Meatball Soup

I can't believe we don't have this on the blog yet! This is definitely one of my favorite soups, and my kids are warming up to it now. 5th time's a charm. :) I'm always amazed at how much flavor it has.  It's a very hearty, healthy, delicious meal! I got the recipe from my friend Shay, and she calls it Meatball Minestrone, but in our family it's become simply Meatball Soup.

This is a very forgiving soup, you can put pretty much anything in or leave it out if you don't have or don't like it, after the first 5 ingredients.

Cook together:

15-30 Italian style meatballs

6 cups chicken broth

1 can Italian diced or stewed tomatoes (I use regular diced tomatoes)

1 onion, diced

1 T. Italian seasoning

Add some or all of the following ingredients and bring to a boil:

1 sm. bag baby carrots, or 2-3 carrots diced

1 can green beans

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

1 can kidney beans (or black, pinto, navy, whatever), drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1 sm. can mushrooms

Toward the end of cook time, add:

1 cup small pasta* (like Radiatore, but I usually just use macaroni)

1 cup peas, opt.

1 cup sliced zucchini, opt (I use in the summer)

*Pasta: Either add toward the end of the cooking time (following package directions for cook time), or do as I do and cook it separately, then add to soup or just to individual bowls (I like to store leftover pasta separate from the soup so it doesn't soak up the liquid).

Lemon {Poppyseed or Blueberry} Oatmeal Pancakes

For times when I don't have oat flour made up already, these are quick, easy, and delicious!

• 2 1/4 cups quick oats
• 3/4 cup flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 T baking powder
• 3 T poppy seeds (opt)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 1/2 large lemon (zest + 4 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice)
• 4 T melted coconut oil (or butter or oil)
• 1 cup blueberries (opt, fresh or frozen)

Mix  dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add milk and stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients except blueberries and stir. Let sit 5-10 minutes to thicken up. Fold in blueberries. Cook on a hot skillet. Makes 12-13 pancakes using 1/3 cup batter for each.

Adapted from A Couple Cooks

Melissa's Molasses Cookies

We first got these from one of Andy's coworkers and they taste just like the gingersnaps my best friend's mom made when I was a kid. I googled it ('cause I'm geeky like that) and apparently gingersnaps are supposed to be crunchy and molasses cookies are supposed to be chewy. Either way, they are delicious!

• ½ c. Crisco shortening
• 1 c. margarine, softened to room temperature
• 1 c. white sugar
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• ½ c. molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 tsp. baking soda
• 4 ½ c. flour
• 1 tsp.  cloves
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 375°.  Mix shortening, margarine, and sugars together.  Add molasses and eggs and blend together.  Add rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended. Refrigerate dough until firm.  Roll dough into 1” balls between palms and then roll and coat in white sugar.  Place on cookie sheet 1 ½ to 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Bake shorter for more doughy cookies and longer for more crispy.

Creamy Chicken Chili

(adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen)
This is such an easy, yummy soup. It reminds me of taco soup in it's simplicity--just dump everything in. Then whip up a white sauce and add it and some cream at the end to make it extra creamy!

• 3-4 chicken breasts (I cook from frozen)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
• 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles
• 15 ounce can white corn, drained (or frozen)
• 15.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 15.5 ounce cans beans, drained (I used black beans)

For the roux:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon 
• 1/2 cup cream (or sour cream)

Place chicken in crockpot and dump everything else on top. Cook on high 5-6 hours or on low 8-10. About an hour before serving, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir until bubbly and starts to brown. Gradually stir/whisk in the milk. Stir in bouillon. Slowly pour into crockpot, stirring constantly to combine. Stir in cream. Add salt & pepper to taste. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Cook for another 30 minutes or so to let the flavors meld. Enjoy!

Bowl-of-Oatmeal Banana Bread

Adapted from this recipe. I reduced the sugar because I don't like banana bread too sweet, and I changed the flour to oats ratio. This is my new favorite banana bread recipe!

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup quick oats 
• 1 cup flour (I usually use half all-purpose, half whole wheat)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mash bananas with brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla (I use my immersion blender for this step). Pour oats and flour on top of wet mixture. Gently stir cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into the flour, then mix all ingredients together until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan. I like to sprinkle an extra handful of chocolate chips and some oatmeal on top, and some coconut for a special treat. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup

4 cups peeled and diced tomatoes
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder (2 cubes)
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 T sugar
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T butter, divided
3-4 T flour
2 cups milk
cream, opt

Add tomatoes and seasonings to a large pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook onion in saucepan in 1 T butter until softened, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add onions and garlic to tomato mixture. Then make a white sauce: Melt remaining 3 T butter in saucepan and once melted, stir in flour (enough to make a paste, it depends how much was left when you poured the onions and garlic out). Cook for a minute or two, then slowly add and stir in milk. Stir constantly and in between adding milk to avoid lumps. Cook until thickened. Pour into tomato mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add cream, if using--though I thought it was creamy enough without. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.littledairyontheprairie.com/fresh-creamy-tomato-soup/