Monthly Archives: January 2020

winter soup

Winter Soup

by crockpot, Instant Pot, seasons, winter

It's still winter

We've made it past the winter solstice and the days are slowly getting longer. But the weather is definitely cold and damp. And it still gets dark pretty early. On days like that, I think there's nothing like a nourishing, warming winter soup. Combined with a simple salad and a delicious cheesy biscuit, it makes a perfect dinner at the end of the day. Plus it's an easy meal that comes together pretty quickly.

 

Winter Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 3 ribs celery, diced
  2. 1 white onion, minced
  3. 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  4. 1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
  5. 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
  6. 1/2 cup spinach
  7. 1 large zucchini, diced
  8. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  9. 4 cups bone broth
  10. 1 tbsp dried basil
  11. 2 tsp dried oregano
  12. 1 tbsp dried parsley
  13. Optional: add 1 small hot pepper for a bit of a warming kick - if this is too spicy, the pepper can be cooked separately and added to the bowl before serving
To make in the Instant Pot
  1. Add all ingredients into the pot and stir to combine
  2. Seal and cook on manual high for 20 minutes
  3. Natural release 10 minutes then quick release
To make in a slow cooker
  1. Add all ingredients and stir to combine
  2. Cover and cook high 3-4 hours/low 6-7 hours
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste
  4. Garnish with fresh parsley
  5. Enjoy!
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
 
For quick and easy cheesy biscuits I use this recipe from Pamela's and add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. I get perfect gluten-free biscuits every time.
 

2020 Word Of The Year: Authentic

by change, habits

Here we are, the start of a new year.  All freshly minted.  Smelling like blank pages, freshly sharpened pencils, ready to rock and roll.  And you know what that means...time for a new word.

The History

If you've been following me for a while you know that each January I choose a word to serve as my focus for the next 12 months. I've been doing this since 2014.  Previous words have been, Inspire, Change, Balance, Focus, Mindfulness, and last year's word, Simple. 

It turns out last year was anything BUT simple. However knowing that this was my word, and having it on my inspiration board, meant that when I was evaluating things, or trying to bring order into chaotic situations, my uppermost thought was how to achieve that ideal of simplicity.

I like to encourage my friends and readers to pick a word as well and I love hearing about their word, what it means to them, and how they anticipate it will support them in the coming year.

Definition

Like previous years, the task of choosing a word is an important one. Not something I take lightly. I need to mull over the choices that seem to call to me until eventually settling on one that feels just right. Every year I find myself surprised at how the word somehow seems to find me. It's never a flippant or lightly chosen one, but one that I've truly searched for.

The word I've chosen for this year is Authentic - [ aw-then-tik ] - adjective