Hello 2019!!! Is today National Everybody Start Your Diet Day? It just might be. I know it is for me.
Oh no, wait… let’s just STOP right there.
This is not going to be another “it’s January so let’s all go on a diet” post. Ugh, enough! Instead, let’s focus on getting healthy no matter how many Christmas kringles we’ve got stored behind our navels. A special thank you to Bob (our architect) for introducing us the the O&H Kringle.MajorWow. Let’s detox our bodies, our kitchens, and our minds. So while you’re putting away all your holiday kibbles, put a pot of this cabbage detox soup on to keep you warm, healthy, and toasty.
How to Make Fat Burning Detox Cabbage Soup
Heat 3 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a soup pot and sweat the following vegetables and spices. Careful not to brown them, just cook them until they’re tender.
- 2 onions, sliced thinnly
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Then add:
- 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped finely
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
- Vegetable or Chicken broth (enough to cover all the vegetables by 1-2 inches. Approximately 8-12 cups)
Simmer (do not boil) until the cabbage is soft, about 2-3 hours. Then add a mix of 1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs. I like Italian parsley, thyme and oregano. Then squeeze in a 1/2 of lemon to brighten it up and add more salt if you think it needs it. Optional: If you like garlic, chopped up 2-3 cloves and add them right before the cabbage for 2-3 minutes. Other optional veggies to include are: 1 cup green beans, 2 cups spinach, and purple cabbage. If you don’t have diced tomatoes on hand, try 2 cups of tomato juice.
Detox your mind
Drinking water is a wonderful and immediate way to cleanse not just your body, but your gray matter too. Last January Jerry and I went to Mayo Clinic for a full blown physical and I met with an urology specialist. She recommended drinking 64 ounces of water throughout the day, not 128! Somewhere along the way, I got it into my head that drinking a gallon of water a day (on a regular basis) was detoxing and healthy. She assured it was NOT. What she did say it was doing was flushing my system of good nutrients as well as making me run to the bathroom every 45 minutes. Duh! We’ve all heard it before, but… 8 glasses really is all we need. She also heralded the benefits of B vitamins for memory, mood, and over all brain function.
Another wonderful way to detox your mind is by asking yourself empowering questions. Our thoughts are directed by the questions we ask ourselves. I started doing this years ago and I truly believe it is the #1 reason I was able to go from being $100,000 in debt, no job, single mom, and nearly deaf to being debt free, having my dream job, and being in the best shape of my life.
Last weekend, headed to Chris and Ali’s wedding! We’re so happy for you guys! ❤️[/caption]
And then I met the love of my life 12 years ago and then last year we both regained our hearing with cochlear implants! What a game changer! But what I firmly believe turned my life around 16 years ago were these 4 questions I’d ask myself every morning (and still do by the way):
- What am I grateful for?
- What am I looking forward to today?
- Who do I love?
- Who loves me?
In the evenings, try asking yourself:
- What was great about today?
- What did I learn?
So, what’s on the horizon for 2019?
LakesideTable YouTube Channel
I am soooo excited for this year’s LakesideTable YouTube line up! Keith of Sutterfield Media has out done himself again. He is totally responsible for the beautiful camera shots, and editing the mouthwatering visions of chocolate, ice cream sundaes as well as catching explosive spinach and sauces smothering crepes. YUM! Thank you, Keith for making these Lakeside Table YouTube videos fun and engaging! Throughout 2019 you can look forward to a new video EVERY WEEK!!! In 2019 the line up we have: Sous Vide Chicken Wings, Green Beans with Alia, Homemade Ice Cream, Fried Spinach, Sous Vide Pork Chops, and Flourless Chocolate Torte just to name a few! Here’s the last video of 2018 I posted with Alia and I making Painted Pancakes. We had so much fun doing this video and the pancakes were a big mess but… She’s so stinkin’ ADORABLE!!! You gotta watch it just for her.
Culinary Arts Degree
This past August I jumped head long into a HUGE bucket list item: getting my Culinary Arts Degree. The closest culinary program to our little rural town is about 2 1/2 hours away. UGH! Luckily, I was fortunate enough to find the online program the Escoffier Culinary Arts School offers. Honestly, I thought it was going to be a pretty “Mickey Mouse”, walk in the park program. Nope. I’ve been really pleased. Not only have they had me in the kitchen 10-15 hours a week chopping, cooking, sautéing, braising, and simmering but the hours of reading have been extensive too. Then there’s the 1 on 1 personal time we get with our chef mentors. So cool! But what really excites me, is all the tips, tricks, why’s and wherefore’s I get to share with YOU!!!
Here’s a sample of my cooking homework I have to turn in every week. This was week 7 and we are still working on knife skills and this assignment was about making a vegetable stock which was then to be used as the base of a vegetable soup. (Not gonna lie… I always feel pretty dorky in this getup. Thankfully, Jerry is super supportive and thinks I look super cute. What a good man!)
1) Selfie wearing MANDATORY uniform, 2) sanitation bucket, 3) mis en place, 4) medium dice mirepoix, 5) close up of uniform cuts, 6) stock simmering, 7) skimming scum off stock, 8) clear stock, 9) mis en place veggies for soup, 10) close up of cuts, 11) veggies sweating & 12) Vegetable Soup Simmering[/caption]
For me, blogging has given me the inspiration to learn from others about cooking, health, and travel. Then I get the honor of sharing those insights with you. Thank you, by the way! I really appreciate you reading this, sharing my blog and videos with your friends, leaving your comments, or even when you email me privately. You are such a big deal to me!!! Thank you!
But I digress, back to the Detox Cabbage Soup…
Out of the Archives
I’ve posted this recipe before but it bears repeating. Mom always had some kind of soup going on the stove. In fact, she made this detox Cabbage Soup last Sunday. This hardy vegetable soup makes the whole house smell good and if the kids are lucky enough to get a snow day, they can dip into it to take off the winter chill.
This fat burning detox Cabbage Soup made a resurgence in the 1980s, but I suspect Cabbage Soup dates much farther back. There are records of it dating back to World War I. The army served it to troops to ward off scurvy, not for fighting belly bulge. Cabbage is high in both vitamin C and fiber; it’s cheap, portable, and tasty. Need I say more?
Is this Recipe New and Improved?
Uh, no… sorry, it’s not. This recipe is about as original as chocolate chip cookies, but that doesn’t make it any less effective or delicious. Actually, I did tweak it a little bit. The most dramatic thing I added was turmeric, ground back pepper and a squeeze of lemon to the recipe. Natalie from BFF with the Chef (awesome blogger and podcaster! LOVE HER!!!) recommends a splash of acid to make your dishes POP! I couldn’t agree with her more!
Enjoy and Happy New Years! Here’s to an amazing and joyful 2019!!!