Soup on Sunday: Miss Amy's Vegetable "Beef" Soup

There's nothing better on a cold winter day than some warm comfort food like this vegetable beef soup. Well, the fact that it's so low maintenance may make it even better! I love this recipe because you cook it on low for several hours (8-10), so I can toss everything in the crock pot in the morning and it'll be ready by the time I get home from work!

I think this is a fairly versatile recipe. If you are a meat eater, you could certainly add in browned ground beef or even some chicken. You could also try changing up the veggies. If you give this soup a makeover, let me know how it works out!

Cast of Characters:

• 1 can vegetable broth
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 12 oz veggie burger crumbles (made by companies like Morningstar)
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can great northern beans
• 16 oz bag mixed veggies
• 1 packet of onion soup mix

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
2. And that's it! Only 1 direction!

Nutrition Info using burger crumbles:

Servings: 6

Calories: 210

Fat: 3 g

Carbs: 30 g

Protein: 17 g

Nutrition Info using lean ground beef:

Servings: 6

Calories: 281

Fat: 13 g

Carbs: 26 g

Protein: 17 g

Miss Amy's Belgian Spice Cookies

This week it was my turn to bring snacks for my small group and I was feeling quite festive, so I made some gingerbread men and these Belgian spice cookies. I liked them so much, I decided to post the recipe here so I wouldn't forget how I made them.

Cast of Characters:

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.25 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to blend together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then mix in egg and vanilla extract.
4. Gradually mix dry ingredients into butter mixture. Mixture may be a bit crumbly, but should still stick together when pinched.
5. Form dough into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 - 60 minutes.
6. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Be sure to use plenty of flour on your rolling pin, hands, and counter. This dough can be really sticky.
7. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray.
8. Bake each batch of cookies for about 8 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

Spiced Chai Latte Mix

Some day in November while my mom was shopping with my grandmother up in Indiana, she came across these adorable little Ball jars. We decided that I needed to find something to fill them with to hand out as presents this year. While at home for Thanksgiving, I was looking through some of her old Taste of Home magazines and I came across this easy spiced chai latte mix.

Cast of Characters:

• 3 Cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened instant tea (like Nestea)
• 3/4 cup Powdered nondairy vanilla creamer
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cloves

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a food processor or blender. (I actually just sifted all of the ingredients together and it turned out just fine.)
2. Mix 3 Tbsp of mixture into 3/4 cup hot water.
3. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 24

Calories: 85

Fat: 1 g

Carbs: 18 g

Protein: 1 g

Soup on Sunday: Miss Amy's Broccoli Cheese Soup

And the soup kick continues! Last week I decided to make a vegetarian version of broccoli cheese soup (most broccoli cheese soup uses beef broth).

Cast of Characters:

• 1 box of vegetable broth
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 Cups milk
• 4 oz (half a block) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 10 oz bags of steam in the bag broccoli, cooked (chop any large pieces into spoon-sized pieces)

Directions:

1. In a small pot simmer half of the vegetable broth and onion for 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat milk in microwave for about 3 minutes.
3. In a large stockpot, melt butter and then gradually add flour while stirring constantly. Continue to cook and constantly stir for about 2 minutes.
4. Whisk in warm milk. Continue to cook and stir constantly for 5-8 minutes until thickened.
5. Add warmed broth and onions and remaining vegetable broth.
6. Add in shredded cheese. Stir and cook until completely melted.
7. Add steamed broccoli.

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 6

Calories: 354

Fat: 20 g

Carbs: 24 g

Protein: 18 g

Soup on Sunday: Spinach Soup

I have devised another healthy creamy veggie soup, just for you! (Ok, for me too) I know creamy spinach soup sounds a little strange, but it's really good!

Cast of Characters:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small Vidalia onion
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium baking potato (diced)
• 6 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion until tender.
2. Add broth and diced potato. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes (until potato is very tender).
3. Add spinach and recover until spinach wilts (should take no more than 2 minutes).
4. Place soup and Greek yogurt in a blender to puree.
5. Pour soup into bowl and garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 4

Calories: 112

Fat: 2.4 g

Carbs: 18.5 g

Protein: 6 g

Soup on Sunday: Miss Amy's Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Nothing is better on a chilly fall day than a rich and filling bowl of soup. One problem with rich and filling creamy soups is that they're typically high in calories and fat, so I set out to attempt to fix that. Here's my first attempt (it was delicious!)

Cast of Characters:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 Cup green onions (only the tops)
• 2 Cups vegetable broth
• 1 16oz bag of frozen cauliflower, thawed
• 1 1/2 Cups skim milk
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, saute onions until tender.
2. Add in vegetable broth and cauliflower. Cover and simmer on high for 12 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.
3. Stir in milk and cheddar cheese. Cook until cheese is melted (this shouldn't take very long at all).
4. Pour contents into a blender along with the Greek yogurt and puree. Be sure to occasionally release the steam.
5. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and/ or chives.

Nutrition info:

Servings: 5

Calories: 190

Fat: 12 g

Carbs: 10 g

Protein: 11 g

Soup on Sunday: Gingery Carrot Soup

No cute anecdotes about this recipe, sorry :) I was just craving soup and wanted something simple, so here it is!

Cast of Characters:

• 1.5 - 2 lbs of carrots (peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 small potato (peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 small Vidalia onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 32 oz vegetable broth (1 box)
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream

Directions:

• Combine garlic, onion, carrots, potato, vegetable broth, and water in slow cooker.
• Cover and cook for 6 hrs on high
• Stir in brown sugar, ginger, and heavy cream.
• Use a blender to blend until smooth.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 6

Calories: 156

Fat: 3.2 g

Carbs: 31 g

Protein: 3 g

Miss Amy's Sweet Potato Casserole

Last week, my mother mailed me a bag of sweet potatoes. It took me a while to decide what to do with them, but then I figured since Thanksgiving is coming up (sort of), I'd try my hand at making a sweet potato casserole. Here's how it turned out.

Cast of Characters:

• 4 lbs sweet potatoes (6-8 potatoes)
• 1/2 Cup evaporated milk (or lowfat milk, if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp packed brown sugar divided
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter divided
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 eggs
• 6 oz pecans or walnuts (I recommend pecans)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400. Place sweet potatoes in a parchment paper-lined pan and baked for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn your oven down to 350.
• Peel sweet potatoes. Mix them until they are a smooth paste. Beat in milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 Tbsp butter, vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Pour over the nuts until they are coated. Mix in remaining 3 Tbsp of brown sugar and the cinnamon.
• Spread sweet potato mixture evenly in a 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the nut mixture and the marshmallows.
• Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour or until marshmallows are browned.

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 12

Calories: 280

Fat: 17 g

Carbs: 32 g

Protein: 5 g

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pound Cake

Fall is almost here! I'm so excited! I love fall food! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin torte, etc. To celebrate the coming season, I decided to try something new: Pumpkin Pound Cake.

Cast of Characters:

• 2-1/2 cups
• sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil until blended.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Pour into 10 in. bundt pan.
7. Bake for approximately 60 minutes.
8. Let cool for 10 minutes before flipping onto a wire rack.

Nutritional Info

Servings: 16

Calories: 420

Fat: 19g

Carbs: 60g

Protein: 4 g

Brown Sugar-Glazed Salmon

While I was at my parents' house for labor day (yes, this post is a little delayed), we decided that we wanted to try baking salmon for dinner one night (something I've never done). Luckily, I had my Recipe Binder with me, so we chose this recipe out of it and it was awesome! Here's the recipe with some minor alterations:

Cast of Characters:

• 2 salmon fillets (about 2 lbs)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Cut each fillet widthwise into four pieces. Place in a foil-lined baking pan; sprinkle with pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard and vinegar. bring to a boil. brush evenly over salmon.
3. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (Watch very carefully at this part because brown sugar burns very easily).

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 8

Calories: 186

Fat: 5 g

Carbs: 5 g

Protein: 30 g

Protein Packed Mac & Cheese

As you may have noticed by now, I'm not really a fan of meat, so I'm always looking for new delicious ways to get protein in my diet (and peanut butter gets old really quick). I just thought I'd share with ya'll one way that I do this. Instead of adding 1/4 cup of milk when making my mac & cheese, I add 1/2 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead. 1/4 cup of milk only has about 2 g of protein, but the Greek yogurt has 23 g! Big difference! Not to mention, it gives the mac & cheese a richer flavor (without adding any fat!) and makes the sauce a bit thicker... cause no one likes watery mac & cheese.

Strawberry Smoothie

Summer is the perfect time for smoothies. When in a hurry, I used to run by somewhere like Smoothie King to get a liquid lunch. Little did I know, the smoothie I typically got was 400 calories! And some of their smoothies are more than 1,000 calories for a small! After this little discovery, I thought it may be best to stay away from smoothies, but that's easier said than done, so instead I created my own healthier alternative.

Cast of Characters:

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 6 oz fat free vanilla yogurt

Directions:

1. Blend well in your blender (works best if frozen strawberries are on the bottom)
2. Pour into awesome reusable cup with straw.
3. Enjoy delicious summertime bliss! :)

I'm sure this could be done with many other frozen fruits (mango, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, etc.), but I don't currently have the time to experiment right now. Let me know if you try another combo that works!

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 188

Fat: 1 g

Carbs: 34 g

Protein: 12 g

Grilled Peaches with Greek Yogurt

I decided that I would celebrate my last day of summer vacation by making this simple and delicious (not to mention healthy) dessert for myself that just screams summertime.

Cast of Characters:

• 1 ripe (almost overripe) peach
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp granola
• 1 Tbsp honey (I prefer organic honey over the typical clover honey. It has more flavor)

Directions:

1. Cut peach in half and remove the pit.
2. Spray grill or peaches lightly with cooking spray. Place peaches with the skin side up on the grill. (I used my George Foreman grill for this part).
3. Remove peaches after about a minute or so.
4. Garnish the peach with yogurt, granola, and honey.
5. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 160

Fat: 1 g

Carbs: 34 g

Protein: 7 g

Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

It's time again for the Cookbook Challenge... Well, almost. This is my entry for August and it comes from Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast (not to be confused with Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals that I usually use). Since it's been so incredibly hot around here lately, I decided to do a light and refreshing pasta salad.

Cast of Characters:

Ingredients for Salad:

• 1 lb asparagus (cut into 3 inch pieces)
• 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 large skinless salmon fillets (I used two medium ones)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I omitted this)

Ingredients for Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 Tbs fresh chopped dill
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler
2. Bring about 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add asparagus and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from water using a slotted spoon or tongs reserving the water in the pan. Set aside.
3. Return reserved water to a boil and use it to cook the orzo. This should take about 9 minutes.
4. While pasta is cooking, sprinkle fillet evenly with salt and pepper. Place fish on a foil-lined broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Use 2 forks to break fish into chunks. (I actually chose to use my George Foreman grill to cook the fish since it was just too hot to turn the oven on today. It still turned out just great!)
5. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette together. (I actually put all of the ingredients in a jar and shook it together. Created less of a mess than if I had chosen to use a whisk.)
6. Combine fish, asparagus, orzo, onion, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly.
7. Allow to chill for 2 or more hours before serving.

This was incredibly simple to make, delicious, and absolutely perfect for a summer evening. It's filling enough to be the main dish, but would also work well as a side.

Nutrition Facts:

Serves 5

Calories: 370

Fat: 16

Carbs: 28

Protein: 31

Salade Nicoise Inspired Pasta Salad

Today I was walking through the produce section of the grocery store and I noticed the very fresh looking green beans they had... and right above those were the red potatoes, so... long story short, I came up with this little pasta salad that's inspired by salade nicoise.

Cast of Characters:

• 6-8 oz whole grain penne pasta
• 8 oz fresh green beans
• 4-6 red or new potatoes (I prefer the flavor of red potatoes)
• Two 5 oz cans of tuna
• 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Cook pasta. Add in trimmed green beans for the last 4-6 minutes of cooking (the longer the green beans cook, the softer they will be).
2. Boil or steam the potatoes until they are soft. Cut potatoes in half and then cut each half into 4 pieces.
3. Mix pasta, green beans, potatoes, and tuna together in a large bowl.
4. Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, pepper and salt.
5. Pour dressing over pasta and mix well.
6. Allow to chill in refrigerator before serving.

I served mine with a sliced hard boiled egg since those are typically included in a salade nicoise.

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 4

Calories: 390

Fat: 15 g

Carbs: 39g

Protein: 25 g

Toffee Crackle Cookies

Baking as a result of boredom... Well, that, and I figured I'd do something nice for my coworkers at camp this summer, so I decided to bake some cookies to share with them. I made these to share with my family for Christmas one year and they were a hit and it's easy to understand why. They're not too sweet and they have a fabulously soft texture. Not to mention they have toffee in them! So without further ramblings from me...

Cast of Characters:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature (don't microwave it)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup toffee pieces (If you're a chocolate lover, you can crush up bite size heath bars)
• granulated white sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until butter is softened.
3. Add brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally.
4. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
5. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Use a wooden spoon to incorporate the rest.
6. Stir in toffee pieces.
7. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar.
8. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets
9. Bake for about 18-20 minutes. You'll know they are done when the tops are slightly cracked (these cookies don't brown).
10. Allow cookies to cool for a little while on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack, otherwise, the cookies will fall apart.

I know these cookies don't look that exciting, but please trust me, THEY'RE AMAZING! Happy Baking!

Easy Peach Crumble

As many of my friends know, my favorite fruit is peaches (what Georgia native doesn't love peaches?), so today while walking through the grocery store, I decided to grab a few and see what I could do with them. Here's what I came up with.

Cast of Characters:

• 4 Large Peaches
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup of butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel and slice peaches and plop them into a 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the peaches evenly.
3. In a medium (or large) mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix and melted butter until the cake mix is fully covered. It should be a crumbly texture.
4. Spoon your cake mix and butter combo over the peaches and spread evenly over the top.
5. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
6. Eat and enjoy!

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by how this turned out. I think next time I'm going to try using apples and a spice cake mix. Anyone have any other good combination ideas?

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 9

Calories: 377

Fat: 16 g

Carbs: 57 g

Protein: 3 g

Dijon Green Beans

Last night's dinner was full of new recipes. To go along with my Panko Pan-Fried Fish Strips, I made a new green bean recipe. I'm still trying to decide if this recipe is a keeper or not, but I decided to post it anyway and let you decide for yourself.

Cast of Characters:

1 Tbs butter

2 tsp dijon mustard (more on this later)

1 Tbs fresh parsley

salt to taste (yes, my salt shaker is an owl)

Directions:

1. Cook the green beans according to the directions on the package or, if you bought fresh green beans like I did, cook them on the stove. (In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Add in trimmed green beans and allow to boil, uncovered, for about 5-8 minutes until they are cooked to your liking.)
2. Once green beans are cooked and drained, mix in all other ingredients until coated evenly.
   
   Recipe Review: I am not a huge fan of dijon mustard, so I think the next time I make these, I will only use about 1.5 tsp of dijon mustard instead of the full 2. Aside from the small tweak that needs to be made, I really like this recipe. It's a little more exciting than just plain green beans and the only thing I had to buy for this recipe was the green beans. I think I just made up my mind about this recipe. I suppose I will try it again. :)

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 4

Calories: 35

Fat: 1.5 g

Carbs: 6 g

Protein: 1 g

Panko Pan-Fried Fish Strips

Once again, I found myself looking through my favorite cookbook EVER, Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals, for my July Cookbook Challenge recipe when I came across the recipe for Panko Pan-Fried Fish Strips. I must be honest, I have never fried a single thing before in my life, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little concerned, but they just looked so delicious that I chose to throw my fear aside and go for it anyway!

Cast of Characters:

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 tilapia fillets, cut in half lengthwise

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs)

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over fish.
2. Place buttermilk in a shallow dish. Place panko in another shallow dish. Working with 1 piece of fish at a time, dip fish into buttermilk, and dredge in panko.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the oil to the pan; then add half the fish. Reduce heat to medium; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and fish.

This is definitely a recipe that I will be repeating! My fears of frying were unfounded. (Do you like my alliteration?) This was definitely a winning recipe and pretty healthy too!

Nutrition Info:

Serving Size: 2 pieces (1 fillet)

Calories: 310

Fat: 9 g

Carbs: 17.5 g

Protein: 40 g

Sweet Potato Fries

This past week, on their way to the beach, my parents decided to stop at a little roadside produce stand where they bought peaches, cantaloupe, and a big brown paper bag full of sweet potatoes. I decided that since we some sweet potatoes to spare, I would try a new side to go with my Meyer lemon and dill fish parcels that I was making. I settled on the sweet potato fries recipe that I found in the latest issue of GreenWise.

Cast of Characters:

• Sweet potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Ground cumin
• Paprika
• Chili powder
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes lengthwise into quarters and then cut each quarter into thirds. (Anyone else feel like this is a 3rd grade math lesson?)
3. Spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray and then spread out potato wedges. Wedges shouldn't be overlapping.
4. Sprinkle wedges evenly with salt, pepper, ground cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until soft.

Play around with trying some different seasonings. Let me know if you come up with a new combination.

Recipe Binder

I know I usually use my blog to share recipes, but this was such a fabulous idea that I couldn't help but share! (I mean, it's still sorta related.) I was poking around on my sister's FABULOUS blog one day and came across her entry about making a Recipe Binder.

If you're like me, you probably have a million magazines here, there, and everywhere. They don't get thrown away (or recycled) because they contain recipes that someday you might actually want to make. The problem is, you never remember you have those recipes or you cannot find them because there are too many magazines to search through. And that's where this handy bit of organization comes in!

I went through every single one of my magazines and neatly tore out the recipes that I would like to try someday.

I found the cutest binder at Target that is made by a company called Greenroom (you should check them out!). I also bought some simple dividers and labeled each (appetizers & snacks, sides, seafood, vegetarian, and desserts & baked goods). I then neatly trimmed up the ragged edges of my magazine pages, used a 3-hole-punch, and placed them in their assigned category.

Now my giant stack of magazines is being divided between my classroom to be turned into collages, and the recycling center.

If you make one of these, let me know how it turns out! Emily always has great organization ideas!

Meyer Lemon and Dill Fish Parcels

For this month's Cookbook Challenge, Emily and I both decided to do it while we were at the beach with our family. Yet again, I chose a recipe from Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals. This time I chose to try my hand at cooking fish (flounder). Fish is a great source of lean protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids (which are good for heart health).

Meyer Lemon and Dill Fish Parcels

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-ounce) halibut or flounder fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 Meyer lemon slices (2 lemons)
• 1 Tbs butter, quartered
• 4 tsps chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut 4 (15-inch) squares of parchment paper. Fold each square in half. Open folded parchment paper; place 1 fillet near fold on each square.
3. Sprinkle fillets evenly with salt and pepper.
4. Top evenly with lemon slices, butter quarters, and dill.
5. Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds. Place packets on large baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until paper is puffy and lightly browned.
7. Place 1 packet on each of 4 serving plates, and cut open. Serve immediately.

This recipe was a cinch to make and I will definitely be making it again! I chose to serve it with some sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli.

Nutrition info:

- Calories: 235

- Fat: 5.6g

- Protein: 42g

- Carbs: 6g

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Starbucks! They have a banana chocolate chip muffin there that I absolutely love, so I just had to try to create my own.

Cast of characters:

• 1 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. - Cut butter into small pieces and melt in the microwave (about 30-45 seconds should do it) and then set it aside to cool
3. - In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts using a fork or a whisk. Set aside.
4. - In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla.
5. - Using a rubber spatula, fold banana mixture into your flour mixture just until combined. Do not overdo it because then you'll end up with tough muffins.
6. - Spoon batter evenly into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin cups and bake for 18-22 minutes.
7. - Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 328

Fat: 15g

Carbs: 48g

Protein: 4 g

Zucchini Medallions with Parmesan Cheese

When I was in high school, this was one of my favorite things that my mom would make. So simple, but so tasty! Perfect as an appetizer or a side.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil
3. Cut zucchini into 1/4 inch thick slices (discard ends)
4. Place medallions on lined cookie sheet without any overlap
5. Quickly spray the tops of the medallions with the cooking spray
6. Top each medallion with about 1/8 tsp of Parmesan cheese
7. Bake for about 6-8 minutes
8. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Serving Size: 8 pieces

Calories: 60

Fat: 4g

Carbs: 4g

Protein: 3g

Servings of fruit/ veggies: 1

Chocolate Chip Cookies

In 1930, the chocolate chip cookie was invented by Ruth Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. The story goes that one day she decided to add chunks of Nestle's Semisweet Yellow Label chocolate bar to her butter cookies. The cookies were an instant hit and Nestle went on to buy the right to the name "Toll House" and began printing Wakefield's cookie recipe on the back of their bags of chocolate chips.

It's taken some time, but I think I have finally found my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and it happens to be very similar to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put rack in the center of the oven.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
3. Add the white and brown sugars and then beat until fluffy.
4. Beat eggs in one at a time. Be sure to beat well after each addition.
5. Beat vanilla in until fully incorporated.
6. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt using a whisk or a fork.
7. Add about half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend well.
8. Next, beat in your chocolate chips and then beat in the rest of your flour mixture.
9. Place rounded tsp of dough on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9-14 minutes until brown around the edges.

If cookies are spread out too much while baking, make sure your cookie sheets are completely cooled before putting dough on them.

If the edges or bottoms of your cookies are burning, chances are your oven is too hot.

Happy Baking!