Let Them Eat Soup!!!

Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to share my love and passion of the Clean Eating lifestyle with about 20 of my coworkers! What a treat! I really was not nervous, it is a subject near and dear to my heart . . . as a matter of fact I credit clean eating with saving my life and giving me the best quality of life I have ever had.



I learned a lot from doing this presentation.
1. I need to work on the sequence of information I present.
2. I need to keep it as simple as possible
3. Some people really do not care to know what is in their food
4. Some people are so hungry for information so that they, too, can make the best choices possible for their health and well being.
5. Samples are good.
6. Food prep demonstrations are awesome! I need to make sure I always assemble some food to share.

Oh and presentation is everything!!!!! Wait to you see what the food service table looked like at lunch time!!! I was so excited to see that they had selected the most awesome selection of foods.







Shortly after my presentation I started feeling one of the worst headaches I can remember experiencing in a while. I was on my way to the gym for a work out. I thought maybe I had not had enough water, or that it was a reaction to little bite of dessert I had (containing sugar and white flour), or I just needed to sweat it out! I hit the gym and worked out my lats, traps, rhomboids and lower back extensors as hard as I could. It was a fabulous workout and I was sweating profusely.

As I gathered up my gym bag and took off my lifting straps I notices that there was burning sensation in throat and around the rims of my eyes. What is this?! I have been traveling all summer, seven weeks of awesome workout, hiking, biking, running, etc.

As soon as I got home I made myself some hot tea w/vitamin C. I slid into a hot bath of epsom salt. I went to bed early hoping to sleep off whatever critter had decided to jump on for a little ride. No such luck. So today, instead of the duathlon training (bike/run) and the TRX circuit I had planned, I am resting and making soup!

The most yummy soup I must say!!!


I took pictures of most of the ingredients, because I never stick to a recipe and I never make the same soup twice. I go by craving (what appeals to my current appetite) and what is available . . . so it shifts around a bit. Today I really felt I needed a chicken stock based soup and I wanted some healthy clean carbs and a little protein without eating meat today (it just isn't appealing to me right now).




Recipe:

1 carton organic reduced sodium chicken stock
2 15oz. cans of organic lentils (drained and rinsed thoroughly)
1 cup of Harvest Grain Blend (cous cous)
2 medium size sweet potatoes (diced)
3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leafs
3 tbsp dried rosemary needles

After cooking I tasted it and decided I wanted more kick and added some red pepper flake. It was just what I needed. I love being able to create healthy hearty soups. They are so nourishing and comforting. . . . just the things I needed today.

A friend, Lisa, had a great idea the other day and I am soooooo on it!! She asked about making and freezing soups. I did that a lot last summer and enjoyed it so much. I have been traveling so much I had even thought about all the yummy local produce that is currently in season that makes my favorite soup bases!!! I will be hitting the farmers market and CSA this weekend to get some tomatoes, lots of tomatoes!!! Zucchini!!! I'd love to gather some mushrooms and squash blossoms as well. I like to make the base for soups and then add the grains and legumes at the time of serving.

I hope you create something beautiful in your life today!