mmm…I made this with beets from the garden. I pulled some young beets to use their greens for the salad. The colors are delightfully festive! The  recipe is from my favorite veggie cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. If this cookbook isn’t on your bookshelf, you must get it! The information about how to cook veggies to their best is worth the cover price, not to mention the recipes are all fantastic.

Happy Halloween!

I whipped up a curried sweet potato soup this morning in between getting ready for work. I decided to go as Medusa since I love Greek Mythology, so here I am stirring my cauldron with “snakes” in my hair.

I made this soup for my neighbor who just got out of the hospital after emergency surgery. I omitted the curry flavors in case she prefers not to have the extra flavor. This is still a great soup without the curry, but if your a fan of Indian spice combinations, go for it!

Here’s the recipe:

Simple Curried* Sweet Potato Soup
1-1/2T Olive oil
1-2/3C chopped onion
1 large clove garlic
1T fresh ginger
1t cumin*
1/2t ground coriander*
1/4t cardamom*
1/4t tumeric*
1/8t hot pepper flakes*
2-1/2lbs sweet potatoes
6C. low sodium chicken or veggie stock
salt pepper to taste
(*curry spices may be omitted if you prefer)

Brown onions and garlic, About 7 minutes, in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add ginger and curry spices, then stock. Peel and cut potatoes and cook until very soft or roast potatoes on grill for smokey flavor, then peel and add to soup. Puree with immersion bender and add salt and pepper to taste.

The key is an immersion blender. Transferring this hot meal to a regular blender is no fun at all.

Today is the first day of the Holidays ~ Enjoy!

Wacom to Support Susan G. Koman For The Cure: a percentage of Bamboo Craft sales revenue this holiday season will contribute to the search for a cure for breast cancer.
Wacom aligns with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help in the fight against breast cancer. From October 1 to December 25, Wacom will donate a generous percentage of Bamboo Craft sales revenue to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

Also, during the month of October, the Wacom Pen Scrappers website is sponsoring a special contest called “Season of Hope” commemorating everyone whose lives have been touched by breast cancer.  Lori Barnhurst designed a beautiful kit for contestants to use, in remembrance of her grandmother, who battled breast cancer most of her adult life, and died 10 years ago from complications from a relapse.

This week I want to focus on getting back in shape~this includes eating better and getting myself psyched up to go to the gym. (Eating better is going to be waaaay easier.)

One of the easiest things to whip up~that makes me feel better instantly~is a smoothie my husband invented. I have read a lot about the benefits of yogurt, berries and cinnamon lately, and this yummy concoction has all three~and then some. Here’s the recipe:

Berry Smoothie with Cinnamon

1. In a blender put…

• 1 ripe banana
• 1-2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries and strawberries
• 1/4 cup low-fat yogurt
• a pinch of cinnamon (upto a 1/4 teaspoon)
• a little water to get the blender going
• * for extra chill and crunch, add a few cubes of ice

2. Blend until smooth. Adjust to your tastes with more berries, yogurt, or cinnamon

3. Pour into your favorite pretty glasses and share!

We often ride bikes on the weekends and make this treat the minute we come in the door. Being cyclists we read the LiveStrong website where they’ve published more information about smoothies. Read up, drink down, and live well!

Until Tomorrow~Sarah