Warm Honey Mustard Potato, Spinach, & Salami Salad + An Egg!

Let's talk about summer and easy summer meals. Have you guys done anything fun this summer so far? Any plans coming up? I honestly just want to buy a blow-up pool and lounge in it for days. We have a concert coming up which will allow us to get away for a weekend. I am REALLY looking forward to it. 

I've also been reading so much more, and it's making me wish I had a porch so I could spend the evenings out there. I usually like to read non-fiction, but summer always makes me want to read those summer specific books that come out every year. This is a great list from one of my favorite bloggers, and I'm hoping to work through a lot of those recommendations. Our vacation isn't until the beginning of October, so I'm extending my summer reading until then. 

On to the recipe! This is one of the most delicious recipes I've made in a long time, and it's so quick. It's also easy to customize to fit the produce that's in season, or the tastes of your family. Please make this, and tell me how you like it. 

Honey Mustard Potato, Spinach, & Salami Salad

recipe from Barefoot in the Kitchen 

2 lbs red potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

12 ounces of salami (I used pre-cut)
a few handfuls of baby spinach

2 green onions, sliced thin

Boil potatoes until tender.

Whisk together oil, mustard, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes, salami, green onions, baby spinach, and toss gently to coat in dressing and allow spinach to wilt. Serve warm with a poached or fried egg. This also tastes fantastic cold!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I have a confession. My resolution for 2016 was to get more comfortable with my body. I'm not so happy with how clothes are fitting and the amount of energy that I do not have. I did so well all of January, and then our first snow storm of the season hit dumping over 2 feet of snow on the ground. It seriously derailed all of my best laid plans. I went from meal planning every week to eating butter, chocolate, and carbs. SOMEONE HELP ME! 

This is mainly a public declaration to help me be more accountable, and as my invisible internet friends, you're all responsible for helping me stay on track. Ha! Just kidding. But seriously, the direction of this blog may take a turn as I attempt to keep myself on track by feeding myself real food and incorporating more exercise in my daily routine. Maybe I'll get my act together and start blogging about my weekly goals? Maybe I'll post more "real food" recipes? Maybe I'll do both? My main goal is to keep blogging, keep taking photos, and keep making this space my own. I hope you all stick around. 

I've made my meal plan for next week and I just ordered one of the new Fitbit Altas. I'm super excited that it has a feature that will remind me to move because I love to be all cozy on the couch with a book and nap after work, and that's probably not such a healthy habit. I'm also part of the Tone It Up community, and it's been a fantastic motivator for me. 

So, a few changes may show up in this space as I try to make some healthy changes in my own life, but today I have a cozy meal for you. Broccoli cheddar soup to be exact. It's what I made during the blizzard earlier this year where I was stuck in my house for an entire weekend. I hope you enjoy! 

This is honestly one of my favorite comfort meals, and I crave it once the weather turns colder. It's hearty, warms up nicely, and can be paired with little ham and cheese sliders brushed with savory herbed butter. Yes. Do that. 

This soup has everything you want in a comfort meal: cheese, butter, half and half, and more cheese. Oh, and it's easy, too. And really creamy. Are you sold yet? 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

recipe from Simply Scratch 

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 small white onion, diced

1/2 cup pre-cut matchstick carrots

1/4 cup flour

2 cups half and half

2 cups vegetable broth

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets 

8 ounces sharp cheddar, grated (please grate your own...it really makes this soup phenomenal) 

salt & pepper to taste

In a medium pot melt 2 tablespoons butter and add in onion and carrots. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are fragrant and tender. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in broccoli florets and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove broccoli and place in a large bowl of ice water. Let broccoli rest until adding to the soup. 

Next, add in the remaining 1/4 cup of butter and allow to melt. Sprinkle flour over butter and stir constantly until cooked. Slowly add in the broth and half and half. Stir until combined. 

Drain and add broccoli to the soup cooking uncovered on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until soup is thick and broccoli is tender. Do not let soup boil. Using an immersion blender, pulse broccoli florets until smooth, or until desired consistency is reached. 

Add in half of the cheese and stir until combined and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. 

ENJOY!

Tortilla Soup

So, so, SO much to share since my last post. There's so much to say, but I will start with a "THANK YOU"! It's been a year since I began this blog and it's been a much needed creative outlet, but it's also brought some much needed successes. Thank you for reading, subscribing, sharing, and commenting. You are appreciated!

The next bit if news is, I'm starting a new job in October! If you know me in real life you'll know what a journey that situation has been. I've been desperate for a change for about 4 years and there has been A LOT of disappointment, feelings of rejection, tears, sleepless nights, and frustration. That's a story for another time, but I did want to write publicly about this blessing, and send encouragement your way if you're feeling stuck in a situation that you feel you have no control over. God is in control of your life. Just rest in His plan (even if it's difficult), and I promise that one day you'll look back and see that He had a perfect ending planned for you!

Now for the apology, I looked back and I haven't posted anything in 3 weeks?? Yikes! I'm truly sorry! It's been a bit crazy around here and I ended up having a cold/flu/weird, terrible sickness that lasted for two weeks. It was a real butt-kicker. And that, ladies and gentlemen is how this soup was created! 

This is tortilla soup, and it saved my throat and probably cured my head cold/flu/weird, terrible sickness. Maybe I should call this "Miracle Soup"?

This soup is incredibly easy, filling, and comforting....just what you need when you're feeling under the weather or chilled from the cooler temps. Chicken broth, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, cumin, and the unexpected addition of tortillas make a creamy soup that you'll be craving this fall!

Tortilla Soup

makes 2 quarts soup

1/4 cup olive oil

3 corn tortillas, chopped

2 cups yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth

28 ounce can diced tomatoes

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped tortillas and fry until crispy. 

Add onion, cumin, chile powder, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook until onions are tender and translucent.

Add broth and tomatoes and cooke over medium heat for 45 minutes. 

Puree soup in a blender and enjoy. You can eat this alone, or add whatever you like! I added grated cheese, cubed avocado, grilled chicken, and fried tortilla strips. 

recipe slightly adapted from The Kitchy Kitchen Cookbook by Claire Thomas

This soup and Vick's vaporub. Saved my life. :)

favorite good-for-you meals

I'm sure some of us have made a list of things we'd like to improve upon in the new year. No doubt one of the things on the list is to start eating better. I've noticed that my body feels better and I have a lot more energy when I eat right, and I've done pretty well in the last year. You will find a VERY healthy dose of sweets here on my blog, but I try really hard to balance all that out with meals that are good for my body. Below you'll find a list of the recipes I loved in 2013, and it's my plan to feature some of these delicious recipes (and how I tweak them to my taste) on the blog this coming year. Now if I could just start drinking more water….

First up, breakfast tacos from shutterbean. Charred mini tortillas stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, green onions, tangy sharp white cheddar, spicy Tobacco sauce, and creamy avocado. I seriously can't get enough of these tacos. They are perfect for breakfast and keep me full all morning. Plus, avocado in anything always makes me a huge fan.

Another one of my favorite breakfasts! A quinoa-berry breakfast bowl from Camille Styles. Quinoa has replaced oatmeal for me as far as hot cereal is concerned. This recipe is sweet and satisfying, but really versatile since you can add whichever toppings you want. 

This, my internet friends, is a blueberry cheesecake protein shake from Dashing Dish. I love these as a snack after work or after going to the gym, but they would also be great as a breakfast option. Katie over at Dashing Dish has some really delicious protein shake recipes, but this one by far is my absolute favorite. 

Moving along to lunch, this autumn cobb salad from Yes, I want cake, is one of my favorite lunches. The recipe uses arugula as the base for the salad, but I love this with butter lettuce (which is easier for me to find). It's got some well balanced flavors including a sweet honeycrisp apple, toasted pecans, and a smoky dressing. I usually make this salad on Sunday night and store them in mason jars for the remainder of the week. Mix your dressing in a separate container and dress your salad at work so everything stays crunchy. 

When I discovered this protein-packed egg salad recipe from Dashing Dish I had never tried egg salad and I was really skeptical. However, this egg salad is quite possibly my favorite lunch option. It truly keeps me satisfied until dinner and it's SO delicious. The recipe uses 2 egg whites, and a whole egg, tangy greek yogurt (which is the most delicious and genius addition EVER), whole grain mustard, and bacon. That's right people….B A C O N. Toast yourself some whole grain bread to eat this with and be transported to healthy lunch heaven. It's so yummy it totally deserves the over dramatic description. 

Yes, that is creamy mac and cheese as a healthy lunch option! Know what's even better? It's a slow cooker recipe! So, you throw all the ingredients into your crock pot the night before and dish out a nice serving into a microwave safe container to take with you to work. Nailed it! This recipe is also from Katie at Dashing Dish - she loves Jesus and you can tell she has such a sweet spirit from just reading her words. I'd like to be real life friends with her. 

Baked whole wheat chicken nuggets from Simply Scratch. When I saw these I immediately ran to the kitchen to make them. Unfortunately, all I had on hand was a frozen salmon fillet and some rice krispies so these didn't happen. These would be perfect for a week-night dinner. Do it!

Behold, the beginning of stuffed foods for dinner! Apparently, in 2013 I stuffed my face with a lot of stuffed foods. Fantastic. First up (that's a lot of words that start with 'f'), broccoli-cheese stuffed sweet potatoes. Now, before you get all offended that I'm adding a cheese-sauce smothered vegetable to my healthy foods list, let me explain. This cheese-sauce is also healthy because it's a white bean puree with a little bit of yummy cheese and some water to make it the right delicious, creamy consistency. Of course, you don't HAVE to make the cheese sauce this way, but if you're weirded out, believe me, it's delicious. Tangy cheese sauce, with the bite of broccoli, in the creamy sweet potato is perfect. Ugh. So good!

Need a quick, delicious weeknight dinner? I suggest these buffalo chicken stuffed peppers from Dashing Dish (I know, I just love her food!) These are pretty self explanatory, and if the title didn't make your mouth water, you need to get that checked out immediately. So yum, and Katie provides both a stovetop method and a crockpot method. Crock pots for the win!

I'm pretty sure I ate these chicken fajita rice bowls from Simply Scratch every night in March and April. And, this is my favorite meal of all time. Get ready because these are layered with flavors and it makes A LOT. Start your bowl with cilantro-lime rice (substitute brown rice for an even healthier dinner), add sautéed onions and peppers, then add grilled corn, and a healthy serving of grilled marinated chicken. Finish with chopped avocado and light sour cream or greek yogurt. Eat it for dayssss and then make more. 

One last stop on the stuffed foods for dinner train! I present the philly cheesesteak baked potato from skinny taste. Steak, peppers, onions, and mushrooms get sautéed in olive (or coconut) oil. Place that yummy concoction on a crispy-skinned baked potato, and broil a thin slice of provolone cheese over the top. Think this is decadent? Nope…only 390 calories per potato. Yummy and good for you!

I'm finishing this list with one of my favorite sides: roasted marinated broccoli from simply scratch. I like this recipe so much that I will often eat it for dinner all by itself, but it's really good with fish or chicken…or anything really. Marinate two heads of broccoli in oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, whole-grain mustard, and salt and pepper. Roast until the broccoli is tender with a little bit of a bite, and you've got yourself a fantastic side dish. I usually add red pepper flake or chipotle pepper to mixture to give it a little smoky kick. 

Just so you know. I started craving the egg salad while writing about it. So, I started my eggs while I wrote the rest of this post. While I was up, I realized I hadn't eaten all day and thought it would be good to eat half a bag of lay's potato chips while my healthy dinner was being made. What a weirdo. 

**These photos aren't mine - please see the original posts that I have linked for the recipes.