Butternut Squash Soup

One of my favorite things about fall is soup -- there's nothing my stomach enjoys more than a steamy bowl of butternut squash soup on a crisp autumn day! Since embarking on Whole30, I've been looking for ways to get my favorite eats on the "approved" list. This recipe is completely clean but doesn't sacrifice any of the flavor!

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
1 medium yellow onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 - 6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Step One: Peel and medium dice your butternut squash, sweet potato, and onions.

Step Two: In a large stockpot over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for 5 - 6 min. until onions become translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for a minute more.

Step Three: Add cubed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly pour in your broth until it almost covers the veggies. For a thicker soup, use less broth and vice versa.

Step Four: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 50min.

Step Five: Once the sweet potatoes and squash have softened, pour half of the soup into a blender and mix until smooth. Repeat with remaining half. Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender and mix in the stockpot.

Step Six: Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy while it's warm!

What soups do you enjoy on cool fall days?

xoxo Sallie

Whole30 Halfway Point

Two weeks down, two to go -- I just completed the first half of the Whole30 program. If you don't know what the Whole30 program is, you can read what I said last week here, or check out their site. I know what you are all wondering. You're thinking, "How do you feel?" Well I'll tell you -- I feel great! For real. I have more energy, I crave things less, I sleep better, and I feel better. Has this week been perfect? No. There was a moment when I really wanted Choco Tacos and I couldn't have them, but overall it's been a good week.

If you remember, on Whole30 the guidelines are no dairy, no sugar, no legumes, and no grains. I bet you wondering, "What can you eat?" Well I'll tell you!

I eat a lot of veggies! A lot. I mix them with things, make "spaghetti" with them, and add them to salads. Here are some of my favorite greens.

And some of my favorite yellows. I eat about six sweet potatoes a week. They are my most favorite! I will also have a Whole30 Butternut Squash soup up on the blog later this week.

I eat a fair amount of fruit, but not nearly as much as I eat veggies. If you want to lose more weight on Whole30, then eat a lot less fruit since it has a high sugar content. I care more about making it through these thirty days without losing my mind, so I eat apples almost everyday.

I eat lots of meat. This is what sustains me! I love chicken, beef, turkey, even bacon! With meat you just have to make sure it's free of carrageenan, and also sugar or things that are made from sugar. So no maple bacon. Rotisserie chickens are one of my favorite things in the world -- if you are doing Whole30 they will make a great quick meal!

I have really stretched my palette. I eat parsnip fries now -- who knew! But there are a few things that are tried and true that I eat every week, several times a week -- the staples of my Whole30 existence.

1. Turkey Wraps - These is my go to lunch option. I found this originally on this article from Buzzfeed, but I modified by adding some lettuce. This is way easy, you just need sliced Turkey (remember no sugar, no carrageenans), shredded carrots, an avocado slice, a tomato slice, with dijon and mayo (also no sugar). Yum! I eat these all the time.

2. Copycat Larabars - My lifesavers! I made about 12 of these and ate them all. I make a really simple version with just dates and cashews, but my friend Juliane makes her own version with coconut and cocao nibs! Check that out here!

Ingredients (yields about 10 bars)
1 cup cashews
26 pitted medjool dates

1. Add your dates to your food processor! You want to pulse the until they start to form a paste.

2. Add the cashews into the mix, and pulse them until they look like this.

3. With wax paper on your counter (trust me you need this!) use wet hands to form the mix into a ball.

4. Using a rolling pin or your wet hands, roll out the ball until it's about 1/4 in thick. Use a knife to cut your bars to the size you want.

Wallah! I store these in the fridge in a plastic container with wax paper in between each layer. They are delish. I eat at all of them in about 6 days.

xoxo Sallie