I need to be driving to Bethesda for a baby shower but I thought I'd blog first instead.

Wow. Yesterday was super seasonally depressing. My 5 mile run was a bust. The skin on two of my fingers cracked (I get this every winter) and I really wanted to nuke myself in a tanning bed from lack of sun.

However, I just bought Origins: Starting Over Age Erasing moisturizer with Mimosa...with a gift card I had from Christmas. I now have the face of a 15 year old (ok I'm in my mid-20's and terrified of aging) good thing the random bouts of acne and rebellion never left or I'd feel quite old with my 401(k).

This is the time of year when no one really wants to eat vegetables because we are 6 months away from a glorious July tomato sandwiched between two slices of whole grain bread and vegan mayo (it's 50x better than regular mayo, seriously).

To get myself to eat vegetables, I make soup. Here's my latest creation on the left.

This can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth and omitting the turkey and substituting a cup of chopped tempeh or any meat substitute you like.

Nonna's Cozy Comfort Soup:

1 16 oz container of low sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1/2 lb of any whole wheat pasta of choice (or more if you'd like)

1/4 lb. ground turkey

1 can great northern beans or chickpeas

3 TBS rosemary

3 cloves of garlic (or less depending on taste)

3 TBS basil

To add at the end:

1 bag of salad greens (you can use spinach or what's in the fridge)

In a pan sprayed with non stick cooking spray (I love Pam High Heat), chop garlic and add to pan browning lightly. Add 1 onion and cook until translucent about 5-7 minutes.

Bring chicken broth and water to a boil and add vegetable mixture. Using a teaspoon or 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon, dip into ground turkey and form balls. Cut heat to a simmer on soup pot and add turkey balls. Rinse beans and add to pot. Simmer vigorously for 20 minutes. Turn heat up to a boil (you may want to add an extra cup of water or more for the pasta. Cook pasta for the length of time on the box or longer. If the noodles break, don't worry, it'll look more rustic. Once the soup as reduced to your liking, add the salad greens at the last few minutes of cooking.

Top with parm cheese and enjoy!