Recipe: Endo-Friendly Spicy Lentil and Chicken Soup

This is a new twist on an old favourite of ours and is really simple to make. Spicy chicken soup is a fall-back whenever we fancy something satisfying, warming but still healthy and budget-friendly - it really hits all bases! I especially like this recipe as you can get away with just 1 large chicken breast for 2 people. Chicken isn't cheap (there's a pun there somewhere) so needing half the amount definitely helps the food bill. I was doubtful when I first tried it, but you really do end up with a LOT of chicken once it's shredded. If you're not a fan of spicy foods it's really simple to swap out the spices and put herbs like Basil, Thyme and Parsley in their place too.

(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
100g Red Split Lentils
Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
1 Large Chicken Breast
400ml Chicken Stock
270g Crushed Tomatoes
1tsp Cumin
1tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Black Pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and add the onion, carrot and garlic - cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken, cumin and cayenne and cook fur a further 5 minutes until the chicken starts to brown.
3. Stir in the stock and water then simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove and set aside the chicken and add the lentils and tomatoes, leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. While the soup is simmering, shred the chicken breast.
5. Add the chicken back to the soup and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.
6. Season to taste and serve.

For a naughty added extra crush some lightly salted corn chips (make sure they're gluten/soya/milk free - Asda Smart Price ones are but don't know about other brands) and sprinkle them over the top for a crunchy layer.

News and Promises

Hi all!

Has it really been 5 months since I last posted? The time really goes fast!

This time I have a legitimate excuse and hopefully my promise to blog more regularly can be kept from now on. I've had all manner of health problems since April and all my energy has been put into keeping up work and having something that resembles a social life! After months of doctors looking at me with a puzzled expression, I was finally taken into hospital 2 weeks ago and all was revealed.

I've been suffering from severe endometriosis (information can be found here) which has led to a lot of pain, tiredness and general grumpiness over the months. I was in hospital for a week, had a minor op to find the problem and fix it, and my health has been improving dramatically ever since! I'm immensely grateful for all the doctors and nurses I came into contact with, they are all incredible people and the care I received was second to none. So thank you to all the staff at Southmead Hospital Cotswald Ward for your help. :)

So there's the news, now for my promise!

I'm completely changing my life, from the inside out. I've already got more energy and that's only increasing each day, so it's time to do something with it. :) I'm going to be tackling our finances harder than ever before (3 weeks off work isn't cheap!), overhauling my diet to get my health back up to scratch and getting crafty again as I find things to do during my recovery. All of this means I'll have plenty to blog about, so that's what I'll be doing!

I won't be promising a daily update, as that was very difficult to keep up even in peak health. But I can promise 2-3 posts a week and possibly some featured posts or guest posts to supplement my own. :)

And that's all I have for you today! I'm off to be inspired by recipes, project ideas and frugal blogs. ;)

Post Fourteen: The Colour of Your Money

I'm poorly today so I'm sitting out in the garden to enjoy one of those rare days that the sun is out and I have nothing to do. Admittedly I would rather be in good health doing this, but I'll take what I can get.

Recently I've been seeing a number of different articles, newsletters and websites that talk about how your money can be green ethically as well as in colour. Since I'm constantly thinking about our finances and how we can put them to best use, this has intrigued me and I thought I'd share my findings with you. Please remember, nothing in this blog is meant as financial advice. Where you put your money is completely up to you.

A handy website that gives you the run down of banks and their ethical pros and cons can be found here. It's called Your Ethical Money and it has sub-categories for all kinds of investments, savings and everyday bank accounts. In each category it lists each bank that offers the product and lets you know how they score against other banks. The criteria they have to meet is pretty extensive - covering not only their green policies, but their equal rights, how fair they are to people in financial difficulty, all sorts of things you just don't tend to think about when choosing a bank. They even let you know if the company invests in good causes or if they actively support bad ones. I don't know about you, but I quite like the idea that my money can help others and still stay in my pocket!

I also found an article that goes through some of the other ways you can put your money to good use, for example lending your savings to help others. There are a lot of complicated rules and you can't just jump straight in without doing a little research, but in its simplest concept someone will tell you why you should lend them the money and you decide if you want to or not!
The article itself can be found here.


Tom and I haven't started saving just yet, which has nothing to do with my recent trip to New Look I swear! But when we do, I'll definitely be looking for the best ethical bank as well as the best savings rates. :)