Wow, it has officially hit that time of year where hibernation is key. It gets dark at 4 pm and today's real feel was 8 degrees! Every morning I step outside to a tundra of snow and ice, continually surprised that it is still so cold.

Winter is a special time of year, yes, snow is beautiful, but I also feel that it allows you to appreciate subtle changes in the weather. A 40 degree day suddenly is transformed into perfection considering it had been a high of 20 previously. That kind of appreciation doesn't happen when every day is beautiful and warm.

These frigid temps can only be combated with warm and hearty food that is enjoyed under a blanket with wool socks! That is why I love soups during this season, so many things can be thrown into a pot with broth and turned into a delicious, filling, and healthy meal.

This particular soup hosts a spicy little kick and a complexity garnered from the use of the black bean broth as opposed to vegetable stock. The bean stock is salty and earthy pairing well with the bright flavors of the tomatoes, sweetness of the corn and heat of the jalapeno. I hope that you enjoy!

Vegan Spicy Black Bean, Quinoa, and Tomato Soup with Jalapeno and Corn

1 cup Dried Black Beans

8 Cups Water

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 Onion, Chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 Spicy Italian Peppers or 1 Poblano

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Smoked Chili Powder

1 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes

4 cups of Black Bean Broth and/or Water

1 Jalapeno, diced

1 cup Corn

1/2 cup Quinoa

Optional Toppings: Fresh Cilantro, Avocado, Tomato

In a large stock pot bring the black beans, 8 cups of water and a dash of salt to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are cooked through. Alternatively you can use soak the beans overnight or sprout the beans in order to reduce cooking time.

In a large pot heat 2 tbs of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and Italian peppers, sauteing for 5 minutes until softened. Add the cumin and chili powders, toasting for 1 minute more before adding the diced tomatoes, black bean broth and water (4 cups total), black beans, and quinoa, bringing to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes or until quinoa is cooked. Add the corn and jalapeno and salt to taste.

Serve topped with tomatoes, cilantro and avocado. Enjoy and Healthy Eating!

The end of fall is always a hard time for me and this year has been no exception. Life sometimes has a way of letting you down, bringing you down, or creeping up on you. As you can tell, that is a lot of different directions to be pulled in! Often in these times when I am not feeling well emotionally I start to indulge in food and drink that does not do my body good so instantly I also do not feel well physically.

This happened in the past few weeks. I was indulging in too much whiskey, sweets, and other unsavory items. My body was feeling sluggish and I needed a reset. No one is perfect nor will they always eat perfectly but as someone who is conscious of what I am eating, I can easily recognize that it was effecting my mood and my self-esteem. Winter hadn't even started and I felt like I had packed on my winter weight.

So what do you do? You do a juice cleanse combined with raw foods, well at least that is what I do! On Sunday after gorging on pizza and cake, I came home and took our my juicer and got to work. I have a slow juicer so the juice lasts for a number of days, I made a big batch of apple and turnip green juice as well as a beet, carrot and ginger juice so that I had some variety.

Let me tell you, after the first day you feel so much lighter and remarkably better physically. This in turn provides a mental boost as well. Now, I don't want you to picture me drinking juice all day long. In the morning I have a smoothie so that I can blend in my Green Vibrance and for lunch I drink juice. Throughout the day I snack on fruit if I am still hungry and for dinner I eat a raw meal. This means that I eat vegetables uncooked and no this does not have to be boring!

The recipe here is for my Raw Collard Green Burritos that are stuffed with zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, and spices - essentially its like eating a chunky veggie filled salsa inside of your collard wrap and it is insanely delicious. The best part is that if I wanted to eat 3, I totally could! After 4 days of juicing and eating this way, I feel more like myself. I hope that you enjoy!

Raw Sprouted Lentil and Vegetable Collard Green Burritos

1 Zucchini, chopped

1/2 Onion, Chopped

1 Garlic clove, Chopped

1 Green Pepper, Chopped

1 Poblano Pepper, minced

1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup Corn

1/2 cup Sprouted Lentils

1 tbs Cumin

1 tbs Chili Powder

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 tsp Honey

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Large Collard Green leaves

In a large bowl, add the chopped vegetables, lentils and spices, stirring to combine. Taking 2 collard green leaves, remove the tough inner stem. Place them dark green side down with the stem sides overlapping in the center.

Add a heaping portion of the veggies and lentils to the center of the leaves. Tuck the short ends in and roll up burrito style. Cut in half and enjoy!