Celebrate National Soup Month: 5 Delicious Soup Recipes

By Caitlin Seida

Did you know January is National Soup Month? I didn't, but it definitely makes sense. One of the coldest months of the year here in the northern hemisphere, January is chilly enough to bring me to my knees and beg for my mama (or at least more sweaters!). Soup is one of those things that just hits the spot after a long day of trudging through the snow, fighting off biting winds or - if you prefer - lounging on the couch under a pile of blankets.

Why not try out one of these stellar soup recipes to celebrate the month and make your taste buds happy?

Italian Wedding Soup

Photo by Liz at ThinkLiz

My family is Sicilian and this soup has been a staple of our winter diets for as long as I can remember. In fact, it's one of the few things my mom cooks, so it's extra special to me (my father usually does most of the cooking in the household!). I usually omit the scrambled egg, although it does lend a little extra protein to this already hearty powerhouse of liquid nutrition.

Check out the recipe by Liz over at ThinkLiz. 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Photo by Yammie at Yammie's Noshery

I'm not going to lie - broccoli and cheese are two of my favorite foods. Combining them into one soup-er (see what I did there?) meal makes me happier than a pig in mud. It's not healthy - not even remotely, unless you count the fact that broccoli is a wonder vegetable, but this thick and creamy soup hits the spot on a cold winter's day.

Check out the recipe for this tasty Panera Bread version over at Yammie's Noshery. 

Vegetable Soup

Photo by Dawnelle at Will There Be Food There?

One of the best things about soup is that it's adaptable. If you have potatoes and no onions? No problem. Throw 'em in. If you've got leftover squash, zucchini and an eggplant? You've got a soup waiting to be cooked. Vegetable soup is a great way to pack your macro- and micro-nutrients into one hot, healthy meal.

Check out this simple recipe from Dawnelle over at Will There Be Food There?

Vegan Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup

Photo from the Ethical Deal Blog

Can't leave our vegan friends hanging, now can we? As I move toward a more plant-based diet, I'm finding myself eating a lot more soup. This quick and easy soup - almost thick enough to be a stew - is soothing on the throat. Perfect if you've got a bout of winter illness nipping at your heels. The thyme lends a little bit of pep to the otherwise earthy flavor of this recipe and may protect your respiratory system.

Check out this recipe by registered holistic nutritionist Genevieve Blanchet over at the Ethical Deal Blog.

Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Copycat 

Photo by Reeni at Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice

Am I the only one who could eat Olive Garden's chicken gnocchi soup by the gallon? Seriously - they have to be putting unicorn hair and fairy farts into this stuff. But no - it's addictive. The little potato pastas (gnocchi) are delicious and melt on your tongue. The creamy soup base is thick enough to make this soup an entire meal in and of itself and the chicken lends a nice, meaty flavor to the dish. I won't even make any pretense that this dish is healthy, but it's great for a January treat.

Check out this super simple Olive Garden copycat recipe by Reeni Pisano over at Cinnamon, Spice And Everything Nice.

She gets bonus "easy prep" points for using refrigerated gnocchi, though there's something to be said for making your own - if you're so inclined, a basic gnocchi recipe can be found here at 101 Cookbooks.  Note that I said "basic" and not "easy" - gnocchi making is NOT for the faint of heart! 

What's your favorite type of soup? Do you have a recipe to share with us? Let us know in the comments below! 

Bonfire Night Goodies To Make And Eat

By Vyctoria Hart

It wasn't easy growing up goth in England in the '80s and '90s. We'd see all these American films, like E.T. and Hocus Pocus, that'd make Halloween look like so much fun. But when we dressed up and headed out we would be lucky to get an old piece of hard candy covered in fluff. More often we'd be ignored or sworn at by the neighbours. Halloween is a bigger industry here nowadays but it's really just an excuse for adults to get drunk one weekend near the day itself, it's still pretty rare to see trick'or'treaters on the streets.

Why this lack of interest in one of the most fun nights of the year? Well, it's very close to one of our own beloved holidays.

Remember, remember

The fifth of November, 

The Gunpowder treason and plot; 

I know of no reason 

Why the Gunpowder treason 

Should ever be forgot! 

    

If you're not from the UK or Commonwealth, then chances are that you're only familiar with Guy Fawkes Night from the Alan Moore graphic novel "V for Vendetta" or it's movie adaptation.

In 1605 a plot was uncovered in London to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the King. Guido Fawkes was found with the explosives and executed for the crime. Every year since the British have celebrated by burning effigies, letting off fireworks and stuffing themselves with tasty food.

Whilst the celebration is no longer enforced by law, events are now usually organised by local government bodies, making them safer and removing the political/religious elements that made the celebrations problematic in the past. Sadly this has also lead to the decline of some of the traditional homemade foods that used to make Guy Fawkes Night a special treat.

Since American traditions and flavours are becoming more common here (this was the first year we got Pumpkin Spice Lattes at the local Starbucks) I thought it might be nice to do a little cultural exchange and share with you some of the traditional flavours of Britain.

Sweet

Parkin

This a sticky spicy cake that's perfect with a hot mug of tea. It freezes well but can last up to two weeks in a tin (if you can resist it that long!).

85g black treacle/molasses

200g golden/corn syrup

200g butter or margarine

85g soft brown sugar

100g medium oatmeal

250g self raising flour

1 tbsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

4 tbsp milk

*Heat oven to 160 degrees C/320 degrees F Line a 9" square cake tin, or a large loaf tin, with baking parchment.

*Melt the treacle, syrup, butter and sugar together in a pan over a gentle heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

*Mix together the oatmeal, flour and spices in a large bowl, then stir in the syrup mixture. Beat together the egg and milk and add to the mixture. 

*Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 50 mins to an hour, until the cake feels firm and crusty on top. A skewer pushed into the cake should come out clean.

*Lift out of tin and allow to cool in the parchment. This cake gets better if you wait a few days before eating.  

Bonfire toffee

Please note you will need a sugar thermometer for this recipe and it may not be suitable for young children to help make. You can follow the recipe below to make a sheet of toffee and break it into chunks, but here its traditional to pour the mixture into small foil cupcake cases and add a popsicle stick as it cools to make a bonfire toffee lollypop. 

450g dark brown sugar

125ml/4 fl oz hot water 

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

115g golden/corn syrup

115g black treacle/molasses

* line a 8"x12" tin with non-stick parchment, and grease well with oil.

*add sugar and water to a heavy bottom pan and allow sugar to dissolve over a gentle heat. DO NOT STIR, tip the pan if you need to move the mixture around.

*weigh out the rest of the ingredients into a well greased jug. Once the sugar is dissolved pour the rest of the ingredients into the pan and add the thermometer. Try to avoid stirring the mixture to much.

*bring to the boil and keep boiling until mixture reaches 140 degrees C/270 degrees F. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE UNATTENDED. Once this temperature is reached, turn off the heat and pour the mixture into your tin to cool. 

*once completely cool break up the toffee with a hammer or rolling pin. This is a lot less messy if you put it into a bag first!

Cinder toffee

Cinder toffee is also known as honeycomb, it's lighter and easier to chew that bonfire toffee, and it's lovely mixed into ice cream or yogurt. 

5 tbsp golden/corn syrup

200g caster/superfine sugar

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda, here in the US)

*grease an 8" square tin with butter. 

*Mix together the syrup and sugar in a DEEP pan and stir over gentle heat until melted. Try to avoid bubbles forming before the sugar is completely dissolved.

*turn up the heat slightly and simmer for a short time until the mixture has become amber caramel. Remove immediately from the heat and beat in the bicarb with a wooden spoon. This will cause the mixture to foam, hence the need for a deep pan. Make sure there are no lumps of bicarb remaining and pour the mixture into the square tin. BEWARE THIS IS VERY HOT!

*leave to cool. The mixture will continue to bubble for sometime, this is normal. Try not the disturb the pan as this may knock out some of the air. 

*once cool, break into chunks, or crumble and store in a jar for use as a dessert topping.

Savoury

The UK is sadly not famous for its native cuisine. It's not that our food is bad, its generally that we're bad at naming food, so no one else wants to try it in the first place!

Toad-in-the-Hole

I guarantee this recipe is 100% toad free. Well, it is if you buy your sausages from a reputable supplier. This recipe is unlikely to work with hot dogs or frankenfurter type sausages, use breakfast sausages instead.

4 good quality sausages

The Batter (this is also known as Yorkshire pudding and is amazing on it's own as well.)

   4 tbsp plain flour

   1/2 tsp salt

   2 beaten eggs

   275ml milk

   2-3 tbsp vegetable oil or goose fat

*Sieve the flour and and salt into a large bowl. May a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and gradually add the beaten eggs. Whisk in the milk until the batter has the consistency of single cream. Leave to stand for at least an hour, 3-4 hours if you have time. 

*Preheat the oven to 220c/425f/gas 7. Fry the sausages until browned on the outside.

*Put the oil or fat into a large deep sided oven tin and put into the oven until smoking hot. Give the batter a good stir and then quickly pour into the tin. This will sizzle and spit a bit! Drop in the sausages (even spaced but away from the edges) and return the pan to the oven. 

*Bake for 30 minutes until mix has risen into a glorious golden dish shaped cloud (it's normal for the edges to rise more than the middle). Serve with thick gravy and winter vegetables.

Rarebit

This is a simple Welsh recipe for a tasty and quick warming snack. You can vary this a lot by adding precooked meat/fish, switching the mustard for another sauce, or by change the vegetables for tomato or spinach. This serves 8.

Sliced bread

200g grated/shredded cheese

1 beaten egg

2 chopped scallions/spring onions

1 tsp Dijon mustard

*toast the bread under a grill until golden on one side. 

* Mix the remaining ingredients and spread over the untoasted side of the bread.

*return to the grill until cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve immediately. 

Baked potatoes

If you're being authentic and having a bonfire, the baked potatoes are a great post-fire snack to warm you up and soak up any booze you might have indulged in (please not play with fireworks whilst inebriated!).

*poke holes in your potatoes with a fork all over, smear with butter and wrap in two layers of tinfoil. 

*bury them in the embers of the bonfire and they should be ready in about an hour. 

*serve with baked beans and shredded/grated cheese.

Mum and Cat Mum Vyctoria Hart is based in the Yorkshire in the North of England, Vyctoria specializes in steampunk, science fiction and alternative illustration. She has provided images for a number of novels and paper-based roleplay games, as well as designing fabrics, t-shirts and greetings cards. You can find her work at Phantoms-Siren.com You can also check out some of her work on RedBubble, Folksy, DeviantArt and Spoonflower. And of course, you can read her words here at I Feel Delicious!

5 Halloween Costumes for All Shapes and Sizes

By Caitlin Seida

Every year I fight with myself about what to wear for Halloween. It happens to be my favorite holiday and I love nothing more than dressing up. My "claim to fame" is my Lara Croft costume that went viral - so you know I'm all about defying expectations and don't give a flying rat's ass about whether or not I'm the right "size" to pull off a costume. But not everyone is so confident. Here's a list of five Halloween costumes suited to all shapes and sizes. They're easy to pull together, don't show TOO much skin and are woman-positive - no "slutty cop" or "harem slave girl" options here.  (more on the accusations of "slutty" costumes tomorrow from Staff Blogger Terri Jean, so stay tuned!)

Betty Boop

Get yourself a red dress and heels, style your hair in pinup-esque curls, throw on some gold hoop earrings and some bangles and you're ready to go. Betty Boop has universal appeal - her exaggerated figure needn't dissuade you from dressing up as her because NOBODY looks like Betty Boop does (and if you do, please send us pictures!). Play up your lips with a vampy red lipstick and you're ready for a night on the town. Betty's got this charm and innocence that makes her a fun Halloween costume for ladies of all shapes and sizes.

Rosie the Riveter

Female empowerment? Check. Easy and cheap to throw together costume? Check. Iconic? Check. All the makings of a great Halloween costume whether you're svelte, plus size or in between. Get yourself a blue work shirt, some work pants and red bandanna and you're ready to go. Play up your hair with pinup curls, accentuate your eyes and get ready to show off those biceps! Rosie is as easy as it gets and she emphasizes the strength in every woman. We can do it!

Mother Nature OR Medusa

Do you want to be nurturing to the whole world or cut down everyone in your path? Either way, these costumes are as simple as starting with a basic white sheet for a toga. Mother Nature can opt to dress in earthy tones like green or brown, while Medusa can opt for silvers and blacks - but at their most basic forms, these costumes can both get away with the "toga party" look. Tease your hair and for Mother Nature, adorn with leaves, flowers, vines and even some birds if you feel like it. For Medusa, get a bunch of fake snakes from the dollar store and pin them to your locks. Makeup is entirely optional for either, and you can be as creative or as plain as you'd like to go. These costumes are forgiving of body shape because most of the emphasis is on the face and hair and the costumes themselves can be as loose and flowy or emphasize whatever part of your body you like best. They're also both iconic female figures.

Sexy Ghost

Did you buy a bikini at the beginning of the summer but didn't feel comfortable wearing it (if so, why not girl? YOU can rock that thing!) Put it to good use with the "sexy ghost" costume that doesn't show even a little bit of skin. Throw on a skin colored body suit (white shows through white - skin toned makes an almost invisible under layer) and toss a big white sheet on over it - then put the bikini on top of the sheet. Cut out eye holes for you to see and you're done. Easy as pie.

Velma from Scooby Doo

Who wants to be cold on Halloween? Velma provides the answer to that. Track down an orange sweater, orange knee socks, practical shoes (no blisters, SCORE!) and a skirt to match your shoes (Velma wears an odd shade of pink, but when I put together my costume I opted for black and considered brown). The "real" Velma has short hair and glasses, but with a costume as iconic as hers, it doesn't matter whether you do or don't add those accessories. Velma emphasizes the positive - she's the smart one of the group. And don't think she's without sex appeal, either - one only has to do a quick Google search for "sexy Velma" to see she's got quite a fan following who think nerdy girls are the HEIGHT of sexy.

What are you going as for Halloween this year? Tell us in the comments! Or better yet, show us a picture!

Caitlin Seida has been writing since 2006, with her work appearing on various websites including Livestrong.com, TypeF.com, Salon.com, Dogster.com and The Daily Puppy. A Jill-of-All-Trades, she splits her workday as a writer, humane society advocate and on-call vet tech. What little free time she has goes into pinup modeling, advocating for self-acceptance, knitting and trying to maintain her haunted house (really!). You can find her on Facebook, on Twitter, and of course here on I Feel Delicious!

Eight Tips for Sneaking In Exercise When You Really Don’t Have the Time

By Caitlin Seida

I've heard tales of rare and mythical creatures who love to exercise and have seemingly unlimited time to get it done during the day. I don't think I've ever met one, but I'm sure they do exist. I, personally, am not one of them.

So what's a girl to do when she's busy but needs to stay in shape? Sneaks in exercise in bursts. Five minutes here, ten minutes there, a couple minutes before bed - it all adds up and you can build up to the recommended 30 to 60 minutes a day of exercise you should be getting, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Photo Copyright Jessica Lucia, Used Under Creative Commons License

So how do you do it? Here's some ideas:

1. Do Squats While Brushing Your Teeth
Proper tooth brushing techniques take about two minutes and you should be doing it at least twice a day. That's four minutes of time where you're staring into your bathroom mirror and making goofy faces at yourself. Use those two minute chunks of time to get in as many squat repetitions as is safely possible. Squats are resistance exercises that use your own body weight to work your quadricep and hamstring muscles. Strengthening them can help protect your knees - a great benefit!
Here's a video demonstrating proper squat techniques:



2. Work Your Arms While Doing Laundry Laundry - we've all got to do it and I don't think anyone likes it. You have to lift the laundry into the basket, lift the basket and carry it to your laundry area, lift the clothes into the machine, wait for a while and then transfer them from the machine to the dryer. That in and of itself is a lot of work, right? Use the weight from the laundry (wet laundry is heavier than dry) to do some quick reps to trick yourself into giving your arm muscles a workout.

Exercise your arms and shoulders by using the laundry basket in place of a barbell - a seated shoulder press, as demonstrated here, allows you to sit while you contemplate which detergent to use. You can also use the laundry basket to do a standing barbell curl, as demonstrated here. 

3. Practice Your Ballet Barre Technique While Doing The Dishes 
I'm a big fan of ballet exercises - they help build long, lean muscles, improve flexibility and core stability and they improve your balance big time. Doing the dishes can take a long time - sneak in some releves, rond de jambes, tendus and plies while you're scrubbing.





4. Create a Cardio Housework Blast
Vacuum, mop the floor, scrub the bathtub, clean the toilet - but do it all at a pace that gets your heart pumping. Dance while you do it - nobody's watching. Get your heart rate elevated and keep it that way by working at a break neck speed - as a bonus, your housework will get done quicker, too.

Copyright Jason Jones, Used Under Creative Commons License

Copyright Gabrielle Marks, Used Under Creative Commons License

5. Make Multiple Trips
Gotta go upstairs to get your laptop, phone and MP3 player? Make a separate trip for each item. Even if you live in a one story house, walk each item to its intended room individually. Sure, it takes a little extra time but every extra step you take counts towards your goal. Baby steps will get you there just as surely as leaps and bounds.

Copyright THOR. Used Under Creative Commons License

6. Park farther away from the door
Everybody wants that prime parking spot right in front of work or the store - pass it up and let someone else have an easy day. Instead, opt to park farther away and walk to your destination. Again - it all adds up to your goal.

Copyright Vick the Viking. Used Under a Creative Commons License.

7. Take the Stairs
Yeah, everybody knows this piece of advice and nobody likes to hear it, but it bears repeating. Ignore the elevator, ignore the escalator, leave your space age jetpack at home. Take the stairs. It'll get your heart pumping and count toward your daily fitness goal. The more you take the stairs, the easier it gets - eventually you'll stop huffing and puffing when you reach the top. I promise!



8. Play.
Remember when you were a kid and your mom sent you out of the house for the afternoon? Everything was a playground - the entire world was new and exciting and there were opportunities to play wherever you looked. Let your inner child out for a bit and just go play. Climb trees, rake leaves and jump in the pile, dig holes in the dirt, roll down hills - a little bit of play is good for your body AND your mind

Copyright Walt Stoneburner. Used Under Creative Commons License

How do you sneak exercise into your daily routine? Leave us a comment and let us know. 

Caitlin Seida has been writing since 2006, with her work appearing on various websites including Livestrong.com, TypeF.com, Salon.com, Dogster.com and The Daily Puppy. A Jill-of-All-Trades, she splits her workday as a writer, humane society advocate and on-call vet tech. What little free time she has goes into pinup modeling, advocating for self-acceptance, knitting and trying to maintain her haunted house (really!). You can find her on Facebook, on Twitter, and of course here on I Feel Delicious!