April 9 - Younger You

This weekend while I was home I meant to go through the old pictures to find a good pictures of my younger self, but I didn't...

But today, when we pulled up to our house I saw that I had a package on my front step. I was so excited, it was "bloom." I've been waiting for this package to arrive since I preordered Kelle Hampton's book almost six weeks ago, and it's finally here! And tonight, I settled into my corner and just started reading.



It was towards the very beginning that I found this passage...

"It's taken me awhile to grasp it all, but I have finally arrived at the grown-up place of life-is-what-your-make-it and there are lots of things in life we go through that aren't comfortable or ideal, but they could be so incredibly worse, and a simple life of comfort does nothing to change us, mold us, make us into better, stronger more beautiful versions of ourselves...

I have been reminded so much these past couple weeks of just how wonderfully blessed we are, and the older I get, the more I embrace change as an opportunity to learn just what I am capable of.

I am capable of so much.

... and I am excited at the opportunity of new challenges, more love...Perhaps I had been planted for too long and this little bit of discomfort will challenge me to push myself more toward new chapters in the story of our life.

They will be good chapters.

The last few days have been such a snowballing of emotions and contemplations and yes, hormones, to settle me into a contented place of so-be-it. Life flows on, and I want to experience every tide, every wave, every calm with purpose."

I love this. I've read and re-read it, and it hit home with me. I feel like lately I've really been trying to look at things with the glass half full and when people are nothing but negative, I get really, really aggravated. Because you know what, things could be a lot worse and you have no idea what other people are going through. I feel like people that are negative all of the time would honestly feel better if they just switched their way of thinking. Yes, it might not be as easily done as said, but you got to start somewhere. I wouldn't have thought this way in my younger life.

So I challenge everybody, today, find something crummy... and take that crummy something and find something fabulous about it. Because I'm sure there is something...

With that being said, this weekend while we were home almost every one was asking us about our new eating habits. When I told them we didn't eat meals with more than 400 calories, and I only cooked on Sundays, most people looked at me like I had 3 eye balls. So I thought I would share how incredibly easy this transition has been for us.

So here is how it works. First, I go through my binder of recipes and decide what we'd like this week. I write down all of the ingredients, and then rewrite the things I need in the order that they appear in the grocery store. With this method, I honestly spend more time in the check-out line than in the actual store. I love coming home with a complete list checked off!



And when I get home, I turn on the music really loud, banish Dan to his loft... and cook. The process usually takes between 2 and 2 and a half hours, depending if I go with four recipes or five, and within that amount of time this (please excuse the booze, I don't use that in my recipes)...



...turns into this.



My favorite part of the day is stacking up all of my containers and putting them away, it feels like such an accomplishment, and I know that we are set for the entire week.

And here is what we are having this week.

Greek Chicken Pasta
11 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta
2 t olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup chopped red onion
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
A little over a half a can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
A little over a half a can of tomatoes (or half of one large tomato)
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
A few shakes of parsley
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 & 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper

Cook Pasta.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add garlic and onion, saute for 2 minutes, add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Reduce heat to medium low, add artichoke hearts, tomato, feta cheese, parsley, lemon juice, oregano, and cooked pasta. Stir all together and cook for about 2 minutes. Four Servings.

Spicy Vegetable Soup
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons hot paprika (I put a couple extra shakes and some chili powder)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 can tomatoes
1 diced yellow summer squash
2 cups diced cooked potatoes
1 can green beans
2 cups frozen spinach
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Heat oil in large pot, add onions, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add paprika and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add broth, tomatoes, squash, cooked potatoes and beans. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 12 minutes.
Stir in spinach and vinegar; continue cooking until heated through, about 3 minutes.
They say to top the soup with a dollop of pesto, I've never done it, but I bet it's delish. Four Servings

Mexican Pork Stew
~I cut this recipe in half, below is for 8 Servings~
3 lb. pork loin
1 1/2 cup salsa verde (green salsa)
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 can diced tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Place everything in baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake 15 minutes. Remove the pork for the salsa, place salsa in a skillet and heat while stirring for 15 minutes to thicken the salsa. Pour salsa back over the pork. Garnish with low fat four cream and cilantro.

Chicken and Veggie with Orzo
1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
1 cup julienne cut carrots
1 yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
2 cups julienne cut zucchini

Cook orzo by following package instructions. Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Heat 1 T oil and cook garlic, chicken and salt until chicken is cooked through. Heat 1 T oil and cook carrots and bell pepper for 3 minutes, then add zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir broth mixture until smooth, add to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add orzo and chicken to skillet. Heat through. Four Servings.

Enjoy!