Seasonal Pumpkin & Potato Soup

This is one of the easiest and tastiest soups you'll ever make! My husband was not originally a fan of pumpkin soup, but he seems to be a fan of this version. So does my sister, and myself. And, it's a great way to use your potatoes and pumpkin quadrant when they begin to get a little old.

Ingredients

1 x Organic Pumpkin Quadrant
2 - 5 Organic Potatoes (depending on size)
1 x Organic Brown Onion
3 x Cloves of Garlic (minced)
1 L Vegetable Stock
300 mL Cooking Cream (if desired)
Freshly cut chives (if available)
Salt & Pepper for taste
Sour Cream to serve
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds to serve


Method

1. Cut pumpkin into blocks and de-skin/de-seed. Wash. Put in pot.
2. Wash and peel potatoes. Put in pot.
3. Mince onion, garlic and put in the pot. Add chives if desire.
4. Add 1 L Vegetable Stock and bring to the boil. Let boil for 20 minutes or until both pumpkin and potato are soft.
5. Remove from boil and puree either electronically with a machine or manually with a masher. Add chives, cream (if desire), and salt & pepper for taste. Return to boil, stirring the cream until evenly stirred through.
6. Dish up a bowl and serve with a dollop of sour cream and pumpkin seeds for extra flavour. 

This soup makes a great snack or lunch and can be eaten by itself or accompanied with warm, toasty bread. いただきます!!

Super Food: Pumpkin

I really got into pumpkin throughout the winter. Able to suit both sweet and savoury flavours; grilled, roasted, steamed, mashed, it's an incredibly versatile vegetable! It's high in vitamins A and C, fibre, manganese, potassium, and antioxidants - carotenoids being one of them. 

The journal Cancer Research published a study in 2009 based on women and their risk to breast cancer. They reported that women with the highest levels of alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin in their blood had as much as a 50 percent reduction risk of breast cancer. This was particularly true for women with high mammography density, a common condition and a major predictor of breast-cancer risk. 


Serving/Facts: Butternut

(1/2 cup/102 g)

Calories: 41 (173 kJ)
Protein: 0.9 g
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrate: 11 g
Fiber: 5 g



Origin: South America
Season: Late Autumn
Home Garden: Easy to grow at home

Serving/Fact: Pumpkin
(1/2 cup/122 g)

Calories: 24 (102kJ)
Protein: 0.9 g
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 6 g
Fiber: 1.3 g

Nutra Organics Super Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 x Ripe Organic/Local Banana

3 x Tablespoons of Natural Yoghurt (any flavor)

1 x Tablespoon Raw Honey

250 mL Unpasteurized Milk

1 x Heaped Spoonful of Nutra Organics Maca Powder

1 x Heaped Spoonful of Nutra Organics Acai Berry Blend Powder

1 x Heaped Spoonful of Nutra Organics Vanilla Protein Powder

A sprinkle of Chia Seeds

A generous sprinkle of ground Cinnamon

Directions:

•  Peel banana and place in blender.
• Add milk, yoghurt, honey, chia seeds and the required servings of Nutra Organics Maca, Acai and Protein powders.
•  Blend.  (Feel free to add ice if you desire your smoothie extra frosty.)
•  Enjoy a tasty, low-maintenance, convenient super smoothie packed with antioxidants, probiotics, omegas and protein, which enhances your natural energy whilst invigorating the libido!

NB Feel free to add the Nutra Organics Super Greens and Reds powder for an added alkalizing component.

In Focus: Nutra Organics

Hello Fellow Readers!

My latest article about Nutra Organics is up on the Move Eat Heal site!
It explains the fundamentals of this great family owned business and their passion to help provide vital nutritional support for families on the go. 

I have even attached my own, personal super-smoothie recipe at the end for you all to try. It's very yummy, I promise. I enjoy it every morning for breakfast. Happy Reading!!

For those of you who would rather see it here first, then please keep on reading...:-)

“Nutrition today for a healthy tomorrow”

Lifestyles today are busy. It seems the more we develop as a planet, the less time we have for preparing fresh, nutritious, well-balanced meals. There’s always something to do, or someone to see, and by the time it gets to mealtime, we just need a quick feed so we can move onto the next task.  The other factor is, it’s not always easy to know what is in the food we’re digesting, where it came from, or if it is particularly nourishing to us at all! Your body is complex and precious, and replenishing back what you give out is a vital tool for survival. Nutra Organics provides practical, holistic support to help you reach and maintain optimal health.

Since 1998, Founders/Directors Mark and Darlene Powell have been on a journey to help people live healthy, energetic and fulfilling lives. Nowadays, lots of produce is heavily sprayed with harmful chemicals and most soils are very depleted in nutrients. Mark and Darlene started to source out organically grown foods that came from nutrient rich soils that they could incorporate into their daily lifestyle, as well as pass onto their children and grandchildren. This passion became a goal, which would soon see the birth of Nutra Organics. The range of products provides the wholesome goodness you may be missing out on in your daily food intake. All organic, rich in antioxidants, alkalizing ingredients, with nothing artificial added like synthetic fillers. Each product is 100% whole foods, packed with essential nutrients to boost your intracellular health whilst processed in a way to maintain the nutritional contents of the foods vitamins, minerals and enzymes, without damaging the cell walls of the foods. That way, you can be sure you’re getting the most out of every spoonful!

All of the Nutra Organic products are Certified Organic, Fair Trade, and Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn and Egg Free.

Some of my daily favorites are;

Acai Berry Blend – With omegas 3 and 6, essential fatty acids, amino acids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, iron and nutrient packed with antioxidant-loaded berries. This blend contributes to normal energy metabolism; immune system function and can reduce tiredness and fatigue.  Delicious in smoothies or on yoghurt.

Super Greens + Reds – Loaded with phyto rich greens and nutrient rich reds, this readily absorbable comprehensive formulation is packed with quality ingredients to help you get more out of your day. It’s an all-in-one wholefood multivitamin!

Organic Maca – 100% certified organic maca root powder, this super food is densely packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and sterols. It’s believed to stabilize the glandular hormonals and increase libido! Also, unlike many other Maca Powders, this one is smooth, creamy and subtle in taste. Goes great in smoothies!

Coco Biotics: Probiotic Energy Bar – Gluten, dairy, soy, corn and egg free with no added nuts, this delicious treat focuses on gut health and digestive balance whilst tasting awesome and making a perfect, healthy snack on the run.

Nutra Organics Mason Jar – Made from glass with an stainless steel screw lid, this jar is so handy for transporting your homemade smoothies, juices, or mixing in your powders with liquids.

For more information about the amazing Nutra Organics range including their ‘Thriving Protein’ and Kids Superfoods, please visit their site here. 

Get In Touch

Nutra Organics Pty Ltd

(E) info@nutraorganics.com.au

Free call Australia-wide: 1300 743 161

(P) +61 07 5534 2510

(F) +61 07 5534 2520

As mentioned before, it’s a family run business and each member is extremely friendly. Their only goal is to help you find what will further enrich your life! So feel free to get in touch.

"Like A Girl"

This morning, my friend sent me this video (link below), which was all about what it means to do things in life "like a girl". The clip was entertaining, insightful, inspiring and sad. I select the word 'sad' objectively. It was sad because of how the phrase "like a girl" is viewed as a negative within our society. Even after global female liberation, in todays modern equal opportunity world, being "like a girl" is still considered an insult.

I'm not going to give the video away; it's really something you should watch for yourselves - female or male- but I will say this...To all the girls out there trying to figure out who you are, what you want from life or where you want to progress in the future, I tell you this, no matter how you go about doing those things - whether it be in a dainty female-like manner or with bold female strength, if anybody, and I mean anybody, tells you that you do it "like a girl"...You look that person straight in the eyes and you say to them,"Actually, I do it like me! But I just so happen to be a girl, you neanderthal." (Okay, the neanderthal part is optional, but it's there if you want it.)

This is not feminism. It's humanism. 

Let's all try to live up to our 'most intelligent species' title and progress forward from #likeagirl being an insult.