Hello lovely people!

The last year flew by as usual and here we are, starting again with a New Year. It’s a wonderful feeling to have so much to look forward to!

Before we talk about January, how was your Christmas? Ours was everything I’d hoped it would be. A revolving door of family and friends celebrating the joy of the season. The past week or so we’ve been living in the cheesy fog of Christmas leftovers. We’ve taken a few fun day trips, Edison – near La Conner, and spent New Year’s Eve in the Ocean Shores area clamming and taking walks along the beach. Our days and evenings have been slow and easy. It seems like we’ve been on-the-go but nothing feels rushed or stressed. It’s been a loose schedule that changes if we want it to.

Feeling rested and content after the long holiday break allows me to head into 2025 fully charged and ready to get back into a routine.

Welcome January

I’m craving healthier foods, and I need to drink more water – less wine. I look forward to going for a run tomorrow, lifting weights, and stretching. I’m ready to put the decorations away and give the house a good cleaning.

I used to struggle with the cold, dark winter months here in the Pacific Northwest, especially once Christmas was over. Over the years though I’ve come to look forward to the winter months and the cozy, slow feel of the season. It’s like we are hibernating or simply disappearing into a little cocoon. It’s a time to rest, reflect, and take extra care of ourselves.

This month I’m reading…

I just finished The Women and enjoyed it so much that I started Nightingale, same author. To help combat winter blues I’ll read Self-Care for Winter: Seven steps to thriving in the colder months and Wintering. I’ve heard excellent reviews about both books.

This month I’m eating …

My body is craving fresh, colorful vegetables after all the rich, heavy foods served around Christmastime. I’ll be enjoying lots of citrus (this drink is delicious), making bone broth, soups, and cozy casseroles. These are meals that work well for batch cooking, ready in an instant when you just don’t feel like cooking a full meal. I just ordered From Oven to the Table and I can’t wait to get inspired!

This month is all about starting fresh. I make this soup as early in the New Year as possible. It’s so delicious and feels cleansing.

Watch this soup come to life here!

January Reset Soup

Give your body a reset with this nutrient rich veggie soup. This one pot meal is filling, packed with protein and anti - inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, ginger, lemon and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
6 ounces coconut milk
1 carton ANETO vegetable broth or your choice of broth
2 tsp kosher salt
2 carrots, diced
1/2 red bell pepper
2 or 3 cups curly kale - cut up
1-2 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp grated turmeric
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 chicken breasts, cooked*

Instructions

Add olive oil to Dutch oven. Heat until sizzling and then add onion and celery. Saute until fragrant and starting to brown.
Add garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add a splash of broth to deglaze the Dutch oven.
Add turmeric and ginger, stir until fragrant.
Add vegetable broth, cut up cooked chicken (about 2 breast size pieces), coconut milk, kale, and carrots. Cook until fragrant and carrots are cooked.
Serve with cilantro and your favorite crusty bread.

Notes

*I usually purchase a cooked chicken from the market and pull the breast meat off to make this soup.

This warming, satisfying soup acts as a body-reset complete with lean protein,veggies, and anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, ginger, coconut milk, and lemon. It’s a quick, one pot meal and makes great left overs.