I really loved this past weekend. I felt like it was the perfect balance of fun and productivity.
Aren’t those the best types of weekends?
Let’s recap. On Friday night, Lu and I went to the Knicks vs. Nets game at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. I had never seen a professional basketball game before in my life, so this was super exciting for me! A friend of ours was at the game, so we met up afterwards and had dinner and drinks.
On Saturday, I had brunch with my friends Ryann and Cassidy at The Butcher’s Daughter. If you live in the NYC area or are planning a trip to NYC, I really really suggest this place. I had the Monterrey Eggs and I literally licked my plate clean (and I rarely do that!) – it came with tomato jam, avocado mash, sourdough toast, hashbrowns and two fried eggs.
I also got the “vampire slayer” juice shot, which had ginger, cayenne and lemon juice – it was phenomenal and the perfect amount of zing. And for those of you who don’t know me, I’m a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer nerd, so, OBVIOUSLY I couldn’t resist. It was a gorgeous day (60 degrees out!), so my friends and I walked around SoHo and it was one of those perfect girls days.
Also on Saturday, our bedroom furniture was delivered, and I am so so happy with how it all turned out. I’m going to be featuring my living room and bedroom makeover on the blog, because I’m always inspired by other people’s before and afters, so I’m hoping mine will inspire someone else’s.
Saturday night we went with a few friends to a new restaurant in Jersey City that opened up called Hamilton Pork – a barbecue joint. It was one of the coolest, hippest restaurants I’ve ever seen and I’m so glad it’s in Jersey City! I got a pulled chicken sandwich with avocado and a cocktail called the Mexican Cowboy and it was stellar.
Sunday was very productive – I got a bunch of work done, we did some errands, and we discarded and organized a lot of our apartment. Ever since diving into Marie Kondo’s book (I really recommend it), I’ve been very conscious of clutter, what I need and don’t need, and I’ve had fun clearing out my space and making it more livable and inspiring. We donated about 10 bags to the Salvation Army!
Sunday night I made dinner and we finally booked all of our hotels for our trip to Italy for our anniversary in June. We’re going to Lake Como, Tuscany and Capri. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders! While I’ve been to Italy a few times, I’ve never been with Lu, so I’m really excited to spend that time with him.
PHEW. So that’s the recap! Now, I’m focused on having a super productive and healthy week, because it’s a short one for me – I leave for Salt Lake City, Utah on Thursday to go skiing with Lu — another thing we’ve never done before! We’re going to the Solitude Resort. Has anyone been?
I literally can’t wait. And in preparation, I’m staying healthy with this vegan lentil soup with turnip noodles. You may think, “What’s the point of the turnips?” Well, lentil soup can get a little tired – lentils and chopped veggies, ya know? By adding in a spiralized veggie, it reinvents this classic comfort soup.
And if you don’t like turnip noodles, no problem – swap in carrots (omit the diced carrots then!) or even celeriac noodles (omit the celery then!)
I love this soup – and I’m so excited to have it for dinner tonight.
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 6 points
*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.
Lentil Soup with Spiralized Turnips
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 28- ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup lentils any color but red, rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes depends on how spicy you like it!
- 2 small turnips
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion, celery, carrot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, thyme and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Add the lentils, broth, and bay leaves. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot partially and reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are almost tender.
- While the soup cooks, peel and spiralize the turnip using Blade C and trim the noodles. Set the noodles aside. After 20 minutes, remove the bay leaves, add in the turnip noodles, stir to combine and let cook for 5-7 minutes more or until lentils are fully tender and turnip noodles soften.
- Stir in the lemon juice and serve.
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