October has been a whirlwind of a month! In the last three weeks I traveled to New York and back and planned/cooked all of the meals for a wellness retreat in the Texas Hill Country. I’ll be devoting separate posts to each of those events because it’s way too much to share in a single post (plus I haven’t had the chance to even begin editing photos from either).
In the midst of all of planning and prep for the retreat, I managed to whip up an incredibly delicious soup inspired by local, seasonal produce. It was one of those recipes that came together as I went, completely born out of what I saw hanging out in my fridge. Since it was so tasty, hearty, and soul-warming, I took a few minutes to shoot some photos before I left last week. And, since today is apparently national pumpkin day, I figured it would be the perfect way to celebrate my love of this humble squash.
In both yoga and in the kitchen, I’m all about modifying based on what you have and need. So, with that in mind, feel free to sub in another seasonal root veggie for the turnips or another squash puree for the pumpkin. Perhaps you use thyme instead of sage. Or pecans instead of pepitas. Make it work for you. As long as you go about it mindfully, it will be delicious and nourishing. So without further ado, I’ll share with you my version of this lovely fall-inspired soup. Oh! I almost forgot! It tastes infinitely better if you watch Hocus Pocus while you eat it 😉
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Fall arrives in Houston rather slowly, leaving tiny hints at its arrival. I brought my camera along on my walk this morning naively hoping to find some signs in the leaves. The only reddish hued leaves I found were on the Chinese tallow trees, but those have been changing color since late August giving us all false hope. So instead of leaves, I focused on all of the other flora and fauna surrounding the pond. Though the sun was already climbing much higher in the sky than I wanted, I was able to capture a few lovely scenes before heading back home. Having my camera around my neck gave me the incentive to slow down and notice each and every leaf, stalk, and critter. Though I’m familiar with the pond environs, slowing down allowed me to appreciate the natural beauty even more. So, next time you’re on a walk, slow down. Breathe it all in. Notice the beauty in what normally seems mundane.
