I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend! If you’re anything like me, you probably indulged a liiiittttle more than usual – as you should! On Christmas Eve, we went to my brother in law’s family celebration and there was NO way I wasn’t going to eat everything they made for the occasion. I’m talking oysters, baked clams, mussels, crab claws, shrimp, an amazing pasta with langostinos, King Crab legs, fennel salad… honestly, I didn’t even at that much dessert because I was so full by the time they put it out!

And since this was my family’s first Christmas at home, we decided to start a new Christmas morning tradition: HOMEMADE BAGELS! I may have said I’d never eat again after the night before, we these were so chewy and perfect, so… 😉 Then, of course we had appetizers (bacon wrapped dates, cheese, stuffed mushrooms, etc), followed by a beautiful meal with Potato Leek Butternut Squash Soup, my Mom’s Pork Tenderloin, risotto with asparagus, roasted artichokes, and my Nana’s trifle for dessert. I mean… you would have eaten all of that, too – right?!

Even though it was an indulgent weekend, I love that it was all REAL food, and that we ate it around such love-filled tables. That being said, now that the weekend is over, it’s definitely time to reset. I’m sure our bodies could all use a break from sugar, carbs and dairy – even if it’s just for a little bit. So, what is good for you to eat?? Vegetables, and lots of em!

This soup is jam packed full of nutrients from veggies like sweet potatoes, zucchini and kale. Plus there’s extra protein, fiber and iron thanks to quinoa. Sure, it’s not the prettiest soup in the world, but it’s easy to make, it will fill you up, and you can totally customize it to your liking! Don’t like kale? Add spinach instead! Love red peppers? Throw em in there! I also like a little kick, so I love adding lots of red pepper flakes when it starts cooking OR keeping a bottle of hot sauce nearby when you serve it!!

Seriously, this soup is so simple. Take the time to whip this up one day and it’ll be so much easier to eat healthy for the rest of the week!!

How do you guys reset after indulgent holidays?!

Crock-Pot® Detox Vegetable Quinoa Soup

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 small zucchini (or one large), chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup lentils
4 cups broth
8 stalks lacinato kale, stems removed/chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups water
1/2 cup parsley
red pepper flakes

Instructions

Put everything in your crock-pot, except the quinoa and parsley. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Add quinoa and cook for another hour. If you're in a rush, just cook until the quinoa is tender - about 30 minutes.
Season to taste and stir in parsley at the end. Garnish with extra parsley and enjoy!

https://www.lakeshorelady.com/2016/12/crock-pot-detox-vegetable-quinoa-soup.html