ginger sage butternut squash soup with sausage

Happy Autumn! I am so happy that soup and comfort food season has arrived!

There's a quick backstory to this recipe. Bear with me.

Is there anything out there that for some reason you really really really think you "should" start doing, but no matter how hard you try it's a huge struggle?

For example, I remember for YEARS I wanted to get into the routine of weekly meal planning so I could make one grocery list and stick to it. Have you ever struggled with this? It always seemed impossible and I'd end up going grocery shopping multiple times a week and purchasing way too many impulse buys. Well, one day I realized that I'd started meal planning without even realizing it! I don't remember when it started, but now every weekend I go through my latest Cooking Light magazine, cookbooks, and Pinterest boards and pick a few new recipes that I want to try. It's just a habit and I barely think twice about it! I'm not sure if it actually saves us money since I am a compulsive new recipe hoarder and we both eat so much food...but it at least makes the weekdays flow a little smoother because we always know what's for dinner.

Anyway.

The point of this story is that for the past several months I've had this nagging urge to start blogging more of my own recipes. I'm obsessed with collecting recipes from blogs, Pinterest, cookbooks, and magazines, but half the time I end up putting my own spin on it anyway. Ben is the opposite--cooking is like chem lab for him and he has to diligently measure out every 1/2 tsp of oil, but I like to get inspiration from a recipe and then go with my intuition and freestyle the rest of the way.

I take photos of all my dinners to post on Instagram, so I know that it won't take much extra time to jot down the recipe and throw it up here. I'm making it happen! And I'm also sharing recipes on my Facebook page. So excited! Start turning those "should do's" into action!

My preferred style of dinner is a fast, simple, and healthy one-pot meal. I love soup and I'm so happy the weather is finally cooling off so it feels like soup season! I also love butternut squash so this had to be my first official soup of the fall. Squash is usually a huge death-defying pain to peel and chop so I skipped those parts all together and roasted it in the peel. Just make sure you plan ahead enough to get the squash in the oven about 45-60 mins before you want to eat. If you're running short on time you can chop it in advance and cook it in the microwave.

Ginger Sage Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage
Serves 3-4

-1 butternut squash

-1 T coconut oil
-1 red onion, chopped
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
-4 c veggie or chicken broth
-1 tsp fresh rosemary
-1 T fresh sage

-salt and pepper to taste

-2 links Italian turkey sausage

Preheat oven to 350*. 

Slice squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and set the seeds aside to roast!

Place squash cut-side down in a baking pan filled with 1/2" water, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the squash is soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Allow squash to cool for a little bit and then scoop it out of the peel with a spoon.

(To roast the seeds: squish them out of the squash goop with your fingers, combine with 1T olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt, and bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes stirring and watching constantly because they burn fast!)

While the squash is baking, heat coconut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion until transclucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Pour in the broth, add the squash and herbs, and cook for about 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender (or CAREFULLY transfer into a food processor). Taste the soup to see if it needs any salt or pepper. 

While soup is simmering, slice the turkey sausage into coins and cook in a skillet.

Serve the soup topped with sausage, sage, and seeds!

wedding weekend recap (and food and fitness plan!)

Ben and I had an absolutely magical weekend in southwest Michigan celebrating the wedding of his sister Ashley and her husband Peter! We're struggling a little bit with the Monday re-entry process this morning but I wanted to share some of the memories and highlights.

Ashley and Peter planned to be married on an empty lot in his parents' neighborhood, overlooking Lake Michigan. It's one of those beachfront neighborhoods composed mainly of summer cottages, tucked away in the woods and almost completely hidden from the rest of the world. We held the rehearsal in the "Wedding Lot" and then Peter's parents hosted a wonderful dinner in their backyard patio, complete with twinkle lights, bonfire, and s'mores on the beach. 

The sunset lit the sky on fire and then we released wish lanterns into the night.

I also was able to catch up with my parents and both of my little sisters! 

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early in our huge, gorgeous, lakeside "cottage" and got to work! Getting ready with the bridal party is one of my favorite parts of being in a wedding, just having a chance to relax and have fun before the craziness begins. Ashley was an absolutely stunning bride.

This was the first time Ben and I were in a wedding since we got married almost two years ago! I didn't have a chance to take many photos of the actual event, but it was beautiful and perfect. 

Now it's back to reality for a week before I drive home for my best friend's wedding NEXT weekend! This is the craziest fall of my life, but I'm loving every minute of it.

Needless to say, I'm going to do my best to really focus on my clean eating and fitness plan this week to balance out all that cake, pie, and wine.

>>Food<<

Breakfast

-Oatmeal with Greek yogurt

-Protein pancakes

-Eggs and whole wheat muffin

Morning snack

-Shakeology blended with unsweetened almond milk, ice, and frozen banana

-Yogurt and fruit

Lunch

-Huge salad with tuna, apple and PB

-Dinner leftovers

Afternoon snack

-Veggies and hummus

Dinner

-Butternut squash soup with turkey sausage

-CHILI! 

-Baked chicken and quinoa

{it's going to be a short week for me since I'm driving back to my hometown Wednesday night to start prepping for my best friend's wedding!}

>>Fitness<<

I'm dialing it up a notch this week so I can look my best in my next bridesmaid dress! I'm planning to split my workouts and do a morning and afternoon session (30-45 mins each).

Monday

AM: Kayla Itsines Arms/Abs circuit, 15 minute HIIT routine

PM: Kettlebell Circuit

Tuesday

AM: Power walk, 20 min PiYo

PM: Bodypump (full body strength)

Wednesday

AM: Kayla Itsines Abs/Cardio circuit + upper body strength routine 

PM: none

Thursday

AM: Cardio circuit

PM: PiYo

Friday

AM: Kayla Itsines Legs/Cardio circuit + upper body strength routine

PM: none

Sat/Sun

WEDDING WEEKEND! 

AM: Run if I get a chance

PM: Dance partyyyyy!

Let's make it a great week!

Self Employment || Week 3

This is going to be a messy, short and sweet post because it is Thursday evening, I'm waiting for Ben to walk in the door from school at any minute, and then we're going to be hitting the road to drive to Michigan to celebrate his sister Ashley and her fiancé Peter's wedding! I can't believe this weekend has finally arrived. I'm obviously really excited for Ashley and Peter, but I'm also excited for the chance to mentally and physically disconnect from my crazy world, spend some focused time with Ben, and also be able to make memories with my family, my whole wonderful in-law family, and Peter's family (who I consider my extended in-laws already...haha). It's going to be a beautiful blast.

Anyway. I wanted to throw up a post and just type from my heart because this week was amazing and needs to be documented.

The first two weeks of my self-employment adventure were unsettling, scary, and very emotional. I didn't feel like myself, didn't know what I was supposed to be doing, and it was really confusing. But I powered through, set some goals and deadlines, read and listened to as much uplifting personal development as I could, and tried to stop overthinking and overanalyzing and overplanning (the background image on my phone is literally a graphic that says "Under Think It" so I am reminded every single time I pick up my phone to get out of my head and just take ACTION). I did a lot of visioning about my personal and creative mission, allowed myself to acknowledge that I'm just starting out and I'll constantly be evolving, I don't need to be perfect right away. Basically everything is finally starting to come together.

Week three has been a breakthrough.

For the time being, I have conquered all the fear and doubt (it's still there, don't get me wrong, but I'm choosing to ignore it and smash it with my gut instinct which tells me that I am doing exactly what I should be doing, and that everything is going to work out even better than I can imagine right now).

Whenever you start to feel overwhelmingly happy or just content with life, do you ever instinctively start to second-guess yourself and suppress those emotions? Sometimes I don't feel like I DESERVE to feel happy when things are going my way. I feel like I always have to have some sort of struggle or difficulty to complain and vent about so people don't start to feel like I'm un-relatable, self absorbed, living a perfect life that is unattainable to them. Because things obviously will never be perfect, and the grass is always greener. So I start to think that "oh well, something bad will happen and crush my joy so I better tone it down and be mature and realistic."

Well, to hell with that. I am really happy right now and I am just going to acknowledge it and ride the wave. Because I'm sure there will be struggles and challenges ahead, but they are in the future. And in the present, my life is amazing. I know people are jealous of me, but I'm not going to let that affect how I feel. I am working for this! I am working my butt off every single day, doing things that normal people aren't willing to do. I wake up at 5:30 and I haven't watched TV in months. I don't even read the newspaper anymore. Every waking moment is spent either working on a project, planning, or connecting with my team and putting myself out there. If you aren't satisfied or happy with your life, figure out what is missing and then just do it! You don't have to quit your job. Just re-think where your true priorities lie.

I definitely need to work on building structure, boundaries, and work/life balance, but I'll get there (I promise, Ben!!). I am working hard to build a foundation and get myself launched, but I'm doing what I love and I wouldn't trade this for anything.

I get to play with gorgeous lace and flannel all day, walk to Starbucks in the middle of the afternoon, meet friends for lunch, and design a schedule that perfectly complements my energy levels and is not dictated by a commute, meetings, or "quitting time." I am in complete control and it is making me feel alive.

My biggest accomplishment this week was re-launching my Etsy shop and revealing my new brand, Anna Maria Locke! I've had a ridiculously large stash of fabric just sitting in my closet since last winter, and I'm finally making things happen and sewing it into gorgeous scarves! This is a huge deal for me. Go check it out!

Alright Ben's home, it's go time. Have a wonderful weekend!

Food and Fitness Plan // September 15-20

I want to start sharing my weekly meal plan and workout schedule so I can hold myself accountable and give you a glimpse of how I set up my week! If you're trying to eat healthy or lose weight, going into the chaos of Monday with at least some sort of plan is critical to avoid the pitfalls of unexpected situations (brownies in the office, happy hour drinks, forgetting to pack a lunch...) and the same goes for workouts. 

It's so much easier to stay motivated when you can wake up and know exactly what you need to do, otherwise you give your brain a chance to talk yourself out of it! Motivation is a mind game and it takes a little bit of effort and focus to get into a consistent routine of planning, but once you start dedicating aside time every week to set yourself up for success, all of a sudden it will be a habit.

My mantra for this week is "no excuses" because Ben and I are finally heading into our weddingpalooza season! I can't believe it's mid-September already. Between the two of us we're either standing in or attending four weddings within the next five weeks! Plus our own anniversary is in the mix as well. It's officially crunch time to look fabulous in my bridesmaid dresses (and counteract all the wine, champagne, cake, and pie I'm going to be consuming)!

So here's my MASTER PLAN for this week! I'm going to be following the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan with my Challenge Group that starts today, but I'm mixing in my own workouts because I'm currently participating in the Tone It Up Frisky Fall Challenge and also doing Kayla Itsine's Bikini Body Guide circuit program! I love to mix it up to keep myself from getting bored.

>>Food<<

I tend to get into routines and eat the same or similar things every day for all meals except dinner. The 21 Day Fix containers are listed as colors.

M1 || 7:30 am

Shakeology blended with unsweetened almond milk, ice, and possibly banana (red, purple)

M2 || 9:30 am

Muffin and eggs (yellow, red) OR yogurt, fruit, oats (yellow, red, purple) OR protein pancake (red, purple)

M3 || 12:30 pm

Dinner leftovers OR a salad with tuna, apple with almond butter on the side (2 green, red, purple, orange, 2 tsp)

M4 || 3:30 pm

Veggies and hummus (green, blue)

M5 || 6:30 pm

Monday: Zoodles with marinara and chicken (greens, red)
Tuesday: Butternut squash soup with turkey sausage (greens, red, yellow?)
Wednesday: Salmon and quinoa salad (red, green, yellow)

Thursday/Friday/Saturday is where it gets fun: we're heading to Michigan to celebrate my beautiful sister-in-law's wedding! I'll do my best to make healthy choices but I am for sure going to relax and enjoy the weekend with my family. I'm planning to bring my workout clothes and weights with me so I can sneak in a workout here and there!

>>Fitness<<

Monday: 1 mile jog + Kayla Itsines Week 5 Legs/Cardio Circuit + Bikini Arms
Tuesday: 45 min power walk + Bikini Abs + Love Your Abs
Wednesday: Kayla Week 5 Arms/Abs Circuit + HIIT
Thursday: 3 mile run + Thai Tush
Friday: Kayla Week 5 Abs/Cardio Circuit + TIU Quickie
Saturday/Sunday: Rest/Run/HIIT, going with the flow!

Let's make it a great week!

Self Employment || Week 2

My first full week of self employment is in the books! 

Feeling: I'm definitely in the transition phase, but I'm starting to settle into a routine and figure things out. I still feel like I'm on some weird extended vacation, and I really miss my zoo coworkers. It almost feels like a breakup, and unexpectedly emotional! But life moves on and new reality is sinking in more and more each day. I've set some hard deadlines and am doing a lot of "visioning" and planning. I'm struggling to find a balance between thinking/planning and doing/making, and I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety but I think everything will start to come together and feel more legitimate as I polish up my creative brand and work on treating my businesses as actual JOBS, not just the things I do for fun.

Doing: I'm trying to set consistent daily habits that will keep me on track with my Beachbody business. After I workout in the morning, I brew up some coffee, blend a shake, and tackle a "power hour" of Challenge Group check-ins and communications while my energy level is high.

Around 9:30 I take a break for a larger breakfast. This was 1/3 c raw oats, 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt, a splash of almond milk, and cinnamon all stirred up and then topped with a drizzle of maple syrup, microwaved frozen berries, frozen banana slices, chia seeds, and hemp hearts. I've been loving cold oat bowls all summer but I think we're officially heading back into hot oatmeal season!

Something exciting that happened this week was my first team webinar with my coaches! We're going to start having a virtual hangout every week focused on training, personal development, and goal setting. I love my team so much and I'm so excited to see how we grow and develop in the months ahead!

I'm also taking advantage of my flexible schedule to meet up for coffee, lunch, dinner, and workouts with my Chicago clients, coaches, and friends! So fun. And I finally got a much needed hair cut.

On Wednesday I pushed myself out of the good old comfort zone for an adventure with my incredible wedding photographer Christy. She's trying to build her portfolio for her Beautiful Sessions, which are geared towards making women feel gorgeous and confident in their own skin, so I decided to jump at the chance to celebrate and document this moment of my life. It was definitely a confidence boost and fun to connect with a different side of myself from the usual leggings/frizzy hair/low maintenance Anna. Who knew that there was a Glamazon just waiting to emerge?

Making: Lots of yummy dinners! I'm so happy the weather is cooling off, because it means that comfort food season is here! I tried two recipes from PaleOMG this week and they were both hits. This was the Chicken Bacon Rice Bowl, and we also loved the Pizza Spaghetti Pie. 

I've also started knitting again! I'm making some gorgeous striped chunky cowls for the shop. Knitting + wine + fall candle burning is perfection.

If wine goes with knitting, then tea most definitely goes with sewing. This is a comfy, stretchy, knit infinity scarf that will be in the shop next week. Can you tell my theme for fall is cozy comfort?

Planning: Next week I'm hosting my first "coach preview" group on Facebook for anyone who's interested in learning more about the Beachbody coaching opportunity. I'm planning to make this a monthly thing and I'm excited to stretch my boundaries and put myself and my team out there to connect with other motivated, driven, and passionate women! Still can't believe I've clicked so hard with this network marketing thing. 

I'm also launching my re-branded Etsy shop and Fall 2014 scarf line this coming Wednesday the 17th! I can't wait! So much floral, lace, flannel, cozy cowl goodness is headed your way. 

I'm testing out my first email subscription campaign, so if you want to stay up to date on my new products and adventures, you can sign up here! I'm going to be sending out an exclusive promotion on Wednesday to all my subscribers! 

So that's what's new with me! Just trying to find my footing in this crazy life, and constantly pushing the boundaries. Don't ever settle for less.

Raspberry Oat Protein Pancakes

Have you ever tried a protein pancake?

It's kind of a health and fitness cult thing, a pancake made with protein powder instead of flour. It sounds weird at first, but you mix the protein with some smashed bananas and egg, and it actually works! I was introduced to the recipe when I joined the Tone It Up community last summer.

Breakfast is hands-down my favorite meal of the day, and I'm always trying to find something that fills me up for at least half the morning. Protein pancakes have become a staple in my rotation, and I usually make one (or a waffle version!) at least once a week. Brown rice protein powder seems to work the best since it has more of a flour consistency than other proteins, and my favorite brands are Perfect Fit and Sun Warrior. They're both kind of pricey, but a bag usually lasts me a few months since I don't eat protein pancakes everyday. I also prefer the consistency, flavor, and ingredients of Shakeology for smoothies, so I save my brown rice protein for these pancakes!

I'd say that protein pancakes do an 80% job of satisfying my pancake cravings (they're definitely not as good as the real thing), but they keep me full and energized for so long without the carb coma and sugar crash of the real deal!

The basic protein pancake recipe calls for 1/2 banana, egg whites, 1 scoop of protein powder, cinnamon, and a small splash of almond milk. I think that recipe turns out a little dry, but they're good if you top them with fruit and Greek yogurt.

I like to add a little bit of oat flour to the mix to give the pancakes a more satisfying, cake-y texture. This is my current go-to recipe that I've been eating a lot lately!

Raspberry Oat Protein Pancakes
Serves 1

Ingredients:
-1/2 ripe banana
-1 egg
-1/4 cup almond milk
-1 scoop brown rice protein
-1/4 cup oat flour (literally just oats pulverized in a food processor)
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp baking soda
(optional: vanilla or other flavored extracts)

Topping:
-2/3 c fresh or frozen raspberries, warmed in the microwave
-1/4 c plain Greek yogurt sweetened with stevia

Mash the banana and egg together in a bowl with a fork until the banana is almost smooth. Add remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. Preheat a pan while you're mixing your batter (I've discovered that cast iron works the best!) and coat it with coconut oil or non-stick spray. Once the pan is nice and hot, turn the heat down to medium-low, pour in your batter, and let it cook for 5-6 minutes until the edges are starting to solidify. Use the biggest spatula you have to flip the pancake and cook it on the other side for 2-3 minutes.

You can make one giant pancake or two to three smaller ones. Smaller pancakes are easier to flip and good to start with until you get the hang of the technique! It's important to make sure your pan is really hot, and then cook your pancake long enough so it's more than halfway done before attempting the flip. It's easy to end up with a "pancake scramble" if you don't let it cook long enough, but luckily a scramble is just as tasty.

[21 Day Fix: 2 purples, 1 1/2 reds, 1/2 yellow]

Top your pancake with the Greek yogurt and berries, and enjoy!

Self Employment || Week 1!

Where do I even start?

The past seven days have been a whirlwind. I'm trying to live in the present moment, pay extra attention to my emotions, remind myself that it's ok to be a beginner, and document this new transition as much as possible via iPhone pics, Instagram, and good old fashioned journaling because I know it's something I'll want to look back on once I've made it through to the other side.

Friday, August 29th was my last day working full-time at the zoo. I put in my two months notice back in June, so it's not like the day snuck up on me, but it was still unsettling and bittersweet to leave my coworker-friends and the department I called home for almost a year and a half. I'd like to say that I drove out of the parking lot for the last time in a riot of glory, with fireworks and a Beyonce power anthem blasting on the stereo, but it was more of a contained, "WTF is happening," uncomfortably normal feeling afternoon. I felt similar to the days I graduated college and grad school--excited to be moving on to the next, highly anticipated chapter of life, but sad to be leaving memories and important people behind.

I am one hundred percent certain that I'm making the right life choices with perfect timing, and I literally can't believe how lucky I am for all the forces/opportunities/people that have guided me to this point. I don't know exactly where my path is leading, but I know that I'm heading in the right direction and I have no doubt that I'll be successful in whatever I end up doing. In fact, as much as I'm terrified of failure...I think what TRULY petrifies and paralyzes me is the concept of success. I'm used to the struggle, the grind, the process, and I'm scared that things are going to happen too fast for me to handle. At the same time, I am impatient and want to accomplish ALL THE THINGS all at once, immediately. Yeah I'm kind of a mess.

I think my first official week of self-employment can be divided into two phases: the north woods Wisconsin Labor Day retreat, and the return to "reality."

Phase one: Wisconsin

Over the past eight months or so, I've made some amazing real life friends through my health and fitness account on Instagram. It's kind of like online dating, but for fun, active, supportive girlfriends who completely GET you, and this community is what has allowed me to establish my own small health and fitness business and quit my job to pursue my dreams. 

This past winter, my Chicago friend Kathleen and I both individually connected with Kaite, who is a teacher living in a small town in northern Wisconsin. Like, as far north as you can get. Kathleen and I had been throwing around the idea of hitting the road and driving up to visit Kaite all summer, and we decided to just make it happen! 

Make it happen. My mantra for 2014.

Kaite lives in Bayfield, a tiny, gorgeous, welcoming lakeside community. We spent Labor Day weekend hanging out, being as active as possible, drinking wine, having adventures, eating delicious food, and wandering the wooded hills. It was a perfect weekend, especially since all three of us are going through some sort of life or emotional transition right now and needed some downtime to reconnect to ourselves and essentially use each other for therapy.

I've become so used to living in the city that I didn't even know how much I've been missing the outdoors. Being able to walk out the door and hike into the woods or down to the water is a simple luxury that makes me feel like myself, and as much as I love Chicago, and as much as I've grown accustomed to the hustle of the city, this past weekend was a jolting wake-up call.

I'm completely in love with Lake Superior. At least the summer version.

After an incredible weekend of trees, water, fresh air, and outdoor dining, it was a bit of a shock to come back to the city.

Phase 2: New Reality

Not gonna lie, my new reality is kind of fabulous.

But at the same time, it's coming as a complete shock to my system. Growing pains!

I don't have to wake up and get out the door at a certain time. I don't have to feel pressured to be productive on my side-biz's every night and weekend, because they are no longer on the side. I no longer have to feel fragmented and pulled in too many directions. I DON'T HAVE TO PACK A LUNCH! I can plan my day to suit my energy levels. But I am 100% responsible for my success, income, and responsibilities.

I'm giving myself the entire month of September to get organized, set goals, resurrect my poor neglected Etsy shop, and figure out what I want to accomplish in the remaining months of the year. My best friend and sister in law are getting married the last two weekends of the month, so I'm also excited to be able to focus on their big days!

Every day I feel a little more like myself. I'm working on figuring out a routine, making giant to-do lists, prioritizing what needs to happen, and the roller coaster of anxiety/excitement and terror/joy is slowwwwly starting to equalize. I just want to feel calm again!! For now though, I'm overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed with anticipation for the projects that I'm going to be able to finally tackle.
Overwhelmed with fear that I'm not going to be able to make enough money to live the life I imagine.
Overwhelmed with vulnerability because I'm finally putting myself out there.
Overwhelmed with gratitude for the people in my life who have enveloped me with love and support.

Out of nowhere, something small will hit me and make me extremely happy, like being able to eat lunch at home, going to the fabric store at 9am before the crowds, or taking Saturday off to relax and "waste time" reading and thinking.

This is a massive and extremely personal shift in my career and life. I've worked and wished and waited and yearned for this moment to arrive for so long, and now that it's finally here I don't even know what to do with myself. But I'm figuring it out one day at a time, and I am going to share my journey every step of the way.

Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it.