A glimpse. Day 6. Forgive. BNS Soup.

Today is Day 6 of the 12 Days of Holiday Recipes. We are 200 women strong cooking real food this holiday season. In addition to a rockin’ recipe each day, I am giving these women a verb – an action word – to take with them during the day. The goal is to see  what they can do with that word – see where it takes them. Below is a glimpse. There is still time to sign up. Click here.
Dear fabulous you,
We are half way through our journey. This is our hump day. Half way. Wow, that went fast.
Forgive. Today’s word. For me, this is the hardest word to take on. I admit that I am a tough one. I hold grudges. I take things personally. I have a really hard time forgiving others. I also have a darn hard time forgiving myself.
Over the last couple days I haven’t been feeling good at all. Achy. Headache. Sore throat. You name it. I blame it on lack of rest gearing up for this program. I have tried every natural remedy known to man but for some reason I can’t kick this bug’s butt. I finally broke down and took some Theraflu. What followed? Guilt. I was thinking, “I am a health coach. I eat kale. I drink Kombucha. I can’t take medicine!” There I was again being hard on myself. Forgive. I am forgiving myself. I am not perfect.
Over the holidays, we may be around people that may have hurt us in the past. Maybe it is tough to go to that family dinner. Maybe it is difficult to go to the party your nosy neighbor is hosting. My challenge for you today is to think about one person you can forgive. How can you move forward? How can you start fresh? Maybe that person is yourself. Think about it.
We are in charge of our own lives. Each of us has the power within us to make each day, each holiday season, the best it can be.
Enjoy. Breathe. Cook. Slow Down. Spread the Joy.
Oh, don’t forget to participate in the Facebook group. Click here to join in the conversation.
Health, happiness and peace of mind,

Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is a delicious side dish next to a sandwich or salad. You can totally eat the peel of a butternut squash if you so desire. It will cook down and soften. I love this soup with a little nutmeg. I think it adds even more of a touch of a Fall. 
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, diced
1/2 of an onion, diced
1 medium butternut squash, chopped
1 carton of organic chicken broth
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
dash of nutmeg
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add carrots and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add butternut squash and nutmeg. Stir to combine with vegetables. Stir in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender or a Vitamix blender to puree soup. Pour soup back into pot and sprinkle with a little nutmeg. Enjoy!