Butternut Squash Soup, Bread without Bloat + Laundry without Toxins.

Soup made with anti-inflammatory ingredients reduces cholesterol & improves liver function plus a side of bread without the bloat. Laundry free of neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors.

You always have good intentions of getting thru the holidays happy, healthy, strong, toned, not bloated. You want to have less fatigue and more energy, yes? But the same thing keeps happening… You do not understand inflammation and how it affects your body. You try eating better foods, spot clean brands to use, and watching for the labels but the fatigue and energy do not budge.

Blame many things - food, sleep, environmental toxins, makeup, skincare and cleaning toxins. Today, we are going to implement one more clean meal (with swaps, of course) and a clean laundry detergent to help beat inflammation, fatigue and bloat. At the bottom, you will see which household cleaners to avoid and an easy DIY laundry detergent.

As the holidays quickly approach, it’s smart to always have something full of nutrition on hand. Make a pot of this every week and eat leftovers for lunch ensuring you get minerals like calcium, zinc, and phosphorus, which help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. You will also feel delighted to eat more fiber, which can help with digestion and reduce constipation. 

The little taste of ginger really brings this soup together well. Trying to find ways to incorporate ginger into everyday should be on your to-do list. Ginger's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may help prevent and treat cancer. Food is so healing — we need more of this.

Clean Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 6-8

• 2 tbsp ghee, grass-fed butter, avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 large shallot, chopped (1/2 - 3/4 cup)

• 1 tsp clean salt + 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

• 20 oz cubed butternut squash (about 6 cups), frozen

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

• 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 3 cup clean vegetable broth

• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk

• 1 tsp pure maple syrup

• optional toppings: parsley, toasted pepitas, clean sour cream, bacon bits, toasted clean bread

  
  
  Directions:

• In a soup pot, sauté 2 tbsp ghee, grass-fed butter, avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil over medium-heat for one minute then add 1 large shallot, chopped (1/2 - 3/4 cup) plus 1 tsp clean salt + 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until its translucent and be sure not to burn - so watch and stir!

• Next, add 4 garlic cloves, chopped, 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped, 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger and cook until fragrant which should happen pretty quickly.

• Add 3 cup vegetable broth and 20 oz cubed butternut squash, frozen (approx 6 cups) and bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the butternut squash is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat.

• Let soup cool slightly then transfer soup into high-speed blender- blending until smooth or use immersion blender in pot and blend until smooth.

• Transfer soup back to pot and add 1/2 cup canned coconut milk and 1 tsp maple syrup. Stir to combine and serve with toasted bread and/or toppings.
  

• Substitutions

• 1 medium yellow or sweet onion in place of shallot

• Chicken broth instead of vegetable broth for a richer taste

• Can omit coconut milk if you prefer (taste before adding)

• can omit maple syrup to cut back on sugar

• If using fresh butternut squash - be sure it’s peeled, seeded, and cubed (approx. 6 cups). After sautéing shallot, add butternut squash and cook until it begins to soften around 10 minutes. Next, add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and ginger to the pot. Combine with a stir and cook approximately 1 minute, until it smells amazing then add 2.5 cups of the broth (fresh squash has more moisture). Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly then read directions above on blending soup and adding coconut milk.

• Butternut squash soup can be kept in the fridge for 3–5 days in an airtight container or lidded glass jar. To reheat, you can warm the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop

Toast some bread to serve with your soup!
Pacha is superior to all bread. (use code: wakeup) Nothing compares to it. It helps your gut and there are only benefits. Listen to this podcast episode to help understand what is really inside. Also, click video above to see a quick sneak-peek of the podcast.
Plantiful kitchen (use code: wakeup10) is also another brand that works and people love the texture.

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Embe coconut milk from Walmart works for soup and coffee creamer well. Native Forest SIMPLE brand, Thai Kitchen, Thrive Market or Trader Joe’s canned coconut milk are all 2 simple ingredients coconut milk.

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Sour cream swaps: These all taste like the real deal but the sheep yogurt may be a bit more sheepy and less sour cream-like.
Cocojune original is clean.
Harmless Harvest is easy to find usually
Coconut Cult is a gold-standard
Culina Yogurt has a story worth hearing — you will feel connected to this brand.

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Kettle & Fire is always a trusted brand with clean ingredients.
Bonafide is clean - if you want to find it at a store near you, google: “bonafide store locator” You can do this for any product, fyi.
Pacific brand can be found at target, yay and a lot of other groceries.
Owl is super high quality.

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Click video above to learn how to make your own laundry detergent.

Most all of your toxic chemicals found in household cleaners fall into these categories:
• Neurotoxins: which can affect brain activity and cause issues such as headaches and memory loss
• Carcinogens: which are known to cause or promote cancer
• Endocrine disruptors: which mimic human hormones and cause false signals within the body and lead to issues such as infertility, premature puberty, miscarriage, menstrual issues, ADHD, and even cancer.

A Few of the Top Household Cleaners to Avoid (will have clean swaps coming every week)
• Air fresheners and candles
• Fabric softeners and dryer sheets
• Cleaning products with artificial fragrances
• Laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent/pods

Laundry Detergent:
Ingredients:

• ½ cup of Castile (Dr. Bronner’s unscented)

• 20-25 drops of essential oil

•  ½ cup of Baking Soda (you’ll want to make sure it’s non-aluminum)

• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Coarse Salt

• 15 cups hot water

How to make it:

• In a bowl, mix all ingredients

• Store in big container  

Ready to use it? Add 1/4 to ½ cup per load and get ready for beautifully smelling laundry!

Don’t wanna make your own? Grab BRANCH BASICS laundry detergent done-for-you. Use code: WAKEUP to save 15% on your order

This month will have all of your thanksgiving dishes - turkey (where to purchase clean ones with the most nutrition and anti-inflammatory benefits), autumn salad, sweet potato casserole, pecan pie, green bean casserole, spinach dip. This will help you enjoy the holiday and not gain the extra 5 lbs!

xoxo - Jen Smiley