I Am Thankful For..................

This is the view that I saw today out the window of the Cancer Center in Mason City, Iowa. Today this little squirrel was getting ready for winter by hiding his nuts and I got the pleasure of watching him. Got me thinking about how grateful he must be when he finds them again this winter when he is hungry. I have lots to be grateful for also.
Today I had my sandostatin injection that I get every 21 days for the rest of my life. It is for the type of cancer that I had surgery for 2 years ago November 17, the cancer is called carcinoid. You can google carcinoid to learn more about it if you want to or go to carcinoid.org to learn more.
What I am grateful for is the fact that I am alive and that there is this drug to keep me alive and to relieve the symptoms of carcinoid syndrome which I will deal with for the rest of my life.
I am grateful because I was given a second chance to live my life and I am living it differently than I did before the discovery of carcinoid. I am enjoying life in a whole new way and seeing things in a different light. I am enjoying my life more and loving every minute. I am doing things I would not have done in the past living each and every moment to the fullest.
It takes a major event like cancer to change a person. I know I have changed and continue to change every day.
If I haven't seen you lately or talked to you please forgive me. I want to tell you all how important you are in my life and how much I love you.
Have a great day!

Bean Soup

The weather is getting chilly out and the nights are getting dark earlier. To me it is soup time of year. Tonight I made this bean soup and I loved every bite. This recipe is courtesy of watkinsonline.com/denisepassehl in the recipe section. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds/680 g (3-1/2 cups/875 ml) dry navy or great northern beans
2 cups/500 mL coarsely chopped onion
2 tbsp/30 mL Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
10 cups/2.5 liters water
1 cup/250 mL sliced carrots
1 cup/250 mL sliced celery
1/2 cup/125 mL Watkins Chicken Soup & Gravy
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Thyme (Tin)
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Garlic Powder (Tin)
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Black Pepper 6 oz
1/4 tsp/1.2 mL Watkins Ground Cloves (Tin)
1-1/2 pounds/680 g ham bone or ham hocks or 1 to 2 cups/250 to 500 mL diced ham
Salt, if desired to taste


Cooking Directions
Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. The next day, drain beans and rinse. Sauté onions in oil in large soup kettle. Add beans and 10 cups/2.5 liters water; bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, return to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer at least 4 hours. If using ham bone or hocks, remove and strip off meat. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Chop meat; return to soup. Adjust seasonings at this point. Serve hot with crusty French bread or Italian rolls.

Makes 8 servings.


Nutrition Facts
Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories 440
Protein 27 g
Carbohydrates 63 g
Sodium 1250 mg
Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 25 mg
Dietary Fiber 4 g

Independent Watkins Associate #300500

Cinnamon-Scented Grilled Chicken Breasts

I love cinnamon and I love chicken, never thought the two would go together. You will enjoy this recipe. Your mouth will be happy!
This recipe and many more can be found at watkinsonline.com/denisepassehl



Ingredients
2-1/2 to 3 tbsp/40 to 45 mL fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Garlic Powder (Tin)
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL
1/4 tsp/1.2 mL Watkins Purest Ground
Cinnamon 6 oz.
1/8 tsp/0.6 mL Watkins Black Pepper 6 oz
Freshly ground, to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves


Cooking Directions
Combine lemon juice with all ingredients except chicken; mix well. Add chicken and turn to coat all sides. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Grill or broil chicken 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Makes 4 servings.


Nutrition Facts
Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories 130
Protein 27 g
Carbohydrates 2 g
Sodium 80 mg
Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 68 mg
Dietary Fiber 0 g

Independent Watkins Associate #300500

Watkins Spaghetti Night

It's a spaghetti night in our house tonight. Watkins has a new product Watkins Pizza & Pasta Seasoning Grinder Article No. 00540 that makes the best spaghetti sauce and it is so easy.
I canned all my tomatoes this summer so I have jars of canned crushed tomatoes on my shelf waiting for me to create something delicious with them. If you don't have your own you can buy a can of crushed tomatoes, whatever size you want. I used a quart jar for my sauce adding 2-3 tablespoons of Watkins Pizza & Pasta Seasoning to my jar of canned crushed tomatoes. You can adjust the amount to taste. Heat to desired temperature. Once the spaghetti noodles were cooked and drained I put the sauce on top and shredded fresh parmesan cheese.
It took less than 20 minutes to prepare this meal tonight. Mama Mia this is good!

Want to order this product or view my online catalog visit my website:
watkinsonline/denisepassehl
Independent Watkins Associate #300500

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

If you love cheesecake this is the recipe for you! Courtesty of watkinsonline.com/denisepassehl
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups/375 mL gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 32 cookies)
1/4 cup/60 mL unsalted butter, melted
2 packages (8 oz/227 g each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup/180 mL sugar, divided
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup/250 mL canned or cooked pumpkin
1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL pumpkin pie spice

To make your own Watkins pumpkin pie spice:
1-1/2 tsp Watkins Purest Ground
Cinnamon 6 oz.
1/2 tsp Watkins Ground Nutmeg (Tin)
1/4 tsp Watkins Ground Cloves (Tin)
1/2 tsp Watkins Ginger (Tin)
Combine all ingredients. If you make extra, store in air tight container.




Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Combine crumbs and butter. Press firmly over bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake for 5 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F/170°C. In large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup/120 mL sugar and vanilla until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Reserve 1 cup/250 mL batter. Add remaining sugar, pumpkin and Pumpkin Pie Spice to remaining batter; mix well. Alternately layer pumpkin and cream cheese batters over crust. Cut through batters with knife several times for marbled effect. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until cheesecake springs back lightly when slightly touched. Loose cheesecake from rim of pan. Let cool to room temperature, then chill.

Makes 12 servings.

Watkins Independent Associate #300500

Beth’s Apple Crisp

This recipe is a courtesy recipe from watkinsonline.com/denisepassehl under the recipes section. It is a very good recipe and easy to make. With apples so abundant right now I thought I would make this. Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 cups/1 liter tart cooking apples
1/4 cup/60 mL sugar
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Purest Ground
Cinnamon 6 oz.

1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Caramel Extract
3/4 cup/125 mL brown sugar
1/2 cup/60 mL all-purpose flour
1/4 cup/60 mL butter, melted
Watkins Cooking Spray


Cooking Directions
Place apples into an oiled (you can use Watkins Cooking Spray) 9 × 9-inch/23 × 23-cm pan. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle lightly with Apple Bake Seasoning. Mix caramel extract, brown sugar, flour and butter together; mix until crumbly. Spread over apples. Bake at 375ºF/190ºC for 30 to 35 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.


Nutrition Facts
Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories 290
Protein 1 g
Carbohydrates 54 g
Sodium 80 mg
Fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Cholesterol 20 mg
Dietary Fiber 2 g

Independent Watkins Associate #300500