Keep warm and nourish your body from the inside out by Angela Simpson of Eat Spin Run Repeat.

 

Velvet Butternut Squash and Apple Soup 1

If you live in a place where the snow drifts are taller than you are and it takes 5 minutes just to bundle up in layers before going outside, you’re not alone. This has been one brutal winter, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve been eating a whole lot of warm, cozy soups and stews to keep warm.

This Velvet Butternut Squash and Apple soup is packed with seasonal produce that will help you hit your daily veggie quota, as well as warming spices like ginger, curry powder, cumin, and chili powder. The recipe has received rave reviews from my friends and family (one friend even won a cooking contest at work with it!) and I hope you enjoy it too!

Velvet Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins

Velvet Butternut Squash and Apple Soup 2

Ingredients (makes about 9 cups)

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs including skin and seeds)
  • 3 apples
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, chopped
  • 1 tbsp yellow curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • black pepper, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Peel the butternut squash and remove all seeds with a large spoon. Chop it into 1-inch pieces.
  • Peel the onion and chop it up into chunks. Don’t worry about getting the pieces to be small because you’re going to end up pureeing them later so it won’t matter!
  • Chop the apples and remove the cores.
  • In a very large pot, heat the garlic, onions, and squash with about 1/4 of the vegetable stock over medium heat. (Alternatively, you can add about 1 tbsp of olive oil, but this recipe can easily be kept oil-free.) Stir constantly for 2 minutes.
  • Add all spices, ginger root, and apple pieces. Continue stirring for 5 more minutes, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pot and coating the squash, onions, and apple pieces in spices.
  • Add the stock and bay leaves. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the pot from heat and allow the contents to cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer them to a blender. Puree each batch until smooth, then pour into a pot or directly into serving bowls.
  • If the soup has cooled down significantly, reheat the puree in a pot. Otherwise, ladle directly into bowls and garnish with a mixture of seeds (pumpkin, hemp, roasted squash seeds, etc) and black pepper.

 

Angela is an avid runner, fitness instructor, foodie, healthy living blogger, and owner of her business, Spin 360 Health Coaching. Having been overweight, unhappy and insecure as a teenager, Angela took control, changed her unhealthy habits, and adopted a clean eating lifestyle that she continues to maintain today. Her goal is to support, inspire, and motivate others to improve their health and be their best. You can learn more about her on her blog, Eat-Spin-Run-Repeat.com.

Blog: http://eat-spin-run-repeat.com

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This post was written by our Blogger Ambassador, Kate Hiipakka of The Four Percent. Enjoy!

You can work out all you want, but if you’re eating sh*t, you won’t get anywhere. There is a fitness adage that states, “Abs are made in the kitchen”, and a (unofficial) ratio that claims weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. It may seem extreme, but it’s true. Nutrition has to be aligned if you want to see results in your body. This is coming from a girl who could eat French fries and ice cream with every meal, so believe me, I feel your pain.

Eating clean is more than just incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your daily meals. A lot of thought and preparation is required so it’s important to make your meal plan as efficient and effective as possible. Personally, I am not vegan or vegetarian, I don’t follow a specific diet and I do not have any dietary restrictions or allergies.  I structure my meals to be consumed every 2-3 hours – each including a protein source in combination with fruits or vegetables, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. I’ll add some fine print right here – I am not a nutritionist, but I’ve play around with A LOT of nutritional components and have done a lot of research. I’ve found the below outline to be really effective.

Breakfast: protein + fruit (or veg)
Snack: protein + fruit + healthy fat
Lunch: protein + vegetable + carbohydrate
Snack: protein + fruit
Dinner: protein + vegetable + carbohydrate

Good-Food-Fridge-Healthy-Eating

Check out this very BASIC breakdown for more deets:

Protein

This can be anything from beans, fish, poultry or lean beef. A major benefit of any protein source is that it keeps you full and provides vital nutrients to build muscle and keep your metabolism charged. Protein is essential for muscles to gain mass (read: “tone”) and recover after hard workouts. Load up!

high-protein-diet
Carbohydrates:

I’m talking about starches, fruits, whole grains, or vegetables. Basically, carbs provide the energy that fuels muscle growth. After consumption carbohydrates breakdown into smaller parts that get absorbed by our bods and are used as energy.

fruits-and-vegetables

Healthy fats:

Think oils, avocados, nuts or seeds. Healthy fats benefit our bodies, but should be consumed in moderation, so go easy, a table spoon of olive oil or almond butter, half an avocado, or a handful of almonds does the trick. These babies will help aid heart health, keep arteries flexible and support overall health.

healthy-fats
Regardless of eating habits the golden rule should be: eat when you’re hungry, and stay hydrated.

Please note: the above are all whole food sources, the less crap from a box labeled “low fat” or “fat free” you put into your body the better. True story.

This post was written by our blogger ambassador Kristen Conahan of Style Wax Poetic.

kristen

While I didn’t make it to New York Fashion Week this season, I did stay up to date through some of my favorite bloggers and sites like Glam.com and Style.com. New York Fashion Week with a glass of wine, pajamas and my comfortable couch? Yes, please.

So if you’re wondering what items to keep (or score on the end of the year winter sales), I’ll break it down or you.

Over-sized Fur Coats (Preferably Faux Furs)

New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014 - Ralph Lauren - Runway

 

This is by far one of my favorite trends. There’s nothing better than textures and layers in a winter look.

FLORALS, even for Fall/Winter

KarenWalker_NYFWFall2014

 

Karen Walker shows big florals are appropriate and can be done even in the winter months. Also, you can never go wrong with cozy over-sized knits

Girl-Meets-Boy

RebeccaMinkoff_NYFW2014

 

“It’s about taking menswear-inspired silhouettes and translating them into feminine colors and silhouettes,” Minkoff said backstage to style.com. I love her use of layers, feminine details, but with a boyish edge like a long coat or a beanie.

Reds, Oranges and Wines

KIM_0395.450x675
There’s one thing I aim for in the winter and that’s to remain colorful throughout the cold, drab months. Prabal Gurung knows it’s possible. You can invest if a few pieces like this beautiful orange that can be worn through seasons to come.