First off, I’d like to send a huge shout out to all of you that have reached out to us since the accident. This week J has been home healing, resting, and slowing getting back to her old self with the supervision of her amazing Dad, aka my hubby (I sadly had to return to work last week). She’s gone through several doctor appointments, testing, and observation and so far she seems to slowing be getting back to being her good ole snarky self. She snapped at her younger sister today, so I’d say that is a huge sign of healing LOL!
So when I titled this post, “She’s going to be ok” it’s not just for my daughter. Yup…I’m talking about myself too. Why? Well, because I can honestly say seeing your child go through something like this, is truly life changing. Heart stopping. Tonight as I dried her hair after her shower (forgive me but I will truly miss this once she’s back to 100%) we talked about life altering events, tough times, and things that made us stronger. “I’m a fighter, right Mom?” to which I smiled. “Yes, baby…you are. You come from a long line of fighters.” It felt good to share some of my hard times with her so that she could better understand my ‘tough’ side that comes out sometimes far too often. But she gets it now, and I can say that this accident has brought us a little (even maybe a lot) closer. It’s all about silver linings, right?
Obviously I didn’t get to run more than my long run last week, and in doing so I strained my ITB so I gave myself a few days break. I walked last night, and ran a 5K today on my dreadmill because me + 20 mph winds don’t jive. It feels good to be picking up where I left off, and it went a little like this….
Pain free, yay!
I also got the new Huma Chia gels I ordered for my longer runs. I’ve tried them twice during my long runs and have FINALLY found a fuel that doesn’t tear up my stomach. They are 100% natural, and gluten free for any of you fellow tummy issue long distance runners.
YAY!
Tomorrow I go to the doctor for my first check up since my retirement from the Air Force physical, in 2011. I’ve been to the doctor once in the last 4 years, and that was an urgent care clinic because I developed an ear infection from swimming in a pool. Those that know me know that I don’t go to the doc unless I am nearly dying, because more times that not I don’t need to, or I can heal myself. Needless to say, I am terrified. I work in a hospital, and I see far too much sickness. Well wishes appreciated!!!
With that, it’s time to wrap things up. I again appreciate all of your amazing thoughts and prayers.
What’s on your agenda this week? What is your fuel of choice for runs over 6 miles?
Gosh, it’s been a while since I’ve posted. I wish I could say that life has just been busy and that my days have been filled with work, running and everything in between. But that would be a lie. I haven’t been running since last weekend. And I am in week 5 of marathon training! What? But just wait.
Monday morning I woke up like I do every Monday morning, and I went through my daily routine. Something felt off, but I shook it off and hit the road. My left contact was being snarky and I kept blinking and trying to get it to just chill out. Finally I just sighed, pulled over and took it out. It was blurred and irritating my eye and I wasn’t going to let it ruin my day. I drove on, listening to K-Love Christian music radio and found myself being compelled to pray for my family’s safety. I had no idea why, but when the pull comes from the big man upstairs, I follow His direction. Little did I know what would happen later that very same day…
The phone call came just 5 minutes after arriving home with S. We had our sandwich stuff spread out on the kitchen counter like a factory line knowing our time is short on Monday’s due to ballet practice being just an hour after we arrive home. My phone rang, and J’s name came across the screen. It was 5 minutes to 5 P.M. which is when she was due home. My heart jumped when a strangers voice came through the ear piece telling me that J was in an accident and that I needed to come quick. I grabbed S, and we flew out the door to the intersection where the accident took place.
We arrived at the scene just 5 minutes later, and as I sprinted hand in hand with S, I saw my baby laid out on a stretcher with a neck brace and I fell to my knees. The police men steadied me as I knelt next to her, trying my hardest to be calm yet finding myself shaking uncontrollably. She would be transported to the local hospital and as I started to run to my Jeep, Sgt. G. stopped me. “Ma’am, you are in no condition to drive. Let me take you and your youngest to the hospital.” I smiled through my tears, and thanked him profusely. This man was the first of many Angels I’d meet in the next couple of days.
As we flew down Randall Road, with the ambulance in sight just behind us I wrapped my arms around my youngest and prayed. “Please God, keep J safe, let her be ok, heal her please,” among many other rambled prayers kept repeating in my head. Please…I…I can’t lose this child who taught me to love life again. I can’t be without my first born…I can’t. As much as I complain about the struggles of being a Mom to a 15 year old girl, I would take it all back just for her to be OK. Please. PLEASE?!?
We arrived at the ER shortly, and as the officer handed me her back pack that had been cut off her so they could triage her I found myself without words. He went to shake my hand and wish me well, but I hugged him instead thanking him for all that he did for us. He seemed almost surprised, but promised me everything would be ok.
We had two more Angels greet us at the hospital. Nurse Melissa, and Nurse Leah. They tended to J’s every need, going out of their way to make sure she was comfortable for her entire stay, and during her CAT scan. And when the news was delivered to us that she had skull fractures and bleeding in her brain and that we’d need to be transferred to a higher level trauma center, they made sure that I was ok. I told my husband to take our youngest home to stay with friends, and he would meet us later at the new hospital. And these two Angels helped hold me up when I just wanted to curl up and cry. I will be forever grateful.
The next 48 hours were a bit of a blur. We got checked in to the new ER, had more CAT scans which showed no improvement so we were moved to the Pediatric ICU. We were met by more amazing nurses and medical staff that treated us as of we were the only patients in the hospital. I can’t say enough about the wonderful care we received. Tuesday we had a repeat scan that showed the swelling had gone down and the bleeding had stopped. We would continue to monitor for the morning, and were eventually moved to a regular room. In comes my next Angel.
It had been 2 days since I’d showered, slept, or felt even half human. I couldn’t cry anymore, and although my J was improving the fear that the tables could turn at any moment was (is) very real. My sister texted me several times asking what she could do, or if I needed anything. Then at around 10:30 she said forget it, she was on her way and not to argue. She walked in the door, hugged us all and sat with us for a couple hours. Seeing how tired I was she offered to drive me home so I could grab a quick nap and shower. Mind you, she drove an hour FURTHER away from her house to get me home, well, because she’s just that awesome. ❤
Tuesday night one of my co-workers came to visit for a bit, and it just reminded me of the amazing people I have in my life. Countless texts, prayers, phone calls and reminders that J was being lifted up by EVERYONE were pouring in faster than I could keep up with. She just HAD to be ok. The doctors and nurses came in several times to check on her, and by Wednesday morning it appeared our prayers had been answered. They hoped she would be ready to go home that afternoon. She just needed to be able to eat, walk around a bit, and use the restroom. And that she did…she even got a little snarky which was a GREAT sign!!
So here we are, home from one of the toughest few weeks of my life, and I am humbled and grateful. I haven’t gone more than a couple hours without crying both in tears of fear, and tears of gratitude for God’s graces. I’ve counted, and recounted my blessings, and I have thanked everyone involved this week as many times as possible.
Looking back at the start of my week, I am moved by the fact that my vision was physically blurred and that I felt compelled to pray. And as I helped my 15 year old bathe tonight (for the first time in MANY years) I was moved to tears as she said quietly, “Thank you, Mommy,” after I helped her dress. “Will you brush and dry my hair,” she asked? I asked if drying her hair would bother her to which she said she’d let me know. And it didn’t thankfully…So I gently brushed her hair, dried it on the lowest setting, and ran my fingers through her hair. I turned the dryer off while her hair was still damp to which she said, “A little longer, please?” I smiled through my tears, thanked God yet again for his healing and protection to my amazing little girl, for my amazing family and friends, and for the Angels that abounded through this tragic event.
Our road isn’t cleared yet, as we have follow up with Neurology, Ophthalmology, and Pediatrics to make sure she’s healing and progressing. But at this moment, my vision has never been more clear. My baby is going to be OK. God truly does work miracles!!!!
So after finishing my temper tantrum from the weekend, I decided this morning to pick myself up and start over today. Despite struggles, single parenting, and normal teenage drama I needed a clean slate. So here….we….go….
truth.
This morning I woke up on time, and allowed myself an extra snooze. I smiled as I cuddled my dog, and I took my time getting ready since I only had ONE child to tend to this morning. And it felt great. This is a new day.
Work was great, and I had time to organize and file a lot of paperwork that had been collecting dust on my desk. YAY to organizing, right?!
My hubby offered to take our youngest to ballet even though it’s something I normally do, stating, “You need a break.” He’s right… I do.
Can I get an Amen? Pic: veryfunnypics.eu
So I cooked the family dinner after work, and jumped at the chance to run. My legs are still very tight from Saturday, so it felt GREAT to stretch ’em out on the ‘mill. WAIT…did I say that out loud? A dready run that wasn’t so dreadful. Winning.
quick dready run that wasn’t so dready…
After my run, I ate dinner, showered, and have been sitting quietly at my computer working on the recipe section of my blog for about an hour and a half. Have you checked it out yet? It’s just a start, but I’d love for you to try some of my favorite recipes! You can check it out here! Feedback, comments, and ideas are always welcomed!
It felt great despite laundry duty to give myself a couple hours to do something JUST for me. Running. Writing. And cataloging recipes. Does it get better than that?
How do you spend your down time? Do you allow yourself time to just do YOUR thing at least once a week? If not, I highly recommend it. I tell ya what…my uninterrupted shower tonight was off. the. chain. LOL
Thanks, y’all! I look forward to hearing from you!
First off, I finished my second week of marathon training strong! My first 20 miler week is complete and I am quite pleased. A couple of the miles were walked, but the majority were spent running and I even finished my first double digit run of TEN miles on the indoor track in a neighboring suburb on Saturday. 8 laps equaled ONE mile, so yeah…you can imagine how this MIGHT have felt. But it went surprisingly fast mostly due to my awesome friend Janel providing me with great conversation as well as keeping track of the miles with a clicker. I set out for 8 miles, but felt so good I did an even 10 miles for the day. I don’t do a mid week long run, so often times add a mile or two to my weekend long run. All in all-WINNING. (My only set back for the week was missing my yoga work out, but I made sure to foam roll and stretch today to help with the soreness. I also took a 25 minute Epsom salt bath tonight to help ease my sore muscles).
Runner love right here!!
I came home to be informed that although my hubby had returned from his 3 weeks of travels just this past Friday, that he would be leaving again on Wednesday and suddenly my runners high was deflated. First I got mad, then I cried, and then I decided to just take a hot shower and try to move forward with my weekend.
As you all know, his travels are a bitter chip that resides more times than not on my shoulder. I wish I could kick this chip’s butt, but darn it the anger sure seems to win most times as I tackle the single parenting gig. Keep in mind I have a job too, kids that are in school/have activities to be taken too and a house that needs tending to…after a while, any normal person would break, right? Please say this is normal…lol
So this morning I awoke after FINALLY sleeping most of the night for almost 9 hours and I felt…better. It’s Sunday, and with Sundays in our house comes Sunday Supper. We decided to have a chopped challenge as well, and my 5 ingredients were:
Beef round roast
Tomatillos
Beets
Mangos
Mussels
So here’s what I came up with:
Appetizer
Mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and saffron with red pepper flakes served with a salad over tomatillo dressing.
For the tomatillo dressing, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, husk and rinse your tomatillos and quarter. Dice 1/4 onion, 2 cloves of garlic and add in the tomatillos. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes. Transfer to your food processor or blender, and liquefy the mixture. Strain for seeds, and set aside.
For the mussels, in a stock pot melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter and extra virgin olive oil, and add in 3 cloves of minced garlic, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of saffron. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, and add in 3/4 cup of white wine, and a splash of water. Bring to a boil. Add in your previously cleaned mussels and cover the pot, shaking every minute or so. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until the mussels open. Pardon my spelling error…
This was…divine! .COM
Main course
Beet and chipotle pepper soup serve with braised beef.
First, season your roast with your favorite Mexican spices. I used cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sear on all sides, and transfer to a crock pot or dutch oven. Add 2 cups of beef broth (unsalted), 1 cup of red wine, and a large onion that has been sliced. Let simmer for 2 hours.
Secondly, for your soup…
In a soup pot that has been preheated to medium high heat with extra virgin olive oil add:
1 onion-diced
3 cloves of garlic-minced
4 large beets, peeled and chopped
1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce
Sauté for about 5-6 minutes until just tender
Add in 3-4 cups of unsalted beef stock and bring to a boil. In a separate cup, add a teaspoon of corn starch to cold water. Mix well, and keep the soup at a boil for a couple of minutes. Reduce to a simmer for about an hour.
Puree the soup, and just before serving add a couple of tablespoons of greek yogurt. Mix well, and serve! Don’t forget to check for seasoning! I sliced the beef thinly, and served with the soup!
Gosh, isn’t it pretty? ❤
Desert
First off. I don’t bake. I hate to measure, and baking makes my crazy. But I decided to use the mangos in a desert type style, trying to keep with my Mexican type theme of cooking.
I peeled and chopped the mangos, and added them to my food processor. I added in brown sugar, cinnamon, and a splash of water and mixed well. Set aside.
Take 2 sheets of puff pastry dough and roll out. Cut 8 circles out, spoon in the mixture, and pinch the edges tight. Crimp each tart with a fork, brush each tart with a fork and sprinkle some more brown sugar over the top. Back at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
In my defense I only half of one, and skipped the vanilla ice cream but YUM!
So at the end of the day, I’ve trained, I’ve cooked, and I’ve shed a few tears. But I’ve kept moving forward.
How was your weekend? Did you cook? Are you training for any races? How do YOU deal with stress?
Today I am linking up with Marcia’s Healthy Slice for some good ‘ole Runfessions! This is my first time participating, so sit back, and relax for my monthly confessional in regards to running and all it entails.
Winter has officially killed my love for running, temporarily I know, but enough to give me a heavy heart. No matter how blessed I SHOULD feel for having a treadmill and access to indoor running, I found myself in tears again last night after my 2.5 miler on the ‘mill. Why is it so hard for me to enjoy a good dready run? I’ll tell you…
Running is my escape from the real world. I wouldn’t say I am running away from life. On the contrary. I am running towards a better me. Because running outside allows me to clear my head, and leave the work stress, parental drama and chaos in general BEHIND me.
Yet when I am running in the basement of my own home, on a hamster wheel treadmill with the dog clawing at the basement door or perched happily on the couch staring at me the entire time, I find it hard to ‘let go’ of all my stressors. Oh, and the kids fighting upstairs usually can be heard around the block, so the basement is of little escape or solitude.
BUT…I keep reminding myself that despite the snow and sub zero temps in the 7-day forecast spring IS on it’s way…
Eventually…
RIGHT?!?!?!!
Oh…and my new Brooks Launch 2’s are the BOMB. They feel like I am running on clouds, and I can’t wait to take them for an 8 mile spin on the indoor track tomorrow with my friend Janel!! We haven’t ran together in ages, and this will be my first long run on the track! Wish me luck!!
What runfessions do you have this month? What is your longest run indoors?
My day started out like any other. My alarm went off just before 6 a.m. although I had been up since 3…WHY? I had terrible nightmares of being tortured and I kept trying to scream for help, yet my scream wouldn’t develop in to any sort of sound. So I kept trying to scream until I woke up in cold sweats and had to walk around the house for a few minutes to calm myself down. Where do these dreams come from? You just never know, I suppose. I maybe fell back asleep for a few minutes, but as I reached over to push the snooze button and peaked down the hall to my eldest daughter’s bathroom I realized she had overslept. Crap…there goes my 8 minutes of snoozing (like it really matters, right?). I got up, woke her up, and prodded down the hallway to wake up my youngest. She’s always smiles in the morning, but something was off today…I asked her several times if she was ok? “I’m fine, Mommy.” We got ready, had breakfast, and did the routine of drop offs as we’ve done for the last 3 weeks.
This…the happiest girl in the world even when she is sick.
And then I got the call from my neighbor who takes my youngest to the bus. She had developed a fever, had the chills, and I needed to come pick her up. I of course had just made my last turn before arriving to work. I pulled over, called the lab and my boss letting them know I needed to stay home. Thankfully I work with amazing and understanding people. So after my 30 minute commute back home, I picked up my youngest and we spent the day on the couch watching Disney movies. Her fever broke around noon and her appetite came back briefly. We settled back in to our movie watching with my worry alert brought back down to normal and I found myself daydreaming a lot, and thinking even more about this whole thing they call life.
Since retiring from the Air Force in 2011 after 20 years of service I have fought to search for my niche in life. I think I have found it between all my hobbies of running, writing, cooking and photography but still find myself just another 40+ year old woman that is trying to reestablish herself. We tend to lose ourselves in our kids, our marriages and our careers but what really makes US, well, US? Having had been through a lot in my life and overcoming more than can be even put in to words I created my FB page that stems from this blog. I have spent the last 2 1/2 years posting, reaching out to others to remind them they are #more and #worthsomuch and to always #keepmovinforward. It was MY way to give back to the world because I know…I know what it means to hear those words, read that story or hear that song that touches you RIGHT at the VERY MOMENT you need it to. I know.
But since the changes of FB algorithms my reach is down to nil, and the time I spend “talking” to others trying to inspire with my every day life has fallen on deaf ears. I’ve collected the data, studied the stats and compared the amount of time I spent posting anecdotes, quotes, work outs and recipes to my page. And WOW…the numbers are truly nuts. I will stand by the fact that if I can touch ONE life, help ONE person, my goal is complete. But I can’t do this when FB hides the posts of everyone who refuses to pay to promote. Out of nearly 11k followers on FB, I am lucky to ‘reach’ even just 100 people. And this number continues to decline.
Yet for the better part of 2 1/2 years I didn’t blink an eye at getting up early to post something to start people’s days, another lunch time post normally and after work I would try and motivate with my work outs or an inspirational post. At the end of the day there would be a real life adventure, or a truth post, and I would bid everyone goodnight. And it made me happy, every, single, day to reach people.
Pic credit: Pinterest
But with the changes, I can’t keep spending that much time in a venue that doesn’t value my posts ‘worthy’ of being seen. So tonight I posted my last longish truth post letting everyone know I was still there, but that they can find me here. I have a lot to offer, I think…I believe. I just have to find the right outlet. I just want to help people…I want to be that voice that says, YOU CAN. Don’t give up.
So I’ll be blogging more, and FB’ing a lot less…because I know I have things to say and share.
Here’s my day in photos….Thanks for being here, y’all.
For dinner, shrimp over romaine hearts, avocado, cucumbers, radishes and cherry tomatoes!1:3 interval training, ran one minute hard, 3 at a steady pace for 21 minutes.
Last week was a tough week for me. I’m not sure if it was the bitter temps, or the hubby traveling for the second week in a row but I admittedly found myself in tears more times than I care to admit. My eldest daughter tried my patience, multiple times, and I found myself with my head in my hands choking back the sobs early Friday morning. Could I DO this yet another week on my own? And then at around 9:30 a.m. while I was at work I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. “I’m sorry for being grumpy this morning.” Smiles…I immediately felt better. It’s amazing what a simple acknowledgement to even unintentional hurts can do…so as the day went on, we planned a nice dinner out after school/work to celebrate another week of surviving Chiberia 2015. J and S decided on our favorite Mexican place called Sergio’s. If you are ever in the western suburbs of Chicagoland I highly recommend it. It’s family owned and operated, has fresh ingredients, and SOOOO affordable.
Doesn’t get much better than this…
Today, as most non-working outside of the house Saturdays go, I had a full schedule. I had planned on meeting up with my run club for coffee after my dreadmill run, but I slept through my alarm and started my day an hour and a half behind schedule. The hubby arrived home late last night, but only for his Army drill weekend so I saw him all of 30 minutes. But that extra glass of wine probably was NOT a good idea seeing the fact I had 6 miles on deck this morning. I got up, ate my tablespoon of PB with chia seeds, texted Maria, and hopped on the ‘mill. I knew immediately this was going to be tough. Barely half of a mile in, and I wanted to cry. I cussed quietly, at myself, the ‘mill, and anyone who would listen. And at 60 minutes, the ‘mill reset, and real tears formed in my eyes. I wasn’t quite finished with my 6 miler, but thankfully I finished. That is all I can say. I did it. It sucked. And Mother Nature could bring on spring like temps ANY time now…please…
Week 1, long run, DONE.
After my run it was time to EAT. It’s been a while since I said 6 miles was a long run, but I was famished. What did I eat? Check it out…
My go-to post long run meal. Yup…bacon and eggs.
And then it was time to shower, and tackle 3 hours of housework. I turned up the tunes, scrubbed bathrooms, vacuumed floors, dusted, washed bedding, and mopped. My house now looks and smells amazing! YAY!! Then, it was time to shop for the week so the girls and I headed to Aldi to stock up on groceries. I love this store sooooo much. My basket was completely full of fresh produce, fish, chicken and healthy snacks for such a reasonable price. Winning!
So tonight for dinner I decided to make something simple after such a busy day. I made a yummy gluten free pasta dish, that had my famous semi-homemade marinara sauce.
Here’s what you’ll need for the sauce:
1 package of turkey sausage links cut into bite size pieces
1 cup of diced pancetta
1 small white onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, kosher salt and pepper to taste
Here’s what to do:
In a wide sauce pan heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add in your onion, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper flakes and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the turkey sausage and pancetta and cook through for about 12 minutes. Season with kosher salt, pepper, and Italian herbs to taste. Once the sausage is cooked through, drain off the grease. Also, wipe your pan out with paper towels removing the excess grease. Add everything back into the pan, and pour in a jar of your favorite marinara sauce. Taste for seasoning, adding in more S&P if needed. Let simmer for about 25 minutes. The longer, the better…
I served over gluten free rotini, and as always it was a hit with my family.
Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese!
Lessons learned this week:
1. Running is hard. Running on the treadmill? Even harder.
2. Teen kiddos will test us more than nearly almost anything in life. We won’t always pass, but there is always room for growth.
3. Knowing your passions in life, and participating in said passions is freeing…really.
4. Ask someone how THEIR day is, or what THEY are up to…it truly can make a difference.
5. It’s ok to cry. But don’t forget to wipe away those tears and move forward.
I am rounding out the week with 15 miles of running, 1 yoga work out, and strength training as well.
Questions!
How was your week? How do you deal with one sided conversations? What are your favorite “easy meals?”
This post is part 2 if you will, to my last post about doing the single parent gig while the hubby is away. This is the part about what happens when the other half, returns…
And while I was thrilled to have him return home last night, albeit it only for a brief visit, I realized something…something that I forget. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he travels.
Sometimes his coming home, is almost as hard as his leaving.
WHAT?!?!?!?
I know. Isn’t it all rainbows and unicorns running through fields filled with spring colored flowers and butterflies flitting through the air? Isn’t it like the airport seen with the wife and kids holding the welcome home sign for the long-awaited return of their husband/Dad, in which he comes running off the tarmac to embrace his wife and kids in his arms?
pic credit: Imgarcade.com
Sadly…not always. Sometimes the unicorn has had little sleep during his travels, and the butterflies have just had it with flitting, and need a nap.
Sometimes…it’s hard to re-adjust at first, because you have a very set routine in which every moment is accounted for precisely because one mis-step could be a disaster in making sure the day is successful. And the other half doesn’t always understand that routine, how hard it is to keep, and how deep down inside (ok not that deep sometimes) you have a bit of animosity towards him because while he’s off progressing in his career, you are home strapped with the kids and your job that can never truly BE a career because you must support HIS, first.
Why I am I talking in the third person? Oh, that’s right…because that was me thinking outside my head. LOL
Let’s start again…
pic credit: Pinterest
And now with tears in my eyes after a night of little sleep thinking about all of this, I will slap myself in the face and remember that I promised him I’d do this, I’d support him in good and bad…this is HIS time and he is serving our country. I will stop being a selfish brat, and do my very best to support him. Because he would do the same for me. At the end of the day, he does what he does for US…for our family. #Unitedwestand
So while goodbyes can be tough, and readjusting sometimes tougher, I will count my blessings and be thankful for my awesome family. ❤
Rant…over. Thanks for listening, I think I needed to just get that off my chest.
How do you deal with stressful times? Are you able to rant and then feel better? (I know I do! Thanks!)
Here’s to a new week, and week one of Marathon training starting TOMORROW!
As part of my effort to compile all of my recipes this year (I started this effort in 2014), I will be blogging more of the magic food I create in my kitchen. Please keep in mind some of these recipes may seem almost too simple…But that’s the joy of cooking-especially on week nights! Creating simple, healthy, and tasty meals without having to really think! Win WIN, right?
I think so!
Tonight I had approximately 40 minutes upon arriving home from work to create a tasty dish before piling the family in the car to attend my youngest Mover’s school production. That’s plenty of time, right? Even better, I was able to speed walk for 2 miles at an incline while this yummy goodness simmered! Triple win!
Pic credit: tobreatheistowrite via google
On the menu was:
Mexican spiced chicken stew served over gluten free rotini pasta.This is a great dish on a cold, damp, winter evening!
Top with crème fraiche, sour cream or yogurt!
Here’s what you’ll need:
One package of boneless skinless chicken thighs (feel free to use white meat if you prefer, to me the dark meat has so much more flavor)
Four cups of vegetable stock, separated into three cups/one cup mixed with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken
One russet potato, peeled and cubed (sweet potato would be great too, I just didn’t have one!)
One white onion, diced
One large carrot, halved and chopped
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2-3 teaspoons (to taste) of taco seasoning (I buy pre-made from my local mart)
2-3 teaspoons (to taste) of chili powder
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Crème fraiche, sour cream, or yogurt and chives to garnish. (This helps cut the heat of the stew)
Here’s what to do:
Take a Dutch oven or soup pot and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat
Add your chicken, and season with salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, taco seasoning and chili powder. Sauté until cooked through, and add your three cups of stock and vegetables. Mix well, and add your additional one cup of stock that has been mixed with cornstarch. Bring the stew to a boil.
As the stew cooks, you will need to continually taste and season accordingly!
Reduce the heat to a simmer, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
I served over gluten free rotini pasta cooked according to the package instructions, but this dish could definitely be served on it’s own.
Enjoy!
Question! What are some of your favorite weekend night meals? How do you balance work, kids, and healthy cooking?
For the last 42 years, ok not that long but for a LONG time, I have hated my birthday. I wish I could honestly figure out where this hate comes from, although I have a few sneaking suspicions that I will keep to myself. Yet as I have grown into a middle aged adult, I truly have worked at embracing my birthday as a day of celebration of life vs. a battle of time.
And this weekend, I was reminded how very blessed I truly am. I was surrounded by friends and family, and made to feel more special than I can even describe in words…
So this post will have less words, and more pics, because I truly can’t find the words to describe the blessings I feel today, and always. And of course…food pics. Because isn’t this why we run so much? LOL!!!
Make a wish! You’re never too old, right?Cherished gifts from my first Chicagoland friend, Carolyn. XOMy kind of birthday cake….Crème BruleeBirthday wine at Fox Fire in Geneva IL, delish!These amazing people planned a surprise birthday brunch for me. #sighBirthday dinner of twin lobster tails, YUM!Me and my friend Melissa ❤Walked today, for #megsmiles
So after quite a bit of deliberation I found myself looking hard at my circle of friends once again today. I am cutting back more on social media, removing negative forces from my world, and realizing not everyone has the best wishes for us in life.
But…some people DO want nothing more than the best for us…and those are the gifts that I hold true to my heart on days/weekends like this…
Here’s to a new week, more miles, amazing relationships and even better food!
Questions….Do you enjoy your birthday? What’s your favorite birthday treat?
Movin' it with Michelle 