Crockpot Chicken and Cream Cheese Soup

I really need to work on my photography because this picture doesn't do the dish justice. I'm taking a class this month to finally learn how to use the nice DSLR camera my husband bought me 2 years ago for Christmas and I can't wait!

I also must confess that I don't know much about cream cheese. I know it's not a health food, but we almost never use it and I thought this dish would benefit from it. It's not often that I eat creamy dishes so I thought I'd indulge a little for this one.

This is so easy - you just throw everything in the crockpot and let it cook for a few hours and you have a delicious dinner waiting for you.

Crockpot Chicken and Cream Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cans white beans
2 cups corn (I used frozen)
1 - 8 oz. block cream cheese
1 qt. chicken broth
1 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper

*use mostly organic ingredients if possible

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to crockpot
Add all other ingredients.
Cook on low for about 3-4 hours, stirring every hour or so.
When chicken is cooked, remove from crockpot, shred, and return it to the crockpot.
Cook on low another 1-2 hours, season with more salt and pepper to taste.

We all loved this dish (including the kids!) which makes it a recipe I'll make over and over again.

Why I Avoid Artificial Food Dyes

The more I read and learn about toxic ingredients in foods, the harder it is to purchase those foods and feed them to my family. Unless I have a major craving for candy, to my knowledge I don't buy any foods that contain artificial food dyes for the following reasons:

they are made from chemicals derived from petroleum
they increase hyperactivity in children and can negatively affect their ability to learn
they can cause allergic reactions
they are linked to health issues such as cancer, especially the 3 most widely used: Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6
others to avoid: Blue 1, Red 3 (but really you should try to avoid them all)

(I found this info at 100daysofrealfood.com and foodbabe.com)

These dyes are in so many processed products on the supermarket shelves including Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (see here to sign a petition asking them to stop adding artificial dyes to their food sold in the US), gatorade, juices, and even most shelf-stable pickles.

I recently found India Tree Natural Decorating Colors at Whole Foods. They're made from concentrated vegetable colorants. I don't use food coloring much myself, but I bought this to have on hand the next time I want to make something for the kids with colorful icing. I have to admit that for my son's birthday party I planned to make a healthy, all-natural dessert, but at the last minute I worried that the 25 kids that were invited wouldn't like it and that I would spend hours making a cake that wouldn't get eaten. So I gave in, ordered a bunch of sugar cookies with icing loaded with artifiicial food dyes from a local bakery and vowed to never purchase the stuff again. (But they were really cute and the kids loved them!)

Since I can't control what my kids eat when they're at school, family or friends' houses, I must control what they eat when they're at home. I want their little growing bodies to get the very best nutrition they can at home in order to be as healthy as they can, but also to combat the negative effects of the treats they get when they're away from me.

If you're trying to find better Easter candy, check out Trader Joes! They have jelly beans, gummy bears, and another gummy bunny candy with NO artificial colors. I don't give my kids a lot of candy on Easter, but since society and Easter parties tell them they're supposed to get candy in the hidden eggs, I don't want them to be disappointed. This year I'll stuff them with coins, candy with no artificial colors, and some Annie's cheddar bunnies.

Hummus, Feta, and Veggie Dip: My New, Favorite Dip turned Lunch!

This dip is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. My friend Brie made it when she hosted our book club, and I simply couldn't get enough of it. I took a risk and made this, a healthy dish, to take to a superbowl party and it went over great. Even the guys were digging in. Soon after that I made it as an appetizer at my son's birthday party and once again, everyone loved it! It is super simple, healthy, and pretty. And the best part is that I've transformed it into a lunch many days since then. Instead of layering it on a platter, I put it in a whole wheat tortilla.

I don't have an exact recipe for you but it's pretty simple:

Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Last night I made this for dinner: the BEST Mexican dish I have ever made! At least, I think so. I've made a lot of them but this is so good and even my picky 2 year-old ate it! Granted, it does have a little more cheese than I normally care to eat in a meal, but it's not an absurd amount, just more than I usually eat. It's full of veggies and beans and made with whole wheat tortillas so it's very healthful, but I think what made it so good was the easy, homemade enchilada sauce. This was the first time I've made my own and I'll probably never buy the canned stuff again.

Mexican Taco Stew

Hello and happy new year! I know it's been a long time since I've blogged, but I am ready to get back into it :)

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is fast, easy, and, of course, healthy.

Your Butcher is Your Friend

The Whole Foods meat counter is one of my favorite places. I know that sounds weird, but when you're picky about your meat and when you can't always get local meat, it's a fabulous place to be.

Pastured Eggs vs Factory Farm Eggs

We basically have 3 choices of eggs to buy:

1. local, pastured eggs for $4 - $5 per dozen:

These eggs come from chickens on a local farm who are free to roam and do and eat natural "chicken" things. They are not given hormones or antibiotics. They are perhaps in a coop more often than they would like to be protected from other animals, but they do have access to pasture and they are able to get exercise.

2. organic or vegetarian-fed eggs from the grocery store for about $3 per dozen:

I honestly don't know much about these eggs, but I have to assume that they are better for us than the next option.

3. eggs from factory farm chickens for $1 - $1.50 per dozen:

These eggs come from sick chickens pumped with antibiotics who never see the light of day their entire lives and are fed primarily genetically modified grains.

My first choice, as you might guess, is pastured eggs. Here's why:

Higher Quality "Kid Food"

Most kids I know are picky to some degree. At least mine are. It’s my dream that one day I’ll be able to get them to eat homemade hummus on my whole wheat fresh baked bread and nut or seed butter (peanut, almond, walnut, sunflower seed) with apples, but for now they can be pretty darn stubborn when it comes to meal time. There are plenty of days that I have to revert to good ol’ mac n cheese and hot dogs. The good news is that there are products with better quality ingredients than Kraft or Velveeta mac and cheese and Oscar Meyer hot dogs.

My Exercise Routine

I suppose "exercise routine" is a bit misleading since my routine consists of a few videos and walking or running around the park. But, since some people ask what I do for exercise I thought it would be worth it to share this with you.

The Benefits of Loose Leaf Tea

Around the time I started learning about how eating whole, healthy foods can help ward off risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, I also started drinking loose leaf tea. Drinking tea may help guard against free radicals that can contribute to cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries.

Crockpot Chicken and Cream Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

Directions:

Welcome to Edibly Enlightened, where I share recipes and small changes you can make in order to improve the way you eat, which will greatly improve your health and quality of life.

~Susan Pelizzaro