Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I got this recipe from my dear friend, Sarah. It's super simple and very yummy!! Makes 4 servings

1 box Uncle Bens Wild Rice, Original Recipe
Water per box instructions
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken, drained (Costco)
1 C sour cream
1/4 C white cooking wine

Simmer all ingredients about 25 min or until rice is tender.

I'm baaaack!! (and Jan/Feb menus)

Well, for those who don't know me personally, I apologize for being MIA for such a long time; I found out in Aug that I'm pregnant and I have been sick, sick, sick. From Aug to Dec with pregnancy sickness and then for a whole month with pneumonia. But I have my January and February menu for you! Just don't count on anything regular with a new baby coming ;) Sorry, it's the truth.

Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Slaw (I use slaw mix)
Asian BBQ Chicken with Cilantro Lime Pineapple Rice
Steaks and creamy mashed potatoes
Chicken Spaghetti (this made 2 batches for my family so I froze one)
Broiled fish and Barley and Asparagus
Homemade Pizzas
White Chili (I'll have to post my recipe soon!)
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Pesto Wraps (this time I just threw some chicken breasts in the crockpot in the am, then shredded and added pesto before serving!)
White Chicken and rice (another one I need to post)
Tortellini Soup (I threw everything in the crockpot with some frozen tortellini, cooked on low for about 5 hours, YUM)
Cube Steak Sandwiches
Cheeseburger Salads (I use ground turkey and double the sauce, also for the croutons I melt the butter and toss with the buns, then bake at 350, turning every 8 min or so until golden brown..this is easier for me)
Butternut Squash Soup and Homemade Croutons (I omit celery and use 1 tsp celery salt, bake my squash instead of peeling {pain!} and top with sour cream and Sriracha {a must!!} make croutons, LOTS of croutons!)
Pot Roast
Chicken Cordon Blue (this is a diff recipe than I normally use and we LOVED it!! KEEPER!!)
Meatball Sandwiches (half this recipe, I use ground turkey so use less breadcrumbs or they'll be dry, bake as directed and serve on crusty rolls with cheese, olives and whatever else you like)
Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken and Mashed Potatoes (I use 3/4 C whiskey, 16 oz BBQ and 2/3 jar peach jam)
Thai Coconut Curry Noodles (I add chicken)
Chocolate Chili
Beef with Mushroom Sauce (roast with 1 pkg onion soup mix, 2 cans cream of mush-in the crockpot, serve over rice)
Fish Tacos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Lasagna
Chicken Rolls
Tortellina Pasta Salad (I omit tomatoes and add red bell pepper. I also add spinach)
Sweet Pork Salads
Stuffed Pistolettes
Ham steaks and funeral potatoes
Ginger Steak Salads
Riobollitta
French Dip Sandwiches

Homemade Wheat Bread

For this recipe you will need a wheat grinder and a high capacity mixer (like a Bosch or Blendtec). If you don't have these, you can use store-bought wheat flour (4 Cups) and a KitchenAid, but make only 1/3 the recipe...


Grind 7 1/2 cups hard wheat (I use 5 cups white and 2 1/2 cups red)

Mix with beaters until well blended:
6 C very warm water
2/3 C canola oil
2/3 C honey
6 C fresh flour
3 Tbs Vital wheat gluten
3 Tbs dough enhancer
2 Tbs salt

Switch to dough hooks:
Add the rest of your fresh flour
3 Tbs yeast on top of flour

Turn on the mixer and add high gluten flour (about 3-4 C) slowly until dough starts to pull away from the bowl. Allow to mix 10 min and check elasticity. If additional mixing is needed check every 2-3 min. (Video 1) and (Video 2)

Oil your hands and your countertop and remove dough from bowl. Knead it a few times by hand and then divide into 6 equal parts. Form into 6 loaves and set in oiled loaf pans. (Video 3). Cover with a lightweight towel and allow to rise until about 1-1 1/2 in above pan. (Dough will continue to rise in the oven.)

Preheat your oven to 425* Immediately after putting your bread in lower temp to 325*. Bake for 15 min and then insert a temp probe. Bake until temp reads 185*. Remove immediately from pans and cool completely on a cooling rack before bagging

(refer to Ezekial Bread post for pics and details)

Protein Waffles

It's always a good idea to get some form of protein in the morning. "Eating protein in the morning is essential because it creates energy that outlasts carbohydrates. A boost of protein in the morning will help prevent your body from burning muscle fiber for energy. Breaking down muscle for energy actually slows the metabolism, so it is crucial that you prevent this from happening." (street directory.com)

For a change from meat and eggs, I came up with this recipe. I hope you like it!!

2 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C flax meal
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
3/4 C canola oil (or try splitting it up with applesauce)
2 C milk
2 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
1/8 tsp almond extract (optional but very yummy)

Mix everything well and pour into preheated waffle iron. Warning, these are FILLING!!

Side dishes

Since the question was posed, I figured I would dedicate a post about side dishes. Yes, several meals that I make are all-encompassing dishes. However, there are others that do require a side dish. We tend to keep it simple around here, and yes, my kids do eat vegetables. Here are a few examples:

Pasta dishes:
boiled artichoke
steamed broccoli
steamed green beans
green salad
garlic bread
breaksticks
dinner rolls

Mexican dishes:
Mexican rice
Black beans
Cilantro lime rice
Chips and salsa/guacamole
green salad

Sandwiches:
Raw veggies and dip
Fresh fruit
Chips
Sweet potato fries
Corn on the cob
Pasta salad

Asian food:
Rice
green salad
Crab rangoons (recipe halved)

Soups:
Green salad
garlic bread
dinner rolls

Meat:
Steamed veggies (broccoli, corn, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, asparagus, squash etc.)
Corn on the cob
Barley and asparagus
Rice pilaf
fruit
green salad
corn muffins
mashed/baked potatoes
White bean salad (white beans, cucumber, red onion, red pepper, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper)
Pasta Salad
Dinner rolls

Some of the green salad variations I make are:

Green leaf lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, carrots, crumbled bacon and shredded yellow cheese. Serve with ranch or balsamic dressing (or whatever you like)

Spinach, feta, candied pecans, strawberries. Serve with poppyseed dressing

Green leaf lettuce or spinach or a combination, apples, Craisins, crumbled bacon, feta. Serve with poppyseed dressing

For my steamed veggies I usually sprinkle with chicken boullion granules and garlic powder before steaming.

August Menu

We just got back from an 8 day vacation. You know what that means; scramble to get organized!!! I don't have anything insightful to share, just my menu. PS: I get people who comment to me in person about my blog, but I'd love to hear from those whom I don't know personally!! I hope you've found your niche in menu planning, please share you success stories with me!!

In case you're new to my blog, you can find my master plan here. I'll always tell you if I'm using a new recipe, all others are tried and true :)

August (New)
Chinese Lemon Chicken (crock pot)
Maple Dijon Chicken with Sweet Potatoes (crock pot)
Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta and Blueberries
Beef with Snow peas



Turkey Burgers, sweet potato fries, raw veggies
Country Pork Ribs, cornbread, salad
Mexican Stuffed Shells
Tortellini Pasta Salad (I omit tomatoes, add red pepper and spinach)
Chicken Caesar Sandwiches (crock pot)
Cheeseburger Salads
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Honey Butter Pork
Meatball Sandwiches (crock pot)(I use ground turkey which is leaner so I use less breadcrumbs otherwise it would be really dry. This is also a huge recipe as-is, so either cut in half or freeze some meatballs for later. Bake for 6 min @ 375 on a cookie sheet, turn once then bake an additional 6 min. Add meatballs to a crockpot with jarred spaghetti sauce and simmer on low for a few hours). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, black olives, red onions or whatever else you like)
Broiled Fish and Stuffed Zucchini
Artichoke Lasagna (I found that a pasta casserole is easier)
Pot Roast (crock pot)
French Dip (or leftover pot roast)
Breakfast for dinner
Thai Coconut Curry Noodles
Sweet Pork salads (crock pot)
Grilled Pizza
Ham and mashed potatoes (crock pot)(put your ham steak in the crock pot with a can of Dr Pepper and a small can of pineapple and cook on low for several hours)
Stir fry

...and the deed is done! Whoa, that was a rough one for me!!

Stuffed Pistolettes

Just to warn you, this is only "kinda" a recipe. The measurements don't matter TOO much. It just depends on what you like.

First, take some yummy kaiser rolls, cut the tops off (save 'em!) and hollow out the inside with a fork.



Then brown some lean ground turkey (I use the 16 oz Jenni-O pkg) with about 1/2 a md chopped onion. Add some cajun seasoning and some Velveeta cheese. I use about 1/2 a small block.

 Throw in some steamed broccoli, about 1 large head.

 Spoon into your buns...

Butter the tops and sprinkle with garlic powder.
Bake at 350 for 10 min. YUM!!! This is a family favorite!!