Do you ever keep talking about things you are going to do or want to do and never put them into action? I know I have! Lately, I have really felt convicted about my duties as a stay at home mom.
When Cooper was first born, I was bored to death. I was miserable and wanted to go back to work so bad. My thoughts were "why did I quit my job?"
I was in retail management for a while and worked...oh goodness, can't keep up with how many hours I worked and then stepped down to an hourly position. While working full time, in my spare time, I took numerous custom cake orders from home and played softball on at least 4 different teams, mixing it up with women's and coed leagues. I was always gone away from the house, playing Monday night through Thursday night, travel ball on Saturday...some tournaments we wouldn't get in until 2-3am and then turning around and playing Sunday league in the afternoon. I was busy and on the go. I look back and think...how did I keep up?
When you start a family, you have no choice but to slow down all of your extracuricular activities. It took me a little while to realize this. Softball and cakes, well they aren't that important anymore. Although, I do miss traveling with my girls and playing all over, I enjoy my family much more. Especially since it is about to grow come February 2012 with the arrival of Harper.
Being a wife and mom means providing for my family the best way I can. One of my major set backs is that I hate to cook!!! When I do, it usually something quick and easy out of a box. Well, as I said before...Do you ever keep talking about things you are going to do and never do them?
One of my things is MEAL PLANNING and planning healthy meals! I have dedicated my time to making myself a recipe book, meal plan and my cabinets and pantry are almost cleaned out of processed foods. There are a few things left, not much, but they all will slowly get replaced by clean, raw, whole ingredients!
Right now, my pantry is stocked with all kinds of spices, whole wheat flour, oats, nuts, real maple syrup, etc. My freezer is full of frozen fruits and veggies (with no added sauces). My fridge is stocked with yogurt, almond milk, eggs, fresh veggies and fresh fruits.
What is all this about? CLEAN EATING! Basically, eating whole, natural foods (not necessarliy organic...I'm still having a hard time trying to digest the price difference) such as fresh fruits, veggies, lean protein meats and complex carbohydrates. Eating clean is going to be a major transition for our family considering we like sugar, fast food (well, eating out period), white bread and junk! It will take discipline to make it a habit, but I know in the long run it will have so many health benefits.
My goal this week to check out Trader Joes and possibly Sam's Club to buy a few a things in bulk, like cinnamon. It seems to be a major ingredient in a lot of recipes and it is good for you!
Here is what we had for breakfast today...
Breakfast...
French Toast
***For dipping batter*** 2 eggs mixed with almond milk and cinnamon
then serve with a little bit of REAL maple syrup. This morning we had Aunt Jemima's Lite Syrup. Like, I said, there are still a few things in the pantry that aren't so clean...but we still had an open bottle left.
Lunch
Grilled Cheese on whole wheat bread
Orange Slices
Choc Banana Protein Smoothie
***Since my son will not eat veggies, a friend of mine gave me some good tips on how to hide veggies from him...SMOOTHIES!!! what a great treat, bc he slurps them down!
Dinner
Chicken and Dumplings
Here is the recipe from thegraciouspantry.com
Clean Eating Chicken And Dumplings
Stew Ingredients6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (no sugar/dextrose added)1 tbsp. marjoram1 tbsp.. garlic powder4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into small chunks2 tbsp. olive oil1 large onion – peeled and diced4 large carrots, peeled and sliced4 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced
Dumpling Ingredients(This is a recipe redo. Find the original here.)2 cups whole wheat pastry flour1 tbsp. baking soda1/2 tsp. salt3 tbsp. olive oil1 cup milk (any milk you typically use is fine. I currently use unsweetened almond milk.)
STEW DIRECTIONS
Step 1 – Pour the broth into your crock pot (or into a large soup pot if cooking on a stove top)
Step 2 – Add the marjoram and garlic powder to the broth and turn the crock pot to high (stove top, bring to a slow boil)
Step 3 – In a pan, combine the olive oil, onion, carrots and celery. Saute until the onions are translucent.
Step 4 – Add the veggies and cut up chicken to the crock pot (or soup pot).
DUMPLING DIRECTIONS
Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to blend well.
Step 2 – Pour in the oil and milk and mix with a wooden spoon.
Step 3 – (Be sure the broth is hot before adding the dumplings to the pot) Using two teaspoons, scoop up and round off your dumplings and scrap into your pot. (Just like making drop cookies)
STOVE TOP – Boil until the dumplings and chicken are cooked.
CROCK POT – I cooked this on high for about 3-1/2 hours. But if you need to cook it longer because you are leaving for the day (or cooking overnight), turn the crock pot to low and cook until the dumplings and chicken are cooked through. (My guess is about 6-8 hours). It’s important to know how your crock pot cooks here. Every crock pot is slightly different.
Also, the dumplings will look a little odd after they have been cooking at the top of the stew all day. They create a sort of “crust-like” cover. Just break them up with a wooden spoon and stir them into the stew to finish cooking. Simply break one open to be sure it’s cooked all the way through.
Eat and Enjoy!
Nutritional Content1 serving – 1 cup
Calories: 145Total Fat: 5 gmSaturated Fats: 1 gmTrans Fats: 0 gmCholesterol: 27 mgSodium: 269 mgCarbohydrates: 12 gmDietary fiber: 2 gmSugars: 2 gmProtein: 14 gmEstimated Glycemic Load: 5
I HIGHLY encourage you to view
www.thegraciouspantry.com
www.theskinnycrockpot.com
www.cleaneatingmag.com
for all kinds of recipes!
This is my commitment from here on out as a mom and wife!
