Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

This time of year, when its cold outside, my favourite thing to do is sit back and enjoy a warming bowl of soup. There are so many reasons why soup is the BEST, but my main love is that they are soooooo easy to make AND they are jam packed with nutritious ingredients.

I was scanning through Pinterest for inspiration and I stumbled on a couple of recipes but non of them really hit the spot. Either they had too much sugar or added cream, which aren't great for you. So I decided to adapt and make my own recipe for this filling butternut squash soup. Its full of flavour and has just the right amount of sweet. You can top it with some greek yogurt and fresh ground pepper and ‘Bob’s your uncle’ a perfectly well rounded soup.

Honestly this soup is so easy, all you need to do is chop all the ingredients and throw it in the slow cooker. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 apples
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

METHOD

Chop and peel the butternut squash, chop everything else (leave the skin on the apples) and place them all in the slow cooker. You can chop the garlic if you like but I put the cloves in whole. Add all the spices then pour in the stock. Set the slow cooker to high for 3-4 hours OR set on low for 5-6 hours. 

When the butternut squash is soft you can place the soup in the blender and blend till smooth. If you like it a little thinner just add some water to the blender.

Serve with greek yogurt and enjoy!

top 5 healthy tips for the holiday season

So the Christmas season is in FULL effect! Meals out with friends, co-workers, family visits and gatherings here there and everywhere. As a stay at home mom I’m managing to combat most of this but there really are temptations EVERYWHERE!! Extra chocolate and candies at the grocery store, cute packaging luring you in to the chocolate shop you never usually entertain entering….have you guessed chocolate is my pitfall yet? And then there is the cheeky glass of wine because hey, its Christmas right? 

Thats all and well if you can handle it all in moderation….but what if you struggle with moderation? THATS OK don’t be hard on your self, it is only a short period of time. The key take home point is that you CAN have a treat, don’t punish yourself. I am a FULL believer of the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time eat healthy, exercise and look after your body. 20 percent of the time indulge in what you like, don’t think about exercise and have a break.

Top 5 Healthy Tips for surviving this holiday season

1. Snack well - Pick a few go to snacks that you can keep on hand, easy to grab snacks can really save you. They will prevent a hunger crash by keeping your blood sugar stable therefore preventing the sudden splurge. My favourite snacks are low sugar protein bars, ready chopped vegetable sticks, nuts and sharp cheddar.
2. Get enough sleep - As a mom this can be a challenge, your kids get sick, you're up late wrapping gifts or you just can turn off your brain at night. Sleep is VITAL for functioning at optimal level. When you don’t get enough sleep your body is working at a fight/flight level. This means your adrenal glands are in overdrive and your hormones end up on an emotional roller coaster…..leading to an eating roller coaster. Turn off all technology in the bedroom, use some relaxing essential oils like lavender, take a bath….whatever helps you wind down.
3. Don’t starve yourself - When you know there is a party that night, make sure you eat a balanced breakfast and lunch (as you should be doing every day). If you are a calorie counter and want to ‘save’ up your points…..DON”T!! This will lead to bad decisions during the party. The best thing to do is focus on moderation at the party, eat what you want but have a SMALL quantity. Limiting yourself only leads to bad decisions.
4. Be mindful - This is all about listening to your body and what it NEEDS not what your brain tells you it wants. Take time when you are eating, chew your food well and enjoy what you are eating. Now this is a big one, as parties are all about socializing and holding conversations. Just check in with your plate and your belly every now and then….do you really need to go back for seconds? Do you really need to order a dessert? If you want to enjoy a dinner out, utilize the ‘take-out’ bag.
5. Limit alcohol - This is a tricky one, I know I enjoy a nice glass of wine. But one or two is enough. There is no need to go over board and finish the whole bottle. The easiest way to handle this is to be the designated driver. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE! Or you can dilute your wine with sparkling water so that it lasts longer. Same goes for any drink, have a larger glass with less alcohol and more ‘healthy’ mix.

Happy holidays mamas, enjoy this season with your family and friends. Tis the season to be jolly just don’t let your belly get roly-poly ;)

hale to the kale.....breastfeeding mamas salad

To all you breastfeeding mamas out there it can be very daunting knowing what you can and can’t eat for your baby! Knowing what to put in your body to benefit your new baby is definitely top of the list (for me at least).

We have carried these little humans and protected them for nine long months, now they are here, their needs are changing and you will notice they react differently according to what you eat. Did what I ate last night make them gassy? Is that rash on their face because of me? Do they have an ear infection because of MY eating habits?? MAYBE it is and maybe it isn’t. When I was breastfeeding I found myself scrolling through countless articles and books to make sure I was doing everything right. I would watch what I was eating and make sure Eden didn’t have a reaction over the next few days.

Good news is this salad is perfect for breastfeeding mamas as it cover all the nutritional bases. If however you have hypothyroidism you need to be a little weary of kale as it is does contain goitrogens when eaten RAW. So depending on your nutritional needs (please check with your healthcare provider) you may be able to steam it first and have it as a warm salad, or substitute for spinach or romaine lettuce.

Foods a breastfeeding mama should be including in their diet are;

1. Dark Leafy Greens
2. Good Quality Protein
3. Healthy Fats
4. Complex Carbohydrates

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 8 cups kale
• 2 cups cubed and roasted butternut squash
• 1 cup cooked green lentils
• 1 green apple sliced into sticks
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1/4 cup crushed almonds
• 4 tbsp. goat feta

Dressing

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
• 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. maple syrup

Method

Roast the squash ahead of time, sprinkle the cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 20-30 mins @375 until tender. Let them cool. Boil the green lentils using the instructions on the package (usually simmer on low for 30 mins).

Layer all the ingredients on top of a bed of kale, add the dressing and serve. It is great as a meal or you can use it as a side salad with grilled chicken or a white fleshed fish.

p.s. I like to prepare the whole butternut squash and extra green lentils ahead of time so there are leftovers for other meals throughout the week.

Also, big shout out to my mother in law for the home grown kale!!

mornings in a hurry

Being a mother of a toddler and a new puppy, life can be very hectic!! Now don’t get me wrong, I am NOT complaining. But sometimes making a good breakfast can be challenging. When that is the case I make myself a green smoothie (it doesn’t have to be green). The benefit to that is that my daughter LOVES them and it’s a sure fire way to get her daily dose of yucky veggies in. Did I mention I have a very picky eater?? But that is another topic all together.

What I love about smoothies is that you don’t really need a recipe, once you get the hang of it you can add whatever you like! Here is how I build mine;

1.       Base – this can be WATER, COCONUT WATER, COCONUT MILK, DIARY FREE MILK or a WHOLE MILK (if feeding a toddler). I use approx. 1 cup.

2.       Fiber & Omega 3s – 2 Tbsp. Flax seeds, hemp hearts or chia seeds. You can even add a fish oil supplement at this point if you wish. Just make sure it is toddler safe (i.e. not too strong)

3.       Greens – 1 cup of greens. This could be spinach or kale just make sure it is ORGANIC as they have a high concentrate of pesticides. I sometimes add a greens powder for added nutrients.

4.       Fruit – I use a mix of fresh and frozen fruit, approx. ¾ cup of low sugar fruit like berries or ½ cup of medium sugar fruit like pineapple and mango. NOTE: if I am going to the gym/working out at home right after I will use a banana and some nut butter for extra sustainability.

Blend and enjoy!

If you are drinking these smoothies alone (no toddler/baby) then you can also add some protein powder, but I do not recommend adding it if you are going to share with a little person. It is best to provide their protein intake with ‘real’ food rather than a supplement. It is easy to add in at the end if you want to do both, just serve them theirs first then stir in some protein for you. But to be honest, I’m a fan of eating my protein rather than drinking it. There is enough slow release energy in these smoothies with the flax/hemp/chia that you don’t need to worry too much about protein.