

ENJOY!!

White Bean Chicken Chili

 White Bean Chicken Chili

What you will need:
2 lb chicken cooked and either shredded or cubed (leftover roisterer chicken works the best)
2 cans cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cans butter beans (rinsed and drained)
 4 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium and Organic)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon lemon pepper

Toppings:
Shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
fresh parsley
green onions chopped

What you will do:
If chicken is not cooked start by cooking your chicken until it is no longer pink and cooked through.
Add everything to your crock pot and allow to cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve the chili with your favorite toppings I listed a few suggestions above and serve with corn bread.

ENJOY!! 

Homemade Sausage Gravy

 Homemade Sausage Gravy

What You Need:
1 lb sausage (I use mild or Turkey)
 2 tablespoons flour (do not level)
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste


What You Do:
In a large skillet cook and crumble your sausage, drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings(grease). Add the flour, salt, pepper and mix. It will look almost like a paste. Slowly add the milk while stirring and continue to slowly stir until the gravy thickens. Serve over warm biscuits.

ENJOY!!