Tomato Basil Soup

Something you should know about me is that I have a bookmark named 'Tomato Basil Soup?' which links me to the Cafeteria menu at work. I check every Monday and literally put a plan on the calendar if Tomato Basil is an option on any day of the week.

I follow a few foodie blogs and Kelly from Eat Yourself Skinny does it right. I like that she shares recipes that are easy to follow and in-line with my taste... and my diet!

When Tomato Basil showed up from her on my Bloglovin' feed I pinned it, printed it and even checked out the Greek Yogurt Conversion Chart for Cream Cheese to cut back even more on the original recipe.

First off - I'm not against chopping onions, but doesn't this look so much more convenient at only about 20 cents more for the same amount?

Let's begin! In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onion for 3 minutes until it looks like this:

Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add tomatoes (Thanks, Trader Joe's) and chopped basil leaves, bringing to a boil.

Stir in your plain greek yogurt...

...and watch the color change.

Pour all saucepan contents into a blender and blend until smooth.

Return to saucepan and stir in milk and pepper.

Return to medium-high heat and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve with grilled cheese or a slice of bread, your choice here!

What You'll Need (revised to show what I used - original recipe here)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

28 oz canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup (4 oz) Greek Yogurt

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

2 tsp. pepper

<3 JE

Weekend Recap

As I mentioned last week it was my dad's birthday on Friday. He's now married to a much younger woman - for only 47 more days, and he's not yet a Speed Limit (he's a young 54)!

I was able to make it to their house after work with plenty of daylight remaining and much to catch up on since they spend most of their time at the coast.

As always a gourmet meal was made and enjoyed by everyone, including Bailey!

It was a family affair! Dad grilled chicken, mom made sweet potato fries and a fresh salad, and I brought over kalamata olive bread and served it with 21 Seasoning Salute + Olive Oil.

I was given clear instruction to avoid taking photos of the ugliest cake of all time, so when you see the blur below just imagine that it was pretty. I'm proud of my mom for not causing a fuss over how the cake looked - it only mattered how it tasted! Judging by how quick it was gone I'd say dad thoroughly enjoyed it!

^We are an internet shopping family^

^This is how all birthdays go, Bailey first!^

There was a short break in my weekend at home with my parents in the form of a 90 minute pre-race massage with Maggie. She is a miracle worker! Hydration, epsom salt baths and plenty of rest is on the schedule for the next week!

Mom and I spent some of the day Sunday virtually decorating the beach house apartment, skyping with a jet-lagged brother and playing with my beautiful sister Bailey! The weekend goes by too fast!

<3 JE

October's Eight Great Goals

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! Mine was spent at home with my family and while it couldn't have gone quicker, I feel more relaxed and revived than ever on a Monday.

To go along with the end of the month summary that I started last week I'd like to inspire the start of a new month with a new series called Eight Great Goals. Why eight? Because it rhymes with great. Obvi.

Goal setting has always been important to me whether it be setting deadlines, crossing off a To-Do list or meeting a running quota for the month. My goals are set with an end state in mind. They are attainable, they are often stepping out of my routine (into a better one) and ultimately are ways I'd like to make improvements in the long term by creating habits in the short term.

While setting goals may not be as familiar to many of you or only done in January as "New Year's Resolutions", it can often be challenging to either think of some or to follow them as you envision when you set them.

How to: Set Goals

How I begin the goal setting process is by brainstorming. Trust me when I say that I jotted close to 20 items down in my initial draft and had to choose the ones that are the most important to me, the ones I felt I can achieve and ones that are measurable.

Set goals that you are passionate about, that challenge you, that encourage you to stop and smell the roses and that make you a better you.

Make your goals specific. Instead of "work out more" make it "work out for 5 hours this week" or "earn 4,000 Nike+ Fuel each day".

How to: Stay Accountable to Goals

Write your goals down where you will see them everyday. Seeing and reading your goals each day will keep them in the forefront of your mind and keep you in check.

Make an action plan for how you plan to achieve your goals. Progress isn't made overnight, but it does start with small steps and serious commitment to get where you want to be.

Share your goals with others and make them public. You'll want cheerleaders and people to recognize your hard work.

How to: Measure Progress Toward Goals

Track your progress using your action plan - you won't be able to cross off a goal everyday, but you can review your mini-goals that push you forward.

Place reminders into your schedule using calendars, alarms and timers. This way you have a scheduled allotment of time to do your daily work (cleaning, exercise, etc) that you can stick to.

How to: Post Goal Evaluation

At the end of your time window (a week, a month, a few months) take a look at your goals and one-by-one check them off if you were able to meet or exceed them.

Ask yourself why you set that goal, how you feel after accomplishing it or not accomplishing it, what helped you or what stood in your way? Evaluating your goals is nearly as important as setting them.

Draft more goals using what you learned about yourself to help you create a successful experience.

My Eight Great Goals:

1. Hydrate! Hydrate! Drink 100 ounces of water daily, no excuses.
2. Build a weekly meal plan and follow it. CleanEatingMag.com has great Meal Plans to keep on target and even builds a shopping list!
3. Plan and lay out outfits for the week on Sundays using this new rack to display them.
4. Follow a daily Cleaning Schedule.
5. Host a family garage sale!
6. Organize my jewelry collection and display it.
7. Consciously unwind for 30 minutes each day - candles, light reading, tea and bubble baths.
8. Eliminate electronics from bedtime (except alarm setting and kindle reading, Dan!)

Follow along! What are your eight great goals this month?

<3 JE