Thursday, December 9, 2010

Focus...

Since this blog is in it's infancy, I feel that it's ok to make some changes. To focus, if you will. I'm pretty sure no one will care because I don't have any followers yet. So I'm following the advice of my husband and going with what I know...Health and fitness.

The blog will be dedicated to healthy living with a realistic point of view. There will be yummy, healthy recipes with ingredients you can find at a normal grocery store and workout tips that don't require you to spend hours at the gym.

I am a busy Mom who believes in the importance of teaching my kids how to lead a healthy lifestyle, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one out there. So, this is my quest to fit health into my busy schedule, any ideas are always welcome, so feel free to chime in!

In Health,
Katie

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Pasta Fagioli Soup

I love Italian food and I love soup so an Italian soup just drives me crazy! I got the original recipe from my Aunt but I've made a few changes to make it more figure-friendly. It is still so yummy! It has finally gotten cold enough for me to make it.

Here is the recipe:

1 lb lean ground beef, browned

2 14 oz cans Great northern beans
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 10 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (I use Rotel)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried basil
3 to 5 dashes of liquid hot pepper sauce (depends on how hot you like it!)
3 cups of low-sodium beef broth

2 cups water
1 cup dry small pasta (optional)

Combine all ingredients except for the pasta in a slow cooker. cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Cook pasta separately and add to soup just before eating.

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can simmer it on low on the stove top for 2 hours and it comes out great. Also, omitting the pasta is a great way to cut calories out without sacrificing taste.

Here's the finished product without the pasta:

Mmmmmm!