I like to keep green soup around the house to mess with the kids. (New recipe!)

Brrrr...even by northern standards, Charleston is cold. There was ice on my front stairs this morning! The pond even has a layer of ice on it! Since moving down here, my skin has gotten thinner...or something. I feel like a popsicle!

Nothing says cozy like a homemade pot of soup. Vegetable, chicken noodle, tomato (the Far East Tomato Soup in my cookbook is to die for!). I also love making soup because it's easy to freeze and pull out on those nights when I don't want to cook.

One of my all-time favorites is split pea soup. Though I leave the potatoes out to keep it svelte, it is still really good. It has nice chunks of ham and the onion, celery and bay leaves give the split peas an amazing flavor. YUM. At least I think so. Judging by Keith and Taylor downing a bowl or two each, I think they agree. Courtney, on the other hand, was not amused. I decided to stay out of it this time...

Her: "Daddy, it's green."
Him: "Then close your eyes."
Her: "Can't I have something else?"
Him: "You've already had half a loaf of bread. Two teaspoons is all I ask. It's good!"
Her: "Nope."
Him: "Then no more snacks or bread. Two teaspoons."
Her: "Not gonna happen. I don't care, I don't need snacks. I'm not hungry."

Little Courtney ended up eating her two teaspoons of soup for breakfast before Keith made her pancakes. And she admitted it wasn't too bad. Just not something she would want to eat again. What a hoot! I'm sure I said the same thing when I was 10, but now I love this soup. Thanks Mom!

This weekend, I set out to create more soup -- for us to freeze and to use up some of the ingredients in the fridge. I'm also working on the next cookbook, which will feature soups, salads, sides, etc., so I'm always experimenting. Well wouldn't you know it, green soup once again made an appearance. I wonder how Miss Courtney is going to like this one? Maybe I should spare her, but it's REALLY good, and she likes broccoli. If she can just get past the color, I'm sure she would like it!

This Creamy Broccoli Soup is a recreation of two old favorites -- cream of broccoli and broccoli cheese soups. However, this one focuses more on the broccoli and less on the fat. It's different and interesting, with delicate flavors that mellow the broccoli's bite. And unlike the old favorites, it is VERY light. With the ingredients I used, I calculated mine to have 75 calories per serving, with 8 servings in the pot. Of course Keith and I each ate more than a serving at a time, but with it being so low in calories, who cares?! It was a cozy, comforting meal for us during this unusual cold spell in Charleston, and he loved it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Creamy Broccoli Soup
2 lbs (10 cups) broccoli, frozen or fresh
1 quart chicken broth (preferably low fat and low salt).
2 oz light cream cheese (regular or reduced fat)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (fat free or full fat)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste (amount needed will depend on your broth)
Extra broth or water to thin, if necessary

Boil broccoli in broth for 10 minutes, or until it's soft enough to mash with a fork (don't drain it). Mash roughly and add the rest of the ingredients, stirring until the cream cheese melts. Blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender, blending until smooth and adding extra broth to achieve your desired consistency. Top with a dollop of yogurt and some freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

The Svelte Gourmet Cookbook: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html.

Partying like it's 1999!

I started this blog just under 3 months ago. Can you believe that? I can't. The response has been so overwhelming and in just 3 months, I've turned The Svelte Gourmet into a company, wrote a cookbook, and earned recognition from the media for this "unique idea." It seems that "personal training in the kitchen" is something that was missing, not only in this area, but everywhere. Trainers will tell you how to eat right, but not how to make it taste great. Cooking shows will tell you how to make food taste good, but it's rarely good for you. My goal is to merge the two.

Anyway, I digress. With a decade of marketing experience, I know a bit about how to get the word out. But what astounds me most is how the social networking phenomenon has thrown The Svelte Gourmet into overdrive. It was the response from fans -- many of whom I've known for years and new ones that I'm gaining each day from these sites -- that was the impetus to turn this blog into a business.

So thank you. Not only for your encouragement, but for showing back up in my life. High school and college friends I haven't talked to in a decade -- and sadly, may never have reconnected with if it weren't for Facebook and The Svelte Gourmet -- have become new fixtures in my life. I love that, as we muddle our way through adulthood, our common bond of school, sororities and parties has turned to careers, kids and cooking.

Sure, I'm getting a lot of encouragement and I'm gaining new fans everyday who don't know me, but who are interested in what I'm doing. What I find the most interesting, though, are the people who knew me "when," who are saying that I look great and I never needed to lose weight. I think maybe our memories are starting to fade as we get older. But boy, nothing brings back memories like a photograph.

This one came out of nowhere. My lovely friend Leah, who was once my daily confidant, is now at the other end of the country. I miss her. Every time I lost a little bit of weight, she would tell me I was looking "svelte." That, of course, was much needed encouragement, and has always stuck with me. So on New Year's Eve, just a couple of days ago, I was shocked and happy to hear from her. And equally as shocked looking at the picture she sent. I guess my memories have faded a bit, too! This picture is of Leah and me (I'm the one on the right!) on New Year's Eve 10 years ago. Partying like it was 1999. Ringing in the new millennium, I was 30 pounds heavier than I am now.

This was definitely a reality check for me. I went back and forth for a few days on whether or not I should share it with you. Then I decided that nothing tells my story of yo-yo dieting better than this picture. It was about a year after this photo was taken that I decided to get serious about losing weight. I was 24 and still in the mindset of "this was just my size." My roommate moved to Manhattan and I was completely on my own for the first time in DC. With no one to monitor me and no one to hide from, it was just me, the fridge and the scale. It was hard at first. I didn't know what to eat and I just started cooking and seeing how I could make the bland diet food taste better. I joined the gym, which started as a battle, but I learned to like the endorphin rush. Mostly, for me, it was the eating healthfully that enabled me to lose weight. The scale would go down 1/2 a pound or a pound every couple days. It was exhilarating! Every now and then it would go up, reminding me that I needed to be more careful. I went from a 12 to an 8 to a 6, 4, then 2...30 pounds gone.

The best part is that I've been able to keep it off for the better part of a decade. I changed my mindset. That was NOT my size. If only I'd figured it out sooner. Because you know what? It wasn't that hard. Anyone can do this. And that's why I started blogging.

Thank you for your encouragement and thank you to those who have reappeared in my life. I missed you!

The Svelte Gourmet Cookbook: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html.

'Twas the Night Before New Year's

'Twas the night before New Year's and all through the fridge,

nothing in there was healthy, not even a smidge.

The holidays are over, the gorging's all done.
It's time for my New Year's resolution!

The pantry gets emptied, the cupboards cleaned out,
No more junk food for us! Keith is starting to pout.

I in my "onion goggles" -- no more tears, no more sorrow!
We're starting "A Month of Main Courses" tomorrow!

Skinny Lasagna, Prosciutto Pork, Fancy Breakfast for Dinner,
And what? It's all healthy? This book must be a winner!

A whole month of main courses that are tasty and good,
No more boredom, fad diets or food that's like wood.

My mission, you see, is to help you get svelte!
Healthy food can taste great, and the pounds will just melt!

Off love handles, off double chin, off growing derriere!
Off laziness, off lethargy, just GET OFF THE CHAIR!

These recipes are ready to answer the call,
Sweets away, fat away, bad carbs away ALL!

It's "A Month of Main Courses," healthy cooking done right,
It's available now at The Svelte Gourmet website!

http://www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Welcome!

Welcome to The Svelte Gourmet! Here, we share recipes, tips and anecdotes that will help you find your "inner gourmet" and stay healthy at the same time!

If you're like me, you love to eat, you love to cook and your heart jumps when the newest edition of "Bon Appetit" comes in the mail. I've found ways to cut fat and calories from those gourmet recipes without sacrificing flavor. Sure, some recipes just shouldn't be messed with -- but by reducing portion size and adding tasty, low calorie sides, toppings or sauces, you can have the best of both worlds.

The Svelte Gourmet is about more than just staying small. When I met my husband, he was heavier, had stomach problems and high blood pressure. After eating my way, he's not only lost 25 pounds, his heartburn has disappeared and his blood pressure has normalized. The Svelte Gourmet is about eating healthfully.

The recipes and tips on this blog are simply the things that have worked to keep my family and me healthy and fit. I am not a dietitian and these recipes have not been evaluated by the FDA. I do not profess to be an expert, I simply want to share what has worked for us.

I hope you enjoy The Svelte Gourmet -- post your recipes and tips, share your stories, and tell your friends about us!

Jenny Fox
The Svelte Gourmet