Recipe: Chicken and Mushroom Soup

It's pretty much soup weather (after 6pm) and I have been looking for a good chicken and mushroom soup for the past couple of years. This one was so easy to make and ended up being delicious. It was hearty but not overly hearty, and not too "soupy" either. 

Chicken and Mushroom Soup
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
6oz mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp flour (optional to thicken it a bit)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
s&p to taste
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
6 springs thyme
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped1/2 cup whole milk or cream (optional)

Heat butter over medium heat. Add veggies and saute until crisp tender. Optional: add flour to pot, stir for a couple of minutes. Pour broth, bring to boil, add rice, chicken, and spices, lower to simmer and cook until rice is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Mix in milk or cream if you want it creamy.

Serve with crusty bread and/or a green salad.

Elderberry Syrup

We generally buy elderberry syrup and use it as extra immune support during cold and flu season. This year, I am attempting to make it as it seems relatively simple. I'm combining two recipes to make my syrup - from a Wellness Mama blog post and from a guide called Herbal Nurturing. 

There is also an Atlanta area mom who makes and sells hers, if you want *homemade* but you don't want to make it yourself. 

https://www.facebook.com/Be-Welderberry-1523441417972037/

Elderberry syrup use is one of the alternative medicine strategies that has been shown in numerous studies to be effective. I'm taking these quotes and links off of a Facebook page of a friend of mine, as we both share the value of science and alternative therapies. 

"Elderberry extract seems to offer an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza. " https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016

"In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, Sambucol reduced the duration of flu symptoms to 3-4 days." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11399518

"For the first time, it was shown that a standardized elderberry liquid extract possesses antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive bacteria of Streptococcus pyogenes and group C and G Streptococci, and the Gram-negative bacterium Branhamella catarrhalis in liquid cultures. The liquid extract also displays an inhibitory effect on the propagation of human pathogenic influenza viruses."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056848/

"These data suggest a significant reduction of cold duration and severity in air travelers." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848651/

What are your go-to strategies for immune support during this time of year? Have you tried elderberry syrup? 

Weekly Meal Planning for Oct 30-Nov 5

Happy Halloween! We have a nice little (actually, BIG) pile of candy to go through tomorrow but after a very active field day at school and trick-or-treating for two hours, my two were ready for bed. And right before I fall into bed, I wanted to finish up the meal planning post for this week. We got a lot of great goodies (including salmon!) in our box today. Between those, two new cookbooks, and a new online recipe to try, my meal planning may be a little more adventurous over the next few weeks! 

Sunday: chili at our neighborhood halloween party 
Monday: salmon, green salad, roasted broccolini, baby potatoes, and carrots
Tuesday: roast chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and cauliflower, kale citrus salad
Wednesday: at a soccer end-of-season party
Thursday: chicken and mushroom soup (modified from this recipe)
Friday: leftover soup
Saturday: at a friend's house

I tried to get as many nutrients in my kids as possible today because between field day and halloween (read: lots of junk and sugar highs), I needed to balance them out! Their lunches tomorrow will also be completely junk-free. I know they had a great day so this is where I let go a little and tell myself that they will forget about the candy soon. 

Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere

I'm a sucker for pumpkin recipes this time of year. We have done the usuals, muffins/pancakes, even smoothies and pumpkin spice creamer. This year, we are expanding and adding even more pumpkin recipes to our repertoire. 

We made these pumpkin breakfast cookies and they are a great option for something to grab on the go in the mornings. They were very easy to make, too! 

Right before I left on my solo trip, I made a batch of pumpkin overnight oats for the kids to have an easy breakfast option while I was gone. I used ingredients I had on hand but it was similar to this recipe.

Since it is now officially soup season, I have put this on my soup recipe rotation and am anxious to try it. My kids will get a kick out of the grilled cheese croutons. 

And lastly, I mentioned this in the weekly meals post, but I have been looking forward to trying this pumpkin alfredo since I saw the IG post a few weeks ago. It just looks perfect and I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Weekly Meal Planning for Oct 24-Oct 30

Fall weather has arrived! This gives us the green light for comforting, warm meals like casseroles, soups, chili, and roasts. We have had a crazy October so far but this week, we are back to reality. Back-to-back trips are not easy to recover from but homemade dinners help. :) 

Sunday: spinach ravioli with peas (after driving back from Florida all day)
Monday: spaghetti squash and turkey bolognese 
Tuesday: spinach, tomatoes and eggs
Wednesday: Cuban picadillo with beans in pita pockets, lemon roasted cauliflower
Thursday: leftover picadillo over quinoa, boiled eggs and potatoes, spinach salad with beets, pomegranate seeds, and orange wedges
Friday: pumpkin alfredo with chicken sausage and spinach
Saturday: at a birthday party
Sunday: chili at a halloween party

I have had my eye on that pumpkin alfredo recipe for a few weeks now and can't wait to try it. I'm a big fan of creamy pastas (but really, who isn't?!) and I'm anxious to see how the pumpkin and sage amp up the depth of the flavor there! If I make it to the farmers market, I'll get some of their fresh pasta because it is so good, otherwise, I'll fall back on my store-bought one.

Now that it feels like fall, it's time to enjoy the hearty flavors in the meals!

Weekly Meal Planning for Oct 2-Oct 8

I've been having technical difficulties this week! I have tried to post this meal plan and that kale recipe but wasn't able to for some reason. Anyway, now that it seems to be working, let's try again.

Sunday: quick Chipotle after soccer
Monday: zoodles with pesto, chicken drumsticks, kale and citrus salad, sweet potato fries
Tuesday: greek tacos 
Wednesday: pesto spinach ravioli 
Thursday: leftovers 
Friday: at a football game
Saturday: at our high school reunion

Enjoy your week!

Recipe: Kale & Citrus Salad

This was a big hit for my family. My five year old even asked me to make more for her lunch tomorrow. I omitted the jalapeño and the nuts but it was still flavorful without being too citrusy and earthy without being to kale-y. It was a perfect side but can be part of a main dish too. This would be amazing topped with broiled fish, too!

Perfect for Fall Kale & Citrus Salad
1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed, and sliced roughly
Juice of 1 orange
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp evoo
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, chopped finely (optional)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 large orange or 2 tangelos, peeled and diced
Feta, blue cheese or goat cheese to top
Toasted nuts (optional)

Mix orange juice through jalapeño in a jar. Cover and shake vigorously. Add yogurt and shake until well combined. Pour onto kale and mix well. Top with orange pieces and feta, toss lightly. Top with nuts if preferred.