Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Thank you Sir Alexander Fleming and Judging Giada

First of all, thank you so much for all of your kind well wishes.  I was being a whiny little baby, but not one of you wrote, "Oh just shut up already and put on your big girl underwear."  Maybe you thought it, but at least you didn't say it!


What a beautiful molecular structure!
I am feeling 100% better thanks to all the love and support...and my super high dose of amoxicillin.  Now, I know antibiotics are grossly overused and have gotten a bad rap.  But I think we also forget that not too long ago people routinely died from infections...and I pretty much felt like I was headed that way (people can die from sinus infections, right?) .  So, even though your discovery has occasionally been used for "evil," I thank you Sir Alexander Fleming for finding a wonderful use for mold.  You are my hero!

Moving on!  I've been under the weather and speaking of weather, it was looking like this:
The current state of our backyard
And I had to dress my son up like this for preschool:

What better time to take advantage of my love for soup?  Soup, in my opinion, is the perfect cold weather and/or feeling lousy food.  Not only that, it is delicious and it can be extremely healthy. Some of soup's benefits include:
  • When consumed before a meal, it can help you consume fewer calories.
  • It often contains healthy, high fiber foods like vegetables and beans.
  • It stays in your stomach for a longer period of time delaying the production of ghrelin (that hormone that makes you hungry).
Now I have not kept it a secret that I am a horrible cook, but soup is one thing that I will make.  However, I don't always have the time or motivation to cook my soups from scratch.  There are a few canned soups I like, but overall I think canned soups tastes kinda funky.  This means I am always on the look out for easy, but delicious soups.  Something that can be whipped up on a moments notice...but not taste like it.  

The other day I came across Giada de Laurentiis' line of food for Target.  I find her annoyingly good looking, but she does have some good recipes.
Yes, we get it.  You are pretty AND you can cook AND you have YouTube videos dedicated to your jiggly cleavage (Found that out while googling how to spell her name.  I didn't watch it in case you are wondering).  I hate her.  Is that the jealousy talking?  Obviously!
Low and behold Ms. De Laurentiis had two soup mixes.  Both could be vegetarian and both looked pretty good.  The flavors?  Classic Minestrone and Tuscan-Style White Bean and Fire Roasted Garlic.  All the ingredients were dehydrated vegetables and spices.  They were low fat and high fiber.  So I bought them with reserved optimism.

The verdict:  Really good!  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with these.  The flavor was good as well as the texture.  I am sure homemade would trump it, but this is a good second choice.  If you love soup and find yourself low on time, these are winners.  Would you like to win a box?  Yeah, me too.  Unfortunately, this is not a sponsored review...and I am guessing even if Giada read my glowing review of her soup she might be put off by my comments about her.   But next time you are at Target I suggest grabbing a box.

What is your favorite cold weather food?  
Who else hates Giada??

17 comments:

  1. I love soup too, but NOT right before a run :) That causes problems!

    My favorite cold weather food..Everything...
    OK- I love hot coffee, soup, hot oatmeal, a good stew or chowder. Thai food hits the spot too.

    Great blog here :) Enjoy the snow!

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  2. Chili is my favorite cold weather food!!

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  3. I cooked my first of the season soup last week and it really was a very good vegetable beef. We are having chicken soup tomorrow as it is supposed to be cold and rain. Send me the ingredients minus the chemicals for the Tuscan style white bean and I will try to duplicate it for our time in Texas.

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  4. Love the pictures. Mason's monkey hat is so cute

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  5. Glad you are feeling better. Your backyard looks amazing, I know the snow in October thing is still a bit weird but still ... amazing :-)

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  6. I can't help but wonder if I don't have a sinus infection, too, and thus feel like crap! Have felt like this for awhile and know the symptoms, I just hate paying for all this (insurance issues. bleh) and hope it will just go away soon. I'm glad to hear the antibiotic is helping, I am pro-antibiotics :).

    I can't cook and don't like soup much at all, but it would be perfect for a day like today, yes!!!!

    You son looks adorable all bundled up for preschool. Interesting that preschool was NOT cancelled yet my high schools were home all day, trekking snow all over my kitchen as they were in and out 400 times. Go to school for heavens sake! Haha.

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  7. I love soup, also hate cooking and would probably get the same reaction from Mario that you'd get from Giada. And I'm pro-antibiotics too. Anyone with a kid who had pneumonia should feel the same way we do.

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  8. Soup lover here! I make big batches and freeze for lunches..YUM!

    You got much more snow then we did up north!

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  9. My problem is I like creamy and thick soups like clam chowder and chili, is chili a soup? I dunno, looks like a soup

    I prefer Sandra Lee Semi Homemade

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  10. I totally hate her! How can you be that skinny, eat Italian food all day AND have amazing boobs? It's so not fair. And it's the only food network show my husband will stop and watch if it's on while he's walking through the living room, Hrumph!

    Favorite cold weather meals....so many! Veggie chili and veggie pot pie are definitely at the top of the list. Yesterday was our first really chilly day in Iowa and I made pot pie and it was soooo good. And easy. I bet you could make it. I dare you!

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  11. I love soup! I just made a batch of veggie stew last night, perfect for a cold snowy night (along with a glass of wine of course).

    I've seen her soups at Target, but I've never picked them up before (I hate her! She is just way too pretty for her own good. :)

    Stay warm! Your son is adorable.

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  12. annoyingly good looking, HA!!!! oh man that sounds like something I would think but be afraid to say

    glad you are feeling better

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  13. It's a perfect soup day here today. Windy, cold rainy and dark as night all damn day.
    Call me crazy but Giada doesn't do it for me. However I'm riveted to the Barefoot Contessa and buy all of her cookbooks. And make absolutely nothing out of them. Crazy.

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  14. Hi! Just found your blog!
    I feel pretty much the same way about Giada! Not only is she gorgeous but she seem's really nice, too. But..it is TV.

    I'm visiting Denver for the first time next week and I really hope it's not covered it snow!

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  15. Thank God- a blogger who isn't anti-carbs! I love carbs. I would have a threesome with a bagel and a big bowl of Kraft Dinner if I could. Please do not judge me.
    Giada is ridiculously good looking. I'm jealous, too. And... I'm buying her soup.

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  16. I keep meaning to eat soup. Really, I do, but for some reason, it's one of those foods that I seem to .... forget about! Like, I don't even think of its existence! Maybe I'll change that this winter--I'm gonna go on a soup binge! (Be aware-I'll be asking you for recipes!)

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  17. Ha ha! I don't know that I've heard of this chick but darn she has a nice rack. Puts my little tatas to shame. :( Soup sounds good if you cook it. :) I like anything that someone else cooks for me. :)

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