Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Now that it's so cold out here in Georgia all I want to do is sit in front of the fireplace with my hubby and eat soup. I really think the only thing I like about cold weather is snuggling, hot cocoa, holidays, and soup. Other than that I truly dislike being in the cold. One of my favorite warm soups is Italian Orzo Spinach Soup. I found the recipe originally on Pinterest. It's a vegetarian soup, but obviously you can add chicken or sausage if you'd like. I especially like this soup because it's healthy with all the veggies and whole wheat pasta. It's delicious. The smell alone had my stomach growling as it was cooking. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) DeLallo whole wheat orzo pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 cups loosely-packed spinach (thawed)

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until soft. 
• Add carrots and garlic and saute for an additional 3 minutes. 
• Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, orzo, thyme, oregano, rosemary and stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
• Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is bright green and wilted. Serve warm & ENJOY!

I think next time I make this soup I'll try adding other veggies like peas, corn, and broccoli. I'm a huge fan of my vegetables, so the more the better to me.

Healthy Sunday

After a few days of splurging during the holidays I've decided to be extra healthy on Sunday. I started my morning with a jog through my neighborhood then did a Yoga video on Xbox Fitness. Getting outdoors and enjoying the weather is by far my favorite way to get in an exercise. If not that, then I have to say Yoga is my second favorite. I wish I had a nice Yoga studio near me that I could go to regularly, but thankfully I at least have Xbox fitness and assorted workout videos to get me by.

After my workout I went by Whole Foods to get my groceries for the week. I picked up a lot of fruit and veggies to use for my juices. I also picked up a few salads for my fiancé and I for lunch.

I went with the FILL IT UP salad bar. You can fill the bowl full with anything from their salad bar or hot bar for only $12. It was a huge salad. I threw in mixed greens, broccoli, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, tofu, hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, cranberries, with a vinigairette dressing. I picked out a Salmon Caesar Salad for my fiancé. He loves salmon and caesar salad so this was the perfect mix. 

After lunch we got to work cleaning our veggies and fruits and chopping them up to prep for juicing. I used my amazing Breville Juicer to get the job done. 

I used a mix of peaches, oranges, strawberries, cucumbers, ginger, carrots, and spinach power mix. It was a very colorful mix that smelled amazing, and it tasted even better. I feel like juicing is the best way for me to get all the vitamins and minerals I need without having to remember to take a billion vitamins.

Now I can use this boost of energy from my yummy juice to help me finish a few projects around the house.

<3 Kelly Jean