Summer Corn Chowder

I got this yummy recipe from my good friends, the Keller's (who are phenomenal cooks!). I absolutely love the flavors of it. This time when I made it I added some sweet red pepper into the soup and as a garnish. I thought it made it even yummier! It also made it even healthier...

Sweet red peppers are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also a good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin B6 and Folate.

Does it get any better than that?

Summer Corn Chowder

6 slices bacon, chopped

6 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 6 to 8 ears)

1 cup yellow zucchini or crookneck squash (about 2), diced

1 cup peeled russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup sweet red pepper, diced

3 cups (or more) chicken broth

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped

Sweet red pepper, diced

Saute bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add corn, zucchini, and potatoes to drippings in pot; saute for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and simmer uncovered over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of the soup to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Return puree to the pot. Stir in cream and cayenne. Bring chowder to simmer, thinning with more broth if too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chowder into bowls and sprinkle with bacon and chives.

Macaroni & Cheese

Lately Braxton and I have been having food battles. He doesn't want to eat what is being served. He eats one bite and then throws the rest on the floor or gives it back to me. I have refused to be a short-order cook, but it's getting harder each day for me not to be! Our last appointment with his Dr., we found out that Braxton is in the 15-20% range for his weight (although he is in the 90% range for his height). The Dr. said he wasn't concerned since Braxton was following his own curve on the chart (meaning he didn't have any dips or spikes). I guess he could also tell that Braxton is a very active, healthy boy!

So, keeping that in mind, I try to to stress to much. He will eat when he is hungry.. and I don't want to raise a picky eater. So far, he usually eats everything and likes it. I almost feel like he is just trying me - to see if I will give in, or if I'll stick to my guns. Good thing I'm a stubborn girl!

Anyway, today I finally had some success in finding something that he would eat - I tried another recipe out of my Deceptively Delicious cookbook.


Macaroni and Cheese (with beans)


1 1/2 cups whole-wheat elbow macaroni
1 cup nonfat (skim) milk
1/2 cup canned navy beans, chickpeas or white beans; drained, rinsed and pureed
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (about 8 oz)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper


1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.
2. While the macaroni is cooking, combine the milk and beans in a food processor and process until pureed.
3. Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Add the bean mixture to the pan and cook, stirring until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cheese and cook until melted and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir in the salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.


Serves 8

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For my recipe today I used the navy beans - but you can use any light-colored canned beans you have on hand. I didn't have it ready today, but if you wanted an extra boost of nutrition you could add 1/2 cup of cauliflower puree along with the cheese.

After cooking and dividing into portions, I sprinkled more cheese on top - it gave it an extra cheesy flavor and texture! Yum!

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So why add beans?

According to NutritionData.com -

Navy beans are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, protein, folate, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese.

Chickpeas are also very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6 and folate, and a very good source of manganese.

White beans are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, protein, folate, iron, magnesium and potassium, and a very good source of manganese.

Why cauliflower?

According to NutritionData.com -

Cauliflower is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It is also a good source of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and phosphorus, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars (revised)

So this last weekend I made the blueberry oatmeal bars (with spinach) with some revisions to the original recipe. Nothing too major, but enough that I thought they were even better!

I changed the pan size to a 9x13, which allowed the oatmeal layers to be crunchier! I also sprinkled cinnamon on the top after baking, giving it a little extra flavor!

Here is a link to the original recipe: Blueberry Oatmeal Bars