White Bean and Kale Soup (Vegan)

1 pound dried Great Northern or other white bean (or 3 cans)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 leeks, cut in half moons (white parts only)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. curry
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. fresh marjoram, chopped
6 C. vegetable broth
3 C. water
1 pound kale, stems discarded and leaves chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large bowl, cover beans with cold water and soak overnight.

2. Drain and rinse well.

3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and leeks, and sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add garlic, bay leaf, garlic salt, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cumin, and cook for one more minute.

5. Add cooked beans, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, vegetable broth, and water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in kale and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve hot.

This was first served to me by my friend Katie, but I think she gives credit to my other friend Leigh Ellen, who credits her mom. Whosoever it is, it’s yummy!

Katie's Cranberry Chicken Phyllo Cups

1 pkg. frozen mini phyllo shells (15 shells)
1/4 C. chopped dried cranberries
3/4 C finely chopped cooked chicken breast
1 container Greek fat-free plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts, toasted
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Thaw phyllo shells as directed on package.

2. In medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the cranberries and the remaining ingredients.

3. Spoon generous teaspoonfuls of mixture into the shells. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons cranberries and, if desired, rosemary sprigs.

When Katie served these at Evie's bridal shower, she simply purchased a high-quality, pre-made, chunk chicken salad and used that. So easy and pretty!

The original recipe is from Betty Crocker.

Katie's Lemony Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1/2 large lemon (zest and juice)
Softened butter for spreading on bread slices (prevents sogginess)
Salt and pepper
6 slices of hearty white or whole-grain bread
1/2 large cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced, dried with paper

1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, dill, lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Butter each slice of bread (prevents sogginess). Lay slices with butter side up on a work surface.

3. Evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture onto each slice. Arrange towel-dried cucumber slices on top of the first three slices of buttered bread. Top with remaining bread. Slice off the crusts.

4. If not serving immediately, wrap tightly in cling wrap and chill for up to 24 hours.

5. When ready to serve, slice into 4 triangles per sandwich.

This was modified from the original recipe at the Chew Out Loud blog.

Katie's Tomato Pesto Tea Sandwiches

This yummy appetizer was served by Katie C. at Evie's bridal shower. So yummy and easy!


1/4 C. + 1 Tbsp. basil pesto, or to taste
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 container cherry or Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small French baguette, sliced to desired thickness

Combine pesto and cream cheese well. Spread onto slices of French bread.

Add a slice of tomato to each, and either a small blob or a piped, decorative swirl of cream cheese mixture on top.

Garnish with sprig of parsley or basil, if desired.

This recipe was adapted from this recipe for Fancy Tomato Pesto Tea Sandwiches on the Pink Piccadilly Pastries blog. (The original recipe used sliced white bread and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.)


These were such a hit that we served them again on the passed appetizer trays at Evie's wedding. Again, we used slices of slightly toasted French bread as the base. They looked lovely on the trays and tasted delicious!