Spicy Vegan Pumpkin Soup

A friend shared this recipe on Facebook, original is available here. I tweaked the instructions so I could use my immersion blender (instead of a regular blender). I also doubled the recipe, so we could have leftovers and share with Justin's parents. The soup was a total hit. I served it with artisan Cranberry Walnut Bread.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño, diced, with seeds
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 large carrot, sliced
• 1 head of cauliflower florets, pre roasted
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 15 oz. can light coconut milk
• 32 oz. vegetable broth
• 2 baked sweet potatos
• 1 29 oz. can puréed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and pepper, or more to taste

Directions

1. First you need baked sweet potatoes - they roughly took 1 hour 15 minutes in 350*. It's good to get them baked and ready to go. You can prep all of your other ingredients while the potato is baking. This is also a good time to roast the cauliflower. The original recipe calls for you to just sauté the cauliflower, but I wanted to roast it before sautéing it, to bring out the nutty flavor.
2. Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Sauté onion and jalapeño until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, carrots, roasted cauliflower and zucchini. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then cover with a lid. Cook for 7-8 minutes, or until veggies are soft.
3. Transfer all of the vegetables into a large bowl. Don't worry about getting it all out of the pot.
4. In your mostly empty large pot, add coconut milk, vegetable broth, baked sweet potato, pumpkin, spices, maple syrup and tamari. Turn heat on very low. Slowly use immersion blender to pulse and puree everything in the pot. Take breaks to use a spatula to scrape the sides, then use blender again. Keep doing this until the pumpkin mixture reaches your desired consistency.
5. Add 3/4 of the cooked vegetable mixture to the pot, leaving some behind for a topping on the soup. Use immersion blender again, same as above, pulsing and pureeing until desired consistency. We blended it until it was "smooth and velvety".
6. Once soup is pureed, heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to heat too high, as the soup can splatter all over the stove (yes, that happened).
7. Serve in bowls and top with some of the remaining vegetables.

Pictures (with comments)

The ingredients. List is above.


Sautéd onion and jalapeño.


Sautéd vegetables.


Sautéd vegetables dumped into large bowl.


Pureed coconut milk, vegetable broth, baked sweet potato, pumpkin, spices, maple syrup and tamari.


Pureed pumpkin mixture, along with pureed vegetables. Look how thick it is.


Dinner is served!

DIY Laundry Detergent - Update for 2017

So it's that time of year where we're running low on laundry detergent! Please see our 4 prior blog posts:

• December 1, 2016: DIY Laundry Detergent - Update for 2016
• June 27, 2015: DIY Laundry Detergent - Update for 2015
• February 18, 2014: DIY Laundry Detergent - Update for 2014
• March 23, 2013: DIY Laundry Detergent

Last year, we spent $39.73. This year, we spent $42.79 (increase of $3.06). I found a fun scent called "Fresh Mountain Breeze" for the Purex Crystals Fabric Softener. I didn't bother to take a ton of pictures - we've got the procedure down to a science (plus I forgot).

Ingredients

• 1 (4 lb. 12 oz.) Box of Borax
• 1 (3 lb. 7 oz.) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1 (4 lb.) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
• 1 (3 lb.) Container of OxyClean
• 2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Fels Naptha
• 5 (18 oz.) Bottles of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener

Cost Break Down

Total Cost of ingredients listed above: $42.79
Total ounces by weight = 361.2 oz.
2 Tablespoons = 1 oz. (for 1 load of laundry)

This means about 361 loads of laundry at about $0.11 per load.

Cost of living didn't change much from last year, since I only spent $3.06 more. Also, the reason only 8 months lapsed is that we share our detergent with our parents. Still, that is LESS THAN $43 for laundry detergent.

As I said last year and the year before, "the math don't lie."


Picture Proof:

Directions

1. Grate Fels Naptha until finished (tiring).
2. Get a very large bucket and mix everything together. It is recommended that you layer the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. You only need 2 tablespoons (even for the largest load of laundry)! The Purex Crystals lid is perfect for measuring.

Pictures (with comments)

The ingredients. List is above.


Handy Helper 1.


Handy Helper 2 (Angelita in the background).


2 handy helpers.


Me!


Full containers.


Time to do some Laundry!

Chicken & Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crush Rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 medium green squash, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 1/2 medium cabbage, chopped
• 1 can (1.8 cups ea.), Cannellini Beans
• 1 can (1.75 cup), Diced tomatoes
• 1 can (6 oz.), Tomato Paste
• 2 cartons (32 oz.) Vegetable Broth
• 1/2 container favorite pasta
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, saute onion & garlic in olive oil over medium heat until slightly softened.
2. Add carrots, squash and broccoli and cook 5 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
3. Stir in seasonings.
4. Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste. Simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add favorite pasta and cook until pasta is cooked.
7. Serve with sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: Nutritional information below is generated from MyFitnessPal.com and is based on the quantities, amounts and brands of products I used in this recipe. Actual amounts may vary based on your preparation and products used. Informational purposes only, this is not medical information or advice.

Easy Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Ribs

A TASTY BuzzFeed video for Easy Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Ribs was posted on Facebook earlier this week, and I knew that's what we were having for Sunday dinner. The recipe is simple!

Ingredients

• 1 (2½–3 lb) rack of pork ribs, halved
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 10 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Season ribs evenly with salt, pepper, paprika, and chili powder. Rub in on all sides.
2. Add honey, soy sauce, and garlic to a large slow cooker.
3. Transfer the ribs to slow cooker and turn them over in sauce until coated. Position the ribs so they are standing up, with the meatier side down, and so the meat side is against the walls of the slow cooker, with the bone sides facing in.
4. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 7 - 8 hours. Check after the allotted time, you want to make sure the meat is cooked through and tender.
5. Remove the ribs and transfer to cutting board.
6. Cut between the bones to separate into individual ribs.
7. Serve with additional sauce from the slow cooker, as needed.

Pictures

Ingredients.


Rubbing the spices into the ribs.


Sauce ready to go in slow cooker.


Make sure you coat the racks in the sauce.


Ribs standing up with meater side against walls of slow cooker.


Cooked!


Ready to cut (although the meat just slid off the bone, so not much cutting required).


Omnomnomnom!

Christmas Individual Wellingtons

This dish is usually prepared throughout the day that we will be serving it.  Most of the time we prep each part early so that we can throw it all together at the end and eat within an hour of company arriving.

Duxelle

Ingredients:

• 2 pints mushrooms
• 2 Shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/8 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt and Freshly ground Black pepper

Directions:

1. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat, add salt and pepper stir frequently until the mixture has lost most of its moisture (10-15 min).
3. Add wine and reduce again, when mixture looks like the consistency of moist cake, add 1/8 cup heavy cream and mix until there is little residual moisture.
4. Set aside to cool.

Beef

Ingredients:

• 3+ lb Beef Tenderloin trimmed
• 8 Prosciutto Slices (enough for 1 slice for each portion)
• 8 sprigs of thyme
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• Sprinkle of Flour
• 2 lb puff pastry
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Coarse Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Portion Tenderloin as large or small to make 8 individual steaks.
2. Drizzle olive oil on steaks and season with Coarse Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.
3. Sear individual tenderloins on all sides - about 2 minutes.
4. After searing set aside to cool and let juices redistribute.
5. Flour work surface and roll out the Puff Pastry.  You will want to have about 2"+ larger than each of your portioned tenderloin.
6. Once rolled, place sliced prosciutto on your section of puff pastry, then spread a layer of Duxelle.
7. Place portioned tenderloin on top of the Duxelle, smear the portioned tenderloins lightly with Dijon Mustard.
8. Wrap the sides of the Puff Pastry, brushing with egg wash to seal edges and flip it over onto a parchment covered cookie sheet.
9. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
10. Brush the tops of each individual wellington with egg wash and make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - creating vents for steam to escape.
11. Bake until pastry is golden and beef registers at least 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Red Wine Shallot Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot, sliced
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Garlic clove lightly crushed
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can beef stock
• 1 Tablespoon of Butter

Directions:

1. Saute your sliced shallots in a medium saucepan with the oil over high heat for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
2. Season with fresh ground black pepper adding the garlic and rosemary.
3. Continue to cook and stir for 3 more minutes.
4. Pour the balsamic vinegar into the pot and reduce until it is a syrup.
5. Add wine and reduce by 2/3's.
6. Pour in the beef stock and bring to a boil, turn down the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by 2/3's again.
7. Remove the garlic and rosemary.
8. Add salt to taste and whisk in the tablespoon of butter to finish before serving.

DIY Laundry Detergent - Update for 2016

So it's that time of year where we're running low on laundry detergent! Please see our 3 prior blog posts:

• June 27, 2015: DIY Laundry Detergent - Update for 2015
• February 18, 2014: DIY Laundry Detergent - Update for 2014
• March 23, 2013: DIY Laundry Detergent

Last year, we spent $39.86. This year, we spent $39.73 (decrease of $0.13). I used used Fels Naptha this year because I couldn't find the Zote soap. I also bought a cheap grater to grate the soap instead of microwaving and using the Magic Bullet. We used the same Purex Crystals Fabric Softener "Fresh Spring Waters" scent.

Ingredients

• 1 (4 lb. 12 oz.) Box of Borax
• 1 (3 lb. 7 oz.) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1 (4 lb.) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
• 1 (3 lb.) Container of OxyClean
• 2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Fels Naptha
• 2 (48 oz.) Bottles of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener

Cost Break Down

Total Cost of ingredients listed above: $39.73
Total ounces by weight = 367.2 oz.
2 Tablespoons = 1 oz. (for 1 load of laundry)

This means about 367 loads of laundry at about $0.11 per load.

Cost of living doesn't change, since I spent $0.13 less. Still, that is LESS THAN $40 for laundry detergent. FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. (Actually, more than a year, since the last time we made it was in June of 2015).

As I said last year and the year before, "the math don't lie."


Picture Proof:

Directions

1. Grate Fels Naptha until finished (tiring).
2. Get a very large bucket and mix everything together. It is recommended that you layer the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. You only need 2 tablespoons (even for the largest load of laundry)! The Purex Crystals lid is perfect for measuring.

Pictures (with comments)

The ingredients. List is above.


Ready to grate the Fels Naptha.


Grated Fels Naptha


Full bucket.


2 handy helpers!


Full containers.


Time to do some Laundry!