Vegetable and Quinoa Soup

I have made more vegetable soup this past fall/winter than I have made in my entire life.
Not kidding.
I have become a vegetable soup loving freak.
It's light, healthy and tastes fabulous on a cold day or night.

Most of the time I make this same version with mini whole wheat pasta shells, but I had leftover quinoa, so I decided to add that instead.  I'm not sure which I like more. 

I store leftovers in pint-size mason jars and then take the soup for lunch at work.
Just pop the mason jar in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and grab a spoon.
Delish!

Vegetable and Quinoa Soup

1 small onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup carrots, sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 zucchini, diced
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
spinach leaves, torn into bite size pieces
salt and pepper
olive oil

Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a large pot or dutch oven set on medium high heat.
Add onion and celery and carrots.  Saute until crisp tender; 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken or vegetable stock, 1 can of petite diced tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, corn and zucchini.  Throw in a bay leaf or two and then salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium-low for 10-20 minutes.  Add cooked quinoa and torn spinach leaves right before serving. Remove the bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. 

Click here for great tips on cooking quinoa.

Aunt Jemima: Lil' Griddles

I've never been one of those people that skip breakfast.  I need that morning fuel to get me moving!
I know how important that morning meal is for my daughter too, that's why I have always made sure she's had a healthy breakfast over the years. 

She's a teenager now and still loves pancakes, french toast or scrambled eggs before she goes to class.

On crazy mornings, when I'm short on time,  I let Aunt Jemima do the cooking.
With Aunt Jemima every batch is made from scratch with real eggs, milk and butter.

Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast takes great pride in making frozen pancakes, waffles and French toast just like moms across America make breakfast in their own kitchens -- their griddles are just a little bit bigger :)


















With new Lil’ Griddles from Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast, families now have big breakfast taste, bite-sized.
They're ready in just 50-55 seconds in the microwave or 3-5 minutes in the oven.
I prefer the oven method.
Aren't they cute!

The new Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast Lil’ Griddles line has three delicious bite-sized options for family fun; new Aunt Jemima frozen Blueberry Mini pancakes, Aunt Jemima frozen Mini pancakes, and Aunt Jemima frozen Cinnamon French Toast Sticks.  They are available in frozen food isle of your grocery store. 
I found them locally at Food Lion and Martin's.

Want to give them a try for your family?  Click here to request a coupon.

My teenager can be picky, so I was a little worried trying something new.

Guess they passed the picky eater taste test. 
This is how I found the plate when she was done.
Way to go Aunt Jemima!


















Thank you to Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

DIY Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub

Last week when we were in Disney World I got super sunburned.
I was SO mad at myself for not putting sunscreen on earlier, but I had no idea I could get that burnt
in 65 degree weather!
Florida sun is powerful!

Towards the end of the trip my skin was really dry, especially my lips, so I was on a mission to find relief.
Tucked back in a corner of Downtown Disney I discovered a wonderful little shop called Basin.

Basin was full of fabulous products to pamper your skin and the store smelled AMAZING!
You can try their hand scrubs right in the store.  My hands felt super soft afterwards.

I found this lip scrub and went straight to the counter to buy it.
LOVE the flavor :)
It definitely works - my lips felt great the next day.

Anyway, once we got home I was obsessed with making my own body scrub.

I did some research and found out that scrubs are super easy to make yourself.

I already had everything I needed at home except the fresh limes.

Love that!

This body scrub turned out just like I hoped it would.

It works just like the ones in the store, is all natural and smells great too.

Oh and it is ALOT less expensive than the retail version.

I can't wait to use it on my feet to get ready for flip flop season!

Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup coconut oil
1 1/4 cup sugar (I used raw sugar, but you can use regular too)
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Coconut oil is in solid form.  I placed 1/2 cup in the microwave for just a few seconds (5-7) to soften it.
Do NOT let it melt. 
Place sugar in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the coconut oil and lime juice.  Stir to combine.
Spoon into a jar with a lid.
You can store this in the fridge for extended use or leave it out if you plan to use it within a week or so.

Recipe from New Nostalgia

Peanut Butter & Banana Smudgies

After dinner I'm always looking for a little sweet treat.
Peanut Butter & Banana Smudgies are a healthy snack with only 3 ingredients.
Peanut Butter, Banana and low-fat graham crackers.

They're kind of like a healthy version of an ice cream sandwich :)

To make them slice and mash 2 ripe bananas in a bowl.

Add 2 T peanut butter or any nut butter and stir until combined.

Grab 8 low-fat graham crackers.

I like Erewhon brand. 

They're low-fat with zero trans fat and organic too.

Break the graham crackers in half and fill each one with some of the peanut butter and banana mixture.

Wrap them individully with foil or plastic wrap.

Put them in a Ziploc freezer container and place in the freezer for at least 6-8 hours.

Grab one or two out of the freezer when you need a healthy little treat.

Yum!

Yield - 8 Smudgies
Nutritional Info per Smudgie:
Calories - 109
Fat - 3.5
Carbs - 18.3
Fiber - 1.4
Protein - 2.3
Weight Watcher Points Plus - 3