Creamy Mushroom/Spinach Soup and A New Puppy

We got a new puppy! This is Sally! Isn't she gorgeous? Sally says hello to everyone, and she would like to tell you a little about herself.

I am a Huskimo breed. That means I'm half Husky and half Eskimo.
I am three months old right now, and very smart. I have one blue eye and one brown eye. When my master tells me to sit, I sit. When my master has a handful of treats I shake hands with him/her to get one. I also do a high-five when I know I have done something good. I am house broken, and my master has been good enough to give me full access to a doggy door so I can go in and out as I please. And that also gives me full rights to bringing in sticks, rocks, leaves, and mud. I don't even get in trouble for bringing in my chewy outdoor stuff......
I spend a lot of time at the doggy park making new friends too. We go on long walks on the weekends to get me used to walking on a leash. I love my new home!

Sally

 Yes, I know.....

I know.....

It is summer and I'm posting a recipe for soup.

But this is a good soup.

This is a soup that is very versatile.

You can use it for soup and salad for a lite lunch,

and then you can use it for a simmering sauce for a great chicken dinner.

 This is one of those recipes that came about to empty out my fridge.

I had heavy cream,

mushrooms,

and spinach that was right on the edge of turning to mush.

So into a soup it all went.

Please bear with me while I try and get this into recipe form for you.

Oh and,

This is the chicken dinner I made with the leftover soup.

Just brown your chicken breast and pour the soup over it to simmer 

for about 30 minutes.

Creamy Mushroom/Spinach Soup

2 c. water

1 1/2 TBS chicken soup base

Heat these to ingredients in a small saucepan until soup base dissolves.

2 large handfuls of spinach, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz package button mushrooms, sliced

3 TBS butter

salt/pepper to taste

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

4 TBS flour

2 c. heavy cream

I don't think the ingredients are in order, but I will step you through everything.

In a dutch oven melt the butter on medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until translucent. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Add flour and stir till butter and liquid is absorbed. Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring. As it thickens, slowly pour in the soup base mixture. Add spinach, cover and simmer on low until spinach is wilted. 

Keep it Simple: Mini English Muffin Pizza

How many of you LOVE Kroger?
Do you want to know how I spend my time at Kroger? I go there at 3:00 a.m. when the store is empty, and the shelves are being stocked. So it's just me and the stock crew. I have plenty of alone time to travel the store without being bumped, side-tracked, and rushed. I travel the store looking for these tags ------->
The ones that say, "WOOHOO".
On one of my solo trips I found this fresh pepperoni. And what do you do with pepperoni? You make PIZZA!

 I used canned mushrooms and grated myself Muenster cheese.

I love the way Muenster cheese melts.

It is so creamy.

 We have a local Nickle's store.

Yes, still one of the lucky areas that gets to take advantage of Nickle's.

We go every two weeks and stock up on bread items.

One of the items we picked up was English Muffins.

I like English Muffins toasted with lots of butter and a little jelly.

But why not put these babies to good use and make a meal?

Keep it simple, I say.....

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

So I assembled the English Muffins with pizza sauce (as much as you like)

Cheese (sprinkle of oregano),

Mushrooms,

Pepperoni,

Cheese (sprinkle of oregano)

I like the way the oregano melts into the cheese.

Bake in preheated 425 degree F. oven for 15-18 minutes.

I went with the 18 minutes to brown the cheese a little.

 The muffins turned out crispy,

and it made for a simple lunch.

I served peaches in passion fruit juice on the side.

The peaches are found at Aldi.

Best peaches ever!!

These are perfect to serve if you have children running around.

They WILL stop for pizza.

And perfect for their little hands.

Enjoy!

Weight Watchers Monday: Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup

 Today is Memorial Day, and let's not forget why we celebrate this day.

With the weather being so unpredictable....

cold one day

raining the next

I decided to slip in one more soup recipe.

This soup is out of this world fantastic.

I am a creamy mushroom soup fan, and the chicken added is a super bonus.

This will certainly warm your soul.

This creamy soup is only 5 WW points per serving (1 cup).

So if you want to end your day with a warm heart, this soup will do the trick.

Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup

1/2 lb. mushrooms cleaned and sliced

2 1/2 c. cubed cooked chicken (I used Tyson ready to use grilled chicken (1 1/2 packages))

1/4 c. onions, chopped

1/4 c. celery, sliced thin

1/4 c. carrots, sliced

5 1/2 c. chicken broth (I used chicken soup base)

1/4 c. butter

3 c. half and half 

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. pepper, add to your liking

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 pinch dried tarragon

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1 TBS minced parsley

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt, add to your liking

In a large Dutch oven, saute mushrooms, onion, celery, and carrot in butter until tender.

Stir in flour until blended. Add broth and seasonings, mix well. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. 

Stir in half and half, chicken, parsley, lemon juice, and salt. Heat 5 more minutes on low heat.

WW points per serving: 5 

Nutritional information per serving: 205 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0.6 g fiber