Potato Celery Soup

4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. celery, chopped
carrots, cut
2 medium potatoes, chopped
onions, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups milk, hot
1/3 cup butter



1. Pour the chicken stock into a large pot, and bring to a boil. Add the celery, carrots, potato and onion to the pot. Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and milk; add to the pot along with the butter. Boil for 10 minutes or so, until veggies are tender.

8 servings 4 pts plus

Green Bean Casserole Lightened Up

When I was a kid, Green Bean Casserole (you know the one with cream of mushroom soup and french onions on the top! Such a great comfort food!!) was one of my favorite dishes. Of course, I didn't realize how much fat and sodium was in them....nor would I have cared if you had told me! But now that I am trying to eat healthier, I was excited when I came across this recipe. I adapted it a little to my tastes and cooking experience and plan to experiment on my family at Thanksgiving Dinner this week!


2 quarts water
1 T. salt
1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut (or frozen)
10 oz. mushrooms, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 T. apple juice
3/4 cup fat free half and half (or whole milk)
1 1/2 slices whole wheat bread
1 T. butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. pepper
1 3 oz. can French fried onions

Bring water and salt to boil in large pot. Add beans to boiling water. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Drain beans and spray with cold water to halt cooking process. Remove as much water as possible. Set aside.

Spray a non-stick pan with Pam and heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are very soft. Whisk the flour into the chicken broth and add to the mushrooms along with the apple juice. Simmer, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Add half and half and simmer until thick, about 5-10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the beans.

For the casserole topping: put the bread, butter, salt and pepper into food processor and pulse until crumbly. Pour into a bowl and add the onions. Stir to combine.

To assemble: Put the green beans into a greased casserole dish and top with the onion mixture. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. If you are not baking right away, do not add topping until ready to bake.

Serves 8. 2 pts plus

Ranch Dip

2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup(s) light sour cream
1/3 cup(s) light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp water
1/3 cup(s) chives, fresh, chopped or green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp parsley, Italian (flat leaf), chopped
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
1 tsp white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice and/or water to taste

Mince garlic and sprinkle with salt. Add sour cream, mayo and water and stir until smooth. Stir in chives (or green onions), parsley and pepper until blended; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to mix flavors. Thin out with lemon juice or vinegar, if desired. 2 T. equals 1 serving. Makes 8 servings.