Engine 2 August Potluck Dinner

After I made my lifestyle change in February, I had been wanting to attend an Engine 2 Potluck here in Austin, Texas. Lucky for me, I only live about five miles away from where it is held at Rip's house near downtown Austin. I also babysit once a night each week and the potlucks were falling on Thursdays, which were my babysitting nights. After some rearranging and planning, Kendan and I were finally able to attend the August potluck. 

This one took some planning, as well. I had to find a quick recipe that I could prep beforehand since I was low on time. After a quick search, I found a lentil soup that would create a large batch and was easy to toss on the stove. I made a quick trip to Whole Foods and then arrived home to prep. The recipe was incredibly easy and has been added to my blog here!

The night of the potluck, I arrived home a little late (I was trying to work a little extra so that I could leave early on Friday that week to get my new tattoo). Luckily, I had already cut and seasoned all of the veggies and tossed it into a big pot with vegetable broth and simmered it for an hour. We were running out the door with a piping hot container of soup just in the nick of time. 

Rip's house is only a few minutes from mine, and when we pulled up, we were shocked to see nearly 200 people there! Food was lined up all across the front yard and I set mine down where the bowl could fit. We piled up our plates with a variety of foods and settled into our chairs that we had brought from home. 

Among some of the local celebrities, there were Robert Cheeke, the vegan bodybuilder and Jeff Novick, a dietician and nutritionist. After our meal, Rip talked for a bit and welcomed all of us to his home. I was excited to meet him in person and spoke with him briefly afterwards. He signed my copy of the Engine 2 Diet and told us that we looked great! I mentioned that Kendan and I had lost over 60 lbs. between the two of us, and he congratulated us. We had a great time at this potluck and look forward to the next!