quinoa beef vegetable soup

I stumbled upon this recipe by adding ingredients that we had on hand. I even had it as an after-hours snack in lieu of my usual bowl of ice cream (it turned out that good- or just happened to really satisfy an intense craving for vege'bles).

Here's what went into it--

1 lb ground beef
5 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes (to be dissolved in 4 cups water)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 medium potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil, chopped (I used freeze dried)

I don't think there was any rhyme or reason to the how or order of things going in. Just how I thought best. And I think this would actually be a good crock pot meal with the ground beef replaced with cubed beef (and the cooked quinoa reserved until the end- or added, uncooked, in the beginning). I have to add, too, that I got "Thank yous" from at least two of the four kids for making this meal tonight.

Steelers Victory Dip (aka Chicken Ranch Dip)

I had this dip for the first time at a Steeler party over three years ago. My friend Susan (always good for hosting with yummy food) served it and was gracious enough to send the leftovers home with me. I was newly pregnant with Mali then and I devoured every last bite. Since then, this has been my go-to appetizer and won rave reviews for our Superbowl Party.

Chicken Ranch Dip
1) Mix together 16 oz. light cream cheese, 8 oz sour cream, 1 package dry ranch dressing and 4 oz. shredded taco cheese.

2) Spread into dish.

3) Sprinkle with 1-2 cooked chopped chicken breasts and drizzle with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.

4) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

5) Sprinkle with 4 oz shredded taco cheese, bake for 3-5 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or carrots if you are attempting to "healthify".