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!

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]