So I realize it's been almost a week again since I last posted! I've been off the grid celebrating Christmas and quite frankly, relaxing! I've also been pretty horrendous about snapping photos, so I don't have a lot of visual chronicling of the past week either. Fail. Anyways, Christmas at PJ's was as fantastic as always. We celebrated with friends, family, and lots-o-food! I will say that over the past two weeks, I dined out more, and consumed an abundance of yummy foods that I typically enjoy more moderately. I guess such is the holidays, right? The day after Christmas, I was craving simple food- vegetable, quinoa, and fish. Unfortunately, this didn't happen as my Fresh Direct order didn't come until Thursday! Therefore, Thursday was another day of takeout: a little leftover lo-mein for breakfast, Subway sangy for lunch, and sushi for dinner. Needless to say, I was thrilled on Thursday when all my cruciferous goodies arrived! I also had the hankering to cook, which I had not done since the previous week when I whipped up din din for my parents. Thursday I got back to the kitchen and made a delicious and comforting soup that was recommended to me by PJ's sis. I usually am not a soup lover, but this one hit the spot because of its thickness and garlicky flavor! The recipe she used was from Rachel Ray, but I chose to go with a Smitten Kitchen recipe ( it was pretty much the same), because I just love smitten kitchen so very much!
Roasted Eggplant Soup
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
Serves 4
3 medium tomatoes, halved
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise (I used 3 smaller ones)
1 small onion, halved (eh, mine was medium)
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth (I USED VEGGIE BROTH)
1/4 cup heavy cream (you can add more to taste, or skip this entirely) ( I SKIPPED AND USED A PLOP OF CHOBANI BEFORE EATING!)
3/4 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
*I also stirred in a splash of balsamic vinegar to the pot before eating for some tangyness! YUM.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on a large baking sheet, or two smaller ones if you, like me, have a tiny oven. Brush or drizzle vegetables with oil then roast them for 20 minutes, pausing only to remove the garlic cloves (the original recipe had you keep them in the whole time, and mine, sadly, burned) and returning the pans to the oven for another 25 minutes, until the remaining vegetables are tender and brown in spots. Remove from oven and scoop eggplant from skin into a heavy, large saucepan or soup pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, the thyme and the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes (mine took longer). Cool slightly.
Working in batches, puree soup in blender until it is as smooth as you’d like it to be. (Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can do this in the pot.) Back in the pot, add the cream and bring the soup back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in four bowls, sprinkled with goat cheese.
A spicier riff: As I mentioned above, if you like to play with spices, this soup has a lot of potential. The next time I make it, I might give it a spin with 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander and a pinch of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper added in with the broth. I might finish the soup with a squeeze of lemon juice and I might use feta, which has a stronger flavor than the soft chevre that I used. If you add any spices or made any changes, I’d love to hear what you came up with in the comments.
In other new, PJ's Dad got me a juicer for Christmas! I have been wanting one for a while, but I never got around to buying it. Frankly, I was a little scared of the contraption and the juicing process. After my first experience using it yesterday, I will say the mess I made was a tad frightening. I'm hoping the disaster lessens as I become a more skilled juicer, but my first attempt resulted in a beet and kale covered kitchen. I'm not talking about dirty counters, I mean the walls and underneath the cabinets were splattered with green, red, and orange. I found a piece of kale in my coffee which must have shot into the air and found its landing-place in my precious caffeinated beverage. Despite the slightly frenetic experience, my juice came out fabulous. I would have taken photos for you, but I just couldn't manage it! I'll provide recipes as I get better. Yesterday's tye die wonder consisted of a boat load of kale, 1 beet, 1 pear, 2 huge carrots, and some ginger.
So, yet another year comes to a close on Monday. How bout' it? I feel like this year FLEW by; however I think I say this every year. With a new year comes the infamous (and often unsuccessful) new years resolution. To be completely honest, I never really make a new years resolution, and in the nature of full disclosure, I'm also guilty of not giving up anything during Lent. I think some of this is due to laziness, and I'm also aware that I probably won't stick to the vow I make. I'm guessing this is because my plans are unrealistic. This year I'm turning over a new leaf and choosing to work on something that will be good for my brain and my wallet. I mentioned in a post a couple of weeks back that my goal is to "wear and repeat" (like Kate Middleton!). Well, this has now become an obvious New Years Resolution!
Wear and Repeat
Who doesn't love a new outfit for each and every occasion? It's fun, it makes you feel good, and you don't have the same outfit posted twice in pics on Facebook! Despite the pros, there are clear cons which include, but are not limited too: an ever shrinking wallet, a closet packed with clothes that have tags on them, and wasted opportunities to take your poor, neglected clothing out for the night! What happens to me is that I purchase an article of clothing and then proceed to "save" it for just the right occasion. Guess what happens? Between the purchase and "just the right event", I find another perfect outfit that calls to me off the rack that I "must have" for said event. This result is a closet full of clothes (and wasted $) that I never end up wearing. I also tend to revert to wearing clothing that is old and comfy instead of wearing the new items I buy. For example, I have about 10 sweaters from JCrew (primarily the cable knit Wellesley sweaters.. I don't think they even call them this anymore!) purchased YEARS ago that I always find myself reaching for. I have a variety of newer sweaters, but they just aren't in the mix as much as my JCrew old faithfuls. If you buy classics, they never go out of style- thanks, Mom. :) So to wrap it up, this year is wear and repeat. I've already done it a few times, and I feel so good about it! You can change-up the look by adding different accessories! After all, no one else cares if you repeat an outfit. For the most part, they are exclusively focused on what they wear and how they feel! hallelujah.
One way that I have been editing my closet is by selling my gently worn clothing to either Second Time Around or Buffalo Exchange. I prefer Buffalo exchange because they give you cash on the spot. AWESOME. You receive 30% cash or 50% store credit (you choose) on each item they decide to take. Second Time Around gives you 30% of each item they sell, so you do have to wait a bit to receive your pay out. If they don't sell an item, you have a date to pick it up by or else they donate it. Don't get me wrong, there are many clothes and shoes that I do donate (because they have been worn to death!), but if something is barely worn and in great condition, why not get some bling bling for it?!
Alrighty, my friends! That's it for today. I'm off to do some yoga and cleaning. Whoopy! I'm going to leave you with an article from Balanced- Beings that addresses how to handle the holiday festivities. I realize Monday will punctuate a whirlwind holiday season, but this article is applicable to any event on any given day!
Cheers!
Sarah
Rock That Holiday Party
Healthy Tip Of The Week
Rock That Holiday Party!
I love holiday parties! It is a perfect excuse to get out of my yoga clothes and into some fun outfits. What I don't like is feeling as if I got off track by eating things I normally wouldn't and drinking more wine than I should. Over the years I have learned some ways to rock that holiday party without feeling it the next morning.
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