A Crazy “Yummy in your Tummy Chicken & Tomato Vegetable” Soup~ FOR YOU!

ARE YOU READY… for a crazy, yummy ‘Chicken and Tomato Vegetable’ soup that is packed with protein and fiber, yet low in calories?  TA DA~ look NO further than this quick, easy to prepare, yet ‘oh SO good’ soup!  I promise your tummy will say ‘mmm mmm good’, and your pocket book will not squeal.

Here is what you need:

• Boneless ‘chicken’ cuts~ what you like- I prefer 4 boneless chicken breasts- cooked and shredded
• 6 cloves garlic (separated 3/3)
• 1 small onion (separated 3/3)
• Large Can of Tomato Juice
• 1- 32 oz. container of Vegetable Broth
• Bag of  ‘shredded cabbage’~ this is the ‘easy’ way to get your cabbage shredded and it does not cost much more
• 1-  15 oz.  can green beans~ drained
• 1-  15 oz.  can garbanzo beans~ drained
• 1-  15 oz.  can black beans~ drained
• 1 Tbsp. Creole Seasoning
• Romano Cheese

 Here is what you do:

I love my Ninja food chopper!  It is a ‘Magical’ kitchen wonder~ and I use it  just about every day to do everything from food prep, to chopping nuts,  to preparing smoothies!  I am convinced that this company should hire me to be the official ‘NINJA’ Spokesperson.  But for now, I am happy to use it and recommend it to you, and to all of my friends for their cooking and food prep needs… SO, using your NINJA, or any other food processor, or just a simple knife, chop 3 of your garlic cloves, and ½ of your onion.  Place your chicken pieces  and your chopped up veggies in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil, then cook for 25 minutes.  Drain the chicken and set aside to cool.

Pour your tomato juice and Vegetable Broth into a large cooking pot.  Add 3 cups of the shredded cabbage.  ‘NINJA’ or chop the remaining onion and garlic and add to soup.  Add all three drained cans of beans.  Chop up your cooled chicken and add to soup.  Add your Creole Seasoning.  ***I do not add any other spices because the Creole Seasoning already has salt and pepper~ yay, and it also has the OTHER good stuff: red pepper, chili pepper, chili powder, garlic powder.  For me that packs plenty of punch, if you feel your soup needs something, else go for it.

Bring soup to a boil and let simmer for about a half and hour.  Dish that soup up!  I like to sprinkle a little Romana Cheese over top~ then BON APPETITE!  A lovely soup for you!

This makes a wonderfully delicious chicken vegetable soup that is low in calories yet enormously huge in taste and high on the ‘yum factor’ scale.  Not only that, it makes a HUGE pot of soup that will feed an army.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  It is one of my favorite, ‘heart healthy’, yet ‘tummy happy’ soups to make, and it WON’T break your budget.  Try it, I know you’ll like it.  And as always remember to…

Patti

“INSANELY CRAZY~ Easy Breezy~ Summer Table Topper”

I love to have a “Seasonally Themed” table topper that I can reuse, and I always love to include candles.  I am even MORE excited when the table decor can be created at a relatively inexpensive price!  So, I have designed a table topper that is both inexpensive, and insanely gorgeous, and will create an atmosphere of warmth and summer comfort!  SO, roll up your sleeves and get ready to create your own crazy, creative SUMMER TABLE TOPPER!

What you need:

• A jar to hold the shells~ the jar I used was 8″ tall and 5 1/2″ in diameter
• A bag of shells to fill the jar
• A starfish~ the one I used was about 6″ wide
• A sand dollar~ the one I used  was about 3 1/2″ diameter
• Raffia~ one piece about 12″ long to tie the starfish around the jar, one piece about 12″ long to tie the sand dollar around the jar, 5 pieces about 36″ long to tie a bow around the front of the jar to finish the jar.
• Old candle jars with the wax, and labels removed, or new glass jars of varying sizes
• Candles ***IN JARS*** Very Important!  to fit inside the empty glass jars
• Bag of crushed seashells 32 oz.~ I used a blue variety and a neutral variety

***With the exception of my ‘used’ candle jars, which I will teach you how to repurpose, I purchased all remaining items at either Jo-Ann Fabric, or Michael’s… using my iPhone app coupons, flyer coupons, and teacher discount… they also accept military discounts!

1~ To create your “Jar with Shells” Clean your jar with soapy water.  To remove the tag from the bottom, use hot soapy water, and if there is still residue, use rubbing alcohol~  that should remove any tackiness that is left.  Make sure the jar is completely dry.  Begin gently placing the shells into the jar starting with big shells on the bottom and then placing shells so that you can see the ‘pretty’ sides from the outside of the jar.  Make sure you place some of the prettiest shells on top.  Gently shake the jar so the shells settle into place and rearrange as necessary!

2~ Take your starfish, and holding it toward the top of the jar, using a piece of the 12″ raffia, tie it gently but firmly to the jar, making your knot at the back of the jar.

3~ Take the 2nd piece of 12″ raffia, fold it in half and run it through the large hole of the sand dollar.

4~ Run the loose ends of the raffia back through the loop and gently pull the loop tight to the edge of the sand dollar.  Then tie in front of the starfish around the glass jar.

5~ Take your 36″ pieces of raffia and tie a bow around to the front side of the jar, on top of the starfish.

6~ To complete the centerpiece you will want to make your jar candles!  I used a combination of ‘repurposed’ empty candle jars, and brand new glass jars that I bought from the craft store.  The new jars are not that expensive, and you can find them in different heights and sizes…BUT! repurposing is the bomb, because then you are reusing something you already have.

To repurpose a candle jar, burn your candle of course! 🙂  When you have used as much of the candle as you can, remove the wax from the bottom.  Most of the time, I can take a butter knife and cut the remaining wax into pie-like sections, and with gentle prying remove the remaining wax.  Make sure you remove the metal wick portion from the bottom of the jar.  Remove the label from the front and the bottom of the jar as much as possible.  After you have removed as much of the wax, and label as you can, let the jar soak in hot soapy water.  Using a stiff rag, wash the jar out, and the labels off~ you should be able to get the jar squeaky clean.  If sticky residue remains from the labels, use rubbing alcohol and you can usually remove the remaining gunk!  Now you have a wonderfully clean jar to use for your project!

7~ Make sure you have purchased a ***candle in a jar***  small enough to fit inside of your empty jars, and place the candles inside the jar.  I like using candles with lids, however if the candle does not have a lid, cover the candle top with a piece of foil (this is very important).  Begin slowly pouring your crushed seashells around the candles, close to the top of the candles but not TO the top.  Once you have filled with the shells, gently tamp the jar on the surface to settle the shells and then add more shells if necessary.  Remove the lid of the candle carefully so that no shells spill into the candle… your beautiful candle is ready!

(this candle had a clear protective cover on top)

8~ Now, make several candle jars of different sizes….

… and arrange away!  Let your creativity GO WILD!!!

I hope you will love this idea enough to create your own beautiful, summery table topper!  This project is SO CRAZY EASY~ So INSANELY ‘BEACHY’ BEAUTIFUL!  You TOO can make this project and enjoy the warmth and atmosphere this amazing ‘Summer Table Topper’ will bring!

Till next time, hope you are living, laughing and loving your life!

Patti

“KNEAD” to work out some STRESS? Then… have something to show for it!

We ALL have crazy stress… we all “knead” a healthy way to work it out!  Whether you are a man or a woman… here is a way to work out that stress that will yield some ‘yummy’ results when you are all done!

I have a “D”lish, Homemade, White Bread, Yeast Recipe, GUARANTEED to work out that stress, and YES GUYS~ you too ‘knead’ to give this a try!  I am going to give you a full proof ‘pictorial’ tutorial that will assure you success and yield not just 1 loaf, but 3 loaves of delectable homemade lusciousness~ and WHO can put a price tag on THAT?  SO, push your sleeves up and let’s go!

You will ‘knead’:

2 3/4 cups warm water

2~packets active dry yeast (you will find this near the flour in the baking section)

1/3 cup white sugar

2 Tbsp melted butter

_________________________________________

6 to 7 cups white flour ***(I usually use 6 and then add more as needed)

1 tbsp. salt

***1/2 butter

***Wide bristle paint brush used for cooking!

_________________________________________

Easy to follow directions:

Directions:

1~In one large mixing bowl, mix sugar, yeast, melted butter and warm water.  Stir and let stand approximately 2-5 minutes, until bubbly.

2~In a second bowl whisk together the salt and flour.  Slowly add to the yeast mixture starting with the whisk and then switching to a wooden spoon.  Once the dough is mostly mixed, flip out on a floured counter top and ‘knead’ for about 4 minutes until the dough is elastic.  Here is a great YouTube video on kneading bread.  Kneading is not difficult, it is actually fun, and a GREAT way to work out that stress! 🙂

3~ Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  Once you have kneaded your bread, form it into a ball.  Grease the inside of a good-sized mixing bowl (I use a cooking spray)  and drop your ball of dough into the bowl then flip it back over so that greased part is on top.  Cover the bowl with a cloth and set the bowl on top of your preheated oven~ this will help your dough to rise!  Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

4~After one hour, HAVE FUN punching your fist squarely down into the middle of the dough!  Throw some more flour on the counter and knead again!  ***Divide your dough into 3 equal balls.

5~Grease 3 loaf pans and place your 3 balls of dough inside.  Cover with a cloth and set back on top of the preheated oven.  Allow to rise for another hour.

6~Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

7~ Melt 1/2 stick of butter.  Using your wide bristled paint brush and paint the melted butter over the top of the loaves, if desired, for a softer crust.  Allow to cool on a cooling rack then remove from pans.

The wonderful thing about this bread is that you can freeze the loaves that you do not immediately ‘dive into’~ for a later date!  Or you can share a loaf with a friend.  Your friend will LOVE you for sharing a loaf of homemade bread, and who knows, you may be helping to alleviate some stress they are experiencing!

Now you have a house that smells divine.  You have 3 loaves of delicious ‘homemade heaven on earth’, and you have gotten rid of that stress!  What more can a person ask for, except maybe some homemade ‘crock pot apple butter’ to go with that bread!  But that will be another blog for another time!

Hope you will feel the ‘knead’ to give this a try the next time you are feeling ‘crazy, insane’.  I know it works wonders for me!  For now I am off to LIVE,  LAUGH, and LOVE my life…

Till next time!  Bon Appetit!

Patti

Late One Night…

I begin… with creative thoughts, tangled thoughts, thoughts of fancy,                                     thoughts that swirl with no rhyme or reason… I begin my blog.

 

I will not launch into a creative project with this post, because as I mentioned, it is ‘late one night’.  I simply want to begin my blog with a simple thought for those of you who may have creative minds like mine…  for those of you who may be up with your own thoughts and ideas weaving and spinning through your head at this very moment as you try to drift off to sleep… and my thought is this:  it is wonderful to have creative, bubbling, flights of fanciful ideas and thoughts moving around as you are trying to rest. Remember what Shakespeare wrote, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on”.  Our ‘creative, tangled, fanciful’ thoughts may very well be our next fabulous creation!  So, thus begins my blog, and I now feel as though I have emptied my head of the final creative thoughts for the day… maybe …

As always… would LOVE to hear your comments!

Welcome Back to my Music Classroom… We are the Songbirds!

Music Magic with Mrs. Easton

WELCOME BACK to Pine Meadow, and a brand new year of MUSIC EXCELLENCE!  I hope you had a wonderful, RESTFUL summer.  I also hope you are ready to completely dive into this new school year with enthusiasm.  There are so many new things to be learned, to experience and to fall in love with!  One of my sincere wishes is that your child will fall in love with music, and all the fun, creativity and expression that music brings!

This year, my students are the “Songbirds”!  

“With bird calls that range from sweet-sounding to demanding, there are many types of songbirds in North America.”

This definition of a songbird made me think about all the individual personalities of each sweet student in my classroom.  There are the songbirds that flutter around excitedly, the songbirds who need to be coaxed into singing a joyful song, and then the sometimes demanding…

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A Crazy “Yummy in your Tummy Chicken & Tomato Vegetable” Soup~ FOR YOU!

ARE YOU READY… for a crazy, yummy ‘Chicken and Tomato Vegetable’ soup that is packed with protein and fiber, yet low in calories? TA DA~ look NO further than this quick, easy to prepare, yet ‘oh SO good’ soup! I promise your tummy will say ‘mmm mmm good’, and your pocket book will not squeal.

Insanity = Creativity

ARE YOU READY… for a crazy, yummy ‘Chicken and Tomato Vegetable’ soup that is packed with protein and fiber, yet low in calories?  TA DA~ look NO further than this quick, easy to prepare, yet ‘oh SO good’ soup!  I promise your tummy will say ‘mmm mmm good’, and your pocket book will not squeal.

Here is what you need:

• Boneless ‘chicken’ cuts~ what you like- I prefer 4 boneless chicken breasts- cooked and shredded
• 6 cloves garlic (separated 3/3)
• 1 small onion (separated 3/3)
• Large Can of Tomato Juice
• 1- 32 oz. container of Vegetable Broth
• Bag of  ‘shredded cabbage’~ this is the ‘easy’ way to get your cabbage shredded and it does not cost much more
• 1-  15 oz.  can green beans~ drained
• 1-  15 oz.  can garbanzo beans~ drained
• 1-  15 oz.  can black beans~ drained
• 1 Tbsp. Creole Seasoning
• Romano Cheese

 Here is what you…

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