Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Soup really is one of my favorite things to cook, and a dinner of soup and sandwiches, or soup and a good bread is my idea of a tasty meal. Soup also means there will be leftovers, either enough for another meal, or a couple of lunches during the week.

My daughter Samantha has made this delicious soup many times, so last night I thought I would give it a try and share it with everyone here. This soup is made in the slow cooker, which I love because it makes this recipe so easy. And because it cooks for a few hours, the flavors have a chance to really blend together to be delicious.

Any kind of chicken soup is a favorite for my family, and this hearty soup is one that will appeal to both the kids and the grown-ups. Using a rotisserie chicken saves even more time and adds so much flavor.

Recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

3 cups water

1 14-ounce can chicken broth

1 10.75-ounce can of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

3/4 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups shredded chicken (from a Rotisserie chicken)

Directions:

1. Combine water, broth, condensed soup, uncooked rice, thyme, and pepper in a slow cooker.
2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 7.5-8 hours or 3.5-4 hours on the high setting.
3. Stir in chicken before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Wild Blueberry Bruschetta Recipe #wildblueberryside #momsmeet

*I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

Blueberries have to be my favorite fruit. When I was a kid it was grapes but as an adult I realize that blueberries are much tastier and full of nutrients. Wyman's Frozen Wild Blueberries are my favorite to buy because of the intense flavor and more nutrient value per serving than other blueberries. I like to buy frozen fruit since I do not want to lose any fruit going bad by not eating it fast enough. Plus frozen fruit is the best to use when making smoothies, which we do almost daily.

Here are some great facts about the difference in Wild Blueberries vs regular blueberries:

Wild Blueberries are wildly different from the regular blueberries you normally find in the produce section. Don’t be fooled by their size—they pack more into their tiny blue bodies than any other blueberry on the planet!

• Wild Blueberries have a more intense flavor than regular blueberries. Wild Blueberry plants are more genetically diverse with thousands of interlocking plants spreading and interlocking naturally across fields over thousands of years. That diversity is what gives Wild Blueberries their complex and delicious flavor—an extraordinary mix of tart and sweet.

• Wild Blueberries have two times the antioxidant capacity of the larger cultivated blueberries. A growing body of research shows the potential health benefits of Wild Blueberries including gut health, diabetes, cancer, and brain health.

• 99% of the Wild Blueberry crop is frozen fresh at harvest, which locks in their nutrition and taste.

 • Wild Blueberries are called “Wild” because they are not planted— they have occurred naturally in barrens and fields in Maine and Eastern Canada for 10,000 years.

• The retail price for a 15-ounce bag of Wild Blueberries starts at $3.59. A 3-pound bag retails for about $10.


I have put Wild Blueberries in smoothies, salads, sauces, muffins and this time I was trying to think of something a little different. I love Bruschetta as an appetizer so I thought I would try making a Wild Blueberry Bruschetta to serve at our next get together. It turned out delicious!!

Wild Blueberry Bruschetta Recipe:

1 bag  Wyman's of Maine Wild Blueberries 15oz
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
2 finely chopped Fresh Basil leaves
1 Baguette French Bread
6 oz. of Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Place frozen berries in bowl on counter to defrost. In separate bowl stir together balsamic vinegar, olive oil and basil. Slice baguette and cheese. Stir defrosted blueberries into vinaigrette. Serve bread slices topped with cheese and Wild Blueberry vinaigrette. Enjoy!

If you want to learn more about Wild Blueberries and find more delicious recipes you can visit the website for the Wild Blueberry Association of North America as well as visit their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Northern CA Summer Camp Deals: Digital Media Academy Soccer & Technology #ad

* I am participating in a USFamilyGuide blogger campaign and this is a sponsored post #ad

Summer is just around the corner and it is time to start planning for where to send your child for a well rounded adventure. If you are one of our many Northern California readers I have a great deal to share with you for Digital Media Academy Soccer and Technology. This sounds like a fun program that combines sports and technology for camp.

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Limited time offer - Only 10 seats available in each camp

***In order to receive a $365 savings, you must call 866-656-3342 and mention "USFG Soccer Discount" to register by April 30, 2015*** 



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Choose from Adventures in Soccer & Game Design for Boys or Adventures in Soccer, Photography & Graphic Design for Girls. Students develop real-world tech skills while sharpening their soccer skills as they train with Santa Clara University's Division I soccer program*.

Students spend the mornings on the field and receive training from some of the best college soccer players in the world.In the afternoon, students head to the studio classroom, where they discover the fundamentals concepts of photography or game design. 

Give your child a pre-collegiate experience and build their confidence through project-based learning. Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.

This $365 savings is a limited time offer! With only 10 seats available for each course, this savings will not last long. Camps are filling fast, register early to save $365 off Soccer & Technology summer camps and stay off the wait list. 

*Students must bring their own soccer gear, including a soccer ball and all required soccer equipment (shin guards, athletic clothing with no pockets, socks, cleats, and water bottle).

MUST CALL 1(866)656-3342 and mention "USFG Soccer Discount" to register by April 30, 2015. 

Questions? Email a Guest Service Representative at info@digitalmediaacademy.org and mention "USFG Soccer Discount."

Limited time offer - Only 10 seats available in each camp

***In order to receive a $365 savings, you must call 866-656-3342 and mention "USFG Soccer Discount" to register by April 30, 2015***

GB Travel Safe Sweepstakes #GBTravelSafe #ad

I participated in a Blog Blast Activation on behalf of Influence Central for GB. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation. #ad

Spring is here and summer just around the corner my family and I are pondering the places we want to travel this summer before my little guy starts school in the Fall. I want to get in a few travel adventures before we are in a set schedule. Keeping my son safe while we travel is top priority, next is snacks, entertainment and his stuffed animal giraffe.

I did a lot of research on car seats before my son was born for the latest safety features. Now 5 years later my son is in his big boy seat and there are even more advanced infant car seats.  The GB Asana35 AP Car Seat is one of the latest in car seat advancements with the unique FirmFit system helps protect baby head, neck and spine. You can enter to win the GB Asana35 AP Car Seat in the GB Travel Safe Sweepstakes. I entered many great giveaways when I was pregnant with my son, won a few too. They can be fun to enter and you get to learn a little about products on the available.

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o   If you have a Babies “R” Us registry, you can gain extra points by adding the GB Asana35 AP and providing us with your registry number!

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Spring Asparagus Pizza Recipe

One of the things I enjoy about spring is when all the delicious asparagus comes to the grocery stores and farmer's markets. When I was growing up, we rarely had asparagus on our table. I think it was because my Mom only knew of one way to serve it, and that was with hollandaise sauce, which she thought of as 'fancy'.

So I'm happy that I get to use asparagus when and how ever I want, and this pizza was a last minute meal that turned out to be something I will definitely make again soon.
 

I'm a big fan of homemade pizza and I use a pizza dough recipe that is super simple. Because it is so easy, that lets me put together a pizza in very little time, and usually with the ingredients I have on hand.

This is how this pizza came together yesterday, I had the asparagus, red onion, and mushrooms in the fridge already, and I have to say, it tasted pretty fabulous!!

Normally, I make my pizza round, but I made this one rectangular so that the asparagus could lay on it and look nice. It did made the dough thicker for this pizza, but that turned out to be part of what made it taste so good.

I used a white pizza sauce from a jar to make it super easy.

Recipe for Spring Asparagus Pizza

Ingredients:

1/3 pound fresh asparagus, washed and ends trimmed
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
3-4 large white mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup white pizza sauce
1-1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

For dough:

 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 package all purpose yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and oil. Stir until smooth. Let dough rest 5 minutes.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a large rectangle. Sprinkle with extra flour if the dough is sticky. Transfer crust onto a lightly greased pizza pan.
Spread a medium layer of pizza sauce on dough, then sprinkle on Italian seasoning.  Lay on red onion, mushrooms, and asparagus. Top with cheese.
Cook in the oven for 20-22 minutes.

Serves 5.