Here’s an easy recipe that is healthy and delicious. Make sure to save some for later, it’s even better the next day! Serve it with as slice of rosemary bread.
Ingredients:
½ cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. Italian style ground pork sausage
1 14oz. can ready-cut diced undrained tomatoes
1 14oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
3 cups beef broth
½ cup sliced yellow summer squash
½ cup sliced zucchini
¼ cup thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup uncooked rotini pasta
Shredded parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.
Linda’s Minestrone Soup
Directions: In a large stockpot, cook sausage, onion and minced garlic. Then add carrots, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, beef broth, basil, oregano, pepper and olive oil. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10-15 min. covered. Add zucchini, yellow summer squash, and uncooked rotini. Bring to a boil and then simmer 10-15 min. covered.
Nothing beats the taste of popcorn on a movie night! But recently my sister told me that microwave popcorn was bad for you, so I had to look into it. Turns out the hot steam contains toxic chemicals, mainly from the buttery flavorings, glue and ink on the bag.
The good news is that you can make your own delicious, low-fat microwave popcorn using a brown paper lunch bag! It’s an inexpensive way to make healthy popcorn, without using unwanted oils or other ingredients.
Here’s how:
Grab a paper lunch bag and add a 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels.
Fold over the top of the bag to a couple of times to close.
Cook in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Make sure to watch the popcorn carefully so it doesn’t burn—stop the microwave when the popping slows to one to two pops per second.
Get creative and try some different flavors! Some people put the kernels in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and seasonings and mix it up before putting it in a paper bag to cook.
*If you don’t want to create waste with disposable bags, we have a glass popper that cooks corn in the microwave. It’s available in two different sizes.
The Tonight Show recently featured a Solutions product on Jay’s Christmas Gift Ideas Part II. We were flattered when contacted by the show about highlighting one of our favorite Christmas products. After seeing it live on TV alongside some products he poked fun at, we are far too excited not to share what we consider his positive review. Watch all four minutes or skip to the end because the Solutions Pull-up Tree is reviewed last. See Jay in person demonstarting just how fast setting up your Christmas tree can be.
My reputation as a baker would be on the line if this news ever got out: I have fear of pie crusts. Not eating it, mind you, but making it. And it’s really put a crimp (uh, sorry) in my repertoire because it limits me to cookies, cakes, quick breads and bars. I’ll still clip pie recipes from magazines and newspapers, and peel off labels from cans in the hope that one day my fear can be conquered. I confess to making the occasional pie, but only thanks to those perfectly shaped, pre-rolled discs available in the dairy case. For a long time, I avoided buying even those, thinking, How hard can it be, really, to make pie crust from scratch? It’s a little flour, a little butter, a little water…or is it lard? Vegetable shortening? A combination? Pastry flour or all-purpose? And what about additives, like sugar, orange zest, ground almonds, baking powder, cream cheese, and yes, even vinegar and vodka? Then there’s the hand mixing (and I mean with your hands) vs. food processor vs. pastry blender method.
Best-ever. Easiest. No-fail. Flakiest. Easy as pie. Grandma’s Favorite.
Every year, I become more and more aware of gifts from neighbors and friends. The gifts that seem to standout the most are always consumable food items that my family can eat, even after the holidays have ended.
So, I’ve changed my gift-giving focus to be more on the actual containers and wrappers that will hold the food I give. It’s all in the presentation—and it’s so much fun to find neat little jars, tins, cups and containers.
Two of my favorite containers this year include the paper bake pans. They are the perfect bakeware/gift wrap combo. We blogged about these bake pans earlier this season, but I had to bring them up again. They are the perfect size and they look great once finished. And the best part, no dishes to clean after baking!
The unzipped glass bowl is my favorite container this year. I bought up a bunch of these funky ziplock bag-shaped bowls to fill with goodies for friends and neighbors. These bowls are so unique that you’re almost guaranteed the recipient won’t already have one. The bowls are fun to layout on a coffee table or countertop year-round, so your gift will keep giving even after the holidays.
Good luck searching for your perfect containers for gift-giving season this year. Solutions Creative Director —Lori Ann
Dozens of NEW practical problem solvers have arrived…just in time for the holidays! Make Christmas more memorable with these 5 fun stocking stuffers, handpicked by our staff at Solutions.
Ducky Tape Measure
Ducky Tape Measure: A fun, affordable stocking stuffer they can actually use.
At Solutions we’re always looking for ways to help reduce our customer’s stress levels and help with organization (these two may just go hand in hand). For this holiday season, we brought back an old holiday favorite: our gift checklists.
Below are two colorful spreadsheets, one to keep track of the gifts you’ve purchased, and the other to keep track of gifts you’ve received from friends and family. Just download, print and start getting organized.
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Main Dishes, Recipes | tdavis | 
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dinner, food, fresh food, healthy, minestrone, recipe, soup
