last week my sister tried to convince me that campbell's chunky potato soup taste "just" like panera bread's potato soup. so i decided to give it a try. well, after some salt and pepper it was okay. 

for those of you who have never experienced eating at panera bread. i'm sorry. it is on my top 3 favorite places to eat and the fact that there isn't one ANYWHERE in the west is a tragedy. for real.

so after eating that can of soup it just made me crave the real deal even more. 

that's when pinterest always comes to save the day!

Copycat Panera's Baked Potato Soup

via

• 6 C. chicken broth
• 6 C. potatoes, peeled and cubed (i used yellow potatos)
• 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (i only used 1/8 tsp but wish i would have used even less with kids eating it)
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, cut into chunks, room temperature
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, but really it's not)

Directions

Combine broth, potatoes and spices. Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender. Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening (i scooped some out and smashed them on a plate with a fork). If you like it smooth smash more, if you like it chunky just smash a little of it. You can decide the texture of it. Reduce to low heat. Add cream cheese (and I added half the bacon). Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle a little bacon (and cheese and chives if you would like)over each bowl of soup. (we used store bought bread bowls)

Serves 6

it is seriously so easy and delicious! the hardest part is peeling/cutting the potato's.

and by the way, i'm pretty sure it was even yummier today for lunch. 

enjoy!!!

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I just got done eating this for dinner and it was SO good & EASY that I had to share.
(Bonus:1 sandwich only has about 375 calories. )

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CAESAR SANDWICHES
recipe from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I used Chicken Breasts)
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns
Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.
Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.
Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.
Enjoy!


***I think that I would prefer it cold...I will be trying that with the leftovers tomorrow for lunch.
***I also think it would be great as a wrap instead of on a bun!

Pork tacos with pineapple salsa

Trevor and I are both trying to get healthy and in shape so I decided that I need to get on the ball and start cooking healthy. I found that planning one week at a time is easiest and my shopping day is Monday so it just works perfectly. Mondays are now meal planning and shopping days and that's all I put on my to do list because it is exhausting to shop with two kiddos.


I made these last night and they were SO good I had to stop myself from eating more than 1.5 servings. It took my about an hour to prepare mostly because I used fresh pineapple and it was my first time cutting one. next time it should only take about 30-45 min. TOTAL. That's a good fast recipe in my book. We had them on small flour tortillas and added lettuce and a bit of sour cream. Also I grilled the pork outside because I don't even know how to broil something. Anyways, today I will actually be eating left overs for lunch and looking forward to it!

Since I now know this recipe is a keeper I took my printed copy and put it into a 3 ring binder that is for our "Dschaak Family Recipies" Hopefully I can keep up with all our favorites so I have something to pass on to Emma when she goes off to college and get's married and needs some inspiration.

Now it's Tuesday...laundry day. oh boy.



Ingredients

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 cups pineapple chunks, diced
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (didn't use)
• 1 pork tenderloin, about 1-1/4 pounds, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package white corn tortillas (10 per package) (used snack sized flour tortillas)

Directions

1. Heat grill or broiler
Dressing:
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sugar, salt and the pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil until blended. Stir in cilantro.

Salsa:
3. In medium bowl, combine pineapple, tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the dressing.
Pork tacos:
4. Combine remaining dressing (about 1/3 cup) with the pork in a resealable plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator about 15 minutes. Grill or broil pork about 6 minutes, turning, or until desired doneness. (I cut mine up into about 6 pieces so it would cook faster) Slice into thin strips, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave 1 minute. To serve, fill a warm tortilla with a few pork strips and some salsa (and lettuce and sour cream), and fold up.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 5

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• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 343
• Protein(gm)25
• Carbohydrate(gm)30
• Fat, total(gm)13
• Cholesterol(mg)69
• Saturated fat(gm)2
• Dietary Fiber, total(gm)3
• Sodium(mg)256

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http://www.familycircle.com/recipe/pork/pork-tacos-with-pineapple-salsa/