The Twists and Turns of Life

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I am sure that many of you feel like I have fallen off the face of the earth.  The last two months have been crazy for sure.  My husband found a new job and started work today.  We will be moving to another state, so now my focus is on getting the house ready to sell so that we can join him.  We are still eating a REAL foods diet 90% of the time.  I am hoping that I will have life back under control within a couple of weeks and I can get back to creating and writing recipes to share with you.

Keep us in your prayers as we start this new phase in our lives.  We know that God has great things planned for us.

A Slightly New Twist on Menu Planning

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The Twist

Sometimes life has a way of catching you off guard.  Last week, my husband was told that his last day at work would be this coming Friday.  I think I spent most of last week in a numb state of shock.  We have full faith in God’s plan for our family. And we know that he will always provide for our needs.  I have spent the last several days going through our budget and seeing where we can cut what.  I will look be looking for a job to help out until my husband finds a new job.  We are making cuts here and cuts there.  We will be ok.  But how do I continue to cook REAL food on a tighter budget?  What areas of my menu planning do I have to make compromises in?  What areas do I stand firm in?  Can I do it?  Do I give up?  These are all questions that have been tumbling around in my brain over the last week.

My Conclusions

The answers I came up with are based on the main reason I switched my family from a diet of mostly factory processed foods to a diet of REAL food that I cook from scratch.  The main reason we made the change is that my husband is uber sensitive to MSG and other food additives that mimics MSG. The smallest amounts of MSG can trigger a migraine that just won’t quit.  A larger amount of MSG can send him into a week-long migraine.  The more we learned, the more we realized that the only way to eliminate MSG was to eliminate processed foods.  If you want to learn more about MSG and its hidden sources please read here.  Bottom line, I can’t allow MSG to sneak back into my house.

The compromises I will have to make for the short-term:  I will not be able to afford pasture-fed meats and dairy products.  I will not be able to afford to buy what ever fruit or vegetable that tickles my fancy.  I will be able to afford fruits and vegetables that are in season.  I will be able to afford many of the same things that I buy now.  We will be eating a more vegetarian diet with meat served 2-3 times a week or as more of seasoning instead of on entrée.  My menu planning will be very precise, will focus on stretching each item, and trying to make sure there is no waste. Which should probably be the goal of every menu I write regardless – to make the best food with the resources I have available.

So here is this week’s menu.  Next week we will be on vacation with my mother, so I’m waiting to write the vacation menu until later this week as we finalize our plans.

This Week’s Menu

SATURDAY: Breakfast: WW Maple Mini Donuts, Lunch: left-over Reuben Dip & Rye crackers, Dinner: grilled cheeseburgers, fruit

 SUNDAY: Breakfast: Coconut-Carrot Morning Glory Muffins, Lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit, Dinner: WW Banana Waffles with strawberries & maple syrup, scrambled eggs, Other Prep: dry strawberries in dehydrator

MONDAY: Breakfast: scrambled eggs, toast, Lunch: WW waffle & cream cheese sandwich, fruit, Dinner: Chicken Salad, Pasta Salad (recipe testing), Other Prep: dry apples in dehydrator

TUESDAY: Breakfast: oatmeal, Lunch: LO chicken salad &/or pasta salad, Dinner: Ham & Potato Au Gratin, sweet peas, carrots, Prep: dry pineapple in dehydrator

WEDNESDAY: Breakfast: oatmeal, Lunch: LO Ham & Potato Au Gratin, fruit, Dinner: Beef Stroganoff, broccoli with cheese sauce (recipe testing), Prep: Bake Honey Whole Wheat Bread

THURSDAY: Breakfast: whole grain cream of wheat, Lunch: LO Beef Stroganoff, fruit, Dinner: burritos with WW tortillas (ground beef & cheese sauce), black beans, Prep: make Black Bean Brownies

FRIDAY: Breakfast: oatmeal, Lunch: black beans, WW tortillas, shredded cheese, fruit, Dinner:  self-serve dinner (time to clean out the fridge before vacation)

28 Day Challenge

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Confession time.  I’ve been ignoring myself.  My need to take care of myself.  I have been ignoring the gym.  The hiking trails.  Even the roads in my neighborhood.  It’s time to stop ignoring me.  Yes, I’ve been cooking REAL food.  Eating REAL food.  Working on portion control.  But I’ve also been ignoring the word “exercise”.  It’s time for that to change.  During the holidays, I said I would hit the gym January 1.  January 1… I said I would hit the gym after my daughter started back to school.  First day back to school… I am sick.  The next week… I am well, but my daughter is sick.  The next week… I put off the gym saying I need a week to catch up around the house.  Then I had a death in the family and I’ve put it off again.  All the sudden it’s the last day of January and I haven’t even bothered to take a walk let alone go to the gym.

Tomorrow is February 1.  So I am issuing myself a 28 day challenge.  And you if you choose to join me.  I will go to the gym every day for 28 days.  Even if it’s only for a ten minute walk on the track.  But I must get back in the habit of going. I must get back in the habit of taking care of me. I am a better wife.   Better mother.  Better person.  Better at everything when I am taking care of me.  Not only does exercise help with weight loss and management, but it offers an outlet for stress.  I can take out my pent-up stress on the treadmill or elliptical.

I will be posting daily on my Facebook page whether or not I went to the gym (& I will be going to the gym) and what I accomplished at the gym.  I would love for you to join me on my quest to get healthy.  Not only by choosing REAL food, but also by making exercise an important and daily part of our lives.

The Ripple Effect

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Several days ago, I received an email from a reader.  I asked her if I could share with you and she said that I could.  I read the email to my daughter and I can’t express how much it meant to her to know that she can make a difference in other’s lives.  I believe that sometimes our children don’t realize that others are watching them or that even the smallest things can make a huge impact in the lives of others.  By sharing this email with her she was able to see how even the smallest actions can have a huge impact in another’s life and how the ripple effect works.  I urge you to help your children find ways to share with others… to share their faith, their beliefs, their desire to make a difference in the world… to help them see that their actions can have a ripple effect.  Just as our do.

lunchbox(Her daughter) took this picture of her lunch she took to school today. She cut up the veggies & decided upon everything in the containers without any help. She was able to see the pictures from your blog and was encouraged. She loved Ashley’s nut butter & honey fruit dip. So she packed herself Almond butter mixed with a little honey for her veggies & bread. Not bad for a child who doesn’t eat many veggies at all & certainly not these.

A dr’s visit & some tests revealed she doesn’t have diabetes right now, but if things don’t change, she is on the path to having it not too far down the road.

After only changing the way we’ve been eating for a little over a week, she went from major drama every meal to trying to see what she can “create”.  Seeing pictures of healthy food that looks yummy is helping a ton!! I’m letting her learn some things on her own (like letting her realize she doesn’t need to pack as much food to be full). I love that she’s getting excited about her lunches. It does help that she has a friend at her table who is excited to see what’s in her lunch & taste a small bit.

So, thank you (& Ashley) for all your ideas!!

My Daddy’s Hot Chocolate

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Daddy's Hot ChocolateOver Christmas, I found myself thinking about my daddy’s hot chocolate that he used to  make us as kids.  And lo and behold on New Year’s Eve when I got our my family cookbook to make my mom’s sausage balls, I found his recipe for hot chocolate.  I stood in the kitchen and cried.  A year ago today, I lost my dad.  He was always in the kitchen cooking.  He didn’t really use recipes, he cooked.  He used what was in the kitchen and always made wonderful hearty food.  He taught me how to fry an egg without breaking the yolk.  He taught me how to make chicken and dumplings.  He taught me to make sausage gravy.  He taught me so much more than how to cook.  He taught me how to live a life that God finds pleasing.  He taught me how to love my family.  He taught me to live generously and graciously.  He taught me so much more than I can put into words.

I had decided over Christmas that I would never know how he made HIS hot chocolate, but my wonderful mother wrote his recipe in my family cookbook when I got married 20 years ago.  I’m not sure why I had never noticed his recipe before in my cookbook, but I am ever so thankful that I have it now.  One of my strongest memories from early childhood is watching him stir hot chocolate on the stove and then sitting in the living room drinking it as a family. I must have been five or six years old in this memory.  I don’t remember him making a lot of hot chocolate as I got older and my guess is that has to do with when pre-packaged hot chocolate mixes became popular.  But I’ve always held the memory of him making me hot chocolate close to my heart.  It’s those small things that our children will remember about us.  Will they remember us opening a packet and dump it in a mug with boiling water?  Nope.  Taking the time to cook REAL food for our families is what they will remember when they’re older.  It is an act of love. My dad taught me that as well.

So today, on the one year anniversary of him going home to Heaven, I decide to make myself some hot chocolate this morning.  I debated on using refined sugar instead of honey, but I decided to substitute honey and to keep it REAL.  I stood at the stove thinking about him and all that he did for me, taught me, how he loved me and our family.  I sat and savored every sip of it while I watched the morning news.  It was perfect.

My Daddy’s Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup sugar (I substituted raw honey)

- 1/4 cup water

- heaping serving spoon of cocoa (I used 4 Tablespoons)

- 1 quart of milk

- 2 t. pure vanilla (optional, my dad didn’t add vanilla)

Directions:

- Bring the sugar (or honey), water, and cocoa to a boil over medium high heat.

- Add milk and stir till hot, being careful to not scorch.

Take time to cook for your children.  Teach them about food, how to create hearty meals out of what you have in the pantry. Teach them the importance of cooking with love.  Take the time to write your recipes down so your children and your grandchildren will have them someday.  I miss my dad terribly, but I take great comfort in knowing I will see him again someday in Heaven.

Veggie Lasagna & Roasted Cauliflower

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Veggie Lasgana & Roasted CauliflowerTonight we tried something new.  Two somethings to be exact.

While I am a pro at making lasagna, tonight was the first time I’ve made whole wheat lasagna.  It’s the first time I’ve made veggie lasagna.  And I roasted my first ever cauliflower.  It may actually be the first time I’ve ever even purchased a cauliflower.  I have never been a big cauliflower fan.  But as I tell  my daughter, we must try new things.  How can I make her try new foods or repeatedly try foods that she doesn’t like if I am not willing to do the same thing.  So I bought the cauliflower.  I read lots of recipes on how to cook cauliflower.  I decided that if I was ever going to like cauliflower, if my daughter was ever going to like cauliflower that roasting it was my best bet. Both endeavors were huge successes.

The whole wheat lasagna noodles came out tender and held up beautifully to the sauce, cheese, and veggies.  The veggies were tender but not mushy.  The cheeses were in perfect harmony with everything.  My daughter was so in love with it that she ate two entire pieces.

Veggie Lasagna

From Real Food with Real Ingredients | Main Dishes | Italian

This is the perfect lasagna to make when it’s time to clean out all the odds and ends in the vegetable crisper.

12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
  • 1- 2 jars organic marinara sauce
  • 4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 oz freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella
  • 8 oz fresh ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T dried parsley flakes
  • 1 t. dried oregano
  • 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
  • 4 cups of assorted vegetables chopped up into bite size peices ( zucchini, carrots, onions, mushrooms, spinach, etc… whatever you think sounds yummy)
  • 1 T olive oil

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the root vegetables like onions or carrots and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly tender.
  2. Add remaining vegetables and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender but not cooked quite through.
  3. In a food processor, add all the ricotta cheese and cottage cheese, half of the parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the egg, and all the dry spices. Blend until well combined and smooth in texture.
  4. Grease a 9×13 casserole and spread 1 cup marinara sauce across bottom of pan.
  5. Add 1 layer of lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over noodles and then add 1/2 of the veggies, spreading evenly over cheese sauce. Add enough sauce to cover the vegetables (approximately one cup)
  6. Repeat layers.
  7. Add last layer of lasagna noodles. Spread remainder of cheese spead. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over top of sauce.
  8. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
  9. Uncover and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or until bubbly.
  10. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Tips

  • Make sure the vegetables aren’t too watery. If there is excess water, drain before adding to lasagna.
  • Add plenty of sauce when using no-boil noodles. They absorb a lot of moisture.

Analyzed by Kitchenbug

To roast the cauliflower, I added about a tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl.  After combining, I added the florets from a head of cauliflower and tossed to coat. I spread them out on a rimmed cookie sheet and roasted at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Every 10 minutes, I stirred them around on the cookie sheet.  I did give them another good salting right after I pulled them out of the oven. How much?  That’s up to you and your taste buds.

I put the slightly charred cauliflower on my daughter’s plate and she was not pleased to say the least.  She informed me that she didn’t like cauliflower.  I asked her where she had ever had it since I’ve never made it before.  She said at a church potluck.  It was on the raw veggie tray.  As is our house rule, she did have to try it. I am pleased to say that after trying one bite, she ran back to the stove and scooped a bunch more and put it on her plate.  She loved it!  I loved it! My husband was in cauliflower heaven! There would have not been any left-overs except that my husband wanted to have some for his lunch tomorrow.  It will be a definite repeat in our house.

The moral of tonight’s dinner:  don’t be afraid to try something new or that you think you don’t like.  Try it a different way.  Keep trying it.  One day, you will discover the perfect way to prepare that food that you think you don’t like, but really do.

REAL Food with REAL Ingredients Junior – a post by my daughter

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My tween-aged daughter has decided to write a blog named Real Food with Real Ingredients Jr.  She asked for her own website to manage her blog that is completely independent of mine. Of course I told her NO. However, I did tell her that she could have a tab on my site that would be all hers.  After almost six months, she is finally getting on board with only eating REAL food.  She even is willing to start eating less candy (her one weakness).  Today she tore up 2 of her candy tickets as a first step to eliminating her candy addiction.  What that means is she can have six small pieces of candy every two weeks instead of eight. Last summer she was eating multiple pieces a day.  Progress is being made.  She rarely asks for Doritos or Cheez It’s anymore.  She is learning that we can make almost anything.  She is learning that whole foods, REAL FOODS, taste amazing.  She is learning to be an advocate of REAL, whole, clean foods.

By allowing her to blog about REAL food, I am hoping that she will begin to truly embrace our new lifestyle.  Introducing my tween daughter…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may be familiar with my mom’s web site Real Food With Real Ingredients (if  you’re not check it out it’s awesome).  Well this is Real Food With Real Ingredients Jr. It’s all about eating non processed food. That means no Doritos, beached flour (white flour) and much more. But it’s good for you and sometimes it’s cheaper.

Whole Wheat PretzelMy mom makes most of our food from scratch. One of my favorite foods that she makes are pretzels. By the way if you buy pretzels from anywhere, I admit those are good. But they’re bad for you. These are better and these are good for you.

01222013 lunch boxHere is what I’m taking for lunch tomorrow. It’s my mom’s homemade hummus (bottom right) an orange (top right) mom’s homemade pitas (the bread on the left) and some bell peppers.

 

 

 

Steak Fajitas and Mexican Brown Rice

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fajitas and mexican riceFajitas!  I have been really craving fajitas lately. So I finally put them on the menu for this week.  Today I went about creating a recipe for a marinade that would impart great flavor without adding too much salt and no soy sauce.  What I came up was absolutely amazing and received rave reviews from the entire family.

Not only did they love the fajitas, but the Mexican Brown Rice I made was equally amazing.  I was so glad that I wrote down what I put it because I can guarantee that it will be requested again my entire family.

I had some left-over refried beans from earlier in the week that I hid in the fridge so they would still be around for tonight’s dinner. If I hadn’t, my daughter would have eaten them all.  I was a little surprised at dinner when my husband, who loves beans, but rarely eats them, couldn’t resist having a small serving. Homemade refried beans really are so much better than the lump that comes out a can.  They have your personal flavor.  They have texture.  They are amazing!

We made the steak fajitas with the whole wheat tortillas I made earlier in the week, sour cream, some fresh guacamole, and some organic raw milk cheddar cheese that I bought at Aldi or a wonderful price (I hope that they keep carrying the organic line.  The prices are awesome.) With the Mexican Brown Rice and refried beans on the side, dinner was exactly what I had been craving.

Steak Fajita Marinade

From Real Food with Real Ingredients | Main Dishes | Mexican

cal Calories 362kcal
High fat Total Fat 22g
High sat-fat Saturated Fat 5g
High chol Cholesterol 74mg
sodium Sodium 361mg
Low carbs Total Carbohydrate 11g
Serving size 288g Calories from fat 198kcal Fiber 2g Protein 26g Sugar 2g
4 servings

Ingredients

  • Marinade
  • Zest of 1- 2 limes (reserve limes for juicing later)
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
  • 2 green onions, roughly chopped
  • ½ t. sea salt
  • 1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 t. ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 12 oz. beer (I use a light lager)
  • ½ t. liquid smoke
  • Fajitas
  • 1 lb flank steak ( or which ever cut of steak you prefer)
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 bell peppers ( can mix colors)

Directions

  1. Directions to make marinade: Combine ingredients for marinade in blender and blend until greens are well chopped and everything is well blended.
  2. Place steak (I usually use about a pound for our family) in a large zip lock bag and add 1 cup of marinade. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and seal. Store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  3. Slice 1 large onion & enough bell pepper to equal 2 bell peppers (I like to use several different colors if they are affordable). Place onions & peppers in a large zip lock bag and add the remainder of the marinade. Remove air from bag & seal. Place in the refrigerator for the same length of time as the meat.
  4. Before grilling meat, remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  5. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Discard the marinade the meat was in. Grill meat until desired doneness. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Add to vegetables (See below).
  6. When ready to cook, remove veggies from marinade and cook in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add enough marinade from the vegetables bag to keep the veggies moist. As the marinade reduces, add more as needed until the veggies are tender and slightly caramelized.
  7. Add the sliced steak and heat through. With limes you saved back from zesting for the marinade, juice the limes over the fajitas before serving.

Analyzed by Kitchenbug

 

 

 

A Snack For My Husband’s Salt Cravings

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I was visiting with my cousin tonight about boiled peanuts and decided to revisit a post from my personal blog about them….

boiled peanuts 1August 21, 2012… I was first introduced to the idea of boiled peanuts probably 15 years ago when we moved to Georgia.  I could never wrap my head around the idea of boiled peanuts while living in Georgia.  I basically forgot all about them when we moved back to the Midwest.  And it only took me living in South Carolina for two years before I was willing to give them another try while on vacation in Charleston last spring.  They were actually wonderful.  Super salty.  Reminiscent of Garbanzo beans in texture.

While on vacation last week, we passed several roadside stands for boiled peanuts.  My husband looked longingly at them.  We had every intention of stopping for some, but never managed to get him a bag.  I knew that he was greatly disappointed but he rolled with it and said he would get some another time.

Today in the grocery store I grabbed a bag of raw peanuts and set about making my husband a small batch of boiled peanuts (a first for me).  They were incredibly easy to make.  Time consuming, but easy.  On the stove top, it took about 3 hours for them to cook.  Since cooking them, I looked online and found several recipes for cooking them in the crock pot.  Next time, I will use the crock pot and just let them go all day long and avoid the salt water mess on the stove top.

My daughter isn’t a fan of boiled peanuts.  But then she’s not a fan of peanuts in any form other than super creamy peanut butter. (She insisted that I include that tidbit in my blog) I feel confident that she will come around on both accounts.boiled peanuts 2

We enjoyed a small bowl of the boiled peanuts after dinner tonight purely because we couldn’t resist. The shells are soft and easy to split.  Be warned, they are full of the salty brine and messy to eat.  But worth the mess.

My recipe:  about a quart of raw peanuts in shell, enough water to cover in pan (about 6-8 cups), & 1/4 cup of salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.  Keep at a low boil for 3-4 hours until they reach the level of softness you desire is reached.  (Next time I’m using the crock pot as I said before)

boiled peanuts 3Storage is easy.  Store in the refrigerator for up to ten days.  They can also be stored in the freezer for 3-4 months if you choose to make a larger batch.

Next time you are craving a salty snack, think about boiled peanuts instead of processed chips that are full of hydrogenated oil, preservatives, and who knows what less.

Back to today… I have tried them in the crockpot since I wrote my original post.  They are easy to make.  But I don’t prefer to cook them that way.  It seemed that the ones on the bottom were too mushy and the ones on the top were still on the crunchy side.  I’ve made them on the stove top ever since.  I like being able to stir them for more even cooking.  My husband likes to take them to work as a snack.  He just munches on them cold.

Craving Chicken & Green Chili Soup

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Chicken & Green Chili SoupI’ve been laid up with a horrid cold or a mild case of the flu or something all week.  Mostly, I’ve slept and played on the computer.  Today I guess I will try to write a while.  This week I’ve been cooking simple fare.  I don’t even remember what I made Monday.  Isn’t that sad?

Oh wait. I do remember. I made a veggie hash with Andouille sausage from Trader Joe’s.  I found in it in my freezer and decided it was time to use it up.  It was served over brown rice (I used the quick cook brown rice from Trader Joe’s – not a fan by the way) and I snapped green beans and cooked them southern-style.  The star of the meal was the Maple Glazed Butternut squash, but I’ve already gushed over it this week in my previous post.  By the time I finished cleaning up the kitchen Monday night, I was starting to feel a little on the yucky side.

Tuesday morning, it was a sure thing.  Sick. I was sick.  I rarely get sick anymore since I’ve lost a lot of weight and starting eating whole foods.  My family doesn’t quite remember what to do with a sick mom. I tried to plod through the day which included taking my daughter to tumbling practice and attending a meeting that evening.  I fixed a quick salad for myself before my meeting.  My daughter fixed some whole wheat pasta with a red sauce for herself and my husband.  I was so very impressed when I came home and the dishes were done.  It made my day to not walk in to a kitchen full of dirty pasta dishes.

Yesterday, I wanted to make some Chicken and Green Chili soup for dinner.  However, I was shocked when I found my freezer empty of homemade chicken stock.  SHOCKED!  How did I not realize that I used the last of my stash? Grrrr!  I decided I wanted chicken soup bad enough to go to the store and buy some stock.

Glitch number 2… my husband called and was on his way home with a severe migraine.  Traditional chicken soup sounded good to him, but not Chicken & Green Chili Soup. Grrrr! I wasn’t up to peeling and chopping all the veggies for regular chicken soup, so he decided that French toast is what he thought his stomach could handle.

Great!  I’m about of bread and didn’t want to try to thaw my last loaf of Sourdough Honey Whole Wheat from the freezer (recipe to be posted after I test it several more times – it’s yummy).  I decided to go to Publix because they have a whole wheat bread in their bakery that I don’t feel too horrible about.  But of course, they were out. Grrrr! I caved.  I bought a loaf of whole wheat bread from the regular bread isle.  I found the one with the least scary ingredients list on the back and tried not to think about it too much.  I also bought the needed chicken stock and will be making the Chicken and Green Chili soup tonight.  It’s easy and it’s just what the doctor ordered.

My Chicken and Green Chili Soup was inspired by Chili’s soup.  From what I can tell, it’s not on their menu anymore, but I’m not sure since I haven’t been in their restaurant since our family switched to only eating REAL whole foods. This recipe has been a family favorite ever since I created it. It’s rich and hearty with just enough heat from the green chilies (my husband likes it hotter so he adds a little something more to his bowl).  I serve it over brown rice with diced avocado and cilantro.  I can’t wait till tonight.  My mouth is already watering.

(If you can’t see the recipe in your email, go to click link to full site, it’s there)

Chicken and Green Chili Soup

Print recipe
Chicken and Green Chili Soup
Serves 4
Meal type Lunch, Main Dish, Soup

Ingredients

    Soup Base Ingredients

    • 4 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
    • 7 oz chopped green chilies (you can use a 4 oz can if you want it more mild)
    • 1 tablespoon honey

    Ingredients for Later

    • 1-2 cup brown rice, precooked (preferably in chicken stock or broth)
    • 1 cup frozen corn
    • 1-2 cup chicken, diced in 1/2
    • Juice from fresh lime
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
    • 1/2 avocado, diced into 1/2

    Directions

    1. Combine ingredients for the soup base and bring to a boil.
    2. Reheat your precooked brown rice if needed and set aside.
    3. Remove approximately 2 tablespoons of the chilies from the broth and set aside. Use an immersion blender (or regular blender) and blend remaining chilies into broth. Return the chilies to the broth and add the diced chicken and frozen corn. Heat through.
    4. Right before serving, add juice from 1/2 lime.
    5. In 4 bowls, place 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the cooked brown rice, 1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro, and 1/4 of the diced avocado.
    6. Divide soup into the 4 bowls & serve.

    Note

    I was inspired by Chili's Chicken Green Chili Soup when I created this recipe.  It is one of our family favorites now.

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