16 Bean Soup......and a little rambling too:)

While running this morning I thought entirely about how I was going to introduce these recipes which are the reason for this blog in the first place. I know it sounds like a no brainer...Just write down the ingredients already! but, I was feeling the need once again to explain a few things. First of all, if you don't know me it might be a good thing to know that I'm not as domestic as it may seem being that I'm writing a blog about Healthy,Easy Inexpensive recipes. I know that could sound pretty impressive to some...like I really got it together but, I'm really just winging it and hoping you like it as much as my family has. I'm not a gourmet chef or a professional in the cooking field in anyway! I often will modify recipes I have seen on the internet to make them healthier or to suite to tastes of my family. I am on the more healthy conscious side so I wont use a lot of ingredients that add un necessary fat, sugar, MSG,calories etc... I also make stuff up and hope for the best...so, sometimes If I have not written down the recipe, I may never remember to make it again. Truthfully, I have been the complete opposite of Domestic most my life! I overcooked spaghetti and burned brownies! I did not start cooking until I got married in 2004...and even then I became more of someone who PREPARED food. Thanks to Trader Joe's and Costco I was a pro at buying the pre cooked bags of Teriyaki Chicken and the pre cooked frozen bags of rice and heating it up and there I had it, instant PREPARED dinner! To feed my family of 6 it would take about 3 bags of Chicken and 2 boxes of rice and a whole bag or 2 of edamame ...approx 20.00 a meal(I have 3 teenagers, 2 of them boys and a 3 1/2 year old boy). I know, not bad, way better then eating out every night but, there's still 6 more dinners left in the week, that is a lot of groceries and a lot of grocery shopping and there's no left over's. I discovered soup and stews are easy,healthy and filling. I got very acquainted with my crock pot and started searching on the internet for recipes AND I got better at cooking and developed a LOVE for cooking...mostly the re-creating a recipe part:) Since my goal is to cut the grocery bill in 1/2 obviously paying very close attention to the cost of ingredients and the total cost of the meal became a sorta hobby. It's exciting to see how little you can make meals for! So, as I post the recipes, I'll add the approx. cost of the meal...Keep in mind, I Always buy food on SALE!! To me there is no reason not to and why pay full price? Most times the meals are decided by what I found on sale at the store! So, feel free to help me out with any recipes, you'll be sure to get full credit:) Thanks for listening to me ramble on again....I just had a HUGE cup of coffee!!


16 Bean Soup in a Crock Pot!(I made this for approx $5.00)

INGREDIENTS
1 package 16 Bean Soup (it's just a pre-made bag of beans!)
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon crushed oregano
2 cans no-fat chicken stock(make sure NO MSG!)
Additional water to cover
3 stalks celery chopped
3 carrots diced
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 pound turkey Italian sausage sliced( I found ON SALE Very lean!)
2 cans stewed (or diced) tomatoes
(I also added Lean Ham!)

DIRECTIONS
Combine first 5 ingredients (liquid should cover mixture by 1"-2") in Crock Pot Cook on high for 2 hours Add remaining ingredients and shift cooker to low and cook for additional 3 hours If your makin' it Spicy... add cayenne or crushed red pepper. And, I'm Never afraid to add Garlic to almost EVERYTHING:) Salt/pepper to taste.
***Obviously if your crock pot is smaller just guess at taking out some carrots, celery etc...

****Here is my trick for enough leftovers for everyone: Once the 1st meal is served see what is leftover in the pot.....add a cup of cooked rice, some more sausage(cooked) and some more broth and there you have another serving of leftovers!!! It becomes 16 bean soup with rice!!