Hey friends! I am back after what feels like weeks off of writing. My husband and I went on our 10 year anniversary trip to Belize last week. It was so relaxing and wonderful and just what we needed! We left our little guy with my Mom so I was spending time prepping food, grocery shopping and writing out daily itineraries for them to get by while we were gone. Then, of course, there was more grocery shopping and lots of laundry when we got back. And honestly, I've been unmotivated to write lately. So I'm back at it and bringing you the things I am currently loving, mostly food because I love food!
The Best Healthy Banana Bread
Oh banana bread, I love you so much! It is the quintessential recipe to use up ripe, mushy bananas. The gooey, sorta sweet, comforting bread that can be served for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Who doesn't love that? I mean it is fruit, right?
I have been making this recipe since I was an intern back in 2000 and something up in Minnesota. That long, cold winter definitely deserved something warm and comforting. I was into cooking and baking and discovering new recipes. Especially if the recipe included some good healthy ingredients in place of some ingredients that were less desirable. And bonus points for being a cheap recipe because interns don't get paid. Zero, zilch, nada! But lucky for me it was at one of the greatest hospitals and it was worth it!
I wrote this recipe on a half notecard, which is now stained as it has been through some baking with me.
Carrot Fennel Soup
Last, but certainly not least, is most definitely my favorite of the 3 soups. I made this the other night to take some pictures for this post so my husband and I ate it for dinner. We both kept commenting on how good it really is, almost as if it's crazy that these ingredients make this much awesomeness!
For those of you asking, "what is fennel", I will give you the low down. Fennel is a whitish bulb with greenish stalks coming from it, as seen in the picture below. It is crunchy and a little sweet and smells like licorice. It is in the same family as carrots, parsley, dill and coriander. Fennel is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, phosphorus and folate. It also contributes some iron, magnesium, calcium and niacin.
I first had this soup at a dinner party with some great friends. Our friend, Annie, said she was going to bring a carrot soup to have with dinner that night. Seriously? Carrot soup? Cue eye roll. Let's just say I was less than excited to try, let alone eat, carrot soup with dinner. I admit wholeheartedly that I was way too quick to judge the soup by its title. I should also never doubt her taste in food (or wine!). It was delicious and I knew it was a recipe I needed. So, I found a similar recipe and have adapted it a bit, which is what I'll give you today. Trust me, don't judge this soup by the title!
White Bean Soup
This soup is another one of our family favorites that we've been making for years. It's not real pretty but it's so delicious! It is nice and thick and full of great flavors. I've made so many different variations of this recipe but the simple base is really just good on its own. I like this soup as an alternative to chili because the tomato juice and spices are hard on my stomach. Sometimes I will make this with some ground turkey or turkey sausage in it and crumbled cornbread on top. Yum!
This is an easy vegetarian/vegan recipe, hello "meatless Monday". The beans are a great source of iron, fiber, protein and potassium. It is also a very cheap recipe if you are looking to make your grocery budget go farther. You can easily make a larger batch of this soup for a crowd by using 1 cup of liquid per can of beans. Also feel free to use a little water in place of the stock to reduce sodium. Lots of options, people.
Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
Fall is definitely my favorite season and it’s finally fall here in Kansas City. Two of our son's birthdays are in the fall as well as our wedding anniversary, which we will celebrate 10 years this year. I love the change in weather, the color change of the leaves and the change in my regular menu. We love some delicious soup at our house, with cornbread of course. Soups are easy, versatile, can pack in a lot of great nutrition and make great leftovers. I can't wait to share with you 3 of our favorites over the next few posts.
This first one, sausage potato and kale soup, is one we definitely all agree on but our 8 y/o goes nuts for it. He will eat 3 full-sized bowls in one sitting, no problem. Leftovers are double delish, btw!
Funny story... I was making this soup at my Mom's a few years ago and made it early enough to let it sit for a while before dinner. I gave my son a small bowl to "taste test" since it's his fave. My Mom asked him how the soup was and he said "this is damn good soup". He was probably 4 years old and I have never laughed so hard, of course, while trying to tell him not to say that word. My Mom still talks about that story and we now call sausage, potato and kale soup the "damn good soup". I think you will too!