DONNA HAY ROAST PUMPKIN SOUP

Winter has hit Sydney, in full force. That can only mean one thing... SOUP SEASON (which is perfect given my 'too-pregnant-to-function state)

My favourite (and easiest) soup is Donna Hay's Roast Pumpkin Soup... Slightly modified to the Mummerina way

Ingredients:

2 butternut pumpkin halves (approx 1kg each)

1 brown onion

1 garlic bulb

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup pouring cream

Salt & pepper

Olive oil for drizzling

Method:

Scoop seeds out of pumpkin using a spoon.

Cut onion & garlic bulb in half

Drizzle oil over cut side of pumpkin, onion & garlic and season with salt & pepper

Roast in a 180 degree oven for approximately 1 hour

Scoop pumpkin, onion and garlic out of skin using a spoon and put in a blender

Add 1 cup of the chicken stock and blend until smooth 

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add the remaining stock and the cream

Place over medium heat until soup is heated through.

Season with pepper before serving.

My serving suggestion, is to have a few naughty slices of garlic bread along side the soup!

How are you staying warm this winter? 

PERFECTLY POACHED EGGS!!!

I am in the middle of writing a post which will show you guys what I eat and how much I train during the week. (Thanks for the idea She's Sonic ) and the main thing I eat for breakfast is poached eggs! So here is my instructions for Perfectly Poached Microwaved Eggs

I saw this online somewhere & thought it sounded too good to be true. But it really works!



Crack egg into a coffee mug or ramekin (careful not to break the yolk)



Pour over 1/3 cup of boiling water



Pierce yolk with tooth pick (this is an important step)



Microwave for 1 minute (may vary depending on your voltage)



The water will be there and still murky looking but just take a spoon and scoop out the egg!



Sooooo quick and easy and the healthiest way to eat your eggs

MOTIVATION WEDNESDAY

Happy Wednesday folks!

I don't know about you - but this def hits home...



Regardless of if I am on a health 'kick' or not - I would always tell myself that from lunch time Friday until I wake up on Monday morning - food and alcohol are a free-for-all.

It wasn't uncommon for myself and Adam to eat take out two nights over a weekend, and me to eat take away lunch at least twice. That's not even going into the alcohol.

Since the begining of the year, when I began this 'journey' I've been so mindful to treat my weekends like any other day. I make sure I work out of a Friday afternoon and either Saturday or Sunday. Last weekend was the first weekend all year that I've had alcohol - so I stuck to light beer (it was a wedding that had beer, wine & softdrink only) and only had around 4 over the course of the night. I attempt to eat a balanced meal for dinner especially and I basically allow myself 1 cheat meal - just ONE!

Plus - now that I am eating better - as soon as I have anything fatty or high in MSG - my belly makes me pay for it!!!

The funny thing is - the more you work out - the more I don't WANT to eat bad things. Last week when we ordered chinese... I only had a little & didnt even bother ordering spring rolls (my all time fav) becasue I thought to myself "Do you really want to waste your work out on this meal. My half hour gym session or swim wouldn't even work off the calories I'm about to eat".