In our house, 3 out of 4 of us are soup lovers. My youngest isn’t a soup fan, but I’ve mentioned before that he’d survive off buns, burgers, and mac & cheese if we let him, so his opinion doesn’t really count here. I think the only soup he’s ever really ‘approved’ of is this creamy dill pickle soup a local restaurant used to make before new owners took over. It was AMAZING! If I manage to find a recipe for something close to it and he gives it two thumbs up, I’ll definitely share it here.

Now, our oldest is a huge soup fan. He always has been. When he was little, he was all about chicken soups. He loved chicken noodle, chicken and rice, chicken vegetable, he loved them all. As he’s gotten older, he’s started to like cream soups as well. I’ve always been a fan of thicker soups and hearty stews, so I was pretty happy he came around to my kinda soups!

The recipe below for Loaded Potato Soup is a favorite in our home and in our regular meal rotation year-round. More so in these winter months of course. When you make something that one of your kids keeps asking you to make over & over again – you’ve found a winner! Kids are the best taste testers, aren’t they? They’re always brutally honest, so I know this soup must be good! Not only that, but it’s super quick and easy to throw in the crock pot in the morning and it just cooks all day. Your home will smell delicious!

If your family loves soup, I hope you all love this one as much as we do!

Loaded Potato Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 10-12 medium/large white (or yellow) potatoes
• 8 cups of chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of Montreal Chicken Spice
• 1 whole onion
• 1 package of cream cheese
• 1 package of bacon
• Shredded marble cheese (or any cheese of your choice)

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Dice up the onion.
2. Place potatoes and onions in the crock pot.
3. Pour the chicken broth over top.
4. Add the Montreal Chicken Spice and stir everything well.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
6. Once cooked, remove half of the potatoes and broth into a bowl and using a mixer, blend well with cubed cream cheese until smooth.
7. Add mixture back into crock pot and mix well.
8. Cook the bacon and cut it up into pieces.
9. Pour soup into bowls and add desired amount of shredded cheese and bacon on top.
10. Enjoy!

Notes:

• If you don’t like chunks in your soup, you can remove more (or all) potatoes to blend.
• We usually serve this soup with some garlic bread. (at my youngest’s request, of course!)

What’s your favorite soup? Italian Wedding? French Onion? Classic Tomato?

The post Loaded Potato Soup Recipe appeared first on The Mabelhood.

(Updated Feb 2023, back by popular demand!)

Last year, my family and I made an effort to eat less meat. We started with “Meatless Mondays” and now we are aiming for “Meat-free Fridays” too. I wanted to come up with something that was still tasty and fun, yet packed with goodness. So after some brainstorming, I concocted my Greek-inspired Crispy Lentil, Spinach and Feta Fritters.

Always trying to incorporate more veggies into our meals, these protein-packed lentil patties have just the right combination of tangy, low fat feta cheese, black olives, spinach and a good hit of lemon. We even use them as a hamburger substitute and throw a fritter on a bun with cucumbers, tomatoes and a dollop of tzatziki.

My kids love them! Add a squeeze of extra lemon and serve warm or cold. They also freeze great and are a regular addition to my daughter’s school lunch.

According to Lentils.org, my go-to resource and inspiration for lentil-based recipes, lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are a low-fat source of potassium, calcium, zinc, niacin and vitamin K, but are particularly rich in dietary fibre, protein, folate and iron. These are a really fabulous meat-free alternative if that’s something you’re looking for!

Crispy Lentil, Spinach and Feta Fritters (makes about 12 fritters)

Ingredients:

• 1 can cooked lentils (540 mL) or about 2 and a ¼ cups, washed and drained
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup of pitted black olives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dry dill, finely chopped
• A few pinches of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, slightly defrosted and separated or 1 cup sautéed fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or put through a press
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:

1. I pulsed half of the lentils in a food processor and left the remaining half whole.
2. In a large bowl, add the lentils, eggs, garlic, dill, lemon juice, salt/pepper, feta cheese, bread crumbs, chopped black olives and mix well with the chopped spinach.
3. Allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes, enabling the bread crumbs to absorb the lemon and eggs.
4. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan and set to medium.
5. Form lentil cakes or patties about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Place the patties in skillet, in batches if necessary.
6. Cook the patties until they’re browned on the outside, 3 to 4 minutes per side and then flip.
7. Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon and dip in tzatziki, a flavoured mayo or plain Greek yogurt. ENJOY!

Another fan favorite recipe is this organic homemade sandwich bread

The post Crispy Lentil, Spinach and Feta Fritters appeared first on The Mabelhood.

So instead of not allowing the candy, the best way to combat this is to incorporate it into a healthy treat. It’s also a good way to use up any uneaten candy you didn’t give away on Halloween night. Here are four simple recipes to turn Halloween candy into a healthy treat

Materials for chocolate dipper and gummy skewers:

• 1 Plate
  1 Spoon
  1 Knife
  Skewers
  Cutting Board
  Festive Cookie Cutter (optional)
  Parchment paper (optional)
  Microwave or stovetop
  1 Small microwave safe bowl

Gummy Skewers:

1 packet Gummy Candy
1-2 Fruits (e.g. bananas, strawberries, oranges, grapes)
1-2 Vegetables (eg. cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes)
Cheese cubes or Cheese String

Chop fruits, vegetables, and cheese into bite-sized pieces or cut into shapes using your festive cookie cutters. Carefully, slide the gummy candy, fruit, vegetables, and cheese on the skewers, alternating between two pieces of healthy fruit and a treat candy.

Chocolate Fruit Dippers:

2 packs mini-Chocolate bars (to melt)
1Pcket Candy to sprinkle 1-2 (nerds, skittles)
Fruits (eg. bananas, strawberries, apples, grapes)
Optional: 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
2tbsp Nut/seed Butter

Chop candy and chocolates into small pieces and place in separate bowls, little kids will need assistance.
Place parchment paper on a plate. Wash and cut fruit to cubes or slices.
Place each piece on its own skewer.
Put the chocolate bowl in the microwave, and heat for 30 seconds. Stir. Then continue to heat for 15 seconds and stir until the chocolate is melted. (If using the stovetop, place chocolate in pot and heat on low for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly)
Slowly dip the fruit in the chocolate and place on the plate.
Sprinkle your chocolate dipped fruit with candy and extra chocolate pieces.
Put in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Yogurt bark

(5.3oz) cartons of plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp coconut oil (stops the yogurt from crystalizing)
1/4 c. blueberries
1 small pack of smarties, gummies or other candy
1 mango

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper.
Mix honey into your yogurt. Spread across the pan of parchment paper
Top with the sliced kiwi, blueberries, and candy pieces
Lastly, place in freezer until set. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Trail Mix

Add smarties, m&m’s into a trail mix (almonds, peanuts, cashews, pretzels) Don’t bother with raisins, dried fruit is high in sugar, and if we’re going to add sugar- we’ll keep the candy!

If you’re looking for some healthy meals to get back on track after all the candy- give these soup recipes a try!

The post Tips for incorporating Halloween candy into a healthy treat! appeared first on The Mabelhood.