Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Why hello there.

So far, September has blessed us with several warm and sunny days, but the chilly evenings are a surefire sign that Fall really is right around the corner. The weather's not the only that changing; I'm starting to notice some changes going on in my garden too. The green beans, lettuce and zucchini plants are almost picked clean and the squash, tomatoes, pumpkins and corn are all getting really close to being ready.

I think I love the late summer veggies the most. Squash is one of my favourites and who doesn't love a fresh tomato picked straight from the vine?! The tomatoes coming out of the garden are so sweet and flavourful; I swear I'll never be able to eat another bland grocery store tomato again!!

Of course, you know I have an addiction to roasting every veggie that passes through my kitchen doors and now that the night's are cooling off, the oven keeps calling my name. I've roasted sweet potato rounds, zucchini, butternut squash and now tomatoes. Do you know how amazing your kitchen smells when you roast a combo of fresh tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt and basil?? The aroma is utterly DIVINE my friends.

Last night I took four huge beefsteak tomatoes and chopped them up and roasted them. Afterwards, I blended them up into the creamiest soup imaginable. This recipe is going to be some pretty tough competition to the traditional homemade tomato soup my dad and grandma used to make.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Serves 3

4 large tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 - 1/3 c fresh basil*
1 3/4 c unsweetened original almond milk (or 1% milk)
2 tbsp melted Earth Balance (butter)

Preheat your oven to 325.

Place all of your tomatoes in a large baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and the dried basil. Roast for 75 - 80 minutes.

Once the tomatoes have finished roasting, place them all into your blender. Puree until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Season with additional sea salt and pepper as necessary.

The milk will probably cool the soup down too much, so pour it into a pot and warm it back up on the stove.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with toasted croutons, sour cream, diced green onion, shredded cheddar or whatever else might float your boat :-)

The result is a soup that's smooth and creamy and tastes like heaven in a bowl.

*I used 1/3 cup basil in my soup, but you might want to start with 1/4 cup and add more if it's suitable to your tastes because the flavour of the basil is quite distinct. Personally, I love it! 

When I say huge tomatoes, I mean it!!

I bought a basil plant for $1 and keep it in my kitchen.

It's perfect when I'm making meals like this!

Be warned that this will fill your blender right up.

If you have a smaller blender, you might have to puree the soup in 2 batches.

SMOOTH AND CREAMY!

I garnished with croutons, fresh basil and fresh ground pepper.

Deliciously fresh!!

What is your favourite way to enjoy tomatoes?

Enjoy the day and I shall see you back here tomorrow with a brand new What I Ate Wednesday post!

Andrea

xoxo

Quick & Easy Breakfasts + an Oatmeal Recipe

Hi and Happy Friday!

You may have noticed that there's been a lot of talk about healthy and packable lunches recently due to the start of the new school year. I've loved checking out the ideas and I'll be trying out some new lunches for Derek and I just to mix things up a bit. I cannot eat the same thing day after day!!

For me, BREAKFAST is where it's at. Hands down it's my favourite meal of the day. I get up each day looking forward to a delicious and satisfying breakfast and on the weekends, there is nothing better than heading out with family and friends to a leisurely brunch. I just love, love, love it!

You've probably heard before that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After a rest period of several hours during the night, our bodies need fuel, so that our muscles and brains are able to function at their best. Eating within the first hour of waking is a great way to give your body the energy it requires to start your day off on the right foot.

Breakfast doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be made up of some sugar-laden processed cereal, pastry or bar either. I've compiled a list of my favourite breakfasts that are quick, easy and healthy. I eat breakfast every single day and I am that girl who is always running 5 minutes late for work. If I can make time, then so can you!

Greek Yogourt with Fruit and Granola

Overnight Baked French Toast

Toasted Multigrain Bagel with Light Cream Cheese

Bananarama Protein Pancakes

Classic Green Smoothie

Toasted Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Egg White Scramble with Veggies

Breakfast Burritos

Toasted Tomato Sandwich

Breakfast Cookie

Peach Vanilla Chai Smoothie Bowl

Toast with Peanut Butter and Banana Slices

Overnight Oats in a Jar (OOIAJ)

Healthy Monkey Bread (this is a new one that I am SURE is awesome!)

Cottage Cheese with Chopped Fruit (I like peaches) & cinnamon

Breakfast Tostadas

Leftover Pizza ;)

Kashi Go Lean with Lowfat Milk or Almond Milk

Banana Coconut Slow Cooked Oats

*Some of these ideas are mine and some originally came from other bloggers who I respect and follow regularly. I have added the links wherever applicable.*

As you know, I've been loving oatmeal lately and cooking up a batch of steel cut oats in the slow cooker is such a great idea during the week. It takes about 5 minutes to throw your ingredients together before you go to bed and when you wake up, you have an a healthy and delicious breakfast ready and waiting.

Here is my latest oatmeal concoction ~

Zucchini Bread Slow Cooked Steel Cut Oats
Serves 2

This recipe was inspired by Janetha's Slow Cooked Apple Cinnamon Oats and Angela's Zucchini Bread Oatmeal. It is a perfect breakfast for a cold Fall morning. It's hearty and delicious and will keep you satisfied for hours.

1/2 c steel cut oats
1 c unsweetened original almond milk (you could use regular milk)
1 c water
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp Earth Balance (or butter)
1 c grated zucchini

*Note: I used a small hot dip crockpot for this recipe. If you don't have one, see Janetha's instructions here for using a larger crockpot*

Place all of the ingredients into your crockpot and stir to combine.

Turn your crockpot on low and cook for 8 - 9 hours.

Spoon into your bowls and top with chopped walnuts, cinnamon and an additional dab of Earth Balance (as per Angela's instructions). Serve and enjoy.

This is a 'stick to your ribs' kinda breakfast that will keep you satisfied for hours.

Sticky, sweet zucchini bread awesomeness in every bite!

What's your favourite breakfast for days when you are on the go?

Have a GREAT Friday!!

Andrea
xoxo

Peach Vanilla Chai Smoothie Bowl

Mmmm Breakfast.

The most important meal of the day.

It is so important to eat your first meal shortly after waking. I usually eat within the first hour, so that my body is fueled and ready to tackle the day. Eating a healthy breakfast not only gives your bod the kickstart it needs to start performing for the day, but it also gives your metabolism a kick in the butt to get working and we all want that metabolism to be working to its fullest potential, right?! :-)

I've always been a breakfast eater. When I get up in the morning, the first things I think are *get me mah coffee* and *what's for breakfast* --- you may notice that I often speak from the tummy ;-)

Usually I prefer warm savoury breakfasts, but we've had such a warm summer that I've found myself craving foods that are cool and refreshing.

Smoothies fit right into those requirements, but I never feel like a drink is enough to fill me up, so I decided to try my own 'smoothie in a bowl' combo and see if I could add a little bulk to make my smoothie 'stick to my ribs' a little longer. As bulk, I added oats, chia and some Vega One Vanilla Chai shake powder. I ended up make a huge, THICK shake and it was awesome! I ate half before I left for work, half when I arrived at work and was satisfied until noon.

I had some Niagara peaches left that were starting to get too soft, so I used them in my smoothie, but you can certainly use any fruit/veggie combo that suits ya.

Peach Vanilla Chai Smoothie Bowl

Makes one big-ass smoothie bowl for one hungry gal ;-)

1 large peach, chopped into chunks - I froze mine the night before

1/2 - 1 large frozen banana

1 serving Vega One Vanilla Chai nutritional shake powder *optional

1/4 c oats

1 tbsp chia seeds

3/4 c almond milk (or milk of your choice)

1/2 c water

1/2 tsp pure vanilla

*Note: If you do not use a protein powder that is naturally sweetened, you may want to add some sweetener or use vanilla sweetened almond milk - stevia or maple syrup would also be good sweetener options for this smoothie*

Place all your ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your fave cereal bowl, top with your fave toppings (chopped fruit, nuts, coconut, granola) and eat 'er up!

I got this as a free sample in the mail {score!}

This all-in-one shake mix has a great flavour and doesn't leave a chalky taste in your mouth. It is one of the few powders that I really, really like!

Thick enough to eat with a spoon - yummers!

 

Cool - check!

Refreshing - check!

Filling - check!

Healthy - check!

Oh so Delicious - check!

This is a new fave of mine for sure!

What is your favourite summertime breakfast?

Have a great day! TGIF!

Andrea

xoxo

Bananarama Protein Pancakes

Hi there! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty lowkey, which was really nice and unexpected for the middle of summer. Next Saturday is jam-packed with plans, so I enjoyed the downtime in my sweats chillin' at the homestead.

Somtimes it feels so go to be a homebody for a day  :-)

Source: Pinterest via Wendy Adam-Vila

Yesterday I had our lunches made, laundry folded, this blog post prepared and all my food prepped for the week by 2 p.m. The rest of the day was spent watching James Bond movies, drinking coffee and perusing my favourite blogs. It actually felt quite decadent!

Part of my food prep included making a batch of protein pancakes that I can toast up for breakfast or a post-workout snack throughout this coming week. I seem to have developed a bit of an obsession for these pancakes recently. I've been experimenting with all sorts of different recipes and today I decided to give my own combo a try. I must say they turned out to be fabulous --- they're dense and healthy and packed full of protein. I'm actually having a hard time keeping them in the fridge without diving in for one every few minutes --- ah, the dangers of successful recipe creation ;-)

Bananarama Protein Pancakes

Makes 10 3" pancakes

1 c old fashioned oats

3/4 c 1% cottage cheese

3/4 c egg whites (6 egg whites)

1 banana

1 scoop vanilla protein powder ~ I used Vega Vanilla Almondilla*

1 tbsp chia seeds*

1tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp sea salt

*The protein powder and chia seeds are optional --- if you omit the protein powder, you may want to taste test your batter and add a little sweetener (sugar, stevia, etc.) to your tastes.

Add all of the ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth.

Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Spray with cooking spray between each round of pancakes. Pour the batter into the skillet to make 3 to 4" round pancakes. Cook on the one side until the edges start to look dry. Flip the pancakes and cook until cooked through.

Serve with a bit of Earth Balance (butter), some pure maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon or whatever pancake toppings rock your world!

The chia causes the batter to get really thick as it sits, so be ready to cook the pancakes as soon as the batter is made for easier pouring.

Cook slowly on medium heat.

Come to momma... 

I cool the leftover pancakes on a wire rack and then store them in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator so that I can eat them all week long.

Enjoy!

What is your favourite pancake topping?

What do you love to do when you spend a day hanging out at home?

Have a great day,

Andrea

xoxo

Dogs Love Treats Too!

Happy Tuesday! I hope your week has started off fabulously....

I am so happy to finally be getting around to a post that I've been meaning to do for ages. This blog is devoted to finding health and happiness and just pure enjoyment of life. Two of the biggest enjoyments in my life are these 2 guys. I'm constantly talking about my healthy eats and treats and sharing tips and recipes and today I want to devote a post to my "kids" because their health and quality of life is pretty freakin' important to me as well!

We don't feed much people food to our dogs and their daily diet consists of a high quality dry dog food. As far as treats go, I often create my own conctions, which are healthy and I assume delicious by the drooling dogs that I have to trip over to get to the treat jar! It's also alot easier on my wallet (because we go through alot of treats in a day!) and then I can have total control over what ingredients are going into my doggies' goodies. This is especially important because when Hank was about 6 months old, he experienced a pretty severe allergic reaction that caused the skin on his back to break into open sores. Before going through the expensive task of allergy testing, our vet suggested that we try cutting out some common allergens to see if we could figure out what the problem was. After some experimentation, we came to the conclusion that he was having problems with wheat and we have attempted to avoid most grains since then.

It's amazing how many pet food products contain wheat and it's been a challenge to find high-quality treats that are wheat free and TASTE GOOD. Our furkids can be pretty particular and think nothing of spitting out a treat if it isn't up to their 'standards'. Do you see why we have a sign at our house that says "Spoiled Rott'n Dogs Live Here"?? I swear they think they're high society or something ;-)

One of Hank & Dora's fave treats is a super easy mixture that I've been dying to share with all of my dog-loving followers. It's super easy to whip together, you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen and YOUR DOGS WILL LOVE THEM.

*Now I just want to note that these treats do contain meat. I have experimented with vegetarian food & treat options in the past, but they just don't work for my guys - I guess they take more after their dad ;-)*

Healthy Wheat-Free Dog Treats

Makes 1 large mason jar full of yummy treats

1 lb ground meat (we use venison usually but any type of ground meat will do)

1/2 apple, grated

1/2 c carrots, shredded (I used matchsticks which worked well too)

1 egg

1/2 c oats

1/2 lg sweet potato, steamed, peeled & mashed

Preheat your oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Press flat onto your cookie sheet. It will stretch out to cover most of your cookie sheet and should be approximately a 1/2" thick.

Bake at 350 for 1 hr. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and score the treats with a knife. I cut mine into small 1" x 1" squares. Reduce the heat in your oven to 200 and bake for another 40 minutes until the treats are quite dry. Keep an eye because they will get dark, but you don't want them to burn!

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When the treats are cool enough to handle, break them apart and store them in an airtight jar or container. I use a large mason jar and the treats fit perfectly.

This is an old dog treat recipe that I've had forever. It's a real winner at our house!

Use whole, all natural ingredients to make a very healthy and tasty treat!

The treats are done when it's quite dry around the edges. They're chewy and more like a jerky rather than a moist meaty type of treat.

Mason jars make the best storage for these types of things.

Seal 'er up and store the treats in the refrigerator.

*Note: you might want to let the man or kids in your life know that these are dog treats because inevitably someone will feel compelled to try these. Of course, they won't hurt them, so if you're cruel like me, you can always let them know after their first bite ;-)

I made a batch of these treats last weekend while the dogs were playing outside. When I let them in, they ran straight to the kitchen and this is where I found them....

Notice how Hank always looks like he's smiling?? 

Dora is very serious about her treats. She wants them all and she wants them now haha!

These treats will get you lots of sits, downs, shake a paws and smooches on command. I think mine would even do back flips if they could figure out how to do that!

Do you or someone you know treat their pets more like people than animals? We totally do!

Have a great day and I'll see you tomorrow with my weekly WIAW post!

Andrea

xoxo

Creamy Corn Chowder

Well here we are at Wednesday and you may notice something's missing here on my lovely little site. I decided to skip a What I Ate Wednesday post this week because I've had lots of repeat meals lately and yesterday I had a poopy ol' day and my heart and my head just weren't in the mood for putting together a post. Do you ever have those days??? It was for no particular reason ~ just a funky day.

Today however things are lookin' up and I am feeling pretty much back to normal. I have a delicious corn chowder recipe to share and I am super excited because it's vegan and Derek LOVED it!!! He claims he doesn't like "that kind" of food, but he told me over and over how good it was. SCORE 1 for me :-D

This soup was really easy to make. I made it the night before and let it simmer all day long in the slow cooker. It was SOOOOO nice to come home to an already made supper!!! 

Creamy Corn Chowder in the Slow Cooker
Serves 4

This is a delicious soup that eats like a meal! It's full of lots of hearty veggies and there is virtually no fat. We served ours with cornbread muffins. It was delicious!

1 sweet onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
4 small yellow potatoes, chopped
2 14 oz cans of cream corn
2 c frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 c vegetable broth
1 tbsp Spicy Mrs. Dash
salt & pepper to taste
2 c original unsweetened almond milk (regular milk would work)
2 tbsp cornstarch

I prepared the soup the night before, refrigerated overnight and then transferred to my slow cooker in the morning before work, but you can make it and slow cook it right away if that works better for your schedule.

Combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir to make sure everything is well combined.

When you are ready, place the soup into the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, turn the crockpot to high heat. Add one cup of milk to the soup. Whisk the other cup together with the cornstarch and then add it to the soup too. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or or maybe even a little more. The soup should thicken slightly and become a creamier consistency.

Chop those veggies & add them to a bowl....

....add your corn 

...followed by your broth and spices 

At this point I covered and refrigerated overnight.

Before I went to work the next day, I transferred my soup mixture to the slow cooker.

Right before you're ready to eat, add your almond milk. 

The soup is ready to eat once it's reached  your desired consistency.

Turn on the fireplace, curl up on the couch and enjoy your soup!! (Can you tell we have no children --- we never, ever sit at a table to eat our meals! We like a more comfy cozy location in front of the fireplace and the TV)

What is your favourite type of chowder?
Do you have a slow cooker? How often do you use it and for what?

Have a great night!

Andrea