Southwest Soup

The other day I sat down to think of a few meals that I could put together for Syd. Lately I have been trying to make "grown up" versions of Sydney's meals for David and I. I means that I can hit two birds with one stone and make a mountain of pre-made meals for the whole family.

I decided to put together Chicken, Black Bean & Butternut Squash soup for Syd, so I had to come up with a recipe using the same ingredients for David and I. The Southwest Soup was the perfect solution.

- 6 Cups of Cooked & Mashed Butternut Squash

- 1 Can of Rinsed Black Beans

- 1 Can of Corn Niblets

- 4 Chicken Breasts Cubed

- 2 Cups of Mild Salsa

- 4 Cups of Vegetable Broth
- 1 Tbs Chopped Cipotle Peppers

- 4 Tbs Fresh Chopped Cilantro

- 4 Crushed Garlic Cloves

- 1 Onion Chopped

For Tortilla crisps:

- 2 Tortillas

- Cooking Spray

Add a small amount of olive oil to medium sauce pan. Cook cubed chicken through. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside. Peel, boil, and mash the butternut squash. In a large slow cooker combine all ingredients. Set to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.

To make the tortilla crisps to top the soup, slice the tortilla into thin strips. Lay the strips on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray and season with a bit of salt. Bake in the centre of the oven at 350C until crisp.

Spoon soup into bowl. Top with a spoonful of sour cream, a few tortilla crisps and a sprig of fresh cilantro.... Enjoy!

Freezer Option

Once soup is cooked allow to cool. Spoon into silicone muffin molds and freeze. Once the soup is frozen, pop out of molds and store in freezer bags in the freezer. Soup can be stored up to three months.

Baby Food Option

In blender or bullet combine:

- 3/4 Cup Cooked Chicken Breast (unseasoned)

- 3/4 Cup Rinsed Black Beans

- 3/4 Cup Cooked Squash

- 1 Cup Vegetable Broth

Blend to desired consistency. Freeze in smaller portions

Minestrone Soup

With winter on it's way, I have been craving warm, hearty soups. This last week I was able to put together a massive batch of homemade minestrone soup. It is pretty basic so feel free to add some spice or meat to it ( I don't eat meat so I don't add it). You might try adding some spicy Italian sausage to the mix!

The Necessities:

~ 1 Large Can of Crushed Tomato

~ 5 Cups of Vegetable Broth

~ 2 Cans of Kidney Beans with Juice

~ 2 Cups of Zucchini (Diced)

~ 2 Cups of Carrot (Diced)

~ 1 Cup Onion (Diced)

~ 1 Cup Celery (Diced)

~ 3 Cups of Potato (Diced)

~ 4 Cloves of Garlic (Crushed)

~ 1 Cup of Green Beans (1/2 Inch Pieces)

~ 1 Cup of Barley

~ 1 Cup of Cheerio Shaped Pasta (Uncooked)

The Prep:

~ In large crockpot combine crushed tomato, veggie broth, kidney beans, zucchini, carrot, onion, potato, garlic. green beans and barley.

~ Mix well and set to cook on high for 6 hours.

~ When soup is almost finished, cook the pasta until al dente.

~ Mix pasta into soup before serving.

Freezer Option:

~ Allow soup to cool completely before mixing in the cooked pasta. This will ensure that the pasta will not become soggy.

~ Divide pasta into silicone muffin pans.

~ Freeze overnight,

~ Store in labeled freezer bags.

Our 9 Month Old Little Girl

So far we have managed to raise a beautiful little girl. Sydney is absolutely perfect in our eyes. At nine months old she is incredibly smart and is developing an amazing personality. She has filled our lives with perfect moments and stories we will never forget. We have captured every moment on camera and plan to continue to re-live everything for years to come.

Sydney is definitely on the move. She zooming around the house in a full out crawl and can pull herself up to a standing position on almost anything. This has meant quite a few bumps and bruises for our poor little one, but she is learning how to stabilize herself better.

At nine months, Syd is in the ninetieth percentile for height and weight. She is weighing in at over 21lbs and is about 74cm tall. She is wearing 12 month old clothes comfortably and is actually getting use out of all of her shoes.

We are quickly moving into toddler hood!

S

I Can Cook Anything!

The Necessities:
~ 1 Whole Chicken
~ Potatoes (Chopped)
~ Carrots (Chopped)
~ Onion (Chopped)
~ Garlic (Minced)
~ Salt & Pepper to Taste
~ Butter Mixed with Thyme
~ 350C
~ 1 Hour 40 Minutes

The Result:
An amazing, perfectly tender and juicy chicken dinner. Delicious. And so easy!

S

Night Shift Living

Night shifts suck. Night shifts mess with our family schedule and make for some VERY long days.

David has been doing shift work for several months now. We have gotten into a rythm with everything but it does not make the five days on shift any easier. A shift set usually means three 6a - 6p shifts followed by two 6p - 6a shifts. It is five extremely long days followed by five days off. While David is working, I am parenting Sydney.

One of the worst parts about David working night shifts is that I end up staying up until 2 in the morning because I can't sleep and I still wake up early with Sydney.... exhausting.  He is working one of those night shifts tonight and here I am, watching girly movies and blogging.

I am counting down to the end of this shift set. I can't wait!

S

Baby Food: Chicken, Carrot & Rice Soup

More great fall soup for Sydney! This soup is super thick and high in vitamin C and protein.

Ingredients:

~ 1 Cooked Chicken Breast (I like to bake the chicken breast with no spices or oil on it)

~ 1 Cup of Soft Boiled Carrots

~ 1 1/2 Cups of Cooked Brown Rice

~ 3/4 Cup of Vegetable Broth

Prep:

~ In blender, combine chicken, carrots and broth.

~ Blend until smooth.

~ Add remaining rice and stir.

~ Separate into single portions and freeze for later use.

This one was a hit! I think that Syd is a fan of the sweetness of the carrot and the chunkiness of the rice. She likes to feel like she is eating "big girl" food, so this mix is perfect!

S

Baby Food: Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup

I started getting low on meals for Sydney this week so it was time to once a gain, break out the baby bullet. I LOVE our baby bullet. It does the exact same thing that a regular bullet does, but it has these really handy storage containers and freezing containers. I felt like it was time to make her some healthy, fall themed meals so I broke out some of my favorite foods.

Ingredients:

~ 2 Cups of Cooked Lentils

~ 2 Cups of Cooked Butternut Squash

~ 1 Cup of Vegetable Stock

Prep:

~ In blender combine butternut squash, vegetable stock and half of the lentils.

~ Blend until smooth.

~ Add the remaining lentils and stir.

This soup has a chunkier consistency. If you would like to have a smoother soup, add all of the lentils to the blender before blending. Once everything is blended, separate into individual portions and freeze.

Sydney loves this soup! It is hearty and warm and delicious.

S