cooking

Recipe: Veggie Cheese Tortellini Soup

Abby H.

We’ve been doing a lot of meat-free nights around here lately. To be honest, meat is really expensive lately, and the kids and I don’t eat it often anyway.

I was craving soup over the weekend, so I rummaged through the cupboard and fridge and dug out some ingredients that made a super easy and filling soup.

Veggie Cheese Tortellini Soup (makes 4-6 servings)

  • 2 t. oil of your choice
  • 1 package TJ Farms Seasoning Blend (From Dollar Tree). Contains Onions, bell pepper, celery, and parsley
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced*
  • 1 cloves garlic, diced
  • 3 tomatoes*, deseeded and diced 0r 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes in juice
  • 6 cups of your favorite stock- I used veggie stock
  • 1 bag of washed spinach leaves*
  • 1 bag shelf stable cheese tortellini
  • 2 T Italian Seasoning
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a large stock pot, heat oil.
  2. Add bag of seasoning blend and carrots. Cook until onions are clear, about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add garlic, cook over medium until fragrant.
  4. Add tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer on low for 10-20 minutes.
  5. After soup has simmered and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add in spinach leaves and tortellini, cover, and cook on low for an additional 15-20 minutes. The pasta will swell as it cooks. Discard the bay leaf prior to serving.
  6. Serve topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and hot, crusty bread.

All ingredients that have an * next to them came from our Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box. I love these boxes- Farm Fresh produce is delivered to our door once a week, no traveling to the store, worrying that I am overpaying for produce, or that I am going to pick the wrong melon or corn.

If cheese tortellini isn’t your speed, here is a shelf-stable mushroom tortellini that sounds tasty! If you want another type of filled pasta, use the suggested cooking time on the package instead of the time in step 5.

This soup is even better on the second day, and freezes well!

November: 2 Dream Dinner Bundles!

Abby H.

Looking to simplify your meal planning this month? Dream Dinners has your back! This month Dream Dinners has 2 Special Bundle Deals this Month

8 Medium Meals for $199

  • Mini Chicken Pot Pies
  • Sherry Cream Chicken Over Rice
  • Cattleman’s Pie
  • Thanksgiving Burger w/ Rosemary Shoestring Fries
  • Layered Verde Chicken Enchiladas
  • Honey Pecan Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Applesauce
  • Layered Ravioli Bake
  • Chicken Paella

6 meals for $149 

  • Mini Chicken Pot Pies
  • Sherry Cream Chicken Over Rice
  • Cattleman’s Pie
  • Thanksgiving Burger w/ Rosemary Shoestring Fries
  • Layered Verde Chicken Enchiladas

This offer is not available on-line. To place your order call/text 619-460-6800 or email lamesaca@dreamdinners.com.
*This offer is only available for a limited time. Contact your store by Wednesday, November 16th at 5 pm to place your order. The bundle offer includes 1 of each entree listed. Any changes or substitutions will be subject to the current retail value of the entree.

 

 

11/7/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThankfully I was able to spend a few hours yesterday doing meal prep for this week, and I’ll be doing produce prep when our  Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box arrives, which will be delivered this afternoon.

I went to the grocery store on Friday night and picked up some meat and black bean burgers, which I haven’t bought in a while, due to rising costs, but there were a few meals I wanted to make that we haven’t had in a while.

Most of the meal prep used ingredients that we already had on-hand.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home every day and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.

  • Monday:  Veggie Tortellini Soup (The recipe will be posted this week), Cheese Toast, green salad

  • Tuesday: Black Bean Burger enchiladas, roasted veggies

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese (the typical Wednesday night dinner)

  • Thursday:  Roasted Veggies, Meatballs, Rice or Noodles

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:    Crockpot chili, biscuits
  • Sunday:  Leftovers

Penzeys Sale: $35 for $50 Gift Cards!

Abby H.

This deal is back, but only until tomorrow!

Penzeys is offering $50 Gift Cards for just $35.  Limit TEN Penzeys Choose Love Gift Cards per household during the run of the promotion. Cannot be used on the date of purchase. Cannot be used to purchase other gift cards. Not available for Curbside Pick-up. Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. Standard shipping rates apply. The offer ends at midnight Monday, November 7, 2022.

This is one of my favorite deals. It makes a great gift for the home cook, baker, or foodie in your life. It can be used in-store or online.

Cold Weather Means Soup! Soup Recipe Round-Up

Abby H.

It’s been chilly here the past few days, and that means sweaters and soup!

I love making soup, it’s easy, inexpensive per serving, and there are always leftovers.

Here are a few of my family’s favorite soups:

Veggie Soup 
Chicken Fajitas Soup 
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Potato Cheese Soup
Hearty Veggie Soup
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Veggie Tuscan Soup
Homemade Chicken Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup CopyCat Recipe
Chicken Corn Chowder
Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque
Butternut Squash Bisque
Beef Stew
Harvest Veggie Ravioli Soup

Recipe: Smashed Potatoes

Abby H.

This recipe is slightly more involved than previous recipes I’ve posted, but I guarantee you excellent results, and there will be no leftovers.

It’s perfect for a family dinner or dinner party where there are a lot of people with diverse tastes.

Ingredients: 

  • 10 to 12 small yellow-skinned potatoes- I like Yukon Gold
  • One stick of butter
  • Herbs of your choice (I like this Penzeys mix. Or use any of the following together: rosemary, tarragon, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and thyme) 
  • Spray release 
  •  1 cup of grated cheese, your choice (I prefer sharp cheddar, but I’ve also tried it with an Italian blend also and it’s quite delicious).

 

Directions: 

  1.  Clean the potatoes thoroughly. DO NOT PEEL. 
  2. Place potatoes in a large pot with water, cook on the stove for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are fork-tender.
  3. While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate dish combine spices of your choice, and the stick of butter. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds until butter is melted.
  4. Drain potatoes, do not rinse.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°. 
  6. Either line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and coat with spray release, or use a nonstick cookie sheet, your choice. 
  7. Place potatoes approximately 1 inch apart. 
  8. Gently press down on the potatoes with the backside of a fork (or the bottom of a coffee mug if your potatoes are bigger) until they are slightly smashed.
  9. Pour a little of the butter/herb mixture over the slightly smashed potatoes (less than a tablespoon).
  10. Bake potatoes in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they appear to have crisp/browned.
  11. Top each potato with a small amount of cheese (1 to 2 tablespoons).
  12. Serve potatoes with sour cream, real bacon bits (I like the ones from Costco), or whatever toppings you and your family prefer.

As a side dish that serves 4 to 6 as a main dish serves 2 to 3. These smashed potatoes are also great with chili or a hearty salad.

Free Food Resources for November 2022(San Diego County)

Abby H.1 Comment

A new month means a reminder about all of the free food options there is here in San Diego County.

Because of the upcoming holidays, you may notice that some locations will be advertising additional distributions or special Thanksgiving or Winter Holiday meal giveaway events. As information about these events becomes available, I will be sharing them.

Keep in mind there are still supply chain issues, so there may not be a lot of food at some distributions, especially those that serve a large portion of the community.

I recommend showing up a little early with a bottle of water and a book and waiting in line. Time passes quickly in these lines, and it’s a great time to learn from others about community food options. Remember to socially distance and follow local masking regulations.

You can find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.

The Rock Church, which has many locations all over San Diego County has a food and diaper pantry distribution at many of its locations throughout the month. More info can be found here.

Our friends at Faith Chapel are super ahead of the game and sent out information regarding their 2022 food distributions early on in the year.

If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.

San Diego Food Bank Distributions for November 2022 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such. You can learn more here about the Feeding San Diego Together Tour.

Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.

Freebies from Sprouts!

Abby H.

Their official free sampling program from Sprouts is gone, however, I found out on Reddit this morning that are several freebies available through the Sprouts app!

I was able to snag the following:

  • Ardor Sparkling Water

  • Milton’s Cauliflower Crust Pizza

  • Happi Foodi Chicken Keto Bowl

  • Miss Jones Baking Co. Mix

  • FAGE Sour Cream

Open up your Sprouts app and see if there is anything available to you.

If you don’t have the app, check out their website here.

10/31/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

I’m hoping this week starts an easy descent into the end of 2022. This year has been rough, and I really need some rest.

We are finishing up with TBS therapy at about the end of the year, and it’s really been helpful for the whole family, especially the big kid. It’s been a big part of our lives over the past few months.

I went to the grocery store on Friday night. I didn’t do much meal prep this week. I was exhausted from all the driving and other work I’d done last week. So this week is going to be a lot of low-effort meals. This would be a great week for Dream Dinners, but I didn’t have time to place an order for October.

We’ll be eating a lot of vegetarian/low-meat meals this week. With the ever-increasing cost of groceries, we’re leaning on pantry staples and what’s in the freezer again for this week.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home every day and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.

  • Monday:  Protein shakes, fruit, and toast (and trick or treating)

  • Tuesday: Beans, Rice, and cheese bowls with roasted veggies

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese

  • Thursday:  Pasta with red sauce, spinach salad

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:    Grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, fruit
  • Sunday:  Leftovers

10/24/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

 

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

This week is going to be a lot of time in the car. The big kid’s school has 6th-grade camp this week, but because of the nighttime medication he takes, it’s better if he comes home each night.  SDo I will be driving him to and from camp (about a 50-mile round trip) each morning and afternoon.

That means no therapy appointments this week, which is great because I’m getting a little run ragged.

I went to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon and meal prepped yesterday for this week. We had a lot of veggies and fruit left over from the week before, so I made a big fruit salad and 2 trays of roasted veggies.

We’ll be eating a lot of vegetarian/low meat meals this week. With the ever increasing cost of groceries, we’re leaning on pantry staples and what’s in the freezer. Luckily I’ve got so good stuff stashed away.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid will have lunch at camp every day this week and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.

Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.

  • Monday:  Roasted veggie frittata, homemade bread

  • Tuesday: Moosie’s Pot Roast, Roasted Veggies, rice (didn’t make this last week)

  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese

  • Thursday:  Taco Soup, quesadillas

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:    Grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, fruit
  • Sunday:  Leftovers