Wednesday was my first day back at work and like most people, it’s been a rough transition. This was the first holiday season I woke up and did nothing each and every day. I spent my week Pinteresting (vsimonetta) and reading some of my favourite blogs and my wake up time moved from the usual 6:00am to 10 or 11:00am for a week. Yes, as you could imagine, Wednesday morning was rough. Needless to say, when I got home I was too burnt out to actually spend time making dinner so I whipped up this super easy, typically have on-hand, recipe.
Ingredients
1 box of vegetable broth (I use PC organics)
1 yellow potato chopped roughly
1 small celery stalk (I don’t use the whole thing. And make sure to cut off ends)
1 onion
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 can white beans
2 cups raw kale
Directions
Add your onion, potato, carrots and celery to the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and let simmer 15-20 minutes or until potato and carrots are soft.
Add white beans, cover for 5 minutes until heated through.
Just before you’re ready to take your soup off the burner, add your kale and stir until just starting to wilt (about 1 minute).
Add a pinch of salt and/or black pepper and buon appetite! You’re ready to serve this easy, all year round, healthy soup. Bonus* I even brought mine to work the next day and tossed it in the microwave for a delicious, warm lunch on a cold day.
*Smoking Update: I have been smoke free since Jan.2. It’s been rough, I find myself getting bored and trying to fill time during my usual smoke breaks. Some tips I find useful:
When at work, I would go out at 10,12 and 2:30. Now, I spend that time getting up and walking to the kitchen or bathroom. Anything to keep me busy so I don’t get too bored sitting at my desk and feel the need to go outside. I also usually eat my lunch at my desk and always bring a lunch as a way of saving money. The problem is, if you sit at your desk for 10 hours a day without breaks you’ll probably crack so I took a walk downstairs and walked over to shoppers drug mart and bought a 1.5 litre bottle of water. It helps keep me busy and healthy. I’d love to bring a reusable plastic or stainless bottle but I’ve tried so many times and the idea of using the same bottle turns my stomach so I eventually stop drinking water all together. I know this isn’t the Eco-friendly way of doing things but right now it’s working so I try to justify it by thinking my water bottle is much less harmful to the environment (and myself) than smoking.
After dinner I always had a smoke with Tony so it’s been tough at home; I didn’t really know what to do with myself so instead of sitting on the couch I put on my boots, mitts and coat and took the dog out for a long walk. We did this twice Wednesday night!
Practically Made 