I can’t think of anything more comforting than a bowl of soup. Â Warm, filling, and nourishing, homemade soup feels like a big hug. Â My husband and my kids (especially Mr. Picky) all love soup and I love making it because it’s easy, flexible and soup makes great leftovers.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has given me such great feedback about my Insta Stories. One day close to the first of the year, I did a bunch of Insta Stories at the supermarket about foods I like and why, and tips for navigating the grocery store.  I had no idea how much this would resonate with my Instagram followers and I couldn’t be happier.  The downside to Insta Stories is that they’re only up for 24 hours.  You access them by clicking on my profile picture (which is a circle) in Instagram.  At the moment, I’m in Palm Springs, so no grocery shopping this weekend!  But I’ll make sure to do a few every time I’m at the market.
Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
Happy Friday! I hope you will be able to enjoy a long weekend. My son is off from school on Monday, so we are scooting off to the desert for a few days to partake in Modernism Week with my husband, who is fairly obsessed with everything mid-century modern. Â He has organized tickets for lectures, home tours, shindigs, etc. Â I have put in my requests for restaurants, of course. Â Should be swanky!
A quick note to remind about my Friday Favorites, since someone recently asked me, I have not received any of these products for free, nor have I received any compensation for mentioning these products.  If I were sponsored, it would be mentioned and if I received product for free in exchange for a review, that would be mentioned as well.  Believe me, I welcome sponsorships and free product if any company wants to send some my way!! 😉  With respect to the products mentioned in this post, I bought them all for full retail price and have no connection with these companies.
Eeeek, I’m a little late getting this up, but I never had a chance to sit down at the computer the last two days.  This week I am looking forward to Valentine’s Day.  I’m going to spend the evening at home with my two favorite guys, my husband and my 13 year old son, aka Mr. Picky.  I sent care packages to my daughters with homemade granola and some other fun treats that I know they will love.
If you live in the LA area, you can catch my segment with Lori Corbin on KABC on Monday, February 13th at 3:00 pm! Â We make individual chicken pot pies and a giant whole grain chocolate chip cookie skillet cake! Â Have a wonderful week!
Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
I recently received a copy of  Bowls of Plenty: Recipes for Healthy and Delicious Whole Grain Meals by Carolynn Carreño. It’s no secret I’m a cookbook junkie.  I even have a Pinterest board labeled just that.  And it’s no secret I am obsessed with meals in bowls.  Often I will set the dinner table with a bowl for me and a plate for everyone else.  Silly, but I really love eating all my food together and having all the flavors in one bite.  As opposed to Mr. Picky who couldn’t imagine anything worse!
Happy Weekend, friends! Â This week, I started a new menu in my classes and it’s so fantastic! Â I know most of you don’t live close to me and can’t take my classes, but you can always check to see what I am teaching by clicking on this link. I hope to post some of these recipes soon. Â After seeing my posts of the finished dishes on my Instagram feed, many people will ask me if the recipes are available anywhere and unfortunately I always wait until I have finished teaching every class over the month before I post the recipe online. Â Stay tuned! Â Today I’m making a gigantic batch of vegan queso to bring to a Super Bowl party tomorrow and I am doing a little prep for a TV segment I am taping with KABC’s Lori Corbin on Monday. Â I’ll let you know when it airs!
Have a great week! Â Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
I was watching “The Kitchen” this morning while I was working out, because don’t we all watch cooking shows while we’re trying to burn calories? Â I have a theory that combining the two makes me even more hungry than I would have been just exercising and watching CNN. The struggle.
Chinese New Year begins today, January 28th, with the Year of the Rooster. I thought I would share some interesting information from my friends at the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) World Foundation have to say about this new year.Â
“This is an energetically powerful time to make room for the new—a new life, new hope, and new beginnings. Can you sweep away old habits to make way for a new perspective?  To make the most of this energetic shift, you need ample energy to make the transition and tackle endeavors in the new year. This is a good time to rest and clean house in mind, body, spirit: your saved energy will serve as a springboard to the changes you’ll pursue in the year to come.Â
Traditionally, this period of preparation begins a week before the New Year, followed by a week or two of rest. This used to give farmers time to prepare and recharge before the busy planting season. However, even in modern Chinese culture, everyone takes a week-long holiday at the start of the New Year, and celebratory parties last for two weeks.Â
Every year has a particular kind of energy, embodied by 12 animals, according to the Chinese zodiac. This year is represented by the Fire Rooster—an exciting, eccentric, yet loyal, hardworking, and proud bird. The Rooster is a symbol of energy. Why does it wake up in the early hours, right before dawn? Why does it sing and dance when the Sun rises? It intuitively knows when energy shifts and changes in the Earth, and as a fearless leader, it has no qualms about letting the rest of us know. Are YOU ready to “wake up” and harmonize with the Rooster? If so, this might just be your year to dance with the Rooster.”
