soup hack

There comes a time towards the end of the week (or two) when you are left with scraps of vegetables. What better way to not let those go to waste than to make a soup. No recipes, no rules. All you have to do is (1) pick a base to make your broth, (2) add in your cut up veggies, (3) bring to boil and then simmer on low for 30 minutes.

My go-to base would be tomato if the soup is going to be vegetarian. I usually keep in stock canned tomato sauce and use a 1:2 ratio of sauce to water when making the soup. Other options include vegetable, beef, and chicken stock. You can also just drop in a bouillon cube in some water.

I add in potatoes and onions to every soup because, as most people do, I always have it on hand. Frozen corn and peas are also easy to drop in. If you wanted to make it a carnivorous soup, I suggest you cook the meat separately and then add it in. To make the soup a little more hearty, you can add pasta or beans.

The suggestions go on and on. And the possibilities are endless. Making your own soup is a good way to limit your sodium intake as store-bought soups can contain almost 1000 mg of sodium - that's almost 50% of your recommended daily value. Home-cooking keeps your eyes open to what you're putting into your body. Happy soup making!

SP

...listening Rise Up by Andra Day

Comments? Questions? Leave them here or shoot me an email.

bachelorette card

Love is beautiful. And it's a wonderful thing to witness. Need I say more?

succulents & cactus

I have been meaning to add some life to my apartment for a while. Thought I'd take advantage of the beautiful weather and finally do some "planting." You can easily go buy succulents and cacti but what's the fun in that? This project was cheap, easy, and quick.

I purchased the bowls at Target for $1.99 each and the plants from Home Depot for around $3.50 each. These low-maintenance indoor plants are just want I needed for some peace in my busy schedule. 

SP

...listening to Can't Stop by OneRepublic

Comments? Questions? Leave them here or shoot me an email.

squash spaghetti

    

Cooking doesn't have to be hard. This meal prep idea is getting me excited for lunch this week. Packed with more than 20g of protein and three raw vegetables (because raw vegetables are more nutritious but no one wants to eat a salad everyday), it is sure to keep you full and feeling good. 

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow squash
• 1 zucchini squash
• 4oz baby bella mushrooms
• 1/2c pasta sauce
• handful of baby spinach
• 8oz ground turkey
• 1/4c onion

Directions:

1. Thinly slice all squash into long strands (although I used a knife, a spiralizer would probably be much easier)
2. Saute onion in olive oil for 1 minute
3. Add in ground turkey and cook until fully browned
4. Add pasta sauce and spinach to the turkey and cook until spinach has wilted
5. Top squash and mushrooms with meat sauce

SP

...listening to Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran

Comments? Questions? Leave them here or shoot me an email.

mini egg quiche

Although I consider myself a morning person, I still find myself running around in the A.M. I try to prep as much as I can the night before like packing my gym bag, picking out my outfit, and laying my shoes out by the door. Recently I've started meal-prepping my breakfast in addition to my lunches for the week. When I'm feeling sweet, I usually cut up some fruit in plain greek yogurt and sprinkle some walnuts with a drizzle of honey. Most of the time, I'm feeling savory so I make these mini egg quiches. The word "quiche" is misleading because there is no flaky crust involved; however, recipes are for editing so you add in that pastry if that is what you want!

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 5 mini breakfast sausage links 
• 1 c thinly chopped spinach
• 1/4 c thinly chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 c diced onions
• optional: uncooked oats

Directions:

1. Beat eggs until yolks are fully incorporated.

2. Mix in spinach, mushrooms, and onions.

3. In the cupcake tin, pat down a layer of oats (if you decide you want some additional protein and a crust-type texture).

4. Spoon in egg mixture into the cups. You will want to fill up 10 standard cupcake tins.

5. Layer the cut up sausage links on top.

6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes & broil for 1 minute to get a nice char on the meat.

Once they are cool, stick them in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat. In the mornings, I pop two in the microwave for about 25 seconds and top with some salsa. Enjoy!

SP

...listening to Daylight by Matt and Kim

Comments? Questions? Leave them here or shoot me an email.