CHEDDAR-POTATO-CARROT SOUP

CHEDDAR-POTATO-CARROT SOUP

6 TBSP butter or olive oil, or 50/50 of each

1 sm. onion, minced

Saute in a small skillet until translucent, more like sweating than sauteing.

Transfer to a big sauce or soup pot, & add:

6 C chicken broth & simmer for a bit.

Shred 8-10 carrots & 3 to 5 peeled potatoes. (I have used thawed hash browns, which work just as well.)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 drops Tabasco

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Simmer until veggies are tender.

Turn heat to low & add 2 C of 1/2 & 1/2 (can use fat free 1/2 & 1/2). 

Bring up to warm. TURN OFF HEAT!

Gently stir in one handful at the time, 2 - 3 C grated cheddar cheese, stirring in between til the cheese melts, otherwise your soup will "break".

Serve immediately!!!

Crock Pot Cajun chicken

I found this recipoe HERE along with a ton of other Crock Pot recipes.

11/2 to 2	lb.	meaty chicken (breasts, thighs, drumsticks)
		non-stick spray coating
2	tbsp.	nonfat milk
2	tbsp.	onion powder
1/2	tsp.	dried thyme, crushed
1/4	tsp.	garlic salt
1/4	tsp.	white pepper
1/4	tsp.	black pepper

Remove skin from chicken. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Spray inside of Crockery Pot with nonstick coating. Arrange the chicken, meaty sides up in Crockery Pot. Brush with milk. In small bowl mix onion powder, thyme, garlic salt, white pepper and black pepper. Sprinkle over chicken. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (high 4 to 5 hours) until the chicken is tender and no longer pink.



I don't know what to call it.... Trail mix?

Sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, craisins, and raisins. The kids love it and no salt added. I bought the big bags of the stuff and now when the kids get "snacky" this week, I just pull out the bag or put a handful in a baggie to go.

Balsamic Chicken and Pears

With PB&J at the ready I braved this new cuisine all in the name of low cholesterol. It sounded weird, and my kids don't like weird. The first thing I noticed was the amazing smell. Then the flavor. O. My. Gosh. Very good. Its a hit with the kids too not weird. In fact I'd go as far as to say its like comfort food. I was surprised that the pears taste the same... just better. And the best part? I already had the Balsamic Vinegar and the rest was under $10. It took about 20 min to make.

Easy+Cheap+totally tasty= New regular Teasdale Menu item.

The recipe: Here

 

Chicken Apple Burgers!

This heart healthy meal is really tasty (in my opinion) and went over well with half of our family. Richard, myself and Katie all really liked it. Emma and Grandpa were not big fans.
If you leave off the apples, it tastes a lot like thanksgiving leftovers on a bun--with out the fat and calories. SO GOOD! FYI, Grandpa and Emma don't like "sweet meat."

The recipe was from Good Housekeeping's Website. Next to the recipe are the nutrition facts. They used a regular buns, I used light, whole wheat buns with half the sodium.

I spent about $10 probably less. It would have been more, but Macey's didn't have ground chicken. Instead I took frozen chicken breasts to the cheese grater. Saved a bundle and it worked just fine.

In the future, I'll use thinner apple slices and maybe just the patties and cranberry sauce.

Fish Tacos

So I tried my hand at Fish tacos. I think it would have helped had I had them before.... Richard liked them though.

Tillapia is actually quite affordable when you realize that a lb of it is too much. I got small fillets each for .90 at Maceys grocery store. One fillet made 2 tacos. I cooked them in a skillet in canola oil and lemon juice.

I then diced tomatoes, green onion and cilantro with lemon juice (I forgot the limes and substituted) to make a peco type salsa.

So corn tortillas, lettuce, tillapia, peco, and topped with some cheddar cheese.

I'm going to try this way next time... Costa Vida fish tacos

By the way, my hubby did this video. :)

Wednesday Night Pitas

I cut up and cooked chicken breast in some olive oil and green onion and garlic powder.

When the chicken was cooked through, I added Parmesan cheese.

The veggies in the pita are: dark Romaine lettuce, cilantro, and tomato. I added a tiny sprinkle of finely shredded cheddar for color.



For Dessert we had these awesome pre-made crepes. I put yogurt, bananas, grapes and kiwi in them they were a big hit!

Peach Cobbler: Low sodium and Low cholesterol

1 package white cake mix
1 large can cut or diced peaches
3 tbs smart balance buttery spread
Ground cinnamon

Blend cake mix with undrained can of peaches. You can do it right there in your cake pan. If its still dry you can add a bit of water. Cut up Smart Balance and spread around on top and sprinkle cinnamon over top.

Cook at 375 till bubbly and golden brown



My Mom used to make this with real butter and it was SOOOOO good! I had no idea how diet friendly this was until tonight when I was frantically searching for something tasty for family night that my dieting hubby could enjoy.

Also, this was one of the first things my mom taught me to make that makes your home smell like you've been working a lot harder than you have.