Monday, February 25, 2013

Meatless Monday-Savory Soups Edition

Happy Monday!  Today we've got some savory soup recipes to warm you up.  Enjoy them right away, or freeze them for a quick meal on another night.

This yummy Red Pepper-Carrot Soup from Vegetarian Times, hosts a wealth flavor, not to mention gives you a great dose of beta carotene and Vitamin A (these nutrients can help lower body fat, protect your skin from sun damage and boost your immune system, among other things).  And all you need is about 30 minutes to make this!


This next recipe is a classic-French Onion Soup.  Follow the tutorial from BS in the Kitchen and you'll have about 12 servings of this delicious dish.  Freeze it and thaw it later for a night when you don't have time to cook dinner.

Skinny Jeans Food has a great vegan friendly dish (vegans are people who try to avoid using or consuming all animal products) for Mushroom Soup.  This recipe takes just over a half hour and is filling from its creamy texture.


Today's last dish is a slight twist on another classic-Roasted Broccoli Cheese Soup from I Am Baker.  This soup is a great recipe for a chilly or rainy day-just brings some warmth and comfort...and let's be honest-cheese makes just about everything better!


If you have a Meatless Monday dish that you want to share-feel free to email us at valorbrandsng@gmail.com or comment below!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Meatless Monday-Crockpot Edition

The crockpot is a fabulous tool for families who don't have time to stand over the stove to cook a delicious, well balanced meal.  Today's edition of Meatless Monday is going to highlight some fabulous recipes that you can throw together in minutes and let cook throughout the day, saving you tons of time!

Today we'll start out with a healthy, hearty, veggie packed version of Minestrone Soup.  This recipe  brought to you from Windsor Style Files, includes nine, yes, nine different veggies that can either be fresh (we like that best) or frozen.  They even claim it's better than Olive Garden's version!


Next we'll take a stab at Martha's Greek Stuffed Peppers.  We like to pretend we're on a first name basic with Ms. Stewart, we don't think she'd mind.  Her recipe takes just minutes to throw together, and what's nice is you just turn on your crock pot and let it do all the hard work.  *Side note-the couscous goes in dry-no need to cook it beforehand.  Follow this link to see a 6 minute video on the Martha Stewart website for this dish, as well as see the ingredients and recipe.


This next dish can be a beautiful addition to any meal.  GreenLiteBites.com featured these Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes as a side to a holiday meal, but we think this would be great any day of the year!  Sweet potatoes offer so many wonderful nutrients and are a great alternative to everyday starches like white rice or regular potatoes.


We'll finish today's edition of Meatless Monday with an easy to make, Black Bean Pasta, from Jamie's Cookin'.  This recipe takes just a few minutes to throw together and 3 hours on a low setting.  This would make a great dinner, or make it on the weekend and pack it for lunch for the next day.


Stay tuned next week for more Meatless Monday recipes!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

5 Ways to Have A Green Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there!  Most of you have plans already, but for the few of you who don't, or who are waiting for the weekend, here are 5 ideas (most are kid friendly-just make sure they skip the parts with wine!) to make your Valentine's Day celebration, a green one.

1. Go on a picnic...in your living room.  For most of us it's too cold outside, so why not light a few candles, pop open a bottle of wine, and enjoy a nice little spread on the floor of your living room.  The kids can join in too!

2. Instead of buying cut flowers that have to be thrown out after a few days, try a potted flower-like a beautiful orchid.  It will last forever and she'll always be reminded of the thoughtful gift every time she sees it.

1-800 Flowers.com

3. Skip the box of chocolates and try making your own.  Another fun activity for the whole family.  Try these great recipes for truffles, salted caramels, or fudge bars.

confessionsofacookbookqueen.com
trilogyedibles.com

4. Drink that bottle of wine together-then turn it into a vase, or lantern, or hanging planter-check out our "Recycle" board on Pinterest for more ideas.

Homedit.com

5. Movie night!  Dim the lights, make some popcorn, and cuddle up on the couch.  Maybe you can even get away with choosing a movie YOU want to watch.  (Disney does do a great job of including romance in their films) :)



Disney.com

Monday, February 11, 2013

Back to Meatless Monday

Sorry for the brief hiatus everyone!  We're back in action this week with our weekly Meatless Monday post.  For those of you who don't know what Meatless Monday is, let's give you a brief overview.  Meatless Monday is the idea that you can and should cut out meat once a week for multiple health and environmental purposes.  There's even an organization called Meatless Monday-http://www.meatlessmonday.com-who's in association with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health.

By cutting out meat from your family's diet once a week, you can decrease your risk of certain health issues likes diabetes, obesity, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.  You also help the planet by reducing man made greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption that are used by the meat industry to feed and manufacture meat.

So with the facts straight, let's dive into some delicious dishes that will have your family asking for seconds!

For breakfast, or a snack on the go, try these delicious Fig Bars from Betty Crocker-and what the kids don't know won't hurt them (they contain nuts and fruit!)

Or go to your grocery store's bakery and ask for some pizza dough so you can try this gourmet Heirloom Pizza from Martha Stewart.  Turn it into a family activity by letting the kids add their own toppings or try a  pizza bake-off with the group!
For a hearty meal, go for this easy 20 minute (or less) recipe that will leave everyone satisfied-Mushroom Zucchini Cream Spaghetti from Cook Republic.
And for those who need a little something sweet after dinner, why not have this Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake from BHG.com.  Dense and delectable-a great way to finish off a Monday.
Let us know how you like our Meatless Monday picks, and please share if you have a Meatless Monday recipe of your own-it could get featured on our blog!