Chilled Rhubarb Soup with Strawberry Puree Garnish

Today is National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day.  I wanted to blog a pie recipe...but the thing is I don't like strawberry rhubarb pie.  I tried to psych myself up to make one.  I just couldn't.  Sorry.  Luckily there are a million and one recipes out there for SR Pie.  Now...plain rhubarb pie I can do.  And I'm hoping to bake one this weekend but am holding off only because I will be tempted to eat the whole thing.

But I have been wanting to make a chilled rhubarb soup and finally got the chance to do that today.  It turned out exactly like I had hoped and it was so easy to make.  I also love that it is naturally fat free, healthy and low sugar.  The bright fruit flavors are accented lightly with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  It is a simple prep but the wow factor is huge.  You can serve this for a summer starter, luncheon or as a special dessert.  I could even see this for a bridal or baby shower.  The only "trick" is that you need a blender or food processor.  The rest is easy peasy and can even be done far in advance.

Although it wasn't as easy for me to present it as it was for me to make it.  See...I have this adorable little girl who happens to love strawberries.  She is also getting very tall and is way too smart for her own good.  I made the strawberry puree in advance and put in in the fridge to chill while I made the rest of the soup.  My friend (and taste tester) stopped by to get a few of my homemade protein bars for her girls and I was going to show her the pretty puree.  But it was GONE.  I looked all over the fridge, double checked to see if I had put it in the microwave or freezer (hey...I'm a sleep deprived momma...it could happen) or if I had left it on the counter.  It was simply gone!  My friend left and I figured I'd find it somewhere goofy.  I walked into my living room and there it was.  My Sous Chef had taken it out of the fridge, grabbed her spoon from the smoothie I had made her and was eating the strawberry puree.  She was all smiles though.  Guess she liked it. Hope you do too.  Enjoy!

Quick, Simple and Easy Tomato Soup and the introduction of The Rumbles!

The other night I needed dinner on the table fast.  But...I hadn't taken anything out of the freezer and I had no desire to make the salmon patties (recipe coming soon) that were my back-up plan.  Basically I felt like crap and didn't wanna do nothing.  But I had to feed my family, right?   

An idea was born.

How many times have you needed to get dinner on the table FAST and had no idea what to make?  How many times have you ordered out pizza or grabbed fast food because you were tired, stressed, pressed for time and had hungry, crabby, pissy and otherwise obnoxious kids and spouses?  How much $$ have you spent doing this because honestly, you didn't know what else to do?

Introducing the Rumbles!  10 Minute, 20 Minute and 30 Minute Rumbles that are quick fix meals that are wholesome, healthy and delicious.  Part of the way this works is having a well stocked pantry so I will be doing a post on that coming up very soon, but my goal is to make these recipes something that ANYONE can cook.  Even my #1 Taste Tester...who as we all know can burn boiled water.  We have a "rule" in my family and that is that we eat dinner as a family.  Even last night my #2 taste tester said that it wasn't dinner until daddy got home. (He works late on M,W and F so we eat later than some families.)  My hope is that The Rumbles will help you spend more time sitting at the dinner table with your family and less time slaving over the stove to make it.

First up a simple and easy soup that you can dress up or down.  You can serve it with a salad and bread or yummy grilled cheese sandwiches...really anything!  But this is so simple you almost won't believe how tasty it is until you try it.  I honestly had no idea how big of a hit it was going to be until my family raved and asked for more.  Which I didn't have.  Next time I'll make a double batch for sure.  Enjoy!

Creamy Ham & Potato Soup (but surprise - no cream used!)

Who doesn't like soup? Especially when it's cold and damp like it has been around here lately. I stocked up on hams after Easter (gotta love sale prices) and I experimented with a smaller ham (about 7 pounds) to see how many meals I could get out of one ham. Well...I did manage to get 4 meals out of it but I also managed to slice up my finger and win a trip to St. Joe's fancy schmancy new ER. It's way nicer than it used to be. But I digress...back to food.

This is a super easy, flavorful creamy ham & potato soup. It can be made dairy free very easily and is already gluten free for those that can't have gluten. Of course I served it with my No Bricks Allowed Whole Wheat Bread which is most surely NOT GF. The pureed beans up the protein and give that creamy mouth feel without needing to add a lot of cream to the dish so that helps keep this soup low fat too. Best part is that the soup is also one of those soups you can park in the crock pot all day or throw on the stove and get on the table in just under 30 minutes. It all depends on how much time you have and how small you chop the potatoes. Enjoy!

It's Meatless Monday again! (Red Lentil Curry Stew)

Meatless Mondays FAQ

My friend Robin got a recipe for Eastern Red Lentil Soup from Vegetarian Times and it was really good. So I used that recipe as an inspiration for this yummy and satisfying stew. It even filled up my meat loving husband. He even asks for it now and one of his coworkers and me make a HUGE batch for a wedding shower she threw. Everyone loved it and here goes the recipe. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup

This soup is wrong on so many levels. NOTHING in the world should be allowed to taste this good. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe and those changes are reflected below but here is a link to the original: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/bu...pot-recipe.html

Barley Lentil Stew

I have a new love of lentils. They are cheap, versatile, easy to prepare and are really good for you. This is one of my husband's favorite lentil recipes. Enjoy!

It's a soup day (Black Bean Soup)

It snowed tonight and more snow is supposed to fall tomorrow so I can't think of anything better to make then soup. I've got the black beans soaking overnight to make my Black Bean Soup. This is one of my favorite soups to make and I've brought it to a number of families when they are welcoming a new baby home. It's simple, easy and tastes much more complicated then it is. Enjoy!