Lululemon and Black Bean Soup

34 degrees and sleety/rainy/snowy? Really? It's not even Halloween yet!!

I am not a morning person and it was so tough to get out of my cuddly bed this morning, but I am so glad I did. As Julie says, "You never regret a workout!"

I took a two hour mash-up of BodyCombat, BodyPump, and conditioning, and it was killer!! Seriously. I am gonna huuurt tomorrow (actually, I'm a little sore already!). I also took my first Zumba class last night since my yoga studio just started offering it on Friday nights. I always thought it would be kind of corny, but oh man! I was dripping sweat, and loved the instructor! We had a lot of fun, and it felt great to be dancing (read: shakin' it) again.

Then I braved the rain and sleet in just my Lulu jacket and stopped at the grocery on the way home to snag some strawberries for a smoothie and luckily they had a huge stash of avocados on sale for $1 each...score! Guacamole will be in my near future.

PS, if you are looking for a super comfy, lightweight, and very flattering jacket (with a hood! And thumb holes!) to wear during warmups, on runs/dogwalks in slightly chilly weather, or to throw on before and after the gym/studio, get this jacket!!! So worth the money, as are all Lululemon products. I'm addicted....Cool Racerbacks and Wunder Unders are my other go-tos. They are worth saving up for! They fit perfectly and last forever.

Get the Dance Studio Jacket here. It looks like they are low on options right now, but they often restock. I also like their Scuba Hoodies and want the Live Simply jacket.

Deepest pockets ever! Love.

Finally got my big bag of SunWarrior Warrior Blend protein yesterday, so I was excited to make a smoothie (...now if only I also had a Vitamix....). Four fresh strawberries, a small banana, a splash of skim milk, scoop of the vanilla SunWarrior, a couple handfuls of spinach (you can't taste it! Promise), and some ice was all I needed. The texture of SunWarrior protein is different than others I've tried, but I really like it.

Check it out here.

I am heading up to Philly in a bit, but before I head out, I have to share this with you. What is perfect for a day like today? This super easy Black Bean Soup!!! I made it earlier this week since I haven't been able to find a canned variety that I loved.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 TB oil (I usually use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 small onion, diced, divided in two

2 large cloves of garlic, roughly minced

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Adobo with Cumin seasoning

Cayenne Pepper

2 cups of water

1/2 TB chicken stock (I use Minor's)

1 cup of corn (I used corn cut off the cob that was frozen)

2/3 cup of jarred salsa

1 TB lime juice

Shredded cheese (optional)

Plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Warm oil in a pot and add half of the diced onion. Saute until the onions begin to turn transluscent. 

In a blender, add one can of the drained black beans and the other half of the onion, as well as the garlic cloves. Pulse a few times.

Put the other can of black beans into the pot and then add the blender-pulsed mixture. Stir in two cups of water and the chicken stock (to make a sort of chicken broth), and season with the Adobo and cayenne to taste.

Add in the corn and salsa and continue to stir.

Stir for a few minutes, and when your soup is hot enough, turn off the heat and add the lime juice.

Pour into bowls and top with shredded cheese, plain yogurt (as a sour cream sub!), and cilantro, if you choose.

Make this soup! Even my picky little sister loved it. Full of fiber, protein, and deliciousness. Koda wanted a taste as well.

I am ready for a bite now.

Oh yes, and I did decide to buy the new Coldplay album....glad I did, it is beautiful and is a nice change of pace for me in regards to the other types of music I listen to. The songs are all so atmospheric and gorgeous and just have so much sound, and each song flows well into the other when listened to in order. Fan!

Off to Philly after having a bowl of soup. Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo