Happy New Year! I
hope it’s off to a great start. I’ve been doing lots of thinking about what I
want out of the coming year—tons of ideas, but I keep coming back to one thing
– I want to completely embrace the idea of balance. It’s not a novel word to me–
pretty sure it’s not foreign to you either. It’s just never been that big of a deal to me
until recently. With the kiddos and the chaos that ensues, I sometimes feel
like I can’t do anything particularly well anymore. But I think the feeling
comes from not budgeting my time very well, and not stopping in the moment to
savor the precious little nuggets of gold along the way, and in all honesty,
maybe I need to get off my computer at night and fold some laundry (OK, NOT maybe, I DO). So, my goal is to better balance my time – having
lots of silly fun with my kids and hubby, trying to keep up on house chores
(and making sure kids get their chores done, too), cooking from scratch as much
as possible, and getting lots of exercise, especially with the fam. And then
there’s the other side of my balance goal where I will not beat myself up when I
microwave chicken nuggets for the kids, the laundry pile gets so big it falls off
the dryer, or when the kitchen table is nasty-crusty, or I skip a run to
snuggle with my guy. Well, that’s my
work for the year, along with a few other personal goals like staying away from
Sephora until spring and getting my windshield fluid squirter-thingy repaired.
But one other thing that I’m REALLY excited about is the
#barre3challenge that starts today! It’s one month where you commit to clean,
whole food eating and workouts from barre3 – the perfect way to start your new
year off! Barre3 teaches the concept of
balance from inside out, so it really is the perfect place to be if you want to
get a killer workout while letting go of all the mental garbage that floats
around in your head. I always leave class feeling stronger, more calm, purposeful,
and grateful. I don’t like to push my
workouts on anyone, but I’ve been doing barre3 for about 2 years now, and I can
say it has changed my life (and body), and continues to do so. Barre3 stands
out from the rest because their workouts are more efficient (not easier), AND they offer sound
nutrition info and recipes. I LOVE that barre3 gets it--- you need more than
just a good workout, you need good nourishment, too.
So for the next month, I will be contributing to the barre3 challenge
at the Danville location by posting 1-2 barre3-approved recipes per week on my
blog. Barre3 Danville is my 2nd
home and I am so thrilled to be sharing some good, healthy eats with you all.
So even if you aren’t doing the barre3 challenge this month, stay tuned here
for some yummy food that’s perfect for stepping into the new year on a more
balanced foot.
Pumpkin Chili
Serves 6(ish)
Need a seriously delicious, hearty chili recipe that can be
on the table in under 30 minutes? Looking
to eat less meat and more veggies in the New Year, but afraid your husband and
kids will revolt? No problem – I’ve got you covered!
I’m a bit obsessed with this recipe right now. It’s irresistible
– the ingredients are simple (and cheap!), and I always have them on hand so it
makes this meal a weeknight no-brainer; its flexible – I’ve made it several
different ways depending on what I have on hand and it’s always good and
man-approved; it freezes great and there’s plenty leftover for dinner later in
the week! But beyond the ease of this recipe, can I just mention that it is a
perfect recipe to add to your ‘clean eating’ file? Most chilis are loaded in
fiber and protein, but this one is extra special because it skips the meat
(nothing against meat just think we all get more than enough!) and sneaks in extra
veggies like pumpkin and butternut squash, which means you get an added dose of
fiber, vitamin A and C, antioxidants, and potassium—all of this goodness means
you will have an improved immune system, better skin and hair, more regular
digestive system, and a reduced risk of developing cancer, asthma, high blood
pressure, and heart disease (to name a few).
So, skip the meat tonight (I promise it won’t be missed) and
make this awesome chili. It’s the
perfect comfort food to feed your belly, soul, and family on these chilly
nights.
INGREDIENTS:
1 yellow onion, chopped (short on time? Use about ½ bag of
the pre-chopped onions from Trader Joe’s)
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic (I use the frozen garlic cubes from Trader
Joe’s)
1 can (14oz) fire-roasted tomatoes with juice
1 small can diced green chilis (mild)
1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree
1 (12oz) bag of cubed butternut squash (or about 2 cups)*
3 (14oz) cans beans (I like a mix of black, pinto, and
kidney)
1 cup frozen organic corn kernels
½ jar of Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce
1 Tbsp chili powder (add more as desired, up to 2 Tbsp
works)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika (can be found at Trader Joe’s now)
¼ tsp cayenne, optional
salt and pepper to taste
water, as needed
Garnishes (all
optional but so good): diced avocado, diced green onion, cilantro, dollop of
plain Greek yogurt
METHOD:
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and
sauté until soft. Add the garlic, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minutes.
Now it’s time to start dumping stuff in. Add the tomatoes, green chilis,
pumpkin puree, butternut squash, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and spices. Taste
and adjust with salt and pepper or more spices.
Bring soup to a simmer, and cook until butternut squash
cubes can be pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes or so. If soup is too thick, add about ½ cup water at
a time until desired thickness is reached (I like mine super thick). Top with
loads of green onion, some diced avocado, cilantro, and Greek yogurt if you
need it.
donna@mail.postmanllc.net
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