Jessica

Apple French Onion Soup

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I don’t think it’s any surprise around here that both Chuck
and I are big fans of French Onion Soup. I mean I’ve made it into pasta,
casserole, burgers, cheesy bread and a bunch of other stuff that hasn’t made it to the blog
yet.

I also think it’s pretty obvious that we love all things
apple. That list of recipes is huge, but my favorites are Engagement Tart,
Apple Pork Chops, & Smoked Cheddar, Apple & Squash Soup.

Taking this information into account I ran across a few
recipes that combined the two and knew hands down that this soup had to be made
as soon as possible.

And guys, I’m so happy I did. It was amazing. Absolutely, deliciously,
amazing.

This is going to be my new favorite fall recipe. It’s got
all of the calling cards of fall; the warm comfort of hot soup, melty cheese,
and fresh apples. What more could be needed?

Apple French Onion Soup (serves 4)

3 tbsp Butter

3 lbs onions, sliced (about 5-6 large onions)

½ tsp salt

1 apple cored, peeled, & chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dried)

2 tbsp flour

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups beef broth (can substitute vegetable broth)

½ cup apple cider

2 bay leaves

Salt & pepper to taste

4 slices of toasted bread

8 slices of Swiss cheese

Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions, and salt then cover and cook stirring occasionally until the
onions are soft and caramelized (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). Stir in the
apple, and thyme and cook for another minute before stirring in the flour.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and stir until well combined. Add the broth,
cider, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for
another 30 minutes. Divide the soup between 4 oven safe bowls, and top with a
slice of bread, and cheese. Place in the oven set to broil, and cook for 2-3
minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

These are the months where soup is king. It’s loaded down with nourishing vegetables and holds the warmth and comfort we all need this time of year.

There is something about it that is just so healing.

This soup was especially well received in our house. I think the craziness of the summer and the gazillion fall weddings that are happening have both Chuck and I craving a slower pace. We need something home cooked, rustic, and hearty. It just has to happen.

Honestly I didn’t hold any hope that this would be a soup that chuck would fall for, usually he shy’s away from these light flavors, and complains about the lack of meat, but he seemed really into it. He liked the flavor that the kale absorbed from the broth, and had several bowls. The whole wheat oat bread (that I totally bought pre-made) was also a nod to a hearty rustic meal, adding some grit and texture that was a perfect match.

It was the perfect thing to usher in fall as the temperatures begin to drop, and we begin to re-establish ourselves in a new season.

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 medium to large carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cans of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
4 cups chopped kale
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese for Garnish

Instructions

In a large thick bottomed sauce pan heat oil over medium high heat and sauté onion until it becomes translucent (about 1-2 minutes).
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding carrot and celery.
Cook for another minute before adding broth, thyme, and bay leaf.
Bring to a simmer and add beans and kale.
Cook stirring regularly until the kale turns dark green and beans are soft.
Adjust seasoning and serve warm, with a sprinkle of cheese on top.

No Poo: One Month In

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I’m going to be totally honest. I HATE THIS!

The first few weeks were all about learning how much baking soda to use, and that you need to wash it all out. It takes a really long time for me to get all of the baking soda out of my hair, but after an evening spent near to tears on my bathroom floor, because I couldn’t run a brush through it to save my life I learned that it is worth the extra time. In case you are wondering the only way I was able to comb out the tangles was my slathering my hair with coconut oil, which meant I went to work the next day with the greasiest hair you have ever seen.

I think my hair is starting to adjust because this is the first time it didn’t become a complete grease ball the day after washing. I’m going to try to hold out for another couple weeks before I throw in the towel. You can read about why I started this experiment here.

You see it’s not just the time it takes to do this new routine, mixing up the stuff before the shower, the extra time to really rub it in, and then the time to really make sure it’s all out. I mean that’s pretty bad on its own but the fact that my curls aren’t really looking that much better, and they don’t last as long as they used to is enough to say it’s not worth it. Then there is the smell. Chuck says that he doesn’t notice it, but I do. My hair smells dirty, like old stale laundry, and I’m not loving that, like at all.

The dry skin is another thing. I want to preface this by saying I have always had this problem, that dry skin is a constant plague, and that most normal shampoos will give me this problem, so severe dry skin like this is not necessarily a side effect of the no-poo experiment (though I usually only have these problems in the deepest winter months). The skin around my hair line, my forehead, behind my ears, and the base of my neck are all so dry that the skin there is cracking and bleeding. Seriously can you picture dry skin around the hair line and a greasy mess on top and the back of my head. It’s a good look I’ve got right now. This is something that can happen to me in the
winter even if I’m using something like Head & Shoulders

, so I often do hair
masks and oil rubs that time of year to ease it a bit. The thing is that it’s
not winter, and I’m getting this, which makes me think that it will only get
worse that time of year.On a positive note this is my first weekend that is totally free. Meaning I actually have time to catch up on laundry, and vacuum for the first time in months. Literally months. I’m stoked for this. So this is my one and one down for the link up over on Chrystina Noel.

I’m still holding out a bit to see if this gets any easier, but in the mean time I’d love some recommendations for Vegan, sulfite/ate free shampoos or conditioners if you have any?!

Recently No. 3

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

This Guy and this article brings tears to my eyes. I’m so happy to call Burb’s a friend. We are all so proud of you man!

Do you realize that this is my 400th post. I mean 400 is a lot of posting. It’s kind of an accomplishment.

For some more woman fueled inspiration.

Oh and:
Rothblatt created this awesome/terrifying robot, and all people want to talk about is her gender? – Best quote ever from this article. I mean seriously I would give anything to spend an afternoon with Martine.

I started learning about essential oils. Not only buying my first set, but picking up some reading material too. So far so good. The headaches are at bay, and the sleeping is so much better. Chuck May or may not be convinced they are the cause of some of his headaches, but we are working on that.

I got in touch with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while for some much needed chats. It was reviving.

September was the month of weddings. Kicked off by my future brother & sister in law over labor day weekend.

It was also the month of tomatoes. So.Many.Tomatoes.

Keeping this in mind while I plan a fall detox.

Apple Picking is a highlight for me every year, and since then I have been on an apple recipes binge. If your interested in everything apple check out some of my past recipes (Chicken w/ Apples & Fennel, Apple Pork Chops, Engagement Tart, Crockpot Clean Applesauce, Apple Spice Meatballs, & Vermonter Panini)

This Idea. WOW

Vegans talking about ex-Vegans – The concept doesnt just apply to vegans.

10 most important things to simplify your life.

And while we are on the topic, I will be doing alot of cleaning this weekend so here 5 Questions to ask yourself while Decluttering

Yoga might have to start happening more often. These poses are a good start.

I relaunched my old recipe page. Replacing my pinterest boards It’s the best I can do now, but someday I would like to use pictures as well instead of just titles. That is a lot of coding with blogger though, so it’s a ways down the road.

This is the best blogging advice I’ve seen in a loooong time.

I also launched a newsletter, that you should totally sign up for. There will be no spam, I promise. Just a once a month update that includes the tops posts from the past month as well as anything written by me elsewhere on the net and any big news I have for you. It’s totally worth it. Just sign up already!

#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:200px;}
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */

And because we haven’t talked music in a while, and I’m totally obsessed with song right now.

All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor on Grooveshark

Campfire Maple Chipotle Pork & Beans

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

So I may or may not have mentioned this recipe before. What
I haven’t told you is that I have made it before, more than once, and this my
friends was by far the best version I have ever made. The original recipe can
be found here. Man Barry knows where it’s at when we are talking maple and
chipotle. I am however convinced that the smoky campfire flavor that gets added
in when you cook it over a fire adds something that just sends it over the top,
over the moon in fact.

I probably could have eaten the entire thing myself, had it
not been for our other camping pals who were standing around hungrily with their
collapsible silverware. I think it was well received since it had cooled off
quite a bit and we sat huddled around the fire. There was just enough spice to
warm us up heart and soul so we could make it through the final wet and rainy
night at our camp ground. Chuck even said it was his favorite version yet.

Seriously give it a try.

Campfire Maple Chipotle Pork & Beans (Serves 4-6)

2 lbs lean pork, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 tsp black pepper

1.2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chipotle powder

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp salt

½ lb apple smoked Bacon, diced

1 large onion, peeled & diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup beer (or water)

2 tsp chipotle powder

1 tsp salt

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dried thyme

1 cup maple syrup

3 large bay leaves

1 (14oz) can pureed tomatoes

2 (14oz ) Cans navy beans, drained & rinsed

In a large bowl (or ziplock bag) combine black pepper,
cumin, chipotle powder, salt, and brown sugar, stirring well to combine. Add
pork and toss to coat. In a large Dutch oven sauté bacon over medium heat until
it is crispy. Drain the grease and add butter and onion to the pan. Cook the
onion until it begins to turn translucent 2-3 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook
for an additional minute before adding the cubed pork. Once the pork is cooked
through, about 5-7 minutes add in the beer, chipotle powder, salt, vinegar,
thyme, syrup and bay leaves. Allow the mixture to simmer and the liquid to
reduce to about ½ before adding in the
pureed tomatoes and beans. Stir well to combine and cook for an additional 2-3
minutes before serving.

Camping tip 1: Prep everything ahead of time, combining the
pork with its spices in a ziplock bag, and the chipotle powder, salt, vinegar,
thyme, syrup and bay leaves in a reusable container to be added at once. It
also helps to drain and rinse the beans then place them in a container as well.
This all helps cut down on the waist while you are camping and the amount of
stuff you have to bring/remember.

Camping tip 2: Get a large fire burning for a few hours
until you have a strong bed of coals. Place your cast iron dutch oven right
over the coals and place some smaller pieces of wood around the edges to keep
burning. This will work for your medium high heat.

Camping tip 3: Don’t drain the grease, and don’t add the
butter. The grease will work as your butter, and add a bit more flavor. Besides
you don’t need animals sneaking around liking up your grease.

Camping tip 4: Final cooking time will depend on the heat of
your fire, but if you want the flavors blend you can allow it to cook all day,
adding water to keep it from getting to thick.

Jessica

Footer