{yummy} italian vegetable soup.

everyone's trying to be better, exercise more, and eat healthier. i, myself, have made numerous such 'vows' to do so in yesterday's post of my 100 things to do in 2014. and with tools like weight watchers, i know i have the skills to be a healthier version of myself.

one of my FAVORITE go-to meal options that are filling and healthy are homemade soups. when i first started weight watchers over 3 years ago, i became addicted to soups of the canned variety. they were easy and yummy. but once i transitioned to eating a 'cleaner' lifestyle (limiting processed foods with artificial ingredients and preservatives), i searched for soups i could easily make myself. i stumbled on the following recipe and have not looked back! it's filling, hearty, and can be altered to fit your tastes. i tend to make this on sundays so i can have it on hand all week long!

picture care of weight watchers

Italian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients 10 oz fresh spinach, baby leaves    2 medium uncooked carrot(s), chopped    2 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, chopped    1 large uncooked onion(s), chopped    1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced    4 cup(s) reduced sodium vegetable broth    28 oz canned diced tomatoes    2 leaf/leaves bay leaf    1 Tbsp dried basil    1 tsp dried oregano    1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed    Instructions Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; stir, cover and cook on high power for 5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir and serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

LAUREN'S TIP: i like to make this either in the slow cooker or stove-top...it works either way. i also do tend to spice it up with some hot sauce. ;-)

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} smoothie-ville

as of april 1, i've committed myself to walking the walk and talking the talk. if i'm going to say that i'm being healthy, i need to actually DO IT. so i've been ramping up my running and renovating my eating habits. it's hard to admit, but ever since i made my career change my veggie and fruit intake has severely declined. i mean, when you work from home, you have your entire kitchen to choose from. salad or pasta?! ummmm- pasta. hahaha.

at my last trader joe's run, i focused on quick and easy meal replacement ideas. hello, smoothies! these are easy for me to put together, pour in a to-go cup, and head to a trunk show or home showing. while i'm new to this whole smoothie thing, i have found at least 3 recipes that i LOVED and 1 that did the trick- but was hard to swallow. hahaha. so here's my first dive into smoothe-ville.

lauren conrad's oatmeal breakfast smoothie

*this one i have started to make almost every morning. it's easy to drink with my coffee and tastes delish. best of all- it keeps me full until lunch time. put the ingredients in the blender in the order i have them listed.*

1 c. non-fat yogurt (i use 0% fage greek yogurt)
1 tsp. ground flax seeds and chia seeds (i use a mortar/pestle)
1 tbs. honey
1/2 c. raw oats
1 banana
1/2 c. frozen strawberries
1/2 c. non-fat milk (horizon is the best)
1/2 c. water

blend it up and enjoy!

green monster smoothie #1

*i am numbering this #1 since there are soooo many variations out there. i did read that to help with digestion, try chewing parts of the smoothie while drinking it.*

1 c. non-fat yogurt
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 apple
1 banana
5 frozen strawberries
1/2 orange

blend and enjoy!

faux chocolate milkshake

*i was craving ice cream so instead of heading up to my local sweetfrog, i made this. once you get the hang of smoothie making, you'll do the same- make up recipes on the fly. this hit the spot and was delish!*

1 c. non-fat milk
1 handful of frozen strawberries
1 banana
3 packets sugar substitute (i still use splenda- i know, i know. ugh. ha)
1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
organic fat-free whipped topping to taste

yum. that's all.

tummy soother

*it was easter weekend. i ate something bad and got tummy troubles. this def helped, but LORD was it hard to swallow. drink knowing that. hahaha.*

1/2 c. non-fat yogurt
6 ice cubes
1 tbs. ground flax seed
1 tsp. sliced ginger
1 c. frozen peaches (i substituted apples)
1 c. papaya
1 pear

gulp. but my tummy was better after. haha. i guess that counts as success, right?

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} apple-worthy fruit dip

dips are always easy. they're easy to make. easy to eat. easy to serve. they're just my fave. period.

this past december i highlighted my gluten-free breakfast casserole from my baubles and brunch party, but one of the other dishes stood out to everyone at the party. it was the fruit dip. made simply out of ingredients most people have in their kitchens right now, it's a sure to please dish. most find themselves hovering around it scooping up heaps of it with apple slices. i found myself doing it and i usually don't like apples...unless they're in pie form. i love pie. anywayyyyy, it got me thinking- there has to be a healthier version of said dip.

after more interweb and pinterest searching, i found the solution: greek yogurt and chia seeds. i can now consume this dip every morning and not feel like i ate a block of cream cheese. so i give you both: the splurge and the save dip.

the original fruit dip

1 block of cream cheese
cinnamon
brown sugar
vanilla extract

mix and serve. delish.

the waist-friendly fruit dip

1 16 oz. carton of fat free greek yogurt (use Fage- it's the real deal)
2 tbs. of chia seeds
cinnamon
brown sugar
vanilla extract

mix and let sit over night. then dip away.

they taste exactly the same, with the same consistency. it's truly shocking. major kudos to the 2 blogs i found said recipes on, chocolate, chocolate, and more and the yummy life. ya'll rock.

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} quick, diet-friendly desserts

i have a huge sweet tooth. this is no exaggeration. i could literally eat sugar all day, every day. but alas, my commitment to my health and weight watchers prevents me from eating every cupcake between reston and dc. so when i need a sugar boost, i turn to the following yummy treats to satisfy my craving. eat at your own risk.

faux bananas foster

1 banana
cinnamon
fat-free whipped topping (i heart the one at trader joe's)

super simple: quarter the banana, sprinkle with as much cinnamon as you'd like, and layer on the whipped topping. you will not be dissapointed.

faux apple pie

1 apple
1 tbs. of your fave ready-made oatmeal packet (i opt for the cinammon variety)
sprinkle of raisins
sprinkle of the nut of your choice (i prefer walnuts)
1-2 tbs. of water
a bit of fat-free whipped topping

core the apple and place in a small bowl. put the oatmeal where the apple's core was. sprinkle raisins and nuts around the apple, along with the water. microwave for 2-3 minutes (depending on the size of your apple). add the whipped topping and eat up.

faux cannoli

2 heaping spoonfuls of fat-free ricotta cheese
vanilla extract
cinnamon
mini chocolate-chips
1 packet of sugar substitute (i use splenda)

mix all of the above ingredients to taste and enjoy. it's that easy.

who said you can't enjoy a guilty-pleasure without the guilt?!

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} gluten-free breakfast casserole

sunday was cloudy and deary out in northern virginia. but at the riner household the holiday spirit sure was in the air! ;-)

i held my holiday brunch and baubles event, inviting my friends to do some last minute stella & dot christmas shopping while laughing, eating, and drinking fireside. sure beats braving the chaotic malls!

when planning, i wanted to provide yummy and hearty brunch food that was easy for me to make. this time of year, it never seems like i have enough time. so a 3 dish meal that i could whip up before my guests arrived was definitely on the menu.

i got the following recipe from my friend kim and it was delish! what makes it even better is that it's celiac-friendly! so dive in and eat up.

amish breakfast casserole

picture courtesy of allrecipes! (i totes forgot to take one before it was devoured)

1 lb. bacon, diced

1 sweet onion, diced

4 c. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

9 eggs, lightly beaten

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1.5 c. small curd cottage cheese

1.25 c. shredded swiss cheese

preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

cook bacon and onion in a pan until evenly browned, then drain. mix all ingredients remaining ingredients along with bacon-onion mixture in a large bowl and pour into baking dish.

bake in oven for 40-50 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted. then broil for 5 minutes until top is browned and crispy.

eat and enjoy!

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} healthy beef stew

'baby, it's cold outside.' actually, no, it's not. it's in the 60s here in northern virginia and i don't quite understand it. my friends tell me it's global warming. my family tells me it's the calm before the storm and we're going to have a cray cray winter. to be honest- i don't care. i like winter and everything that comes with it. the holidays. the decorations. the cozy fireplace. heavy sweaters and cute coats. and hearty meals. so- i'm hangry- hungry and angry for a hearty winter meal.

i was doing my weekly shopping at trader joe's and casually walked by the meat area, but slowly backpedaled and just stopped. see, i don't eat a ton of red meat. it's not that i don't like it- i believe it's a combination of the expense of meats and how i am easily satisfied with more sensible meals. so i stood there- probably looking crazy because who stands staring at meat? (that's what she said. haha.) something easy, hearty, and filled to the rim with red meat? yes, i am referring to stew.

i'm imagining that stew started out as an easy cheap meal for families to make. see, you can put tougher cuts of meat in a stew because it cooks longer and therefore has more time to breakdown the proteins creating a more tender cut. it's also chock full of root vegetables. but i did find a unique version that is weight watchers friendly! thanks, slender kitchen! hooray!

healthy beef stew

1.5 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 lb chopped carrots (2-3)
1/2 lb chopped parsnips (2-3)
1 pound chopped red potatoes, with skins
3 chopped celery ribs
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
3 cloves of  garlic, 2 peeled whole cloves and 1 finely diced clove
2 bay leaves
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups fat free beef broth (you could eliminate or reduce this depending on how thick you want your beef stew)

*as you can see from the picture i did adjust the recipe slightly based on convienence. i.e pre-cut mirepoix, minced garlic from the jar, and i was lacking cornstarch- substituted with flour.

heat vegetable oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. add beef and brown on all sides.

add in water, onions, garlic, smoked paprika, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, allspice, salt, pepper, and sugar. cover and simmer for 90 minutes.

add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and celery to pot, as well as any additional beef broth you are using. cook for an additional 45-60 minutes or until the beef is fork tender and shreds easily.  cooking time will depend on the cut and size of your beef.

mix the flour with a small amount of cold water and stir together. pour into the stew to thicken the meal and bring to a boil. immediately turn off the heat and let rest before serving. 

the funniest part of this for me was cooking with parsnips. i never have and i kept eyeing them at trader joe's, so the minute i saw this recipe included them i was sooo excited. kinda like this...

so plate up and enjoy. :)

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} easy, breezy apps.

it's the most wonderful time of the year- and probably one of the busiest. not to brag or anything, but i have a ridiculous amount of holiday parties to attend. i'm just that cool. oooooor people like my potluck choices. either way, i figured i'd share some of my time-tested appetizer recipes with you. who needs to stress about a party and what to bring?! just whip up one of these and people will be begging for the recipe. i swear - pinky promise - scout's honor - and whatever other assurance you need.

i recently went to a ball off at my friend whitney's house. what is a 'ball-off' you ask?! well, it is a potluck party where everything is in the shape of balls. and then we judge everyone's balls. comments from the peanut gallery are welcome, welp, because a party called a 'ball-off' asks for it. lol. so the first two recipes i will share were my submissions to said ball-off. each was finished off with no leftovers to spare. yum in the tum.

the first recipe i'd like to share is by far the easiest and the most requested when i attend a function. i affectionately refer to it as pizza dip. after all, everyone like pizza and dips are easy. i may be lacking in pictures for some of these, but TRUST that the appearance isn't as important as the taste.

pizza dip

2 blocks of cream cheese

pesto to taste

a jar of tomato & basil pasta sauce

melba toast or bagel chips

mix to cream cheese and pesto to taste. form into a log shape or small teaspoon size balls and refrigerate. when ready to serve, pour the pasta sauce on the cheese mixture and serve with the chips of choice.

I AM NOT JOKING. who jokes about food anyway?! it is seriously that easy and it consistently requested by friends- typically by the vat full. ha.

now here's the next app option. mama riner learned this near and dear recipe while we lived in the great state of texas. keep in mind, down there they like it hot and fat-full. no fat-free options here. the name leaves something to be desired, so i give you...

armadillo eggs

2 tubes of HOT sausage

cheddar cheese

a jar of jalapeno slices

i ran out of cookie sheets. it's called improvising, people. ;-)

form the sausage into tablespoon size balls. create a hole in each and stuff with a piece of cheddar cheese along with a jalapeno slice. bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turning them halfway through. then broil on high for 5 minutes on each side. done and done.

the final app option is by far the easiest to assemble and just as tasty. in fact, i'm even making it this evening for a viewing party. it's a tad spicy, but not as much as the previous recipe. we riners like our food hot and HOT. ;-)

hot pepper dip

1 block of cream cheese

a jar of hot pepper jelly (i buy mine from trader joe's)

melba toast or bagel chips

platter the cream cheese block. pour the hot pepper jelly on top. serve with chips of choice.

as you can see, i don't joke around when it comes to easy apps. while i love cooking, i find that appetizers tend to be better the simpler they are. it may be because they get a lot of praise for little effort, but who cares. less time cooking leaves more time for fun. so eat up and spread the holiday cheer!

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} i bought an eggplant- now what?

whenever i head to my local trader joe's, i am always looking for different fruits and veggies to expand my culinary cuisine. one veggie i am always on the lookout for is eggplant. but here's the thing- every time i see eggplants, they have bruises and marks on it. now, per my martha stewart-esque knowledge, i know that eggplants should not have either of these. ever.

bad eggplant.

so when i stumbled upon the most absolutely perfect batch of eggplants, i almost did a happy dance in the veggie section of trader joe's. knowing the personality of the employees there, they would have joined in with me. therefore, i obstained, picked up 2 perfect specimens, and continued my shopping. but what shall i do with these vegetables? this was my conundrum. i know, i know. what a problem to have!

good eggplant.

i typically head to various online resources for recipes like pinterest or food network. however, i have an extensive collection of actual cookbooks! yes, long ago, people wrote their recipes in books and they were purchased for money. who knew.

i scoured some of my favorite recipe books and settled on my signed giada de laurentiis cookbook. if i could be any chef, it would be giada. pretty sure it's mainly because i want to be her. she seems to get to eat all the bad-for-you italian food and stay thin. she cooks and bakes with this zen aura that i don't even reach while attempting yoga. she lives on the beach. her husband works for anthropologie. i just want to be her. ha. and, in the few times i have met her, she's real. the last time i had the pleasure of conversing with her, she looked at my mom and i and said, 'omg, mother and daughter?! you remind me of my mom and i! i love it!' seriously- no celebrity bravado in that tiny body of hers. here's probably one of my worst pictures, but proof that i did meet her. so there. ;-)

the recipe i settled on seemed simple enough and i had all the ingredients on hand. so here we go.

penne with eggplant puree

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, whole
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional*)
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves (optional*)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

*i'm labeling these as optional because i didn't have them, omitted them, and the dish turned out just fine.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. 

spread the vegetables out in an even layer and roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes.

boil a large pot of water, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. drain pasta, but reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor (i put them in my blender), add the extra-virgin olive oil, and puree the vegetables.

transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the parmesan. combine and add pasta water until you reach desired consistency of the sauce.

wahlah! a delish dish that's healthy, easy, and with all natural ingredients. enjoy!

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} spaghetti with creamy butternut squash sauce

one of my go-to websites for recipes is skinnytaste. it's no secret that i'm a weight watchers fan. the main issue i tend to notice with fellow weight watchers is that they load up on processed foods. what's the point of loosing weight if you're eating crap in the process?!

skinnytaste has a huge following of people that are looking for simple, easy, and healthy recipes that are based on natural ingredients. i have yet to make anything that hasn't been good and hasn't gotten the seal of approval from the men in my life. i am a huge fan to say the least, so expect to see many posts linking back to this website. might as well bookmark it for yourself in the meantime.

my yummy homemade dinner.

when i saw the following recipe on pinterest and realized it was from skinnytaste, i knew it was my next must-make. pasta + butternut squash = get in my tummy now. i did make a few adjustments solely based on the ingredients i had on hand, but it turned out great. proof that good food is going to be good no matter what. so here goes nothing...

spaghetti with creamy butternut squash sauce

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 8 oz spaghetti of your choice (i used Trader Joe's high fiber)
• 1 (1 cup) onion (white part only)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan cheese (i used grated parmesan)
• 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

bring a pot of water to a boil and add the butternut squash. cook until soft. remove squash from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in a blender. blend until smooth.

pre-blend.

post-blend.

next add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook as directed on the package. once cooked, place pasta in a colander to drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

in case you didn't know what boiling pasta looks like.

in a deep pan, melt the butter and saute the onion/garlic for about 5-6 minutes.

saute, baby.

add in the pureed butternut squash and season with salt/pepper to taste. add in however much of the previously reserved pasta water that you'd like depending on how thin or thick you want your sauce. stir in parmesan, sage, and pasta. 

finished sauce.

now eat and enjoy. yum.

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} pumpkin spice crossants

happy halloween!

boo. ruff.

as previously mentioned, i heart anything pumpkin flavored. maybe it's that i am a fall baby or the memories that freshly baked pumpkin pie brings back. either way, i am always searching out any recipe that has pumpkin as the main ingredient.

so when my dear friends alecia and colin invited me over for dinner and a playdate for brody with their dog chewie, i just knew what to bring on over. pumpkin spice croissants.

super simple, pretty inexpensive, and a quick dessert that's bite-size and a crowd-pleaser?! i know, i know. i am not exaggerating. i came across the recipe on pinterest care of keri at shaken together and just knew it would come in handy. so here's the lowdown...

pumpkin spice croissants

2 containers of crescent rolls (i used the reduced fat version)

filling

1 cup of pumpkin puree

4 oz. of cream cheese (again, i used reduced fat)

4 tbs. sugar

2 tbs. pumpkin spice

sugar-spice coating

4 tbs. sugar

1 tbs. pumpkin spice

roll out the crescent rolls and use a knife to half each piece of dough, giving you a total of 16 rolls per can.

mix all of the filling ingredients until the mixture is fluffy and whipped.

spread about 1 tsp. of the mixture on each piece of dough and then roll up to form a mini croissant shape.

take each of the mini croissants and roll them in the sugar-spice coating.

bake for a total of 15-18 min at 375 degrees.

  

so while you're handing out candy tonight to the kiddos, make these for the adults. pop in your mouth and enjoy!

xoxo Lauren