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Saturday, September 17, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Inspiring you to try Clean Eating
I know quite a few of us resolved to do something 'health' related this year. You may have resolved to lose weight, exercise more, or change your diet for the better. Well, something that I discovered through my new friends at Stroller Strength was 'clean eating.' Clean eating is NOT a fad diet. It is a lifestyle change. It is a practice of eating wholesome, natural foods. It eliminates the junk food, hydrogonated fats, preservatives, and pretty much anything that is man made!
I am no expert on the subject and my family and I are still working on completely cleaning out our diets because I believe that there is ALWAYS room for improvement. So tonight, I tried out a new recipe from the 'The Best of Clean Eating' cookbook. My goal as a mother and wife is to feed my family healthy meals. I can control what my children eat for the most part so I choose to make good choices for them, my husband not so much but when I make a healthy meal and he likes it we definitely repeat it as much as possible! So for dinner today my family and I ate Baked Chicken & Asparagus Casserole.
Before I give you all this awesome, super easy recipe I just want to tell you that it was super good! I also want to invite you to buy this book or look into clean eating recipes because it's not just 'rabbit food!' It's REAL FOOD! Here you go! Make it tomorrow for dinner & ENJOY!
Baked Chicken & Asparagus Casserole (The Best of Clean Eating cookbook)
INGREDIENTS:
1 can Campbell's condensed 98% fat free cream of broccoli soup (I couldn't find it so I got cheese & broccoli)
1 1/4 cups of cooked wild rice
24 asparagus spears
4 (4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts - (the single chicken breast the store gives you is more than 4 oz, split it half and you have 2 chicken breasts, save some $ and some calories)
4 oz low fat Monterey jack cheese- shredded
INSTRUCTIONS:
One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together water and soup. (I eyeballed the water to about 3/4 cup)
Two: Spread rice in a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Arrange asparagus stalks lengthwise atop rice, then lay chicken breasts on top (I always season my meat eventhough the recipe doesn't call for it, a little Mrs Dash goes a long way). Pour soup mixture over everything and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I did!
I am no expert on the subject and my family and I are still working on completely cleaning out our diets because I believe that there is ALWAYS room for improvement. So tonight, I tried out a new recipe from the 'The Best of Clean Eating' cookbook. My goal as a mother and wife is to feed my family healthy meals. I can control what my children eat for the most part so I choose to make good choices for them, my husband not so much but when I make a healthy meal and he likes it we definitely repeat it as much as possible! So for dinner today my family and I ate Baked Chicken & Asparagus Casserole.
Before I give you all this awesome, super easy recipe I just want to tell you that it was super good! I also want to invite you to buy this book or look into clean eating recipes because it's not just 'rabbit food!' It's REAL FOOD! Here you go! Make it tomorrow for dinner & ENJOY!
Baked Chicken & Asparagus Casserole (The Best of Clean Eating cookbook)
INGREDIENTS:
1 can Campbell's condensed 98% fat free cream of broccoli soup (I couldn't find it so I got cheese & broccoli)
1 1/4 cups of cooked wild rice
24 asparagus spears
4 (4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts - (the single chicken breast the store gives you is more than 4 oz, split it half and you have 2 chicken breasts, save some $ and some calories)
4 oz low fat Monterey jack cheese- shredded
INSTRUCTIONS:
One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together water and soup. (I eyeballed the water to about 3/4 cup)
Two: Spread rice in a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Arrange asparagus stalks lengthwise atop rice, then lay chicken breasts on top (I always season my meat eventhough the recipe doesn't call for it, a little Mrs Dash goes a long way). Pour soup mixture over everything and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I did!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Momentum
Anybody who plays sports competitively (and what other way is there to play?) knows the importance of momentum. Take the woman's college basketball team who broke the record for number of games won consecutively. They were a top notch, disciplined, talented team...but so are all the other teams. The difference is momentum. Playing a team that has so many win behind them is intimidating, and the opponents maybe don't really believe that they can win. The difference in the technical skills of the top tier athletes and the ones who are just really, really good may be very small. The difference is that the top tier athletes have momentum that makes them believe that they can win, and their opponents believe them too.
So there is something to be said for just getting out and doing it-like it or not. I have always been a person who likes to get out of the house a lot. I started going to the gym 9 weeks post baby, mostly because I just couldn't stand to stare at these walls another day. On the weekends, I find no value in relaxing all day when there is stuff going on outside. The last few weeks my daughters and I have felt like shut-ins, and everyday that we stay home the less I have wanted to get out. I started to dread going to the gym, the grocery store, and even tennis (which is one of my only baby free times, so I NEVER don't want to go!) I guess it has been a combination of a few illnesses, a little cold weather, and just exhaustion. My new normal was to stay home, and my momentum went from working out everyday to lay on the couch during naptimes. This weekend my husband was home so we did a lot of shopping, I ran a few times, and we took a few walks with the girls. This week, the plan is to make my momentum work for me instead of against me. Day 1 plan-don't let all of this rain ruin my day. :-) Have a good week everyone!
So there is something to be said for just getting out and doing it-like it or not. I have always been a person who likes to get out of the house a lot. I started going to the gym 9 weeks post baby, mostly because I just couldn't stand to stare at these walls another day. On the weekends, I find no value in relaxing all day when there is stuff going on outside. The last few weeks my daughters and I have felt like shut-ins, and everyday that we stay home the less I have wanted to get out. I started to dread going to the gym, the grocery store, and even tennis (which is one of my only baby free times, so I NEVER don't want to go!) I guess it has been a combination of a few illnesses, a little cold weather, and just exhaustion. My new normal was to stay home, and my momentum went from working out everyday to lay on the couch during naptimes. This weekend my husband was home so we did a lot of shopping, I ran a few times, and we took a few walks with the girls. This week, the plan is to make my momentum work for me instead of against me. Day 1 plan-don't let all of this rain ruin my day. :-) Have a good week everyone!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Duty Day Blues
For you non-military friends this may seem weird but my fellow military wives & significant others know what I'm talking about. First lets clarify what 'duty day' is, for us Navy folk, duty day is when our sailor has to report for work at oh dark thirty and doesn't get home until the end of the next workday, unless its a weekend and they come home the next morning (pending nothing has gone wrong and they need to stay). So with that said, today was our duty day.
I took the kids to church as usual and well, didn't feel like coming home so we had a family duty day. We reported on the ship with nothing other than FOOD! Oh how that's like music to any sailor's ear who is forced to eat from the galley (GAG!!!). Their chicken cordon bleu isn't bad at all though, I will say that! We ate and hung out with our sailor until it was time for 'watch.' (Watch usually involved standing outside armed and making rounds or standing the quarterdeck.)
So every duty day seems like it comes too soon. Every 6 days is the usual, but during special occasions like stand down or any other reason they can go on duty every 3 days. So we rarely get to see our loved ones when this goes down. Hence the honey do list piling up and well, me being a bit irritable. Its like being a single parent all over again and sometimes you just need someone to back you up but for the love of God & country, they can't.
As I left my hubby today, he goes, 'thanks for the food,' gives me a kiss and then says, 'at least you didn't get a kiss through the fence!' Again, my military wives know that kiss. You know when the gate is closed and you come to take your hubby the late night food or Starbucks (for my high-maintenance husband) and you have to pass the goods through the very top of the fence and then have the ultimate prison like kiss through the fence. I guess its the little things that matter. We got to spend some time on cell block 99 today.
I took the kids to church as usual and well, didn't feel like coming home so we had a family duty day. We reported on the ship with nothing other than FOOD! Oh how that's like music to any sailor's ear who is forced to eat from the galley (GAG!!!). Their chicken cordon bleu isn't bad at all though, I will say that! We ate and hung out with our sailor until it was time for 'watch.' (Watch usually involved standing outside armed and making rounds or standing the quarterdeck.)
So every duty day seems like it comes too soon. Every 6 days is the usual, but during special occasions like stand down or any other reason they can go on duty every 3 days. So we rarely get to see our loved ones when this goes down. Hence the honey do list piling up and well, me being a bit irritable. Its like being a single parent all over again and sometimes you just need someone to back you up but for the love of God & country, they can't.
As I left my hubby today, he goes, 'thanks for the food,' gives me a kiss and then says, 'at least you didn't get a kiss through the fence!' Again, my military wives know that kiss. You know when the gate is closed and you come to take your hubby the late night food or Starbucks (for my high-maintenance husband) and you have to pass the goods through the very top of the fence and then have the ultimate prison like kiss through the fence. I guess its the little things that matter. We got to spend some time on cell block 99 today.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The infamous "Honey Do List"
We've all heard of them and chances are we've had to write quite a few....not sick notes, but 'honey do lists.' Mind you, my poor husband has had a crazy schedule at work with duty days in between so his time at home was very minimal, so in his defense these things added up but not by his own negligence. Either way, this list was lingering around the house for a few days before he had enough time to actually look at it and cross some things off the list. He wakes up Saturday morning, takes a shower and off he goes to tackle his 'list.'
Well part of me was beaming, 'wow, who knew a list could go such a long way!' I'm no longer the nagging wife, at that moment anyway, he has a list of tasks that I'd like for him to get done and they will get done (at some point). The other part of me is like, 'woah buddy, you wake up, shower and get ready to tackle your list of 7 things, while mine has 15 and, yea it gets put to the back burner!' So yea, I was beyond myself.
Here I am proud that, my husband and I have established an effective form of communication without arguing but it still forms a little bit of resentment on my part because well, he gets to knock some things off the list without anyone bothering him and my list is still there untouched. I guess we can't win them all ladies, but I sure do try!
Well part of me was beaming, 'wow, who knew a list could go such a long way!' I'm no longer the nagging wife, at that moment anyway, he has a list of tasks that I'd like for him to get done and they will get done (at some point). The other part of me is like, 'woah buddy, you wake up, shower and get ready to tackle your list of 7 things, while mine has 15 and, yea it gets put to the back burner!' So yea, I was beyond myself.
Here I am proud that, my husband and I have established an effective form of communication without arguing but it still forms a little bit of resentment on my part because well, he gets to knock some things off the list without anyone bothering him and my list is still there untouched. I guess we can't win them all ladies, but I sure do try!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Mom's Day Off
Today, I quit, I resigned, I went on strike! Yup I did. I refused to make dinner! I stood my ground!
Thus, we decided to go out to eat, because you know, pizza and chinese just didn't sound appetizing. Either way, I thought I was going to have a day off from cooking and daily chores. But going out to dinner with your kids is like trying to forget your problems with alcohol. The means only delay the inevitable. That should give you a hint as to how our evening went. The baby cried the entire time. We tried toys, milk, holding, feeding him dinner, even youtubing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the iphone and NOTHING! I scarfed down my dinner, don't ask me how it tasted because I wouldn't even know. I will tell you this, thank the bartender for buy one get one get one Jack & cokes!
Finally the children are showered and the baby is sleeping. One down, one to go!
For those of you interested in my job status. I went for the 2nd part of my interview, you can say and I totally kicked butt! Once I get word from my babysitter I can start as soon as next week, and pretty much be on a commission basis but from the looks of today, this is really a no brainer! You get what you put into it.
Thus, we decided to go out to eat, because you know, pizza and chinese just didn't sound appetizing. Either way, I thought I was going to have a day off from cooking and daily chores. But going out to dinner with your kids is like trying to forget your problems with alcohol. The means only delay the inevitable. That should give you a hint as to how our evening went. The baby cried the entire time. We tried toys, milk, holding, feeding him dinner, even youtubing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the iphone and NOTHING! I scarfed down my dinner, don't ask me how it tasted because I wouldn't even know. I will tell you this, thank the bartender for buy one get one get one Jack & cokes!
Finally the children are showered and the baby is sleeping. One down, one to go!
For those of you interested in my job status. I went for the 2nd part of my interview, you can say and I totally kicked butt! Once I get word from my babysitter I can start as soon as next week, and pretty much be on a commission basis but from the looks of today, this is really a no brainer! You get what you put into it.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Cool people
You know how God just seems to put you where you need to be whether you want to be there or not?! A year ago, I got pregnant, quit my job and drove my oldest and I to FL to be with my husband. Since then I've been a stay at home mom and now that we are finally used to where we live, its time for Mamma to make some money! I never thought I'd be a stay at home mom, and I actually liked it but now with the economy the way it is, well we need the money. The military doesn't pay that good, contrary to what everyone thinks.
With this said, I've been applying for jobs and gone on a couple of interviews. I'm not looking to make my next big move or anything just something steady to bring in some income and give me some stability as far as hours for my children and sanity's sake since my husband's schedule is pretty unpredictable at times. But if with this new opportunity to work, anything new is exciting and certainly welcomed.
My first interview was at a spa. I met with the owner who also owns a beauty school in the area. It was kind of interviewing for 2 positions at once. This lady had a lot on her plate and struck me as a bit of a disorganized over achiever. You know like someone who wants to do a lot, accomplishes these things but does all of them halfway? It was almost as if nothing she really put effort into flourished because she didn't pay it 100% attention to the task at hand. Either way one of the positions was a no go. This lady had an employee that was less than desirable to work with and for $10 an hour, I wasn't about to put up with that. The next position was for an admin position at her school as well as her personal assistant in running the school while she handled other endeavors. The latter, was interesting and caught my attention but for $10 an hour that was a lot of responsibility and not a lot of pay.
I don't want to seem like I'm asking for a lot but when the going rate for daycare is $200 a week for my soon to be 11 month old....I need to make more than just $10 an hour to make ends meet. Did I mention, the $200 a week doesn't even count before/after school care for my oldest. You know what I'm saying?!? :-)
Ok so for today's interview and cool people update! I interviewed at a small gym today. Its up and coming and it struck me as interesting because its tailored to the customer. The gym is not all that lavish & grand like your regular chain, but here you have a face with a name. A smiling face at that. The people that work there, want to be there! The first guy I met with should have been the spokes model for like a large muscle chain or something! The guy was HUGE, I mean ARNOLD huge! Some people find that intimidating, me? Not so much, the bigger they are the harder they fall right? So I smiled and knocked that bad boy's interview with my quick wit, smile & charm! Oh yea I'm that good! The owner, is a lady who has been through it all. She went from being top dog in sales in the fitness industry to being done wrong by some big wigs...not once but twice! Even after that, she still hasn't given up on the business and is now doing it on her own. With this said, the position I was looking into is pretty much all commission and well after I expressed my NEED for some kind of hourly wage she sympathized and invited me back to see how they worked and well I'll be back on Friday.
Now....here I am. Stuck in thought. What do I do? Do I give this a go? It's such an amazing opportunity and she's trying to teach me all she knows but can't pay me hourly? Kind of?
I just thought that the two interviews I've been on are with powerful women. They have their businesses and are doing it! Inspiring. Some women better than others but, hey we can't all be Oprah Winfrey.
Today would have been a perfect day to have a 30 minute Jackie workout or some devotional time, but it didn't workout that way. I feel good telling you all about it, now I'll be watching a movie with the hubby who is for once awake!!!
With this said, I've been applying for jobs and gone on a couple of interviews. I'm not looking to make my next big move or anything just something steady to bring in some income and give me some stability as far as hours for my children and sanity's sake since my husband's schedule is pretty unpredictable at times. But if with this new opportunity to work, anything new is exciting and certainly welcomed.
My first interview was at a spa. I met with the owner who also owns a beauty school in the area. It was kind of interviewing for 2 positions at once. This lady had a lot on her plate and struck me as a bit of a disorganized over achiever. You know like someone who wants to do a lot, accomplishes these things but does all of them halfway? It was almost as if nothing she really put effort into flourished because she didn't pay it 100% attention to the task at hand. Either way one of the positions was a no go. This lady had an employee that was less than desirable to work with and for $10 an hour, I wasn't about to put up with that. The next position was for an admin position at her school as well as her personal assistant in running the school while she handled other endeavors. The latter, was interesting and caught my attention but for $10 an hour that was a lot of responsibility and not a lot of pay.
I don't want to seem like I'm asking for a lot but when the going rate for daycare is $200 a week for my soon to be 11 month old....I need to make more than just $10 an hour to make ends meet. Did I mention, the $200 a week doesn't even count before/after school care for my oldest. You know what I'm saying?!? :-)
Ok so for today's interview and cool people update! I interviewed at a small gym today. Its up and coming and it struck me as interesting because its tailored to the customer. The gym is not all that lavish & grand like your regular chain, but here you have a face with a name. A smiling face at that. The people that work there, want to be there! The first guy I met with should have been the spokes model for like a large muscle chain or something! The guy was HUGE, I mean ARNOLD huge! Some people find that intimidating, me? Not so much, the bigger they are the harder they fall right? So I smiled and knocked that bad boy's interview with my quick wit, smile & charm! Oh yea I'm that good! The owner, is a lady who has been through it all. She went from being top dog in sales in the fitness industry to being done wrong by some big wigs...not once but twice! Even after that, she still hasn't given up on the business and is now doing it on her own. With this said, the position I was looking into is pretty much all commission and well after I expressed my NEED for some kind of hourly wage she sympathized and invited me back to see how they worked and well I'll be back on Friday.
Now....here I am. Stuck in thought. What do I do? Do I give this a go? It's such an amazing opportunity and she's trying to teach me all she knows but can't pay me hourly? Kind of?
I just thought that the two interviews I've been on are with powerful women. They have their businesses and are doing it! Inspiring. Some women better than others but, hey we can't all be Oprah Winfrey.
Today would have been a perfect day to have a 30 minute Jackie workout or some devotional time, but it didn't workout that way. I feel good telling you all about it, now I'll be watching a movie with the hubby who is for once awake!!!
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