hearty, fall soup {super easy recipe}

One of my favorite things to do on Sunday in the fall is make a huge pot of soup for the week. It reminds me of home, when my mom would make big batches of chili on Sunday while she watched the Colts game. It feels so right as the smell wafts through the air while I prepare for the week ahead.

This week I used the abundance of hearty vegetables I froze as leftover from my Fresh Harvest basket last week to try a new kind of soup made with veggies, yucca and coconut milk. It's filling, feels indulgent and is chock-full of nutrients. 

Hearty, Fall Soup Recipe (with coconut milk & yucca)

//Vegan
Yields: 8.5 quarts

Ingredients
32 oz. vegetable broth 
1 can coconut milk
1 stalk of yucca (cubed)
4 to 5 c. (or one bag) frozen broccoli
3 c. frozen corn
1 bag frozen spinach 
2 to 4 large tomatoes (diced)
1 squash (cubed)
1 avocado (for topping)
Seasoning of your choosing (I used: onion powder, Cayenne, salt and pepper)

To make
Once peeled, heat in microwave until soft enough to cut easily - should be about the consistency of a potato. 
While the yucca cooks, in the pot mix the broth and coconut milk on high heat.
Once your coconut milk has mixed in for the most part (no longer floating chunks on top), add all of your broccoli, corn and spinach - mixing them in one at a time. 
Dice squash, tomato and, once soft, yucca. Add to the pot. 
Add in seasonings to taste. The coconut milk will make it sweet, so if you want a savory element, I suggest adding onion powder, Cayenne, salt and pepper. Cumin might also be good, but I wasn't in the mood for it. 
Cover and cook on high heat until boiling. It took mine about 30 minutes with such a large batch.
Once boiling, move to medium heat and cook for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your time. 
If you have time, let it cook on low heat for a few hours to really get the flavoring.
Top with avocado and enjoy :)

Happy fall, y'all!



carolina weekend






This past weekend, Chris, Melly and I drove to Clemson to meet friends for the UNC game. We rented an adorable lake house in Seneca and drove in to campus to tailgate and go to the game.

It was my first actual Southern football game (I've tailgated before but never gone in. Not quite sure how I made it four years without attending one!) and it was so much fun. They are truly a production!

From the company to the weather, the weekend was absolutely perfect. Minus a Tarheel loss, that is!

PS: Right before the game I snagged this dress from Anthro on a major sale. It's not online anymore but if you're looking for a good fall dress, look for it in stores. I kept calling it a naked dress because it's so light and airy. :)

five things i've loved this week

- Sleeping like a baby! Because (1) work has been nuts and (2) it's chilly at night and my room is the perfect temperature. 

- B. Happy peanut butter. I picked up a jar (OK six. But for friends, I promise!) when I was home in Indiana and am in love. People from my hometown make it, so I'm extra proud. The Happy Trails flavor is insane. 


- Visiting Chris' high school last weekend. We went for an event on Friday night and it was so fun. And, not to mention, Chattanooga is beautiful. 

- Fall clothes. I love everything about them this season. Especially, especially the kimonos. Amaze.

- This article. Nothing quite like kindness.

- That today is blessedly Friday. Holy moly what a week! Chris, Melly and I are heading to Clemson for the UNC game with his friends. I couldn't be more excited.

OK byeee Friday Friends! 


on why i'm no longer an every day runner


I read a post a few weeks ago on A Cup of Jo about how, if asked to describe ourselves in five words at varying phases of life, you might not find any overlap between the words a few years apart. It resonated with me because, just that day Robyn and I were talking about how a year ago, if we'd been asked to describe ourselves, we both would have said "runner" first. 

But today?

It wouldn't even be in my top five. 


A healthy living and fitness enthusiast? Absolutely. Someone who prioritizes exercise? Yes. But for me, right now, long distance running doesn't align with healthy living in my life. 

After years of having too many rules around my relationship with running - from a minimum distance required each day for it to "count," to needing to do intervals and stairs and sprints and all sorts of things in between -  I have learned that it's healthier for my mind and body to exercise differently. I have learned not to fear weights, not to worship cardio, to take rest days, try new classes for fun and even "count" walks. 


I have learned to have a healthier relationship with exercise for the joy it brings me and for the amazing things it does for my mind and body when it isn't abused. Because, just like anything else, exercise is so good, but too much of anything isn't good anymore. 

That's a lot to gain. But what about the things I've lost? What about the way I used to be able to run far and fast? And about how my body looked different - to some, maybe better? About how I went out, without training, and won a triathlon? What about how I used to have visions of completing a half Ironman and now I don't even run every day?


If I let myself, I can get a lot of anxiety about losing all of those things. About losing so many of the attributes that once made me feel like me. 

But the anxiety is worth pushing through. Because a year ago, I could have described myself as a runner. But two of my other words could have been rigid and fearful. Because I had no room for flexibility in my day - I had to run these miles and exercise this way in order to feel like I'd earned my keep. And I feared what would happen if I didn't. 

Today, I might not be winning any events or dreaming of being a sponsored Ironman competitor. Not even close. But I have learned to have balance. I have become less afraid. I have become less rigid and more flexible. I have become someone who is having more fun and who is overall happier. And for right now, that's a lot more important in my life than being able to say I run every day. 

Some notes: 
1. This is a joint post with Robyn. Read about her journey with running here.
2. Just because my relationship with running has changed does not mean I believe running is bad or wrong. Many people have perfectly healthy relationships with running and I think that's wonderful :)