Souper Combo

February 26th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (4 Comments)

I ate this exact turkey sandwich and soup combo for lunch for three days in a row,

Soup and Salad Lunch

for two reasons:

1. Because it was really good.

2. The recipe I’m about to share makes a lot of soup.  Halve the recipe if you won’t be able to eat/share 10 cups of soup over the course of three or four days.  Now that Zak works from home, we have no trouble eating this much soup in a relatively short period of time.  You could also freeze the leftovers to have on hand when you don’t feel like cooking some time in the future.  (I need to get better at remembering to do this!)  Read more...

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Italian Sausage and Tomato Soup With Kale

February 17th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (4 Comments)

If you eat kale, do you remember a time when you didn’t eat kale?

I sure do.  Kale was totally a “No, thank you” food as a former only-iceburg-lettuce-eating lady.  But then I tried kale chips sometime in 2008 or 2009, and my love for kale began.  I’m fairly sure that kale chips are the gateway drug to dark leafy greens.  If kale seems dark and scary to you – try it in chip form.  It’s hard to say “No Thanks” when it’s warm and crispy and delicious after being baked in a little oil and salt.  Read more...

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Red Pepper and Cauliflower Bisque

January 26th, 2014 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (12 Comments)

This was supposed to be post #9 of 44 into this series of Healthy Eating on a Budget.  Cauliflower was on today’s agenda.  Unfortuantely, it wasn’t until after I made, photographed, devoured and sat down to write this post about Red Pepper and Cauliflower Bisque that I realized cauliflower is NOT on the list of affordable healthy food items under a $1 that I’ve been working from.

Can you hear me groaning from here?  Planning fail.  Well guess what!  I’m going make a case for cauliflower anyway, because that list of 44 healthy foods is not the boss of me.  More importantly though, this soup was too delicious to not share.  Read more...

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Coconut Curry Chicken Stew

December 31st, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (5 Comments)

I’m on a mission to eat more turmeric.

Turmeric Powder

I don’t think it’s news that turmeric is a health food – but it’s one of the supplements recommended by Dr. Perlmutter in Grain Brain, so I’ve recently been thinking more about this pungent spice.

Turmeric is one of the spices that make up curry powder (among cumin, coriander, ginger) and it’s got a list a mile long (literally – if you write really big and use a lot of paper) of alleged health benefits.  It said to support your immune system, it has anti-inflammatory properties and is often recommended to those who suffer from joint and arthritis pain.  It’s believed to have a positive effect on cholesterol and contains curcumin, an anti-oxidant that can protect us from damage by free radicals and can potentially slow the signs of aging.  Read more...

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Hearty Chicken Tomato Vegetable Soup

November 24th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Lunch - (1 Comments)

It’s been a sleepy Sunday here.  I just finished eating this bowl of soup for lunch.  Soup that was so delicious it deserves a blog post – for you, and for me, because I don’t want to forget what I did so I can make this again.

Selfish, selfish woman.

Hearty Chicken Tomato Vegetable Soup

Also note that I did burn my tongue on this soup.  I couldn’t wait for it to cool.

I roasted two bone-in chicken breasts yesterday afternoon and once I removed the meat from the bones, I put the bones into the crock pot with a handful of other miscellaneous chicken parts I’ve been hoarding in my freezer (thanks to you genius people who gave me this tip!) for homemade bone broth.  Read more...

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Chicken Soup Habits

September 7th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Healthy Habits - (7 Comments)

Earlier this year I wrote about making chicken soup with bone broth and why bone broth is good for you.  To recap, broth made from animal bones and the bits that hold it all together (think ligaments and cartilage) is where lots of good, nutritious stuff is hanging out.  When you simmer these parts in water over a long period of time, you can make a broth that rich in vitamins, minerals, supports immune function and bone health.  Best of all, it’s delicious!  Read more...

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March Fourth Into Shrubbery

March 4th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (4 Comments)

The Greener March Challenge, Day 4!

Today’s green round up started with an avocado (and spinach) smoothie that was so awesome I was forced to share.

Avocado Green Smoothie

I eventually had to get out a bib and strap him into his seat because this “sharing” of my smoothie was getting out hand.

Sharing My Avocado Smoothie

(We’re going to revisit this smoothie more closely tomorrow because it deserves its very own post.)

Some red leaf and green leaf lettuce was seen on top of a turkey burger in the afternoon, plus the last of the roasted Brussels sprouts from yesterday, topped with a little a garlic powder.  Read more...

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Nothing Beets Soup

January 17th, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Vegetable Lovin' - (13 Comments)

Last weekend I went out to dinner with some girlfriends, it was my first evening out on the town since Kaz was born and it was glorious.

There was wine.

There was dessert.

There were no children.

There was beet soup.

When perusing the menu for our first course, I couldn’t decide between the Beet and Ginger Soup with Scallions and the Beet Salad with arugula, feta, orange & hazelnut vinaigrette.  Beet salad eventually won my favor in the battle of the beets – but fortunately a fellow beet loving friend ordered the soup and let me sample it.  Read more...

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Project Weight Loss: Week 8

November 16th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Weight Loss - (16 Comments)

Zak and I were in college when we met and started dating.   He taught me how to play racquetball early in our relationship, and it came to be something we did together quite regularly at (my) school where we had easy access to racquetball courts.

Whenever we played, he always won.  I never felt bad about this, he’s bigger, stronger, a more experienced player – he kicked my ass quite regularly and I just rolled with it.  I mean HELLO, I’m hanging out with my uber cute boyfriend with whom I’m totally smitten, who the hell cares if I win or that racquetball is a little dorky?  Read more...

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Eat Soup. Do It. Do It Now.

September 20th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Weight Loss - (5 Comments)

This video is the reason I made soup today.

I loved this little weight loss clip from Lifehacker, especially the bit about soup leaving you feeling fuller longer, which can aid in your weight loss efforts if that’s something you’re after.

Given that my pre-pregnancy weight still eludes me, I found this idea intriguing. I have since come to the conclusion that we simply do not eat enough soup around here! With soup on the brain, I got started with this butternut beauty.

Butternut Squash

A butternut squash and three of my best friends; coconut oil, onion and garlic.  Read more...

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