My husband and I were recently out for lunch….WITHOUT THE KIDDOS!!! That alone was a privilege:) We went out to eat at the Olive Garden and I usually order the soup, salad, and bread (with the addition of couple wines) and my husband ordered some pasta dish. He decided to order soup and he tried the pasta fagioli soup (It’s an Italian soup which means a soup made with beans and pasta in English.) He usually doesn’t rave about much so I was startled at how much he loved the soup. I tried it and I really liked it as well and as a cook my new mission was set…I’m…

I had to jump into to the bone broth craze. After reading on all the benefits including, gut health, reducing inflammation, highly concentrate of vitamins and minerals, and not to mention supposedly good for weight loss I just new I had to give it the “old college try!” I was confused though what the heck is the difference between broth, stock, and bone broth? From what I have read here is a quick synopsis of the differences: Broth is a simmer of roasted vegetables and meat cooked for short time Stock is cooked longer with vegetables, herbs, and bones for a moderate amount of time Bone broth which is similar…

Every year around football season, I host a chili cook off with my friends and family. This chili recipe has taken first a couple times!! Honestly, the chili cook off has brought some amazing chili’s to the contest and every year my family and friends continue to raise the bar. One year we had 13 chili’s to taste.. we had crock pots plugged in everywhere (even the bathroom:/ ) After that year we decided to convert the garage into chili land laden with extension cords!!! I know it’s April but it’s been cold here in Wisconsin and everyone was craving a batch of the famous family chili. Our chili recipe…

This is such a satisfying soup to enjoy, especially on a cold day. It has everything you love about fajita’s, but no fork or knife needed!!! I literally tossed most of my ingredients into the dutch oven for 2 hours and “Voila” Another perk of this soup is you can add lots of yummy toppings. Ingredients 3 frozen chicken breasts (which should equal 3 cups of shredded chicken) 1 1/2 tbs of olive oil 1 medium onion diced 3 cloves of crushed garlic 1 red pepper finely chopped 15.5 oz jar of salsa 10.5 oz can of cream of chicken soup 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth 2 tsp of…

This soup is fantastic on a cold winter day. It’s substantial enough to serve for dinner due to the heartiness of the beef and barley. I recommend serving this with some crusty bread. My husband and kids tend to be a meat and potato kind of guys and initially scoffed at the fact I was serving soup as dinner!! That was until they ate it, rave reviews around our table that I’m sure your family will love as well. The recipe is prepared in a Dutch oven and placed in the oven for 2-3 hours, so once the prep work is done let the soup do its thing and enjoy…