Hearty Vegetable Burger Soup

This is a great & delicious warm-you-up soup!

I made it the same day I saw it posted at 4 Little Fergusons.

Tonya sure knows how to 'suck me in' with her recipes.  I try a number of them and am always pleased, so if she says it's good,

I'm on it!

I had some leftover lean ground beef already in the fridge, and hubby and I had just been talking how we wanted to eat less meat, more veggies - and that soup would be a good option.

And there it was!  A simple soup with several options to make it our own.  I love adding mixed veggies to my soups, but I used some green beans that my hubby had taken time to process and freeze  during a busy day this past summer.

I LOOOOOOVE tomato soup and I already had some leftover in the fridge, and some chopped celery also. More reasons why I decided to make it...I got to use up some on-hand ingredients.

I added a couple of small potatoes and a little bit of corn.  Add carrots or any favorite veggies.  It's all gonna be good -

and good for you.

I did cut this recipe in half since there are only two of us, but if you need more, the recipe is perfect for a larger family.

I'm sure you'll love it too - it is VERY delicious.

I hope you enjoy it soon. Serve it with a salad, rolls or a sandwich and you're ready to chow down.

HEARTY VEGETABLE BURGER SOUP

1 stick butter

(or Smart Balance)

1 c. flour

(I used a little less of white wheat)

1 qt. water, or more as it cooks

2# extra lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 potatoes, cubed

2 cans tomato soup

1 tsp. pepper

1 cup celery, chopped

2 c. frozen mixed veggies, or 1 c. corn & 1 c. green beans

1 cube beef bouillon

(I had reduced sodium on hand)

In a saucepan, melt butter; add flour and stir to a smooth paste.  Add water, and heat until blended.

In a soup pot, brown the burger and drain. Add the flour mixture and remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low 2 - 4 hours.

I'm sure this would work nicely in a crockpot also!

YUM! SLURP! YUM!

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Sugar Free Caramel Apple Salad {A Favorite!}

I'm excited to share one of my favorite dishes (from my archives) with you today!

Simple...easy...delicious...and healthy! How can ya beat it? 

This is another Weight Watchers recipe - I believe you can count
1/2 c. salad = 2 points. (Prior Points Plus)

Hurrah!

It doesn't take many ingredients and I always have these things on hand...so I'm ready when the 'hankerin' hits! 

Chopping the apples is the hardest part...and you don't even have to get the mixer out!

MMMMMMMMM!

There have been times when I've made this, taken a taste, put the dish in the fridge, get it back out, take another taste, put it back, get it out...you get the picture! It's tough to stop eating it!

You might want to make this while your family is gone - that way they'll never have to know you made it. *-*

CARAMEL APPLE SALAD

1 (20 ozs) can crushed pineapple, slightly drained

1 (4-serving size) box sugar free butterscotch pudding mix

1 (8 ozs) tub frozen fat free whipped topping, thawed

4 unpeeled apples, diced

1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Place pineapple in medium bowl. Stir in dry pudding mix and blend well. Add whipped topping, and stir in apples and nuts.

(I prefer to add nuts on top as they tend to soften)

It's best when eaten the same day it's made.

Linked to Totally Tasty Tuesday
Fit & Fabulous Friday
Weekend Potluck
       Ingredient Spotlight - Whipped Topping
          Ingredient Spotlight - Apples

  

Weight Watchers [Very Low Point] Spinach Dip

I can eat this wonderful concotion by the spoonsful.

It's delicious AND nutritious....and I love the added crunch of the water chestnuts.

It was almost as if someone knew what I had on hand....??

I had half a bag of spinach in the freezer that needed to be eaten...an envelope of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix that had been there a while, a tub of opened sour cream also and an older can of water chestnuts that I'd purchased for something else and then didn't use! 

So I was very happy that I came across this simple recipe as I was scouring through my WW info and recipes. I'm not wild about fresh veggies, but can really enjoy them if I have a delicious dip like this to help get them in me.

Do hope you'll give this a try.  It's really very tasty.

Unless you have a big number of mouths to eat this up within a couple of days, I would suggest just making half a batch, as it really does make a lot, but doesn't hold for very long.

{Just measure the dry soup out and then use half.}

WEIGHT WATCHERS SPINACH DIP

1 envelope Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix

1-1/2 c. fat free plain yogurt

1 c. fat free sour cream

10 ozs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

chopped green onions, optional

1 small can water chestnuts, chopped, optional

Mix everything together and let chill for about an hour or two before serving.

WW Points (Prior Points Plus)

5 servings - 1 point each

Linked to Foodie Friday
Fit & Fabulous Friday

Cream of Asparagus Soup {Healthy Options}

Since I've been working at getting myself in 'gear' for healthier eating, I've been cleaning out, sorting through, pitching, and organizing my many many recipes.  I've had them in bags in drawers, under the bed, etc. as the little cupboard in the bottom of my hutch is already full of books and recipes!

{And that's only one of 3 cupboards that has cookbooks/recipes}.

I'm so thankful I tried this delicious recipe.  It caught my eye because I had just reviewed the items in our freezer the day before, and thought about using some of our fresh frozen asparagus for soup. AND...I had a little chunk of Monterey Jack that needed to be eaten!

This was very tasty - hubby commented how much he enjoyed it too.  It's a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies!

If you'd like a little more 'body' to your soup, add some rice. MM!

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

2 pkgs. (12 ozs each) frozen cut asparagus

1/4 c. butter

(I used Smart Balance Buttery Sticks)

2 Tb. all purpose flour

(I used 3 TB. white whole wheat)

4 c. 2% (or skim) milk

1 c. (4 ozs) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

(I cut back a little and it was still wonderful)

4 - 5 drops hot pepper sauce

1 tsp. salt

3/4 - 1 tsp. pepper

Prepare asparagus according to pkg. directions; drain, cut into pieces and set aside.  In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth, gradually add milk (best to use a whisk). Bring to a boil, cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until thickened.  Cool slightly.

Pour half the milk mixture into a blender; add half of asparagus. Cover and process until blended. Strain and discard pulp. (I did not do this as it was smooth & not stringy). Return soup to the saucepan.  Repeat with remaining milk mixture and asparagus. Stir in cheese, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper; heat through (do not boil).

Yield: 4 - 5 servings

Serve with a sandwich and you'll find it makes for a delicious and filling meal.

Linked to Fit & Fabulous Friday

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins with Carrot Puree

I am wild! about muffins. They are a healthier alternative to all the sweets that I love.

I'm all for 'grab n go' goodies!

Add oatmeal to them and I am SO happy!

I found this recipe in "The Muffin Cookbook...Muffins for All Occasions".

It's just a small soft cover book with only 90 pages, but

it's something I keep handy on my cookbook shelf. I've used it for years.

These muffins were very yummy...and healthy too.

I made them for hubby to take on an overnight fishing trip a while back and he and his brother really enjoyed them.

These have pineapple in them which adds moistness and a flavor boost.

The recipe also calls for Sour Cream!  YUUUMMM!

I had some baby food jars of carrots that I'd purchased on sale a while back, and kept forgetting about them.

I decided to add that small jar of puree to these muffins, for added flavor and nutrition, and was very pleased with the results.

Of course, they are orange, but that for me, that makes them more taste-tempting!

The original recipe doesn't call for the puree, so if you choose to make them without, you don't need to make any changes.

I didn't when adding the extra flavor.

This is a great way to sneak more veggies into your family's diet.

OATMEAL RAISIN MUFFINS

1 (8 ozs) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 c. dairy sour cream

1 egg

1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

1/4 c. carrot puree, optional

(try using butternut squash or pumpkin?)

1-1/2 c. all purpose or white wheat flour

1 c. old-fashioned oats

1/2 c. sugar
(I used 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. Splenda)

1 Tb. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. raisins

Preheat oven to 350. In small bowl, combine pineapple, sour cream, egg, butter and carrot puree until blended.  In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; make well in center. Pour in pineapple mixture.  Stir until just mixed.  Spoon into greased 2-1/2-inch muffin cups. Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly browned and wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

(Splenda bakes faster and mine baked for about 23 minutes).

Yield: 12 muffins

Linked to Breakfast Ideas Monday