Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is a crockpot recipe but I made it on the stove instead.  By day 2 it thickened up nicely.

Recipe
Chicken Enchilada Soup

Comments
 - I didn't have fresh cilantro so I used fresh parsley instead
 - I used 2 garlic cloves instead of 3
 - Since I didn't go the crock pot route, I just poached my chicken and cut it up into small pieces
 - I just simmered everything on low for about 15 minutes after adding the chicken

Rating
4/5

WW PointsPlus
7

Homemade Baby Food (Part 1)

I have been making homemade purees for Anna now that she has started solids.  It has been pretty simple - a food processor, ice cube trays, and a little bit of time in the kitchen!

I found a great website that has puree recipes, feeding tips, etc.: Wholesome Baby Food
So far I've made butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and green beans.

I didn't set out to make Anna's food in an attempt to save money - it was really just about giving her food now that she will eat as she gets older.  Mike and I eat a lot of fresh vegetables, as well as some frozen vegetables, and I want Anna to do the same.  However, I'm not delusional and do realize that she will need to eat jarred baby food at times when we're in a pinch - traveling or something - so I've been giving her jarred to try in addition to homemade.  I have to say though...the smell of the jarred food is not exactly pleasant.  I'm not sure why since the ingredients say "squash, water" or "peas, water" - it makes me suspicious of what is really in there! Homemade purees smell like normal cooked vegetables (shocker, right?).  I just freeze the purees in ice cube trays, then pop them out and store them in labeled ziplock bags in our deep freezer.

Out of curiosity I started to keep track of the costs for jarred versus homemade since I've read that the savings can really add up if you make your own food.  At this point I've found that the cost per serving is about 3x more for jarred...but we're talking pennies here so you're not going to fund some lavish European vacation with the money you save from making baby food! Plus, I'm not factoring in my own time, energy costs for using the stove/oven, etc.    

More to come as we try other vegetables and fruits!

Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

I tried this Skinnytaste version of Italian Wedding Soup last night and have decided that I like my mom's version of Italian Wedding Soup a lot better.  However, there are a few tips that I can take from this recipe to apply to my mom's recipe.

Recipe
Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

Comments
 - I used Kitchen Basics brand chicken broth (yellow carton) but I really prefer the taste of Pacific chicken broth
 - Using a tablespoon as a scoop for the meatballs worked really well, so I'll use this tip again in the future with other meatball recipes
 - The ground turkey breast is low in fat but doesn't have a lot of flavor, so next time I would either use 96% lean ground beef or 93% lean ground turkey
 - Dropping the raw meatballs right into the boiling broth was another great tip from this recipe (and saves having to wash a cookie sheet)
 - I used fresh baby spinach instead of escarole

Rating
3/5

WW PointsPlus
5

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

These pancakes are really easy and very good! I made them for dinner last night and my traditional-pancake-loving husband approved.

Recipe
Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Comments
 - I used plain Fage 0% Greek yogurt and then added 1 packet of Splenda and some frozen wild blueberries
 - The batter will be really thick (I know it says this in the recipe, but trust me, it's really thick) so make sure the pancakes are fairly small and flattened out in the pan, otherwise they won't cook through
 - I used egg whites in place of a whole egg as the recipe suggests

Rating
4/5

WW PointsPlus
2

Butternut Squash Soup

I made some homemade baby food for Anna this past weekend and had some leftover butternut squash, so I decided to make this low point soup.

Recipe
Butternut Squash Soup

Comments
 - I didn't have fresh sage so I used a pinch of dried sage
 - I only used one garlic clove
 - I added 1/3 C. diced red bell pepper to help cut the sweetness of the squash
 - Since I was using my amazing Cuisinart Food Processor this weekend for the baby food, I just pureed the soup with this using my 12 Cup prep bowl.  I simmered the veggies in the broth until they were tender, pureed the squash with the milk, and then added a cup at a time of the veggie/broth mixture to the squash.
 - I gave this a lower rating because I really don't care for squash...I was kind of forced into making this since I didn't want to throw away my leftover squash.

Rating
3/5

WW PointsPlus
1

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

I made a half recipe these the other night to go along with Chicken Pot Pie Soup.

Recipe
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Comments
 - I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light (1 WWPP for 1 Tbsp) instead of butter
 - My half recipe made 8 biscuits instead of 7 (full recipe makes 14)
 - Based on these two adjustments the Points value might be more like 2 but I didn't adjust it

Rating
5/5

WW PointsPlus
3

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Here's a hearty, filling soup recipe from Skinnytaste.

Recipe
Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Comments
 - No changes, I make this soup right to the recipe every time

Rating
5/5

WW PointsPlus
6 (for 1 1/2 C serving)

Pizzadillas

I saw this idea on Pinterest and decided to make my own healthy version.

Recipe
2 small whole wheat, low carb tortillas
2 Tbsp pizza sauce
1/4 C. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
9 slices turkey pepperoni
1/2 C. diced veggies (onions, red/green bell peppers, black olives, mushrooms, etc.)

Spray a frying pan with PAM and turn heat to medium.  Assemble your quesadilla and place it in the pan with the lid on.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  I find that the lid helps with melting the cheese, but the tortillas will still crisp up nicely.

Comments
 - I used 8" whole wheat flour tortillas.  I can't recall the brand name but they say "Carb Control" on the package.

Rating
5/5

WW PointsPlus
5 (if you use tortillas that are 1 WW Point each)

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Since I love anything with buffalo sauce, I tried these as a healthy alternative to wings.

Recipe
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Comments
 - The easiest way to coat the cauliflower in the batter is to use a large bowl and salad tongs.  I tried dipping each piece individually but that took way too long and resulted in some pieces that had too much coating.
 - The cauliflower was a bit soft for my taste, so next time I might only bake them for 15 minutes instead of 20

Rating
4/5

WW PointsPlus
3

Braised Balsamic Chicken

I really like the flavor of vinegar (red wine, balsamic, white balsamic) so this recipe sounded right up my alley.

Recipe
Braised Balsamic Chicken

Comments
 - After starting the recipe I realized that I only had about 1/4 C. of balsamic vinegar on hand, so I ended up using 1/4 C. balsamic and 1/4 C. white balsamic
 - Before pouring the tomatoes, vinegar and spices over the chicken, I combined them thoroughly in a small bowl first

Rating
4/5

Zucchini Tots

These are good for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Recipe
Zucchini Tots

Comments
 - I don't have a mini muffin tin so I just made this into 6 regular sized muffins

Rating
4/5

WW PointsPlus
3 (3 servings)

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Skinnytaste again! This was one of the top 25 recipes from 2012.

Recipe
Cajun Chicken Pasta

Comments
 - I think I cooked my veggies a bit too long because the tomatoes started to break down which added a lot of liquid to the dish.  I only used 2/3 C. chicken stock but that was still too much.  I tried to reduce the sauce a bit before serving.  Next time I will not cook the tomatoes as long, and will also cut back on the broth.
 - I used fat free cream cheese and about 2/3 the amount of chicken that she calls for

Rating
4/5

WW PointsPlus
8 (5 servings)

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Sesame Lime Dipping Sauce

Another great recipe from Skinnytaste!

Recipe
Asian Turkey Meatballs

Comments
 - I didn't have scallions so I used red onion instead and just reduced the amount slightly

Rating
5/5

WW PointsPlus
7 (makes 4 servings)

Homemade Fruit Snacks

This was the first recipe I ever pinned and I finally gave it a try a few weeks ago.

Recipe

Homemade Fruit Snacks

Comments

 - I used frozen wild blueberries (from Costco)
 - I used Knox gelatin.  A single box of gelatin wasn't enough so if you're going to make this buy two boxes.
 - I added the recommended amount of honey but didn't think it was sweet enough.  The lemon juice makes these quite sour.  Next time I might throw in a packet of Splenda to add some sweetness.

Rating

3/5

Lasagna Soup

I pinned this recipe recently and decided to make it today to use for this week's lunches.

Update 2/17/2013: I made this again today and made a few changes, essentially making 1.5x the recipe.  I used 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef, added 2 C water + 2 beef bouillon cubes, added 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, and used 12 oz of Dreamfield's penne pasta.  This made 12 C of soup, which came to 4 WWPP without the cheese blend topping.  Using ground beef gave it a much better flavor.

Recipe
Lasagna Soup

Comments
 - The recipe says it makes 4 servings but I ended up splitting it into 5 servings, each about 1 1/2 C of soup with 1/5 of the cheese topping
 - The 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper definitely gives this soup a kick, so if you don't have a high spice tolerance, I'd recommend cutting this in half
 - I only used one clove of garlic
 - I used MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Burger Style Recipe Crumbles

Rating
5/5

WW PointsPlus
9

Chicken with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

This was inspired by a few different recipes that I found on my Spark Recipes app.

Recipe
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 oz each)
1 can Hunt's Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 medium carrot, sliced
1/4 large onion, diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
garlic salt
1/4 lb angel hair pasta

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in skillet.  Season chicken breasts with garlic salt and brown them slightly in the pan, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to skillet, then add carrot and onion.  Saute until slightly tender.  Add garlic and saute with the vegetables for 1-2 minutes.  Add the entire can of fire roasted tomatoes.  Put the chicken breasts back in the pan and immerse them in the sauce.  Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, until chicken breasts are cooked through.  Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.

Comments
 - I served these with Italian Green Beans.
 - This would be good by itself without the pasta as well - maybe with a side of risotto instead

Rating
4/5

WW PointsPlus
10 (could cut back on the EVOO to lower the Points value)