*Summer Squash Soup with Farfalle Pasta & Herbs*

Tonight Jay O. & I were wanting something light & healthy & decided that a summer soup would be perfect.  I absolutely loved this recipe and it's perfect for a low key night at home, & very easy to prepare!

Ingredients

• 6  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3  cups  water
• 2 1/4  cups  uncooked farfalle (about 6 ounces bow tie pasta)
• 2  cups  finely chopped yellow squash
• 2  cups  finely chopped zucchini
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh basil
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced fresh basil

I used fresh basil since that was the herb the recipe calls the most for, and I used dry parsley, thyme, and oregano.  I hate buying a whole thing of parsley, etc. just to use a 1/2 tsp...silly!  

Preparation

Bring broth and water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta, and cook 8 minutes or until almost tender. Add squash and the next 7 ingredients (through pepper). Reduce heat, and simmer 5-10 minutes or until pasta is done and squash is tender (the longer the more the flavor will soak in:)). Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

269 (15% from fat)

Fat:

4.6g (sat 2.5g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

16.5g

Carbohydrate:

39.4g

Fiber:

3.4g

I served it with rustic garlic bread.  Very yummy!!!

Grilled chicken stuffed with tomatoes, feta, & basil - Ashley & Charlie's Amazing Supper Club!

Last night we had our monthly supper club. This time it was at Ashley & Charlie's.  They did a FABULOUS job & I loved the chicken so much that I had to get the recipe!  Definitely recommend it :)

Ingredients:

worcestershire

lemon pepper

fresh basil

tomatoes

feta cheese

you will need a mallet

Directions:

Flatten out the chicken breast with a mallet
Marinate in worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with lemon pepper
Lay fresh basil, tomatoes, and feta cheese in the middle and roll up the breast. Hold together with skewers.
You may have to fold over breast like a taco instead of a burrito for cooking reasons.

We had a big group so they had to do a lot of chicken & ingredients, but just fill the chicken with as much of each thing as you'd like.

The cute soon to be wed couple!

Thanks Ashley & Charlie!!!

Recipes at the Lake

This year was another great time at the lake.  We had a bigger group than any other year, and it was an absolute blast.  Having great friends makes it easier on Jay O. & me with all of their help, & makes us want to continue to make it an annual trip.  We hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did!

Some of the recipes I cooked:

Grilled Fish Tacos with Tequila-Lime Aioli:

Ingredients

• 3 limes, juiced 
• 1 tablespoon tequila
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces cod or firm white fish, cut in 1-inch pieces 
• 16 (8-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded white cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion

Directions

In medium bowl, combine lime juice, tequila, cumin, salt, and pepper; mix thoroughly. Add the fish and toss to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.
Grill your fish.  Depending on the size of the filet, it usually takes 3-4 min. on each side.


Warm tortillas on grill or pan. Cover with a towel to keep warm.(I just warmed mine in the microwave in between two damp paper towels).
Mix cabbage, cilantro and onion. Stack 2 tortillas; place 1/8th of fish on top of each, and top with cabbage mixture, Pico de Gallo, and Tequila Lime Aioli. Serve immediately.

Pico de Gallo:

• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• Salt and pepper

In a bowl, mix all ingredients, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 1 hour for flavors to meld.

Tequila Lime Aioli:

• 3 tablespoons premium tequila
• 1 lime, juiced
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
• Salt and pepper

In small bowl, combine all ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

I also used shrimp.  I marinated the shrimp in the same marinade as the fish & cooked them in an iron skillet on the stove keeping them separate from the cod fish.  I also doubled the recipe of the fish tacos since we had a large group.  If you double the recipe of the aioli, do NOT double the amount of tequila because it tasted too strong so we had to add even more sour cream.  ENJOY!

MY SIDE WITH THE FISH TACOS WAS... 

CORN SALAD

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn (I used 2 large cans Del Monte sweet corn & 2 cans mexicorn, & doubles the rest of the below ingredients)
• 3/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 6 scallions, chopped into 1/4-inch segments
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Combine corn, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, and scallions in salad bowl. In a separate bowl, blend sour cream with salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and chopped cilantro. Add sour cream mixture to corn and toss gently to coat. Chill and serve in large bowl, family style.  DELICIOUS! 

FOR LUNCH ON SATURDAY...

Chilled Seafood Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 box shell, bow-tie or tri-colored pasta...your preference (use 2 if you have a large group & double remaining ingredients)

- 1/2 cup light mayo

-3/4 cup light Italian dressing

-1/2 cup chopped red onion

-1 green bell pepper, diced

-1 pkg. imitation crab

-1 lb. shrimp (you can buy already cooked, just make sure to remove the tails)

-salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:  

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Mix in mayo, Italian dressing, red onion, bell pepper, imitation crab (tear into small pieces), & shrimp.

Sprinkle salt & pepper to taste.

Chill for 2 hours minimum.  You can prepare this the day ahead. 

I served the chilled seafood pasta with 2 large submarine sandwiches on french loafs to make it easy for everyone to grab their food quickly & eat so we could get back to the lake!

With our dinner Saturday night we had a salad with our burgers & turkey dogs.  We also bought the baked potato salad from the Kroger market to go with our dinner...absolutely amazing!  A few people asked for the ingredients, so this is what I put in the salad:)

Yummy "go-to" Salad:

Salad Ingredients:

-1 bunch of romaine lettuce

- 1 head of lettuce, shredded

-1 bag turkey bacon

-1 avacado

-1 container feta cheese

-1/2 red onion, diced

-1 tomato, diced

-Light Italian Dressing

-Nature's Seasoning sprinkled across the top

 NOW, INDULGE & ENJOY!!!

*The lake*

This weekend is what has turned into my annual lake party and we're going with friends to celebrate Jay O. being done with the bar exam!!!  FINALLY.  It is nice to have my husband back:)  

Last night we went to eat with my parent's at Terry's Finer Foods to celebrate.  I definitely recommend trying it if you have never been!  It's a small menu, but great options.  I had the shrimp (with some word attached I can't pronounce, & I'm not even going to try to spell it), and the blueberry mint martini was amazzzinnngggg.  GO!  

Now, this weekend will be time for Jay O. to get to celebrate/kick back with friends, very excited!  

Here's a few new things that are on the weekend menu:

Tex Wasabi's Koi Grilled Fish Taco's with Tequila Lime Aioli with a fresh corn salad & "My Guac" for an appetizer.


Saturday I'm going to do a chilled pasta salad with crab, shrimp, green pepper & purple onion.


And, Saturday night simple burgers & turkey sausages from fresh market that I highly recommend as well:)


These are just a few recipes I will hopefully love & you can be excited about!!!


Please keep Jay O. in your thoughts & prayers over the next 6 weeks until he finds out the results from his exam...even though I am confident he pulled it off with flying colors!  (I, on the other hand, would be in for it)


REEBS, we will miss you this weekend!!!  XOXO

Chicken Bites Appetizer = DELICIOUS!!!

This weekend was a GREAT one!!!  It was the weekend of Steve Aday's wedding.  We had the rehearsal dinner Friday night, and the wedding & reception Saturday night.  The wedding was very nice & they did a great job putting it all together.  Everyone had a blast!  

Saturday evening we had JayO's family, Aunt Abigail, Hatley & Tristan over for wine & appetizers.  Baxter & Josh also stayed with us for the weekend.  

With Jay O. being so busy studying lately, my favorite part of the weekend was actually being able to hang out with him! :)

One of the appetizers I prepared Saturday was a new recipe that I definitely plan to make a staple in my recipe box:

CHICKEN BITES (no, I don't like the name of this recipe...but I guarantee you'll love it):

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package (8 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• dash thyme leaves, crushed
• 1 cup minced cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 jar (2 ounces) chopped pimiento, drained
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) crescent rolls (reduced fat if you want to cut calories)
• 1 egg, beaten
• sesame seeds (you can find these with the spices in the grocery store)

DIRECTIONS:

• Combine cream cheese, lemon juice, basil, salt, thyme; mix until well blended. Stir in chicken, celery, and pimiento; mix well.

• Separate dough into eight triangles, firmly pressing the perforations to seal. Spread cream cheese/chicken mixture over each rectangle, leaving 1/2-inch uncovered on one long edge. Roll up, starting with the long edge which has cream cheese right to the edge; seal edges. Brush rolls with egg; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut each roll into 4 portions. Place chicken bites, seam side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.  

OR what I chose to do was I separated the triangles, put a spoonful of the chicken mixture on the long side of the triangle, & rolled up the crescent roll making sure that all of the edges were sealed.  Then I brushed the egg & sprinkled the sesame seeds.  I baked it at 350 for 13 minutes.  This made 16 little sandwiches & turned out looking great:)

• Makes 32 chicken appetizers or 16 mini sandwiches

I have one more recipe I will share with you very soon that I also prepared.

For spirits, I was excited to find that VOGA now has a sparkling Pinot Grigio.  I absolutely loved it & plan to purchase it again!

Between $13.99 & $15.99

All of this made out to be a fun filled weekend, & a very productive one too!

*CITRUS GRILL*

We all have those nights during the week where we want to cook something yummy, healthy, but EASY.  On nights like these I always want my lean protein, veggies, & a healthy starch on the side.  

I always go for chicken or fish...and a great seasoning for both of these (especially during the summer months) is Citrus Grill which you can purchase at Sam's!  It looks like this:

I recommend this seasoning to everyone!!!

What I cooked:

1 serrano pepper seeded & diced

1 yellow bell pepper diced

1 orange bell pepper diced

1 red bell pepper diced

3 chicken breasts cubed

2 tablespoons light italian dressing

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Citrus Grill

I did all of this in a skillet with a little bit of 0 calorie olive oil spray to coat the pan.  I used the italian dressing & balsamic as the marinade & sprinkled the top with the citrus grill.  I made plenty to have leftovers:)

 my iPhone didn't take the best picture...

I had beans on the side & Jay O. had multi-grain rice.  Enjoy!!!

Girl's Night!

Last night (Friday) I had my first girl's night at our new house.  I was excited because Ann was in town & I don't get to see her often enough!  My other fav people who came:  Megan, Hannah D., Layne, Charlie, Anna Jeter, & Grace.  I loved seeing everyone, thanks for coming!!!   Missed you Donna & Ang!  It was great to see everyone, and a good time for everyone to see our new little home:)  

I prepared the colby-pepper jack chicken dip, my bruschetta recipe, margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella & tomatoes from my sister's garden, and lemonada cocktails with fresh fruit!!!  YUM.  Megan contributed Guacamole Dip & Layne contributed Hummus Dip with Pita Chips.  Thanks for everyone's help!

I didn't have any new recipes to share, I just wanted to share that I finally got to have over my besties!!!  Love y'all

*A simple way to perfect grilled corn*

Street vendors across Mexico sell this type of roasted or grilled corn topped with mayonnaise, paprika, & cotija cheese.  You can serve this corn on a platter with small bowls of the sauce, & the cheese & lime wedges on the side so people can make their own.  

Now, enjoy this simple way to make corn that much more delicious & have that extra punch of flavor!!! 

INGREDIENTS
- 5 Tablespoons low-fat mayo
- 2 teaspoons paprika (chili powder would work well, too)
- 4 Tablespoons cotija cheese or parmesan cheese
- lime wedges 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine mayonnaise and paprika in a small bowl.
3. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until marked and tender, 8 to 12 minutes total. Spread each ear with 1 tablespoon of the sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Colby-Pepper Jack Cheese Dip w. Chicken - AMAZZZINGGGG!

This weekend was a blast celebrating the 4th of July with my wonderful family & friends!  Jay O. & I went to my parent's place on Greer's Ferry to enjoy our 3 day weekend with the Bradley's (minus Becca, Rachel, & Forrest- missed y'all!), my family, and the Joan's & Kennedy's.  We also got in some fun time with Chris & Reebs!  

Jay O. & I contributed the appetizer for the night & it was quite a hit:)  Pretty spicy though, so only use one jalapeno pepper if you want it to be more mild.

After dinner we all took the boats out on the lake to watch my Dad's firework display that get's better & better every year!!!  Great weekend.

Prepare up to a day ahead; cover and chill in an airtight 

container, and bake just before serving.

Ingredients

• 1  (8-oz.) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 2/3  cup  light sour cream
• 1/3  cup  light mayonnaise
• 1  tablespoon  finely chopped canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 2  cups  chopped cooked chicken (I used 2 chicken breasts, boiled them & cut into cubes)
• 2  cups  (8 oz.) shredded colby-Jack cheese blend
• 1  (4-oz.) can chopped green chiles
• 4  green onions, finely chopped
• 2  jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• Garnish: fresh cilantro sprig
• Tortilla chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients until blended. Spoon cheese mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish.

2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Spoon into a serving bowl. Garnish, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

Be careful getting it out of the oven... because it's hot, hot, hot!!! :)

*WAIST MANAGEMENT - LEAN PROTEINS*

We all know that one of the key factors to a healthy diet is eating LEAN proteins. Sometimes we are in such a hurry at the grocery store that we don’t take time to read the nutrition facts and we are satisfied enough that we are buying one of the healthier options… the following information will make it easier for you to run in & out of the grocery store without having to think twice about what to choose or worry about which will keep your waistline maintained or even smaller than before.

The BRAND matters :

Just because 2 or 3 different brands are all ground white turkey, etc., this does not mean that all of them are equally low in calories & fat.

THE BELOW 3 TURKEY BRANDS ARE REGULAR, NOT EXTRA LEAN

Honeysuckle Ground Turkey

Serving Size: 4 oz.; Calories: 120, Total Fat: 1g, Carbs: 0g, Protein: 28g

 

Ground Turkey (Jennie-O)

Serving Size: 4 oz; Calories: 220, Total Fat: 17g, Carbs: 0g, Protein: 20g

Ground Turkey (Kroger)

Serving Size: 4 oz (112.0 g) ; Calories: 150, Total Fat: 7.0g, Carbs: 0g, Protein: 22.0g

VERSUS

Ground Beef

Serving Size: 4 oz; Calories: 259, Total Fat: 16.3g, Carbs: 0g , Protein: 26.06g

Honeysuckle is your healthiest choice having less calories, A LOT less fat, & more protein!!! Jennie-O is your worst choice as far as regular ground turkey.

As you can see…turkey has less fat than beef, even when it’s not extra lean

A few more nutrition facts & healthy options (below are the averages of the nutrition information of all brands):

Ground Turkey 99% Fat Free (4 oz. serving): Calories: 120, Fat: 1.5 g, Carbohydrates: 0g, Protein: 26 g

Ground Buffalo (4 oz. serving): Calories: 143, Fat: 2.42 g, Carbohydrates: 0g, Protein: 26 g

96% lean ground beef (4 oz. serving): Calories: 150, Fat: 4.5 g, Carbohydrates: 0g, Protein: 25 g

Chicken Breast (4 oz. serving): Calories: 120, Fat: 1 g, Carbohydrates: 0g, Protein: 26 g

Pork Chop (4 oz. serving): Calories: 190, Fat: 6.5 g, Carbohydrates: 0 g, Protein: 20 g

Make sure to substitute 99% lean ground turkey for beef in your chili, for burgers, taco’s and in any recipe you use beef. To mix it up & try something new, try ground buffalo that you can find in the meat section at your local market.


Just because you are eating white meat does not mean that it is healthier than all red meat, pay attention to the saturated fat content in the meats you’re purchasing. Though, many studies say that eating more white meat will give you better cardiovascular health & improve longevity.


If you are craving a steak, the healthiest cut (least amount of fat) is filet mignon, sirloin, or eye round. Don’t go for the extra large rib-eye!


Make sure to fit in your fish during the week too, because it is rich in Omega 3’s and will help keep your heart healthy, & is a good source of B-12!!!