Honey Carrot Soup

Since the unexpectedly warmer temperatures are not naturally permeating onto my autumn dinner plate, I turned instead to my new Le Creuset dutch oven for seasonal inspiration. I first used the new ceramic centerpiece for a to-die-for eggplant parmesan. But last night called for a simpler method: slice, stir, simmer, and spin. In one hour total (with maybe five minutes of hands-on action), a smooth carrot ginger soup was ready to serve...after a few photos, of course.

Grab your bushy-topped farmers' market carrots and a bottle of raw, unfiltered Nature Nate's honey for this vegetarian, slightly sweet and spicy delight. And make sure to share your own Nature Nate’s honey creations on social media using @naturenates and #honeymakesitbetter!

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium sweet onion, sliced 2 ounces fresh ginger, coarsely chopped and crushed 26 ounces water 3 cups raw grated carrots 2 tablespoon Nature Nate's honey Juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons salt 10 twists of ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, approximately 4 minutes.

2. Add ginger and continue to cook, approximately 8 minutes.

3. Add water, carrot, honey, lemon, salt and pepper to the pot and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down heat to a simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4. Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool. Pour soup into a blender and pulse until smooth. Serve hot with a drizzle of honey.

This post is in partnership with Nature Nate’s. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Fancy Your Football Fare

After this weekend's epic Memphis Tigers victory over Ole Miss, I can't help but feel the spirit of football season...Even on a Monday morning! Enjoy my latest Health + Fitness Magazine article on guilt-free tailgate fare. With these recipes in mind, the weekend will arrive in no time.

Breakfast Bowl Diaries

It's only fitting that I share an authentic glimpse of the daily grind: my morning breakfast bowl. Sometimes it's two scrambled eggs with folded low-fat ricotta, or an avocado mashed on wheat toast. Though lately, I've coveted the craft of breakfast bowls.

The base is standard, though the toppings are seasonal and, frankly, spontaneously up to you. The healthy balance of fruits, grains, and fibers kick start a spunky, productive morning.

First, I take plain, non-fat greek yogurt and mix in a teaspoon of Nature Nate's unfiltered, raw honey. It's just sweet enough to offset the naturally tangy tartness. Lately, I've been addicted to Fresh Market's signature french vanilla granola. I snagged a bag of Trader Joe's sweetened shredded coconut when I was in Atlanta last month. Fruits vary from fresh blueberries to frozen peaches or dried black mission figs.

What do you add to your breakfast bowl? Please share!

Honey and Balsamic Roasted Figs

Though the high today is 88, I walked out of yoga early this morning feeling a refreshing gust of cool air on South Main. Fall is, at last, approaching.

For a fall-ish fête, I experimented with Fresh Market figs and prosciutto from 387 Pantry. In this recipe, black mission figs are baked and caramelized in sweet Nature Nate's honey and balsamic. The light, savory components create an autumnal introduction while coveting the late summer fig harvest. I have discovered a favorite low-carb, gourmet hors d’oeuvres that can be prepped and plated in a matter of minutes.

Share your own Nature Nate’s honey creations on social media with @naturenates and #honeymakesitbetter!

Makes 8 figs

8 fresh figs 1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled 3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped 8 slices of prosciutto Honey & balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Quarter the fig, ensuring not to slice completely to leave the bases intact. Add a small bit of blue cheese to each opening of the figs. Sprinkle thyme over each fig.

2. Wrap the prosciutto around each fig to keep figs intact. Drizzle with the honey and balsamic vinegar.

3. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted and the honey and vinegar have caramelized.

This post is in partnership with Nature Nate’s. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Six Ingredients, Four Plates

This past week, I took on a self-created culinary challenge to rethink how I purchase groceries and utilize them creatively. It began Monday evening when I forced myself to Fresh Market in five o'clock traffic to fill my empty fridge after a weekend in California. Instead of wasting time in every aisle, I entered the store without a list. I picked out the very best of the seasonal produce, those of which seemed colorful, healthy and multi-functional. It turned an errand into somewhat of entertainment? I checked out with the following ingredients, all of which were under $25 (score!). Then, the fun began. Grocery items: Part-skim ricotta Arugula Avocado Half dozen brown eggs Black mission figs Haricot verts Gulf shrimp

The allocation of these fine ingredients over the course of a week may seem difficult to most, primarily because I was only cooking for one. However, it was intriguing to craft recipes on-the-spot with an empty canvas. Arugula, for example, could served as a bed for grilled shrimp, a base for a vegetarian Nicoise, or the binding element of soft scrambled eggs. Dollops of ricotta and slices of avocado added a rich note of satisfaction that, in actuality, was light and rather healthy.

Scroll through this week's meals, which I hope will serve as inspiration for your weekly grocery trips. Zero percent waste and 100 percent beauty.

MONDAY DINNER ::

TUESDAY LUNCH ::

WEDNESDAY LUNCH ::

THURSDAY BREAKFAST ::

Rooftop Seafood Dinner with Lesouque

I'm all about a summer al fresco dinner; and when Lesouque sent me an adorable pair of oyster-studded linen napkins, I knew a seafood spread was in order. Jumbo fresh gulf shrimp and mussels made the top of on the farmers market list, as I was eager to experiment simple recipes for a rooftop evening. On the menu: A bottle of Stepping Stone's crisp sauvignon blanc, steamed mussels with garlic and white wine (recipe below), shrimp with fava beans (look for the recipe next week!), and squash with basil ribbons.

Lesouque is a carefully curated online boutique, bringing refreshing finds from independent designers worldwide.

Growing up in Turkey, Founder Gokben Yamandag always had a keen desire to introduce the talents of her home country beyond its borders. While her initial idea focused on featuring one-of-a-kind items crafted by talented independent designers in Turkey, it has quickly evolved to include pieces from designers and artists from other countries and cities she has lived and visited - from London to Austin, Copenhagen to Mumbai, Paris to New York and most places in between.

Gokben & co-founder Penelope Fisher work together to uncover talented designers and carefully hand-pick each item displayed on the website. It’s important to the duo to not only know the story behind each product, but also to know each designer personally.

Click here for exclusive early access to the site's pre-sale product lines. You'll get first dibs on small batch products, such as these adorable Nell & Mary oyster linen napkins, stacking thimble cups for condiments, and my friend Brit McDaniel's Paper & Clay ceramic line.

Once you've signed up, keep scrolling for a super manageable mussels recipe. I couldn't believe how simple these were to prepare. The aromatic flavors of fresh garlic in simmered wine took me back to my summer in Paris.

Makes 2 servings

2 pounds frozen mussels, rinsed in tap water 1 onion, sliced 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1 cup white wine 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until translucent (approximately 5 minutes).

2. Add wine and mussels. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until shells are popped open. Serve immediately as an appetizer or main course.

This post is in partnership with Lesouque. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!