Hello Green Dog Wine Readers!

I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to do a guest post here on Allison’s blog!  She’s one of the first bloggers I started reading and it’s a bit surreal to be doing a guest post.  It’s almost like having a walk-on role on your favorite television series.

For my guest post, I decided to welcome you all into my kitchen.

More specifically, I am welcoming you all in my freeze and fridge.  I have seen fridge profiles around the blogosphere and firmly agree that what a person keeps in his/her freezer/fridge can tell you a lot about his/her personality.  Let’s see what my freezer says about me!

When I look at that picture, I can almost hear my mom scolding me for letting out the cold air!

First off, let’s look in the main part of my freezer.

Across the top, you can see Pumpkin Ice Cream + 2 Carton of Publix Peanut Butter Cup Frozen Yogurt.  Along the bottom, I have Trader Joe’s Frozen Fish, Frozen Omaha Steaks, Kashi Roasted Vegetable Pizza, Pie Crusts, TruWhip, + Trader Joe’s Frozen Cioppano.

Okay, so what do all of these products say about me?  They say I believe in everything in moderation, including ice cream and frozen yogurt!  I have a little dessert every day.  Additionally, these items show that I’m a busy girl, like everyone else, so I need to have a few convenient proteins waiting for me when life gets really hectic.  I love those Trader Joe’s frozen fish because they are pre-marinated and taste fresh!  They keep me healthy when time is running short.

Let’s move on to the freezer door.

Across the top shelf, I have Organic Strawberry Fruit Bars, Organic Frozen Corn, Frozen Bananas, + Canister of Amazing Grass Chocolate Super Food. On the bottom shelf, I have Amy’s Frozen Meals – Veggie Loaf + Garden Vegetable Lasagna, Amy’s Frozen Burrito, Amy’s Strawberry Toaster Pastries, Boca Burgers, Ground Flaxseed, + Ground Espresso.

Once again, this part of my freezer speaks to the fact that I’m often tired at night from a busy day but I still want to eat healthy.  I admit that Amy’s meals are a bit pricey but they are wholesome, healthful, and organic so it’s worth the splurge to me.  And it’s still more budget-friendly than picking up take-out on my way home.  Additionally, the frozen fruit and Amazing Grass just illustrate my smoothie addiction.  If I could recommend one health product, it would be Amazing Grass – chock full of everything good for you and pretty darn tasty.

Okay, let’s check out the goods in the fridge.

Let’s see what’s hanging out in the door first.

So, I should probably mention that I live in sin (according to my mother) with my boyfriend so some of these foods are definitely his property.  Like the bottled water.  For some reason, the boy just doesn’t understand the need to use a re-usable bottle and the PUR water filter!  But I digress.

Okay, in the fridge door, you can see Leftover Black Beans, Hummus, Cilantro, Jams, Jellies, Salad Dressings, Condiments, Jalapenos, Banana Peppers, Cow Milk (For the Boyfriend), Almond Milk (For Me), Cranberry Juice, Champagne, Sauces, Etc.

Well, I admit that the fridge door is a bit of a hodge-podge so I’ll just speak to the items I use on a regular basis.  I am a hummus and bean addict.  I try to eat very little red meat so hummus and beans are great protein sources for me.  The various condiments, sauces, and peppers show how much I like to spice up my food without adding unnecessary fat and calories.  I should clarify that I’m not on a diet or trying to lose weight but I am a mindful eater.  I like flavorful food but I don’t like flavorful food that will weigh me down.  And let’s talk about the champagne.  It’s been in there for a while.  We’re trying to sell our condo so we have those chilling for the day it happens!

Finally, the grand finale, the main part of my fridge!

Across the top, we have PUR Water Filter, Chicken Sausage, Tofu, + Apples.  Second shelf, we see Baby Spinach, Whole Wheat Ravioli, Organic Eggs, + Produce Bin (Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Onion, Asparagus, Baby Carrots). Third shelf, we have my main vice in life, Diet Coke + Sprite Zero, and Boyfriend’s Drawer of Cheese + Deli Meats. There are some Flat Out Wraps under that bin and then drawers full of the boy’s bottled water.  Wasteful little bugger.  J

I think the main part of my fridge reflects what my freezer did.  I like to eat healthy and I have found it easier to eat healthful when I have easy food sources within reach.  For example, that chicken sausage is organic and pre-cooked, making it fast and easy.  The tofu is pre-pressed and cubed, so I just have to drain it.  I wash my produce the day I grocery shop so I can grab and go.  Eating healthy on the run is possible with pre-planning!

Thanks for letting me do a guest post, Allison!

Hey y’all! It’s Meg here from Be Fit. Be Full. I am really excited to do a guest post for Green Dog Wine, as this is one of my favorite blogs! Mainly because I find myself laughing hysterically all the time. Don’t you?

So now that were nearing winter (groan), I thought I would share one of my favorite soup recipes with you guys.

Kale and potato soup with chicken sausage. Yum!

Tis’ the season for soup!

Below is the recipe I used as a guideline, compliments of myrecipes.com:

I slightly altered a few things, as I rarely follow recipes to a tee.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon  cooking oil
• 1 pound  turkey or chicken sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4  cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
• 1 quart water
• 2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock – I used 3 cups of broth
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt
• 1 1/2  pounds  boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 14-inch pieces
• Pinch dried red-pepper flakes – I also added tabasco
• 1 pound  kale, stems removed, leaves shredded – I used 1.5 pounds of kale
• 1/4  teaspoon  fresh-ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot and, when it is cool enough to handle, cut it into slices. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.

2. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.

3. Add the water, broth, and salt and bring the soup to a boil. Add the sausage, potatoes, and red-pepper flakes and bring back to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 2 minutes. Add the kale and bring the soup back to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the potatoes and kale are tender, about 6 minutes longer. Add the black pepper.

I am going to show you the step by step process – yay! There are several steps so be sure to pay attention!

First things first, I rinsed and peeled the potatoes.

Next I cubed them.

Then it was time to chop the onion!

Which made me cry – per usual.

Then some kale rinsing took place.

Following by a wee little break to enjoy the sunset

Good thing I didn’t have anything in the oven or on the stove yet as I admired the sunset for a good ten minutes!

Once I got back on track I removed the stems from the kale.

Hello dorky smile!

And rinsed the leaves.

And finally, the last step of prep….

Chopping some garlic! Mmmm…I love, love garlic.

Ok, now time to start cooking!

I began by cooking the chicken sausage on low heat.

Spicy Italian is my favorite!

Next up? Sautéing the onions. I also love, love onions! Even though they make me cry.

Then I threw in the garlic.

While the garlic & onions were sautéing, I chopped the chicken sausage into pieces.

Then it was finally time to add some water & broth!

Next I threw in the potatoes and sausage.

And lastly I added the kale.

And voila! The final product

All nice and steamy. Just how I like it 

I would also recommend complimenting the meal with some toasted bread.

With olive oil and parmesan cheese on top.

And some pinot noir.

Oyster Bay to be precise

Oh, and I almost forgot the most important ingredient in the soup!!!

Everything needs to be spiced up with some Tabasco!

And we all know how much Allison loves spiciness!

This really is such a delicious soup and makes for great leftovers. While there did seem to be a lot of steps, all in all it was pretty quick & easy.

Enjoy!

Hello, GreenDogWine readers! My name is Emily, and I usually blog over at my own site, Eatventures.

When Allison offered a guest posting opportunity I jumped on it, I kind of have a lot to say! However, I was having a hard time choosing just one recipe, topic, etc. So I decided to talk about something near and dear to my heart that has many applications – *Roasting.*

Roasting is hands down my favorite cooking method. It’s like your mom, quick and easy –
• It is quick and requires little prep work. The instructions can be “boiled” down to slice, lay, spray, sprinkle, bake. You chop up whatever you are making into uniform pieces, lay them on a baking sheet, spray them with evoo or cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and your seasonings of choice, and bake.
• Clean up is a cinch. If you go ahead and put some aluminum foil on that baking sheet you can literally peel it off at the end and clean up is done. It feels a little wasteful, but do you know how much electricity your dish washer uses?! And I wrap my leftovers right up in the foil.
• It is perfect for veggie haters and lovers alike. Roasting gives whatever you are cooking a great caramelized sweetness that no one can resist. My husband thinks he hates vegetables, but he’s never turned down a veggie I’ve roasted.
• It is healthy. Not only does it get veggie-racists to eat their greens, but it prepares said greens in the healthiest way. Boiling can cause you to lose nutrients to the drained water (and let’s be honest, boiled veggies are almost always disgusting). Sautéing can require extra fats and oils. But roasting? No nutrients lost and no fats added.

The following are my suggestions for yummy things to roast. You can assume that the instructions are pretty much the same for all of them – slice, lay, spray, sprinkle, bake. Depending on your preferences and oven, I recommend setting the oven temp to 475* and cooking from 15-40minutes depending on the veggie. You should look for them to get a little crinkly and to develop sun spots, just like unhealthy tanners. I included sprinkle suggestions below and for the more involved recipes I’ve provided a link.

Veggies! Okra, parsnips, and turnips + chili powder + paprika

Okra is also good “oven fried”

Eggplant + nutmeg + paprika

Broccoli + lemon + pepper

Asparagus + lemon

Brussels sprouts – these are my favorite veggie of all time, and really can’t be beat with just a bit of salt

Any sort of squash + nutmeg

Veggies are also quite good when roasted and stuffed, especially with other veggies! Like acorn squash,

or stuffed peppers

Another favorite of mine for roasting is tofu! Rolled in pretzels,

marinated with maple and cilantro,

or covered in coconut

What is your favorite thing to roast?