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Tuesday, April 23, 2024

A Review of Low Calorie Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I have always been a huge fan of chowder. I don't really care what kind, it can be clam chowder, potato chowder, or vegetable chowder, they are all delicious to me. My nephew, who went to the Culinary Institute of New York, can dish up some of the finest clam chowder I have ever had, it is really to die for! However, the calorie count on this wonderful chowder was enough to give me a heart attack. I would estimate probably between 350 to 400 per cup!

I often thought to myself that their had to be a lower calorie way to make good chowder. So I did some research on the internet. There are literally thousands of recipes on the internet for all kinds of chowder. Low cal chowder, not so much. There are some, so I did some comparisons. I found that vegetable chowder is usually less calories that those containing meat or fish. I don't mind skipping the meat, so I decided to try a compilation of my own making for vegetable chowder.

I had to make it a few times to adjust the ingredients. At first the base was just too thin, more like soup than an actual chowder. I was at a loss as to how to correct this problem without causing the calorie count to skyrocket by adding heavy cream. I was stumped for a while. Then one day I was grocery shopping, looking for some cheese when I saw a bag of finely shredded reduced calorie cheese. I think a visible light bulb went off over my head, right there in the store. I could melt some of this cheese in my veggie chowder and thicken it and also add some more flavor! I made some the very next day and put about half the 8 ounce bag in the pot and stirred it slowly.

Ingredients:

2 cups reduced fat chicken broth

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cups skim milk

3 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

pinch of black pepper

4 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth, carrots, celery, pepper and onions.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.

in a covered jar combine skim milk and flour and shake well.

Pour into broth and veggies and stir gently to mix.

Add parsley flakes garlic powder and black pepper and then slowly add the shredded cheese.

Stir slowly and let thicken.

Remove from heat and spoon into bowls with a sprinkle of cheese on top.

Only 160 calories and 4 grams of fat.

The result of the addition of cheese was a creamy, delicious chowder with medium thick consistency and mouth watering vegetables. Toss in a few croutons and you don't even need crackers, and all for fewer calories than most protein bars. If you need to add meat, try ham cubes, bacon, or pulled chicken. All of them would be a yummy addition!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Thursday, March 7, 2024

Savory Spinach Ball Appetizers

If you looking for an easy and healthy appetizer to serve at your next gathering, look no further than these easy spinach ball appetizers. These bite-sized delights are packed with nutrients and bursting with flavor. Whether hosting a party or craving a tasty snack, these spinach balls are the perfect choice.

Spinach Ball Appetizers - Reviewed

This is one of those recipes we had packed away and had not made for some time. This past Holiday season, Fran was going through some old recipes and found our spinach ball recipe.

We both thought wow we haven't made these in a long time. So, we decided to make them and we're so glad we did.

Spinach Ball Ingredients:

2 cups( 2-10 boxes) frozen chopped spinach
3 large eggs
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Thaw and pat dry the spinach.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
Scoop out portions of the mixture and roll into bite-sized balls.
Place them on a greased cookie sheet or lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until they are golden brown and firm to the touch.
Cool for a few minutes before serving.

These spinach balls are a great way to incorporate healthy greens into your diet without sacrificing flavor. Spinach balls are a perfect appetizer for any party or just as a snack.

If we have any leftovers we freeze them. You can take them out of the freezer and pop them in the oven to warm them up for a snack. I like them plain, but you can experiment with different dipping sauces if you like.

For more recipes on Review This click here:

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Friday, February 23, 2024

Chicken Broccoli Casserole aka Chicken Divan Recipe Review

My aunt shared her Chicken Divan recipe with our family over 40 years ago and I have been making it ever since. Every member of our family will eat it (except the vegans), which is pretty miraculous. It is very rare to find a recipe that everyone likes.

The original recipe called for frozen broccoli, however a few years back, I started making it with fresh broccoli, which the members of my household prefer. However, that does take a little more preparation time. Both frozen or fresh broccoli need to be cooked before the casserole is assembled, but fresh broccoli has to be washed and cut up into bite-size pieces. I usually just break the florets off the stems while rinsing the broccoli instead of cutting it up.

After I wash it and separate the florets from the stems, I pour melted butter on the broccoli, add a little salt and pepper, then steam it for 8 minutes. If I use less than 4 bunches of broccoli, I would adjust the steam time to 5 or 6 minutes, then taste test the broccoli before adding it to the casserole dish.

I boil the chicken breasts in a large pot (5qt dutch oven) of water for 1 hr. After it cools, I remove/discard the bones and skin. Then I shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

*If you use fresh broccoli, you need 1 stick of butter to melt & pour over the broccoli before steaming

I used 4 bunches of Broccoli Crowns in the casserole shown

Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe
aka Chicken Divan Recipe

Prep Time	Cook Time	Ready In	Yields
1 hr 30 min.	35 min.	2 hrs	6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

3 – 4 Chicken Breasts (cooked – deboned -- shredded)

3 or 4 Bunches of Fresh Broccoli OR 20 oz. Frozen Chopped Broccoli (2 Boxes)
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (we prefer the Sargento brand)
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
½ cup Mayonnaise

Directions

Cook Chicken Breasts (see boiling chicken directions above)

Steam Broccoli (see steaming directions and time above)

Line the bottom of the casserole dish with steamed broccoli
Cover the broccoli with cooked & shredded chicken
In a separate bowl, Mix chicken soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice & 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese together
Spread the soup/mayonnaise/cheese mixture over the chicken
Cover with remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

You won't be able to see the chicken and broccoli once the soup mixture is spread across the entire top of casserole,
but I wanted you to see how densely packed each layer should be.

Ready to Bake

Bake on 350° (325 convection oven) for 35 minutes

Baked and Ready to Serve

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Chicken Broccoli Casserole aka Chicken Divan Recipe Review Written by:

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Saturday, February 17, 2024

Reviewing National Drink Wine Day

National Drink Wine Day is held on February 18 each year. No one knows who chose this day to specifically drink wine, but it is nice to know that there is a special day of the year set aside to enjoy it (assuming you are over 21, of course).

The origin of Drink Wine Day is unknown, but it was probably created by either a winemaker or a wine connoisseur.

Benefits of Drinking Wine

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Drinking wine has benefits beyond the fact that it tastes good.

Wine in moderation has health benefits for your heart and in lowering the risk of certain kinds of cancers, diabetes and liver disease.

Other benefits include enhancing the flavors of spices, fruits and sauces when paired with the right meal.

A glass of wine helps us relax and learning about wines keeps our minds sharp.

How to Celebrate National Drink Wine Day

Have a memorable evening by sharing wine with friends or that someone special.

Attend a wine-tasting event and try out different kinds of wine.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Go on a winery tour. Two wineries reviewed here on this Review This Reviews! site include:

Sculpterra Winery in Paso Robles, California - review written by BarbRad
Tycoga Vineyard & Winery in Dewitt, Iowa - review written by Wednesday Elf

Related Holidays

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Happily, there is more than one day of the year set aside to enjoy wine. They include:

Open That Bottle Night – Dorothy Gaither and John Becher created this day to encourage people to reconnect with each other over a good bottle of wine or champagne. It is held on the last Saturday in February each year.

National Wine and Cheese Day - A day to celebrate pairing wine and cheese, providing an opportunity to sample some of our favorites. This holiday is held on July 25th.

Drink Local Wine Week - The second full week in October brings us this annual event that hopefully encourages bloggers and wine columnists to write about their local wines.

International Merlot Day – On November 7th we can celebrate one of the world's most popular red wines. It is also a day to encourage those who have never tried Merlot to give it a try.

Wine Tourism Day – This day, held on the second Saturday in November, features wineries and wine-related events all over the world.

Summery

If you enjoy drinking wine, pop the cork on your favorite bottle of wine and celebrate National Drink Wine Day this February 18th.

A Wine Chuckle

“I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food" :)

~ W.C. Fields

For More Wine-Related Reviews

Check out Review This Reviews: Wine

For More Holiday Reviews

Check out Review This Reviews: Holidays

*Holiday Review of National Drink Wine Day written by Wednesday Elf

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Saturday, February 3, 2024

Review of National Pizza Day

February 9 is National Pizza Day.

A Brief History of Pizza

The word “Pizza” is from the old Italian word meaning “A Point”. This popular dish began in Italy, but pizza's original American home is New York City.

Fun Facts About Pizza

Pizza is an American standard. The most popular pizza toppings are pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms, with Pepperoni Pizza topping the list of favorites.

A poll showed that people eat pizza on the average of three times a month. The most often times are Friday nights and Movie nights.

The days most popular for ordering pizza are:

Super Bowl Sunday
Halloween
Thanksgiving Eve
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

Pizza Days

Other days throughout the year celebrate various kinds of pizzas.

February 9 – National Pizza Day
May 17 – National Pizza Party Day
September 5 – National Cheese Pizza Day ('Hold the Toppings')
September 20 – National Pepperoni Pizza Day
November 12 – National Pizza with the works, except anchovies Day

AND - October is known as National Pizza MONTH

Pizza Places

The top rated pizza fast-food places find Domino's Pizza in first place, followed in order by Pizza Hut, Papa Johns and Little Caesars.

Many pizza fans insist that their regional type is the best. Whether it's thin or thick crust, deep dish, kinds of cheeses, or sauce, or toppings, certain regions insist it is the only way to eat pizza! These include Buffalo, California, Chicago, Detroit, Greek, New York and St. Louis styles. For a complete list of these regional favorites, check out the Wikipedia article here on Pizza in the United States.

More About Pizza

Many of the writers on Review This Reviews have written reviews about pizza recipes, and the products and supplies, such as pizza pans, which aid in creating your favorite pizza. Click HERE for a list of reviews related to PIZZA.

Summary

So, enjoy your favorite pizza on National Pizza Day this February 9th, or on any of the other Pizza Days throughout the year. Actually, probably no one needs a special day to eat pizza; any day will do!

Happy Pizza Day!

*Review of National Pizza Day is written by Wednesday Elf

+All images in this review are from Pixabay

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Wednesday, January 17, 2024

The Best Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs — An Outstanding Low-Carb Treat

We're in the thick of winter snowstorms here in New England. Since I have a bad back, my husband does the snow shoveling. I always greet him upon his return with a steaming cup of hot cocoa to warm him up and show my appreciation.

Since we both stopped eating sugar a few years ago (and feel so much better as a result), now I make sugar-free hot chocolate. If it's the weekend, I usually prepare my Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate recipe, which is rich and decadent and has pretty much spoiled commercial hot cocoa mixes for us, but takes a bit more time and effort than using an instant hot cocoa mix.

However, when sugar-free ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs launched a few months ago, I was anxious to try them. Fortunately, they did not disappoint!

Now, if I want to make delicious hot cocoa with mini marshmallows quickly and easily, I just heat some almond or macadamia milk, drop in a ChocZero hot cocoa bomb, and stir until dissolved. Here's my product review of this outstanding low-carb treat.

Image created using Canva generative AI

I have talked about ChocZero sugar-free chocolate and other sweet treats sweetened with natural monk fruit here on Review This Reviews, including ChocZero's mini marshmallows in my High-Protein, Sugar-Free Rocky Road Cottage Cheese Ice Cream recipe (still one of my favorites!); their regular sugar-free marshmallows in my Healthy Pistachio Cherry Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cereal Treats recipe; my review of the best sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spreads; ChocZero's fabulous truffles, chocolate keto bark, butter cookies, chewy caramels, jams, cookie spread, honey, and Rhea chocolate peanut nougat candy bars in my review of An Awesome Low Carb Gourmet Gift Basket Everyone Will Love; ChocZero's coffee syrups in my Refreshing Vanilla Italian Soda recipe; their sugar-free strawberry jam in my Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes recipe; and more.

So, even though I have been somewhat disappointed in the low-carb, sugar-free hot cocoa mixes I have tried, I knew ChocZero's sugar-free hot cocoa bombs would be worth a try.

What I Love About ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs

Awesome Packaging

ChocZero Keto Hot Cocoa Bombs - Premium Zero Sugar Added Milk Chocolate Melting Bomb Gift Set - Filled with Sugar-Free Marshmallows (4 Count)

The first thing you notice when you receive your order of ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs is the fabulous packaging.

The clear plastic box is printed with the ChocZero brand, product name, product image, and other pertinent information.

Because the outer box is clear, you can see through to the inside, where each hot cocoa bomb is snugly wrapped in festive bright gold foil that makes it look extra special.

There are four hot cocoa bombs per box. Inside the outer box, there is a protective molded plastic shell with four spherical depressions that cradle the foil-wrapped chocolate spheres and prevent them from being broken or otherwise harmed during transit.

The first two boxes I ordered were a gift for my husband since he loves hot chocolate so much.

Convenience

My husband and I really love my Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate recipe and if I have all the ingredients on hand, it's a special treat.

However, the ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs are the first low-carb, sugar-free hot cocoa "mix" we've tried that we really enjoy.

They are also quicker and easier to prepare than my from-scratch recipe when we're looking for instant gratification.

And unwrapping each gold foil-wrapped ball really does add something special to the experience of making hot cocoa!

Rich Chocolate Taste and Luscious Mouthfeel

Like my ultimate keto hot chocolate recipe, the ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs include both cocoa powder and chocolate.

The chocolate shell creates a richer chocolate taste and a more luscious mouthfeel than the hot cocoa mix inside alone.

The chocolate shell also contains not only the sugar-free hot cocoa mix but also sugar-free mini marshmallows, which my husband and I both love in our hot cocoa.

Unlike most sugar-free hot cocoa mixes we've tried, we don't need to add anything to make this taste better, although we often enjoy adding a splash of one of ChocZero's flavoring syrups.

How I Use ChocZero Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs

We start by unwrapping each hot cocoa bomb and placing it in a large mug.

Next, we heat the milk. Although you can use any kind of milk you prefer, we prefer to use either unsweetened vanilla almond milk or unsweetened vanilla macadamia milk to make our hot cocoa, since they are lower in natural sugar and carbs than dairy milk. We sometimes add a splash of heavy cream for added richness.

It's important to heat the milk very hot before pouring it over the hot cocoa bomb, and it takes a bit of stirring to completely melt the outer milk chocolate shell and dissolve the cocoa mix.

ChocZero Sugar Free Peppermint Syrup for Coffee - Keto Flavoring Syrups - Low Calorie Simple Syrup for Flavored Drinks (26.5 ounce bottle/750ml)

My husband and I love the flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint, so we usually add a splash of the awesome ChocZero Sugar-Free Peppermint Syrup into our prepared hot cocoa.

We also enjoy our cocoa with a splash of other ChocZero flavoring syrups, especially caramel or hazelnut. They're fabulous and don't have the unpleasant aftertaste or questionable sweeteners used in other brands of sugar-free syrups.

This flavored hot cocoa makes such a satisfying, sweet, low-carb treat that we often enjoy it for dessert.