More Soup

Photo by myveggiekitchen

Here is another soup recipe to make your mouth water. Try it this weekend - it is simple, healthy, and can be saved for "must-goes" later in the week. Enjoy!

Tomato-Orange Soup

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (preferably organic)
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 14 1/2-ounce cans unsalted diced tomatoes with juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup of fresh orange juice
1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half (preferably organic)

Instructions:
In a saucepan, melt butter, add onion and saute until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, soda and thyme. Bring to boil, reduce heat and summer uncovered about 15 min or until slightly thickened.

Puree in a food processor or blender. Return to saucepan and stir in orange juice and cream. Bring to a simmer and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Ode to Soup

Photo by The Pioneer Woman

I find that meal-planning is one of the most essential parts of my ability to find balance in my juggle during the week. Once the alarm goes off in the morning, it is like a gun goes off, and I’m up and running until my head hits the pillow again that night. Finding time to cook healthy meals in the midst of the daily race is very difficult in my house.

Eating well is so important, however, to staying healthy, feeling good, and nourishing myself and my family. When I eat on the go or indulge in something that isn’t healthy, I typically pay the price for it – sluggishness, lack of energy, and feeling very unbalanced. Running through a fast food drive-through or picking up take-out regularly just isn’t an option – not for my health or for my wallet. So that leaves home-cooking as the option I resort to most often, and with limited time, that can be a challenge.

Enter: SOUP, my newest obsession. During these cold winter months, a bowl of homemade soup is like nothing else to warm me and fill me up. I love the smell of a vegetable soup or chili simmering in the kitchen – there is something about the aroma that says “comfort” to me and instantly creates a sense of relaxation. Now, don’t get me wrong; I don’t have time to labor on homemade soup for hours a day or sit back and relax while it simmers on the stove very often. But what I do have time for is throwing some good stuff into the slow-cooker in the morning, and returning home to a warm bowl of goodness.

A few reasons why I’m so fond of soup these days:

1. The ease with which it can be made. I’ve pulled my slow-cooker out of the closet and am now putting it to use at least once a week. It is so simple to throw a bunch of yummy ingredients into the cooker, go to work all day, and return home in time to feed my family a healthy, soupy meal.

2. It can easily be made into large portions and frozen for future use. It isn’t uncommon for me to double or triple a soup recipe and freeze several bags of the good stuff to pull out in a few weeks when I need another quick, healthy meal.

3. You can put anything in it! I often clean out my pantry, fridge, and freezer by combining random ingredients with some vegetable or chicken stock, tomato juice, or other base, and voila! – SOUP!

One way I challenge myself creatively is to try out new recipes when I am able. With soups, this doesn’t seem too daunting. The recipes are generally simple and the final product is worthy of the challenge. This weekend I tried a recipe for Cauliflower Soup from the Pioneer Woman. (Side note: I have found many of her recipes to be simple and yummy, so I highly recommend looking through her site or cookbook when you have time.) My family gave it a thumbs-up, and we have plenty left over for “must-goes” this week (All this food “must go”…) and to freeze for another time. Now, this recipe is not for a slow-cooker, but from start to finish, it look me less than an hour to complete. Perfect for a weekend evening that is a bit slower-paced than the weekdays. Now, we have “must-goes” for tonight. Yummmm.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 6

Ingredients
· 1 stick Butter
· ½ whole Onion, finely diced
· 1 whole Carrot finely diced
· 1 stalk Celery, finely diced
· 1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly chopped)
· 2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
· 2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
· 6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
· 2 cups Whole Milk
· 1 cup Half-and-Half
· 2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, to taste
· 1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, room temperature

Preparation Instructions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.
Serve immediately.

What are your go-to recipes that are simple, healthy, and time-efficient?

Irony in Balance

Photo by Herorat

It really is pretty ironic that I would choose to start up a blog, write for it, and maintain it… and a blog on finding balance, “thriving in the juggle of life,” and doing it all simply at that! Wouldn’t staying simple and balanced typically mean excluding things from one’s life, rather than tacking more items on the to-do list… purposefully? Don’t I already have enough on my plate with family, work, and community responsibilities? Perhaps not. As I’ve thought about this place, :simple:balance:, my goals for being a part of it, and my hopes for what it will become, I find myself motivated and excited. The topic of balance is one that is so close to my heart and my everyday experience that it is always on my mind and a part of every decision I make. Which is why taking the time and energy to participate in this blog was not a haphazard whim. It was thought-out, prepared for, and organized. And the choice to move forward was based on my desire to find more balance in my own life and nurture a passion.

These aspects of my personality and activities that I am interested in need to be a part of my life, even if it means that things are more complicated by keeping them in the juggle. Balance for me means including those things that are important, not excluding them, even when it would mean life was simpler without them. So sometimes stretching myself and challenging myself to exert more time and energy is actually a form of self-preservation. Because if I let those particular things go, I would really struggle. :simple:balance: falls into that category for me right now. I truly have a passion for understanding life balance, sharing what I know, and learning from others. While I took a lot of time and forethought before diving into this venture with my friend, Maggie, I am grateful now that I have found an avenue for joy and fulfillment and an outlet for my creativity and interest.

So my reflections on this blog got me thinking about the overall picture – the grand scheme of balancing and juggling life’s roles. A few things came to mind, learned from my experience thus far here, that I think can be applied to any balance-related choice or decision:

1. Prioritize. We have talked about this before, but it is worth repeating again. Determine those things that fulfill you and nourish you, that are most important to you, and engage your energies there. Don’t waste time on the needless “shoulds,” but rather the “needs” or “wants.”

2. Understand that various roles enhance your life, not deplete it. Yes, the more time you give away to responsibilities, the less you will have left over. But the things you will gain can be more important: energy, joy, relationships, success, satisfaction… the list could go on. Maintaining this positive perspective can really carry you far.

3. Delegate. Enlist the help of other people who can support you in your roles. Rely on them and learn from them. I have forged relationships with guest writers here that I never would have known, had I not been involved with :simple:balance:. Their knowledge, experience, and camaraderie have been a wonderful addition to my life.

4. Don’t strive for perfection, especially in finding balance. As has been said here before, balance typically has an ebb and flow quality to it. Some days may feel more comfortable than others. As the old saying suggests, the journey is what is important, not the destination.

I value this blog, the knowledge I gain from being a part of it, and the support and motivation it nurtures. Thank you for your contribution, and please continue to visit. Leave a comment, send us an email, and share your ideas and thoughts. While I’ve added another thing to my to-do list by being involved, I have gained so much. I look forward to continuing to grow and learn with you.

What is Your Deepest Desire?

photo by pedrosimoes7

For so many people, the beginning of the year is marked by a new page, a desire to start fresh and commit to new goals. I had never done New Year’s resolutions until last year. I always thought that people set them up, start out on the road to success, but after a few months, let go of their goals. For example, most of the gyms in the US experience an overload of cars during the early months of the year, and then by spring the number of people coming to get exercise dwindles. Despite this perception, I decided to try something new. At the end of 2008, I took some time and worked on my intentions for the year of 2009. I found that writing intentions really helped me become clear on what I want and what my potential next steps maybe. I grouped my intentions into several categories:

• Relationships: What are some of the relationships that you would like to foster and/or maintain? Anyone that you don’t feel as connected to but would like to connect at a deeper level? What would be the first step in your attempt to enrich your relationships?


• Community: What can you do to improve the quality of life for your local and global community? How can you help others? How can you contribute?


• Material: Is there something that you really desire? How would it help you and others around you? What is your step in your attempt to move towards your desires?


• Health: Are your experiencing a state of vibrant mental and physical health and balance? If not, what would you like your health to be like? What is one step that you can take towards your goal?


• Career/Personal Growth: What are your career and/or personal growth aspirations? Are there some new skills you would like to learn? What is one step that you can take towards your desires to grow and learn?

I reviewed my intentions every week --- it only took 5 minutes. I also revised them and added to them based on what was happening in my life. It has been interesting to see which intentions I was able to fulfill and which ones I haven’t moved a dial on. Many of us have heard the expression, “energy flows where attention goes.” That is exactly what I experienced in terms of my intentions being fulfilled. If I consistently came up with the next step and then the next step for some of the goals, I saw them flourish and fulfill my life. Aside from being clear on what my desires are, I learned a bit about myself and my patterns in reaching or not reaching my goals. I think I will do the exercise of intentions again this year! I invite you to join me.

Do you write out your new year’s resolutions? If so, share what works for you.