Dinner Ideas… For the “Free Pouring” cook..

Hello readers! Happy Better New Year to you all! I pray everyone had a pleasantly blessed ending of 2015! I sure did… That will be shared with you all in another post.. What exactly made the end of my 2015 a blessing to me. 😉 

So, my first blog of 2016 would be about food.. Lol! Well, what can I say I love to cook & eat and it’s even more awesome when it’s healthy and the whole family enjoys it! Score! 🙂 

Although I do enjoy cooking & would love to share a lot more meals or deserts that I prepare. I am not the best at measuring ingredients. I am more of what I’ve heard them say on the cooking shows, a “free pouring” kind of cook. That makes it a little difficult to share recipes, unless I’m sharing the recipe with another free pouring cook!
Since I will never really know who reads my posts and what kind of cook they are.. This year I am going to step outside the box and share things anyway! 

Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup Recipe

Turkey Sausage Kale SoupIngredients needed:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2-4 TBS
1lb of Sausage of your choice cut into 1/4 inch slices (I used Butter Ball Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage)
3-4 Potatoes Diced – Yukon Gold, Red or Regular Potatoes (I used regular potatoes because that is what I had already, but will try red potatoes next time and maybe even try using sweet potatoes)
Chopped Onion – Amount depends on what you like
Kale – 1 Bushel fresh or 8oz bag of triple pre-washed (add more if you like)
Garlic Minced 2-4 Cloves – Amount according to what you like. You can use fresh cloves or I like to use the Spice World Minced Garlic in Olive Oil  (1/2tsp = approx 1 clove)
1 32oz Chicken Broth (I use the lower sodium) I added 1-2 cups water to make more soup
1 Can 15.5oz Cannellini Beans (White Kidney Beans) or you can use: Navy Beans, Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Can 14.5oz diced tomatoes or about 2-3 whole tomatoes diced
Salt and Pepper or Mrs. Dash to taste
Of course anything that is in a can, by all means use fresh if you like. Just be sure to properly prep it for the recipe.

Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat, cook the sausage, potatoes and onions in Olive Oil for about 5 minutes or until sausage is heated thoroughly, stiring occasionally. Add Kale, cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until Kale is wilted. Add garlic & cook a few minutes longer.

Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash.
I garnished my bowl with some avacado slices… Yum!
Turkey Sausage Kale Soup Avacado
You can enjoy this alone or serve with cornbread or biscuits!
Of course you can double or triple up on this recipe and it’s easier to do if you are a free pouring kind of cook! Lol! 😉

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment below if you are going to try it out or have already tried it! Share your alterations! Feedback is always welcomed here! Be sure to follow & subscribe to my blog for future posts!

If nobody else told you today, I love you! Be blessed! ❤

 

Manitoba Harvest ‘Hemp Hearts’ Review & Giveaway!!

Hello readers, thank you for stopping by! Today is a Tasty Tuesday Try your luck Giveaway post! #TryItTuesday
I will be sharing a review, a tasty recipe & other tasty ideas using Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts.

What are Hemp Hearts & how are they beneficial to us you may ask…

Hemp hearts are raw shelled hemp seeds. Complete vegetarian protein, all natural, whole-food made from ONE ingredient. It has a slightly nutty taste, similar to a sunflower seed or pine nut. I personally think it has a smokey nutty flavor. 🙂 There’s no need to cook Hemp Hearts since they are ready to eat straight out of the bag, making them easy to incorporate into your meal planning. Hemp Hearts come in Natural or Organic in a variety of sizes. The Natural comes in bags of 2oz, 8oz, 1lb & 5lbs or a box of singles of .9oz packs. The Organic comes in bags of 7oz, 12oz, & 5lbs. You can purchase Hemp Hearts from the website www.manitobaharvest.com or in your local Health Food Stores like Sprouts or Whole Foods. Prices range from $2.99 up to $70.
The 2oz bag of Natural Hemp Hearts has 330 calories, 230 calories from fat with 25 grams total fat. Per 30 grams (2 Heaping Tablespoons) serving, Hemp Hearts contain 10 grams of plant-based protein and 10 grams of omega 3 & 6. They also contain 181mg Magnesium per 30 grams serving. Hemp Hearts have more protein and omegas & less carbs than the same serving of chia or flax.

Just some FYI details ~ Manitoba Harvest products are made on-site at their hemp-dedicated facility, so they control how their products are made. Hemp Hearts & all Manitoba Harvest Hemp food products are Non-GMO Project Verified. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods are kosher under the supervision of the Kashruth Division of the Orthodox Union. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods’ organic products are certified by Pro-Cert and are marked with the following logos:

CertifiedOrganic CDN-Organic_web(1)(1)

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Information OU-kosher non-gmo-project-logoHempHeartsReview
If you have any further questions about Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods click this link>>>Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods ~ FAQ


I recieved a 2 oz. bag of the Natural Hemp Hearts to try it out for this review and I am very impressed with this product. It is definitely something I will purchase to use regularly. Especially since it has been #kidtested #kidapproved and #motherapproved in our house! 🙂 #thumbsup

HempHeartsCollage (2)

I tried the Hemp Hearts in a few different ways and was pleased with every single one. As you can see in the picture above: I sprinkled the Hemp Hearts on top of Peanut Butter spread on a Thomas’ Limited Edition Apple Pie English Muffin. The Hemp Hearts gave the flavor a little twist with its smokey peanuty taste.. My 8yr old daughter really liked it too! One day I had came home with a yogurt & fruit parfait topped with granola & added some Hemp Hearts on top of all that & it was delish! 😉

HempHeartsOnEnglishMuffin

HempHeartsYogurt

I saved the best pic for last… A recipe I found on the Manitoba Harvest website for Honey Hemp Cream of Wheat
This recipe was not only quick and easy with minimal ingredients but it was delicious and heart warming… Great for a cool fall morning or cold winter morning for breakfast or anytime! 🙂 Recipe below…(Or click on recipe name above)

HoneyHempCreamOfWheat

Ingredients:
4 tbsp cream of wheat
3 tbsp Hemp Hearts
2 tbsp honey (we like honey bunny organic clover honey)
1 1/2 cup coconut or almond milk (I used Almond Milk)
Top with extra honey and Hemp Hearts

Directions:
Warm milk on stove, add cream of wheat, Hemp Hearts and honey. Whisk frequently until desired thickness is achieved.

Yield: 1 serving ~ ENJOY!

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Now the best of the best… THE GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b82df4201/
CLICK THE LINK ABOVE TO ENTER!!!

GIVEAWAY

Here are the entry options:
Follow @ManitobaHarvest on Twitter
Follow @ManitobaHarvest on Instagram
Tweet about the giveaway using the following tags: I’ve entered a giveaway to win @ManitobaHarvest #hemphearts @FitApproach #sweatpink @3hdeefitness

Giveaway Restrictions:
Open to US and Canada residents.
One prize per winner please.
If you win this giveaway, and have already won another prize from Manitoba Harvest through another blog, please disclose that you have already won so we can choose another winner.

Thank you for reading the blog post and for entering this raffle!
Enter here!>>> http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b82df4201/
Good Luck!!!