This weeks 10 things 8/23:
- Currently sipping on: ginger tea with turmeric powder, Ceylon cinnamon, clove powder, chaga powder, and monk fruit powder added in. I’ll often splash in a topper of almond milk or stir in coconut powder as well.
- This past year I’ve been taking one dropperful of milk thistle (great for the liver and digestion) before bed most nights, but I make sure of it during the times I have a glass of wine. During these times, I take two dropperfuls of milk thistle and one dropperful of liver juice. It’s one of those things that I don’t necessarily feel a difference, but I do it to be proactive. I also drink super dry wine (my go-to is an Italian chianti or similar) as is not only is the wine I enjoy, but it also hits my gut fine. I just make sure I eat plenty of food alongside the glass of wine to help buffer the wine.
- I’ve been on a simple soups kick with the exception of this past week while I was gone. Goop’s Broccoli & Arugula is good this time of year and a quick one to make during the week. The original recipe uses fresh broccoli, more water, olive oil, and a tad less arugula, but I find this extra easy with a bag of frozen broccoli. I kept this recipe fat free, but if you want it richer tasting in the end, drizzle in some high quality olive oil along with the lemon.
- Goop’s Broccoli & Arugula Soup Recipe:
- Makes 2 bowls
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped – I use 1 if they are large
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound frozen broccoli
- 1 1/2 -2 cups water depending on how thick/thin you want it
- 1/4 tsp Himilayan salt, or to taste
- 1 heaping cup of arugula
- to serve: 1/2 lemon squeeze divided between the two bowls and fresh ground pepper
- Method
- Saute the garlic and onion for a few minutes.
- Add the frozen broccoli and water. Cover, cook and steam for around 10 minutes until tender over medium heat. Start watching at 8 minutes, so you don’t overcook the broccoli.
- Carefully add everything to your blender. Add in the arugula and salt and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve the soup with a small lemon squeeze, fresh ground pepper, and more salt if needed.
- The broccoli one I only make here and there, but cauliflower soup I make much more often. I guess I don’t prefer the taste of green soups as much, but I like them as an option when I have the ingredients on hand.
- Simple Stovetop Cauliflower Soup:
- Serves 2 big servings, 4 if using as a side to another dish
- Ingredients:
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into smaller florets
- 1/2 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (I do 2 tsp, but I really like rosemary) OR 1 TBSP fresh rosemary, optional
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan or sea salt, more to taste
- ground pepper
- optional, lemon squeeze and/or chopped leeks or chives for a garnish
- Method:
- Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a soup pot. Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, water sauté the onion, garlic, and rosemary until the onion softens. Once the large pot of water is boiling, add in the cauliflower and cook covered for about 5 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through. Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat if your onions still need a bit.
- Using a large slotted spoon, add the cauliflower to the blender with 1 cup of the cooking water, the sautéed ingredients, and salt & pepper. Blend until smooth. Add a little more cooking water to thin it out a bit if desired. Pour it in a mug or bowl. Enjoy!
- I’m still on a roasted cabbage kick and find it so satisfying with some avocado or a little olive oil drizzled in.
- How I cook it:
- 1) set oven to 400
- 2) immediately start slicing the head of cabbage fairly thin
- 3) add as much as I can get on a lined baking sheet. I pile it up a bit so everything steams more than it really bakes. I don’t add any spices or anything at this point. Even if I want to enjoy it with a bit of olive oil I prefer to add a high quality olive oil after baking most of the time so 1) I use less, and 2) the olive oil retains more of the nutritional benefits.
- 4) I don’t wait for the oven to reach 400. I put it in right away and set the timer to 20 minutes. If it was an actual 400 degree preheated oven, I’m guessing it would be done in around 13-15 min depending on how well you want it. I try not to overcook mine.
- 5) I enjoy right away with some avocado mashed in most often or a small drizzle of olive oil if I don’t have a ripe avocado on hand. For spices I do dried thyme, cayenne, sea salt, and ground pepper.
- I won’t leave you with just super simple veggie soups and cabbage today. Ha. This chickpea avocado “tuna” mash is really good on some toasted bread of choice.
- I packed very little for skincare while I was gone this past week, but Apoterra’s Vitamin C Regenerative Balm and Neroli Clarifying Complexion Mist made the cut. While still summer, it’s drier at our cottage and Apoterra’s Vitamin C balm is my go-to when my skin needs more moisture. After I wash my face for the night, I spritz my face with the Neroli spray, somewhat pat it around with my fingers and then apply the Vitamin C balm all over. Save 15% with code RIANE15 for first time customers.
- Living Libations is having a 25% off storewide summer sale. My picks – the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever (still one I rotate in to this day; I really love the scent too), Happy Gum Drops, Open Sky Eye Serum, Ballet Slipper Shimmer, Chocolate Ruby Blushing balm (I use both on lips and cheeks), Camp Cosmic Candle, Holiday Solstice Spice Candle, and their Rose Glow Serum mixed with a few drops of the Royal Rose CoQ10 Serum (the pricier CoQ10 serum lasts longer this way and you get the benefits of both). Nadine’s products are incredibly pure and they work. I don’t make an order often, but when I do, it’s such a treat! I didn’t link each product directly, but if you go to their best sellers, most that I mentioned will be right under that section.
- This week’s Quince Picks: Free shipping, 365 day returns, and quality products for amazing prices is why I shop Quince often. I bought this 100% cotton fisherman cardigan sweater last summer and it’s been my most worn summer sweater two years in a row. It has a nice weight to it for cooler days/nights and since it’s a cardigan it’s easy to throw on with many outfits. It’s more oversized, so don’t size up. Quince runs generously sized overall. I got the blue since it matches a lot of my summer wardrobe, but it comes in beige, ivory, camel, navy, black, and a pretty vintage rose color too. There is also this collard fisherman cardigan too.
- Be open-minded and willing to change or you lock yourself into never growing. Change is growth.
Subscribe to my free Substack Newsletter to get my weekly 10 straight to your inbox.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I am only featuring items I love. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you so much for your support! See my full disclosure.