Slow Cooker Vegetable Meatball Soup

One of the best recipes for me.  This soup is a great way for me to get veggies into my family since it is delicious, but it is also so simple to make.  My hubby likes it and the last time I made it even the toddler ate some, which is nothing short of amazing since he usually only likes to eat fruits or things shaped like animals (Goldfish, Teddie grahams, etc).

I start this in the slow cooker before going to work.  When I get home, I make the pasta add it in and dinner is served! :-)

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups beef broth
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can (14.5 ounce size) stewed tomatoes
12 frozen fully cooked meatballs, thawed

1 cup spiral pasta, cooked and drained

DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 4 ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (these ingredients are already cooked, so it could be a lot less than that, say 4 hours.  I just put 8 because on average that is how long I am gone at work).
Just before serving, stir in pasta; heat through.

I don't find that this needs any extra salt, because the broth and meatballs are already seasoned.

Makes 4 servings.  4 points plus per serving.

Venus De Milo Soup

1 lb hamburger or ground turkey (I used turkey)

Fry quickly and drain fat

Add

48 oz carton of chicken broth
2 c. water
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
8 oz tomato sauce
16 oz frozen mixed veg (I used the one with peas, carrots, corn, green beans, and lima beans)
2 T. margarine

Bring to a boil, then add

1 c. orzo

Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and simmer 20 minutes more.

Serving suggestion: top with grated parmesan cheese!

Noodle Soup...er...Chicken-y Noodles?

So, I spent the day at home today recovering from a stomach bug that woke me up at 2 am this morning. Up until about twenty minutes ago, all that I had eaten today was 2 pieces of toast. But...I started to get hungry, and I wanted food. So, I tried to make some noodle soup using rice noodles ('cause rice is supposed to be good for your stomach after you've been sick). It turned out really really good. Yum! The only problem was that I added too many noodles, and ended up with chicken-y noodles instead of noodle soup.

First, I chopped up half an onion and sauteed it in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of margarine and some rotisserie seasonings. When it was translucent, I added one can of chicken broth, a packet of chicken bouillon, and a handful of frozen peas. Once that started to boil, I added the rice noodles and cooked them for 10 minutes in the boiling broth. I will totally make this again next time I need an easy tasty meal!

Cheesy Hashbrown Soup

Last night I made a new recipe. My husband has been sick with the swine flu, so I've been sticking with soup that last couple of nights. Last night's soup was cheesy hashbrown soup. It sounds weird, but it was soooo good! It was creamy and cheesy and just perfect.

Here is where I got the recipe: http://www.bigoven.com/163869-Hash-Brown-Soup-recipe.html