My Healthy - Cream of Mushroom Soup

This post goes out to my Aunt who thinks "chicken breast floating in mushroom soup over mashed potatoes is the best"...and I agree. It's happy, it's comfort, it's yummy.

In order to justify my blog as a "creatively healthy budget" I need to define my healthy. I have been thinking a lot about what this means lately, specifically related to food. I believe we have been misled by diets, low calorie, fat free etc. I hear about all of these different diets and even though they intrigue me because I could use a little tune-up, I am very skeptical. I can't put myself at the top of a pyramid and claim to be living the healthiest life but my healthy makes me happy.

I went through a spell where I was trying to go sugar free, low calorie and fat free or reduced fat. I tried recipes that featured these ingredients or I would modify recipes to accommodate them. I am also very guilty and still to this day a little guilty of buying quick prepared items to accommodate our busy schedule. In the last year or so my husband and I began really questioning the health impact of these items. If it's sugar free, where is the sweetness coming from? What is being added or taken out to reduce fat and calories? These are very important questions to ask because in a lot of prepared foods the answer is usually some kind of manufactured ingredient.I don't know about you, but I would prefer to have real sugar rather than a chemically produced substance and it would be nice to recognize the ingredients in the food I am eating.  

So, what does this mean? No, I don't just eat fruits, veggies and nuts. (Kuddos if you are able to maintain a fruit, veggie and nut diet). It means I try to cook with items in a more natural form.  I look at the ingredients and if there are a bunch of words I don't recognize I question the need for it. Look at something simple like cream of mushroom soup.  First of all there are about 100 different varieties, which amazes me.  Each one to fit the "diet" you might be on. Ingredients include: Modified Food Starch, Flavoring, Disodium Guanylate, Enzyme Modified Butter.....seriously, I usually have everything needed to whip up a batch at home with my own ingredients. See Recipe Below. No, it's probably not "reduced fat" but I feel good about eating it and it's delicious. I can use 1% milk instead of cream and a flour mixture of half whole wheat flour with half all purpose. Those are my "healthy".  FYI, be careful even buying from the health market section of the store or health food stores. Their "healthy" might be different. Check the ingredients! 

In conclusion, my healthy isn't what some people are looking for but it makes me feel good about what I am putting on the table for my family.

Simple Mushroom Soup:
Emmie Loveless

Prep - 5 mins
Cook - 15 mins

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
16 oz button mushrooms, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour mix (half all purpose and half whole wheat)
1-2 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until brown. Remove mushrooms and set aside.  Add butter to same pan. When melted add the flour and cook until bubbly stirring often. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth.  I recommend 1-2 cups chicken broth depending on how thick you want your "soup". Bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat to medium and add milk. Again, 1-2 cups of milk depending on how thick you want the soup.  After the milk is combined add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

Voile - Mushroom soup for any occasion. Make beef stroganoff, chicken with rice and mushrooms and of course green bean casserole...my husbands favorite.

Embrace food, family and everything else that makes you happy