This post is brought to you by a Wholefully partner.
Guys. I don't want to jinx it, but I think Fall might actually be here to stay. We've had the A/C off and the windows open for the better part of a week now. The leaves are starting to turn colors and the chickens are slowing down their laying (a sure sign that the days are getting shorter).
I know Fall is everyone's favorite season, but I'm actually an equal-opportunity season lover—hence why I live in a place that gets all four of 'em. Although, I have to admit, I am particularly jazzed for the cooler temps this year. Summer is wonderful—and if I had to pick, I'd say I'm a summer girl—but I'm about half past over the bugs and poison ivy and humidity. It was a good run, sunshine and warm weather, but I'm ready to wear my scarves and boots full-time, k?
Another sure sign that Fall is here in our house? Hockey season has started (well pre-season anyway)! I know everyone's all jazzed about football, and we've been watching our fair share of the gridiron, too, but we're definitely more of a hockey (and college basketball) household.
This probably comes as no surprise, considering my husband is Canadian (he's actually from the city with the highest number of NHL players per capita—it's kinda in the water there). I never got into hockey until we were married, but it was love at first watch!
Read the post »]]>
This post is brought to you by a Wholefully partner
I'm back today with my last recipe showcasing some of the great ways you can get more fruits and veggies in your diet featuring Pink Ribbon Produce from Meijer. So far this month, we've eaten Portabella Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and sipped on a Clementine Avocado Smoothie. We've also learned how the American Cancer Society recommends each of us get at least 2 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables per day to help reduce our cancer risk.
In fact, they say that, aside from stopping smoking, eating more produce is one of the most important things we can do to help cut our risk. Choosing an apple over potato chips for a snack might seem like a small decision, but it's those small, daily decisions that lead to a healthier you and a reduced risk of cancer.
Of course, snacking on fruit when your tummy starts to grumble isn't the only way to hit your fruit and veggie quota. You can make a hearty, family-friendly, filling meal that is heavy on the veggies—and I'm not talking a salad. Pull out your slow cooker, put on a good Tex-Mex album on Spotify, and enjoy these super easy, super veggie-filled chicken fajitas!
Get the recipe »]]>
When life gets busy and I don’t have time to spend an hour in the kitchen cooking, it’s nice to have a recipe or two I can turn to. These savory slow cooker chicken legs are perfect for busy weeknights because they’re super simple, budget friendly, and I know my family loves them.
Read the post »]]>
Do split peas need to be soaked before cooking?
Unlike other beans and legumes, split peas are tender enough that they don’t need to be soaked before cooking.Wholefully Protip
If you have a history of digestive problems from split peas, you might want to go ahead and soak them in cold water overnight before cooking—it might help!How do you make split pea soup from scratch?
You can cook this soup on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot, but the process is pretty similar for all of them. To make split pea soup, here’s what you’ll do: Read the post »]]>
We had ham and bean soup growing up a lot in my house, and it wasn’t until I was a broke newlywed that I learned just how magical a pot of beans can be. It’s easy on your budget, it’s filling in your belly, and it’s simple to pull together.
How do you make slow cooker ham and beans?
Thanks to your crockpot, this soup requires just a few minutes to pull together. Here are the steps:- Soak your beans overnight in water.
- Add the beans, onion, celery, garlic, carrots, seasoning, and ham hock to the crock of your slow cooker.
- Cover with water.
- Cook for around 8 hours on low.
- Add in chopped ham, season to taste, and serve!
This post is brought to you by a Wholefully partner
I never liked Chinese food growing up. Every now and again, my parents would try to serve up some stir fry or fried rice in hopes that my tastebuds would have changed (they loved the stuff), and every time, I would get queasy at even the smell of soy sauce. It just wasn't my thing.
Then, in high school, I started dating a guy who ate from a local takeout place all the time. Not wanting to be high-maintenance or bossy or any of those other things 17-year-old girls worry about when they are trying to impress a guy (none of which I worry about now, by the way—33-year-old Cass is way more self-assured than 17-year-old Cass), I went along with it.
I ended up not hating the food whenever we'd order it. I mean, it wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't so bad. At least, the taste wasn't. The worst part about it was how I felt after we ate. I always had a headache. My stomach was always super upset. I just felt plain yucky within a few hours of our takeout feast.
The guy and I ended up breaking up when I headed off to college (you say you saw that one coming, what?), and the end of that relationship also ended my relationship with Chinese food. No one in my life really pushed the issue when I said that Chinese food makes me sick (writing credit to LFO for that one). So I didn't eat any Chinese food for a good decade or so.
Read the post »]]>
A few years ago, when I heard the term "bone broth" getting thrown around for the first time, my initial thought was um, isn't chicken broth already made with bones? It wasn't until about a year ago that I found out that bone broth is different from regular chicken stock because it uses a long cooking time to extract as much nutrition out of the bones as possible. Basically, regular chicken stock uses the bones for flavor. Bone broth uses the bones for flavor and nutrition.
The resulting broth from long-simmering is totally delicious, of course, but even beyond that, it's a powerful nutritional supplement. In fact, I only started making bone broth regularly after two separate doctors (one crunchy granola doc and one decidedly not crunchy granola doc) recommended I start having at least a cup of it a day as part of my Lyme treatment protocol. Bone broth walks the line between food and medicine in a way that few other foods do. And it certainly tastes a lot better than most medicines do!
The Benefits of Bone Broth
The nutritional profile of bone broth depends widely on the kind of bones you use (you can use chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish—anything!), your cooking time, and the way the animals were raised (grass-fed and pasture-raised animals will give you more nutrient density). But there are a few common things about bone broth that make it so awesome:- It's loaded with gelatin. The slow and low cooking helps to release the gelatin—which is a broken down version of collagen—that is in the connective tissues and bones you use. Why is this a good thing? Well, major important areas of our body (like the lining of our gut and our own connective tissues and joints) are made from collagen—in fact, about 25% of our body is made of collagen! Some folks use gelatin or collagen supplements, but bone broth is another effective (and affordable) way to get your gelatin and collagen. Making sure you get an adequate supply of collagen has a ton of health benefits like helping you sleep better, making your skin more supple, protecting your gut lining, and making your joints less achy.
- It's easy to digest. Sometimes the roughage of a huge salad is good for you, but sometimes—especially if you are fighting digestive disorders or your immune system isn't up to snuff—easy-to-digest foods are the way to go. Bone broth is a wonderful marriage of easy-to-digest but still nutritionally powerful.
It is no secret that I love beans. Beans are nearly a perfect food—full of protein, fiber, and nutrients. Plus, they are incredibly tasty, readily available, and one of the most affordable forms of protein around. You can easily feed a family on $1 worth of beans. Try doing that with meat!
Beans and spicy flavor are a match made in heaven. Many of the biggest bean-loving cultures have cuisines that use robust and bold flavors. And of these bold-flavored dishes, one of my favorites is red beans and rice.
Read the post »]]>
You know what's awesome? Lasagna. You know what's not awesome? How fussy lasagna can be to make. Layers and division and dolloping and the whole regular or no-boil noodle controversy. It's enough to make a gal never want to make lasagna again.
Okay, that's a total drama queen over-exaggeration, but the truth is, lasagna can be a bit finicky to make. It's definitely not a weeknight dish. But you know what is a weeknight dish? Anything that's made in the slow cooker. Including this soup.
Read the post »]]>