When the cooler temperatures hit, I hit the soup – one of my favorite meals in the fall and winter. This recipe – first seen on Belief.net – comes to us from Janice Taylor, author of the fantasticly funny, offbeat, and unique book, All is Forgiven, Move On – Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-Burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltsville.

Leeky Chicken Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 medium leeks, trimmed, sliced, and well-washed (approx. 2 cups)
2 large baking potatoes, grated
2 medium carrots, grated
1 bunch parsley, chopped
8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (There are some great brands now that are organic and low-sodium.)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a 6-quart pot over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks, potatoes and carrots.
3. Sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. (If you feel that you need more oil, try adding a bit of water instead.)
4. Add the parsley, broth, salt, and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 40 minutes or until tender.

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Congrats to FFTV member- John Rasmussen – for winning Janice Taylor’s new book, All is Forgiven, Move On – Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-Burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltsville. Enjoy!

See my review of this book here.

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[Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample of this product. I only post giveaways about products I honestly like, or those I think FatFighterTV members would enjoy.]

These are no ordinary same ol’ same ol’ fat-burning steps – trust me. When I picked up weight-loss coach, Janice Taylor’s new book, All is Forgiven, Move On – Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-Burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltsville, I found myself marking page after page of funny, off-beat, and unique tips, recipes, and wacky things like Get out of Jail Free cards – just in case you get off track from time to time during your journey.

Oh, and did I mention Janice is also a weight-loss artist? This is one of her pieces – they are digitally enhanced collages printed throughout the book. They are brilliant. More on this later…

But first I had to  know, “Just who is this Our Lady of Weight Loss?” Apparently, Our Lady spoke to Janice when she was at her wit’s end – after years of yo-yo dieting, she had reached her highest weight ever.

“I had tears in my eyes,” Janice recalls. “I was like, I’m never going to make it. I was defeated, depressed and feeling deprived before I even began. In that moment I heard a voice – which I maintain to this day was outside of me and was Our Lady of Weight Loss – because I was way too mired in self pity to think of anything positive. And the voice said, ‘If you think you’re never going to make it, you never will.’ In that moment, I really got it.”

From the book:

“When the Cheeto calls out to you, if all else fails, change your name.” -Our Lady of Weight Loss

So Janice lost it – the weight, that is. 50 pounds gone. Only she says she didn’t really lose those 50 pounds because “if you lose it, you will find it.” And that wasn’t the case. No, this time Janice says she “permanently removed” the weight.

She used her talent to help her, making art about food instead of eating it.

“I said, I’ll make sexy vegetable collages,” says Janice. “They say whatever you focus on is what you manifest. So, what was I focusing on? Sexy vegetables with long, skinny legs.”

From the book:

“Our Lady of Weight Loss promised me that as I filled my heart with joy, explored happiness, and put some energy into doing the things that I’ve always wanted to do but never seemed to have the time to do, the excess weight would mysteriously melt off, leaving a fat trail behind me.”

Janice’s art went from being a permanent fat removal tool to being a hit at art shows… then to her website… and books. She says she has the secret to being slim forever – forgiveness. All is Forgiven, Move On shows you how to forgive yourself and instead focus on what you want in life and use the weight loss to fuel it.

“For every ounce I removed and for every ounce of fat that melted away, I exchanged the fat for something more meaningful in my life,” Janice explains. “As I let go of the extra weight, I let go of a lot of mental clutter, environmental clutter, and I left a job I didn’t like. I freed myself. I freed myself of weight. I freed myself to do what I wanted to do. I freed myself of every should, every can’t, every I wish I could.”

From the book – an excerpt from Sveltsville’s National Anthem: Amazing Weight

‘Twas weight that was a-holding me back
And weight coverin’ my fears
How precious when weight disappeared
The hour I first believed

I love this book – it’s just so creative, unique, and inspiring. And you can have one of your very own! Just Sign up for FFTV’s weekly newsletter to get entered to win – if you’re already signed up, you’re automatically entered.

A few contest details: It ends at midnight EST this Sunday, November 2… you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter… and a random number generator will pick the winner.

And don’t forget to stop by Our Lady of Weight Loss to get lots more motivational and fun tips from Janice.

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