Quick and Easy Broccoli Chicken Divan

So we are leaving for a week's vacation and I am trying to use everything fresh in the fridge that I need to cook. I still had a good bit of fresh broccoli from on on the large Costco bags that I buy, and I had some rotisserie chicken strips that needed to be used as well, and I ran across this recipe. Must say that it took me all of about 10 minutes to prepare and we were eating about 20 minutes after that - not too bad! It was really, really good too, so even after we get back this may have to go into rotation. It's a little more rich that I prefer to cook currently, but with reduced fat ingredients, it really isn't so bad! I am giving my slightly tweaked version of the recipe, but the original can be found here. Served it with a salad, of course, and I'm really looking forward to my leftovers.

Quick and Easy Broccoli Chicken Divan

• 1 pound chopped fresh broccoli (I used a couple of ounces more to finish off what I had)
  
• 1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup - Campbell's Healthy Request
  
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
  
• 3/4 cup 2% shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  
• Garlic powder
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Mrs Dash, Original blend
  
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
• 3 tablespoons dried seasoned bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Steam broccoli in microwave (I use chicken broth, but if you use water, I suggest seasoning the water a little), for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
3. Place the cooked broccoli in an 8" square casserole dish. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup, sour cream and milk, 1/2 of cheese, garlic and pepper and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.

Fall weather, how I love thee (and thy vegetables)

So as anyone from Alabama knows, it is RARE that we get fall. We usually go from 95 degrees to 50, and that 50 doesn't usually happen until just before Thanksgiving. This year is different however, and we have been so lucky to have this nice fall weather the last two weeks. It has made me crave EVERYTHING fall. What screams fall more than butternut squash? This has been on my wish list since the thermometer fell below 85. So, so simple, but oh, so fabulous. We had it with a balsamic pork tenderloin and I'm about to heat my leftovers (can't wait)!!!!

Roasted Butternut Squash

• olive oil to coat
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt
• fresh, ground pepper
• 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I'd suggest buying the already peeled and cubed or you can microwave your squash for about 8 minutes to make it easier to peel and chop)
  
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425
   
2. Toss squash in olive oil, salt & pepper and garlic
3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spread squash evenly on it.
4. Cook for 20 minutes, and then gently stir squash and return to oven.
5. Check squash again after 20 minutes more (repeat at 5 or 10 minute intervals until done - if needed)
6. Remove squash from oven and sprinkle with parmesan
7. Let rest for a couple of minutes and serve!
   

Stuffed Pork Chops (a new fave)

I buy boneless chicken breasts and center cut pork chops (thick cut) in bulk at Costco. I trim the fat if needed, and bag them all individually, and then put them all in two good gallon size freezer bags. This way, when I am about to leave in the morning, I can pull out however many I need and they are neither stuck together nor freezer burned. So anyway, since these two things are pretty routine dinner items, I'm always looking for good, easy, healthy ways to cook them. If it is something he likes, Richard could eat the same thing every night of the week, I however have to have some variety.

I have been looking for some new pork chop recipes and upon reading about some yummy stuffed pork chop recipes that didn't include stuffing (you know I''m low-carbing it). I ran across some recipes that used smoked gouda and some different cheeses, and then some others that sounded good too, so I decided to try something based on some of the different elements of the ones I likes, and the finished product was way easy and totally fabulous!

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops

• 4 thick, center cut pork chops
• 4 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb cheese
  
• 4 tbs crumbled bacon pieces (see, yet another use for my handy-dandy bacon pieces)
• 1/2 c beef broth (or 1/2 c water and beef broth granules or beef bullion)
• 1/2 c red wine
• McCormick's Montreal Chicken seasoning
• Nonstick cooking spray
• toothpicks
  

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cut a slit in the side of each porch chop to make a large pocket
3. Season the pork chop (inside and out) with seasoning
4. Brown pork chops in skillet (sprayed with cooking spray) for 2 minutes on each side
5. Stuff each chop with cheese wedge and 1 tbs of bacon and secure opening with toothpick
6. Place in chops in baking dish (sprayed with cooking spray) and add beef broth and red wine.
7. Bake at 375 or until pork chops for 20 minutes, or until the internal temp of the meat reaches 175.
8. OPTIONAL - add the pan juice back to skillet and thicken with corn starch or flower.

Here's the nutritional breakdown(approximate, based on 4 oz chop, with fat removed)

4 Servings - Amount Per Serving

Calories 272.0

Total Fat 14.6 g

Cholesterol 74.2 mg

Sodium 923.1 mg

Potassium 451.1 mg

Total Carbohydrate 1.5 g

Dietary Fiber 0.0 g

Sugars 1.0 g

Protein 26.7 g

Messy Meatloaf/Stuffed Meatloaf

OK, so I found a couple of really cool recipes for this and thought it sounded and looked really yummy because we are pretty much suckers for anything Italian. Mine was most similar to Messy Meatloaf from Jersey Girl Cooks , but I originally found it through Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf from Full Bellies, Happy Kids. Anyway, I wanted to credit my inspirations and am also including the pic from Jersey Girl, since that's what mine looked like. I like my meatloaf to be soft, moist and juicy, so I use sauce and more filler in the meat mixture, so it's the consistency of a good Italian meatball, rather than a burger patty, but if you are more the meat type, by all means reduce the breadcrumbs and the sauce! Anyway, it was quite delicious and it is going in "the rotation". Since it has a veggie in it, I just served with a salad, but garlic parm mashed 'taters would be really good with it in retrospect. Here goes, give it a try - I think you will like it...

Messy Meatloaf

• olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package fresh baby spinach (6-10 oz - whatever your store carries will do just fine)
• 1 small can diced tomatoes, drained well (you could easily omit this, but since the original recipe called for mushrooms and Richard hates them, I wanted something else with the spinach)
• 2 c spaghetti sauce, divided (I use the cheapy Hunt's -Traditional flavor)
• 1.5 - 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (I use part skim mozzarella to save on calories, but used all 2 cups, you know I love my cheese)
• .5 c Italian blend cheese (you could easily omit, but I pretty much keep this on hand because I love it so much in my Italian recipes)
• 1 .5 lbs ground turkey
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• 1 tbs dried Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
  

Preheat oven to 350. Saute garlic quickly in olive oil and add spinach to "wilt" (don't let it get all goopey here people). Remove from heat and add approx 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 c mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Italian blend cheese, and toss to combine. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, and seasoning. Add 1/2 cup of both spaghetti sauce and mozzarella. Mix well. *Adjust sauce and bread crumbs for your desired consistency by adding a little bit at a time. Add 2/3 of mixture to a lightly greased Pyrex. Flatten out the center to make a slight well (I left about a 1/2' lip on the sides. Spread spinach mixture in "well". Top with a little more cheese if desired (I did). Top with remaining meat mixture, and press around edges to "seal" and shape it like a loaf (if you like). I just used the side of my spatula/spoonula thing to do this. Spread remaining spaghetti sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165. Remove from oven and let rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving, or it is TRULY "Messy Meatloaf"! :-)

Soon to be famous

This recipe was one of my first "Oh my gosh, this is the best thing I've ever had, can't live without it", non-soup crock-pot recipes. I got it from my friend Leslie (whom I must say that I love so much and miss getting to see every day, but I talk to her at least every day or two via some form of electronic communication). I have to give her props that all of her tweaking this recipe to make it fabulous paid off.

This is something I make at LEAST once a month, and never have enough left over to freeze because we eat every single solitary drop! One Sunday evening last summer, Patrick and Richard ate ALL of it. Yes, ALL of it, your heard me right. Anyway, even if there are no more chunks of meat or veggies, I will heat up the straggler remnants and have what I call pot roast soup ( just the juice and the tidbits of meat and veggies that remain). I urge you to try it and not adjust anything - she's right on the money with everything - even changing the seasoning packet seems to make a difference (the notes out to the side are all hers). So without further ado, here's...

Leslie's Famous Pot Roast

• 3 – 4 lb Roast
• Enough Veggies to fill up the Crock Pot with roast (I use baby carrots, new potatoes, mushrooms and sometimes celery)
• ½ Onion (sliced)

In a bowl mix the following ingredients:

• 1 can of Beef Broth
• ½ cup red cooking wine
• 1 tsp Paprika
• ½ tsp Basil
• ½ tsp Oregano
• ½ tsp Thyme
• 3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• Pepper
• McCormick’s Pot Roast Seasoning (the seasoning that has the bag attached to it – I just like the flavor of this seasoning)
• ½ cup – cup of water

Mix all these ingredients and pour over the roast and veggies. Cook on Low 10 hours or on High 5 hours. I like to serve it with brown gravy.

...And did I mention that this is so way bad easy it's not even funny? Wow, how can I wait until Sunday to make this? Too bad chicken is already marinating for my Chicken Tikka Masala for tonight.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Very easy, very Yummy - enough said. This is another one of those "don't judge before you've tried".
(...Sorry Leslie, this one isn't new to you.)

Crock Pot Chicken Stroganoff

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1/8 cup margarine
• 1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (I prefer to use the reduced fat, or nufatchel cheese, but NEVER EVER fat free)
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can reduced fat/healthy requests condensed cream of chicken soup

Put chicken, margarine and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours. *The chicken will be golden brown and have a roasted taste and appearance - something that wouldn't happen if soup was added at the beginning. Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm. Serve with no-yolks egg noodles or pasta of your choice.

Since I there are a lot of variables (like how many ounces of chicken you use, what kind and how much pasta you pick), I don't feel comfortable giving you nutrition info since it could vary so much. But I can tell you that this is a pretty healthy recipe to taste so rich and yummy. Give it a try and enjoy!

Even if you hate pork chops...

This recipe is good. I first got it from my friend Heather, and made it for a friend when his wife passed away. Apparently he and all the folks who came to his house after the funeral really liked it because I had to send him the recipe to pass on.

Anyway, I'm not a big fan of pork chops normally, but I must say that while I was making this I thought it looked, smelled and tasted good (from what I could tell from the mixing spoon and all). So I decided to make it myself, and I must say that it rocked. I had totally forgotten about it until my friend Shannon emailed me asking for a pork chop recipe and I I replied with "Nope, I hate pork chops". THEN, it all came back to me...

I modified it slightly yesterday to make it a little more healthy and we had it for dinner last night and I have frozen a couple of individual servings for me to take for lunch. Anyway, here's my "lighter" version of the original. I did the "oven" version instead of the crockpot version. I didn't go to the store until 5:00 last night, and since we wanted to eat before midnight, opted to cook it the quicker way.

Pork Chop Casserole

• 1 small onion, chopped & sauteed
• 6-8 pork chops (I used 8 of the "thick cut" center cut boneless pork chops), seasoned with seasoning salt and pepper
• Flour
• 20 oz pkg of frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Celery Soup
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1 cup 2% cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup french fried onions

Dredge seasoned pork chops in flour and then brown on both sides. Set aside to keep warm (I remove from skillet and cover with foil). In a bowl, mix together potatoes, soup, milk, garlic powder, 1/2 of cheese and sauteed onions. Place potato mixture in 9x13 baking dish. Place pork chops (and any "juice" over top of potatoes. Cover and bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes (or until chops are cooked thoroughly). Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese and french friend onions. Bake uncovered for additional 10 minutes or until melted and golden brown.

Calories
474.4
Total Fat
22.0 g
Saturated Fat
9.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat
7.5 g
Cholesterol
118.0 mg
Sodium
343.4 mg
Potassium
950.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate
20.9 g
Dietary Fiber
1.2 g
Sugars
0.8 g
Protein
46.1 g

Crock pot love (and smoked sausage and rice)

Hey guys. Not much going on here (thank goodness). I am partially recovered from the Mercedes half marathon from Sunday. I can now pick up my feet again instead of just sliding them along the floor. Thanks for those of you who supported my fundraising efforts for The Bell Center. It is MUCH appreciated. And for those of you who didn't, there's still time - just click "donate" on the widget on the right side of this blog. ...But onto cooking now!!!!

As you all know, I am quickly becoming the queen of the crockpot. There are weeks that I don't even put it away because I use it so much. OK, another reason that I use it so much might be laziness because the cabinet where I keep it has all of my pots and pans, so there's always a little frustration that goes with putting it away. Regardless of the reason, I'm a die-hard lover of my crock. I have a couple, but the one I use I highly suggest because of the timer on it. I can tell it how long to cook on high or low and once that time is over, it turns itself down to keep warm. I must say too, that its "keep warm" setting is not the pits-of-hell-boiling kind of keep warm that a couple of my other crocks have been. It is a truly superior crock pot if I may say so myself (and reasonably priced at your friendly, neighborhood Wal-Mart too)! Click here for details.

Also, while I'm on the subject of crockpots, here's a good ol' stand by. Nothing fancy, but always good and filling. Not to plain, but not too crazy either. Just a healthy set-it-and -forget-it (if I may plagiarize Ron Popeil's tag line) type meal.

SMOKED SAUSAGE AND RICE

• 1 pound turkey smoked sausage, sliced
• 1 ½ cup long-grained wild rice
• 2 ¾ cups chicken broth
• 1 16 oz can of diced or stewed tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped (can sub 1 yellow onion, but has a different taste all together - still yummy, just different)
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• Cajun seasoning, to taste (2 tsp is about my rule of thumb)

Add all ingredients in crockpot, mix well, and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Checking at hour 4 to ensure rice doesn’t overcook.

Enjoy!
Gina

Dry cleaning and African Stew!

So, I am so mad about the dress I wore for New Year's Eve! I love it and it is ultra comfy. The problem is that it is delicate silk and has a few water spots on it and needs to be cleaned (before Friday mind you), because we have a cocktail party to go to and fatty patty here is too uncomfortable in her other two cocktail dresses that she likes (I have two others that fit fine, but don't really like either of them). Here's a pic where you get an idea of the "bedazzling" that's causing the problem (it cracks me up that you can see the reflections on Kate). The rest of the dress is this black to gray ombre silk.


Anyway, I took it to two different dry cleaners (good ones, mind you), and they were both like "Uh, yeah. We can't guarantee that that stuff at the top (embellishments, bedazzle-ing, whatever you want to call it) won't turn weird colors after it's been cleaned." What the heck?? Shouldn't the manufacturer say "Consider this a disposable dress, because you won't be able to get it cleaned." If they had done that, I wouldn't have bought it. I guess that's why they didn't. Grrrrr...

OK, so besides the dress incident yesterday, I made African Groundnut Stew last night (Hkatenkwan). It sounds totally odd, but it was really good, very filling and mucho healthy. And the next time I make it I may even leave out the chicken, I don't know. Anyway, if you are looking for something different, give this a try. It doesn't taste anything like you think it will. I was actually surprised how much I liked it. I made minor alterations here and there as it cooked and it is kind of a hybrid of several recipes that I found for it. Anyway, be brave and try it and I think that you will be pleasantly surprised!

Groundnut Stew (Hkatenkwan) ...I'm assuming the "H" is silent

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 1 can undiluted condensed tomato soup
• 1 can stewed tomatoes (I cut them up with kitchen shears in the can)
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1 large yam, cooked and cubed (canned - hello, they are already cooked and cubed)
• 1 cup okra (I used thawed, frozen okra)
• 1 can of black beans
• 2 tbs fresh minced ginger (you could used powdered, but ginger is so cheap if you just buy a "nub" of it and it is sooo much better fresh)
• 1 tbs. cumin
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 cup peanut butter (I used natural, so it may taste different with processed pb)
• A 2-3 pound cooked chicken, cubed or torn - skin removed and discarded (I went the easy way of rotisserie from the store)
• hot pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and salt to taste (probably about a tsp of each, but everyone is different)

Saute onions and eggplant until cooked, add liquid ingredients and spices. Bring to low boil, and add peanut butter and remaining vegetables and torn or cubed chicken, return to low boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. If the stew is too thick, just add more chicken broth until you reach the desired consistency.

• Serve over brow rice (Since it takes brown rice about 25 minutes to cook, I just started it, when I added the vegetables and chicken.)

**One of the recipes called for adding a sliced banana, which I did not do because it scared me, but in retrospect, I think that it would have been fabulous and I plan on buying one and using in the leftovers!

Give it a try!

Gina

Tasty Tuesday (in honor of Leslie's posting hiatus)

So, although I am a creature of habit, something I really get tired of the same ol', same ol'. And even though I have a husband who swears he'll eat anything I put in front of him, he is a little less than adventurous when it comes to food. So this leaves me trying to think of something different and yummy that he won't hate, and all of a sudden it hit me! Chicken Tikka Masala! It is to Indian food, what the California roll is to sushi - kind of the "gateway" food, if you will. Anybody who eats it likes it.

I figured I could "deheat" it a little by omitting the really hot stuff and give it a try. I also wasn't sure how it was going to taste without grilling the chicken, but I just broiled it on a broiler pan (lined the bottom with foil for easy cleanup) and it was a snap. And a plus is that I was only in the kitchen on an off for about 30 minutes. It is just as good as any Indian restaurant and just has fabulous flavor. Richard loved it too and that was a plus. I will list the recipe as it should be made, and I've noted my small changes as well. We at it with a salad and served it over rice. If you want to be really authentic, buy some naan and have that too - YUMM!!!!

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
salt to taste (I just put one little pinch of sea salt)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces (I use 4)
4 long skewers (I didn't use skewers - just put atop a broiler pan)
_________________________________________________________

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (Omitted this one totally for the less hot version)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste (just a pinch or in my opinion it is too salty)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half because it is what I had on hand and then added a little yogurt to thicken the sauce since half and half doesn't thicken quite like cream)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted this because I just didn't want to buy it just for this)

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 24)
2. Preheat a grill for high heat, lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side (it was nasty and cold last night, so I just put my oven rack in the middle and broiled the chicken for about 8-10 minutes)
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

I really urge you to try it, it is quite yummy and really easy. I'm really looking into a way of doing this in the crock pot, but I'm afraid it's just not a "crock pot" kinda recipe. :-(

I hate spinach

OK, not really but have you ever been stupid enough to try a new recipe before taking a dish to a dinner party. EVERYTIME I do this, I regret it. When will I learn?

We were going to meet have dinner at Scott and Stacy's house with a bunch of friends. I was the last one to sign up for something to bring, so I had a tough time deciding on a side that would be good with beef tenderloin and parmesan potatoes and then I thought of creamed spinach. I've made it as well as spinach souffle in the past and always loved it, so why not? That would be fine if I hadn't thought that I could improve my existing recipes by using the Ruth's Chris Creamed Spinach recipe (they publish all of their recipes on their website), but now I'm convinced that it is just a sick joke because if I had served the creamed spinach as published, it would have been a bland, dry mess.

Since my previous spinach recipes took 20 minutes max from start to finish and I wanted to have warm food when I arrived at Stacy's, I waited until the last minute to make my spinach. And to add insult to injury, I had already added my spinach to the roux when I realized it was going to be a monumental failure. Anyway, long story short I ended up having to empty my 'fridge of any and all dairy (with the exception of Velveeta), just to make it salvageable. Lucky for me I keep garlic on hand because without fresh garlic, it would have had the flavor of old socks. So the moral of this story my friends, is to NOT EXPERIMENT before dinner with friends and under NO circumstances should you trust any recipe on R.C.'s website!

Here's my stand by recipe with no certain measurements because good creamed spinach is just easy and there's no need to measure.

EASY SCHMEEZY SPINACH

• olive oil or butter (no substituting with a spread please)
• 2 packs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• fresh garlic
• minced onion
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4-8 oz cream cheese (reduced fat OK, but no fat free)
• 4-8 oz milk or half and half
  

Heat olive oil on medium high, lightly saute garlic and minced onion
Add spinach and continue to saute until spinach no longer has a "raw taste" (about 7-10 minutes)
Add equal parts cream cheese and milk (or half and half), until you reach desired consistency.

Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese before serving.

For a good souffle or casserole, add 2 eggs lightly beaten with a little milk and bake for 15-20 minutes until set.

Williams-Sonoma Professional Multi-Chopper

OK, so I have been so blessed with great wedding gifts, gift cards, etc. This has enabled me to get a TON of the kitchen tools and gadgets that I'd always wanted. I thought that all of you cooks out there would be interested in the ones that have completely changed my life. This is my ultimate favorite gadget. I try to cook with vegetables as often as I can and have several recipes that require a god deal of chopping (veggie lasagna, vegetarian chili, pasta primavera, etc.), so when I came across this little gem while registering at WS, I was sold. The video online is what really sucked me in. I have to testify that this little gem makes chopping a million veggies like a 5 minute job. I don't use it if I just have one measly onion to chop, but when I've got things to slice, or several things to chop, I wouldn't trade it for anything. LOVE IT!!!! If you do anything with vegetables, I HIGHLY encourage you to go to the WS website and watch the video demo (click here) and then go buy one! AS the video will point out, it stores very easily. The only downside is that it's slightly tedious to clean up (but no more so than anything else that does the same thing like a grater).

The Best Bean and Ham Soup EVER

This is sooo cheap to make and is delicious on a cold night. It's great served with garlic cheese biscuits. Yummmm...

Ingredients:

• 4 (15.5 ounce) cans great northern beans
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups of matchstick carrots (or chopped carrots, but I'm lazy sometimes)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 cups chopped ham (my favorite is leftovers from a smoked ham, the smokey taste is FABULOUS)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I use the organic, low sodium kind)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbs white pepper
• 2 tsp mustard powder
  

Directions:

Puree 2 cans of the beans in a food processor or blender. Put everything in the crockpot and cook all day on low. The longer it cooks, the better. I've left it cooking through the day and night and it just gets better and better the longer it's in there. Of course if you want a quicker version, just saute the onion and carrots,throw it in the crockpot and cook for a couple of hours on high. It is a totally different soup, but is still fabulous.