Happy Wednesday friends! I woke up to snow on the ground this morning and I am not even mad about it. I was a bit salty earlier in the fall that Wisconsin pretty much decided to skip fall this year and go straight to winter. But, waking up to snow this morning was actually kind of nice. The house felt warm and cozy with the lights dim, still in my PJ’s and snuggling baby Avri.
Speaking of winter, Thanksgiving is in just a few short weeks! Are you on team decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving or team decorate for Christmas after Thanksgiving? I am hands down team after Thanksgiving. My best friend is on a different wavelength than me on this one and started decorating for Christmas last weekend already. Craziness. If you go straight to Christmas decorations you are missing out on all of the fall harvest decorations like pumpkins, gourds and fall flowers. I love a house decked out in Christmas decorations, but all in due time my friends!
I have some exciting news! Not only will I continue offering nutrition coaching online, I have also teamed up with our local Gold’s Gym to offer nutrition coaching to their members and coach a bootcamp class twice a week! I have been looking for the opportunity to make coaching more of a career path and I am so excited to hit the ground running in this partnership. Nutrition and fitness has been a passion of mine for years now and I am excited to expand this passion to help more people find their ideal healthy lifestyle. If you are a Gold’s Member here in Eau Claire or just a community member and want to come chat with me, I will be hosting a small event Monday, November 12th from 5pm-7pm at the gym. I will be giving a preview of my coaching programs and handing out healthy recipes and snacks. Come say hey!
I whipped out my instant pot again and made this Roasted Bell Pepper Soup which has an amazing taste, creamy and so simple to make. It is perfect for a good side to go along any dinner. If you are new to the instant pot world or thinking about getting one, here are a few other recipes I have made with it so far. It is much quicker than a crockpot, but you get the same great taste and convenience like a crockpot.
- 316oz jars roasted bell peppers
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 16oz bag frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 32oz container chicken broth
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- 4 bay leaves
- Turn the saute function on the instant pot and add the coconut oil. Once the instant pot reads "hot" add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onions become translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Press "cancel". Add all the remaining ingredients in the instant pot placing the bay leaves on top. Secure the lid, close off the pressure valve and press the Soup button and set the time for 15 minutes.
- Once it is done cooking, do a quick release. Open the lid and remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Taste the soup to see if it needs any additional salt or pepper.
- Enjoy!