Stuffed Pepper Soup

Bell peppers, chopped tomatoes and lean ground beef are simmered in broth with onions and garlic, then topped with brown rice – everything you love about stuffed peppers, in a soup!

I love soup weather – and the convenience of a making a big pot of soup that can serve as several meals. I first posted this recipe back in 2011 and it's been a huge hit with everyone, including both of my kids –  they just loved it! I decided to make a pot this weekend and gave this a photo makeover.

This is a hearty bowl of soup that will fill you up and warm you on a chillynight. I guess you can call this a lazy stuffed pepper because it tastes just like a stuffed pepper without all the extra work. Topped with brown rice it's a satisfying meal. Heck, if you wanted you could even make this with ground turkey, and top it with shredded cheese. Have fun with this one!

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50 Pumpkin Recipes

For the pumpkin obsessed – here's a list of 50 pumpkin recipes from Skinnytaste and around the web that will delight your taste buds. Pumpkin for breakfast, pumpkin treats – everything from savory and sweet – enjoy!


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Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes

Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes made with white whole wheat flour, pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup,  pumpkin spice and pecans – a perfect lazy Sunday morning breakfast.

I'm not a big breakfast person, usually a green smoothie, a simple hard boiled egg or some overnight oats in a jar is all I need to keep me fueled until lunch. But on Sundays, we wake up a little later and have more time to make a more extravagant breakfast. My kids love pancakes so I often treat them to Sunday pancakes. Now that pumpkin season is here, I've been making these nutty pumpkin muffins – they are so good no one knows I use whole wheat flour in place of white flour. Happy Sunday!

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Embarrassingly Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Thighs

This is the EASIEST slow cooker recipe EVER! Just TWO ingredients: salsa and chicken plus some spices makes a delicious juicy chicken that can be used in tacos, over rice, over salad and more!

After coming back from a long weekend away in Park City, Utah and no real plans for dinner, I was desperate for something quick and easy. Scouring my fridge and pantry I had some boneless skinless chicken thighs and some chunky salsa, so I threw them in my crock pot along with some spices and crossed my fingers.

What emerged was a delicious, juicy chicken which shredded wonderfully after a few hours of slow simmering – and bonus my husband and daughter enjoyed it!

Last night we had them as tacos with all the fixins, and for my youngest, I served hers over rice. Today I was in the mood for a salad bowl like I often get at Chipotles and simply added some tomatoes, corn, shredded cheese and avocado and it was wonderful. This filling can be used so many ways, and it's too easy not to try. If you make it with chicken breast, you can reduce the cook time to about 2 to 3 hours on low. Use it however you like, tacos, salad, enchilada filling, anything I haven't thought of please share!


And since so many are asking, I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it's done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This crock pot is so great, I actually own two!

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Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Cookies

These good-for-you cookies made with quinoa and pumpkin spice are the perfect Fall treat, whether you have them for breakfast, snack or a post workout bite!

I just returned from a fabulous weekend in Park City, Utah for the Better Blog Retreat and asked Leanne to guest post in my absence. Please welcome today's guest poster and Holistic Nutritionist, Leanne Vogel of Healthful Pursuit.

Hi Everyone! I was testing recipes a couple of weeks ago and figured out that oats could be replaced with cooked quinoa in just about any oat-based cookie recipe. Since then, I've gone a little cookie crazy. I've made these Quinoa Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, Quinoa Zucchini Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies, and Quinoa Banana Bread Bread Breakfast Cookies. They're just SO good! Gram for gram, quinoa has less fat, less calories and less carbs than rolled oats. And, the super, ultra bonus to it all? Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and isn't considered a "grain" (it's a seed!), which means it's going to be easier for your body to digest it. This little super seed has it all... and so does this breakfast cookie recipe that I've made for you today ;) Enjoy!
 
 

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Whole Grain Apple Nut Muffins

Whole grain apple muffins made with fresh apple, applesauce, walnuts plus a combination of bran flour, white whole wheat and almond meal with a granola topping.

It's apple season and I picked up some gala apples at the farmer's market last week to make a great big batch of crock pot applesauce. Last year I used that applesauce to make an applesauce nut bread which I love, and it inspired me to experiment with almond meal, wheat bran and flax to come up with these delicious muffins. I love how moist they turned out, and I saved the extra in my refrigerator to eat for the week – they stayed moist for days!

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Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu

 

Roasted Spaghetti squash topped with a simple-yet-delicious meat sauce simmered with tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery.

I originally posted this recipe way back in 2009, before I owned a decent camera and I just had to give this a photo makeover (the photo was so bad I'm surprised anyone made it at all). It's so darn good you won't miss the pasta, and think of all the calories you're saving by making the swap! It's also low-carb, clean, gluten-free and perfect for my paleo followers out there too!

The beauty of this dish is you can totally make this family friendly. I know my kids prefer to have their meat sauce with pasta (plus they need their carbs too) so I cook some pasta for them and serve this with spaghetti squash for my husband and I. It's a very generous amount and extremely satisfying.


Of course, you can swap the beef for turkey if you wish, and you can certainly make the spaghetti squash in the microwave which is so much quicker. The sauce can be frozen for a later date and reheated when for a busier night. I've never tried freezing spaghetti squash, anyone out there know if I can? So there you go, a meal that can make the whole family happy – gotta love that!

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