Four Meals, One Chicken!

This is the stalk I am currently making. It smells AMAZING!

Between work, household chores and other obligations, finding time to grocery shop as well as cook healthy meals (although a priority) can sometimes be hard to come by. A lot of times I am not off work until 6:45pm and the last thing I want to do is go home and cook let alone step foot in a grocery store. I have learned that the only way for me (or my husband) to put a HEALTHY meal on the table is to meal plan. But more specifically meal plan meals that are easy to shop for AND easy to cook.
One of the easiest (and cheapest) ways I have found I can do this, is with a rotisserie chicken. I could make my own whole chicken but honestly the time it takes to prep and cook it sounds daunting to me. So for the time being I will use a store bought rotisserie chicken (the Costco ones are my fave). Anyways as the title of this post suggests, I can use this chicken to make FOUR MEALS for the two of us if I am properly organized (pre-purchased all necessary ingredients).

Here are the typical four meals I do with the chicken:

1. Chicken breast, Homemade Mac and Cheese (with a cauliflower sauce), and Steamed Veggies.
2. Chicken Salad served on Whole Grain Toast- chicken breast, a little mayo (just enough to bind the ingredients), Grey Poupon Mustard, celery, dill, red onion, cayenne, *salt, pepper.
3. Drum Sticks (as well as other dark meat) with BBQ sauce, Mashed or Roasted Red Potatoes with garlic, Grilled Veggies.
4. Homemade Chicken Soup- pull remaining chicken off bones (just the white meat). Then place carcass with skin and remaining meat in a stalk pot. Add celery, carrots, cayenne, *salt, pepper, onion and garlic. Cover completely with water. Allow to simmer for several hours (the longer the better). Strain chicken stalk. Add partially cooked pasta, raw carrots and remainder of white meat chicken previously pulled from the bone, bring back to a simmer and cook until carrots are al dente. 

Ta-da!!! Four meals (maybe even more because that makes a lot of soup :). I thought I should add that although the stalk does take quite a while to cook I do not find it very time consuming, as the bulk of the time is spent letting it simmer (no work on my part). Most times I even prepare the stalk a day before. When I get home from work the next day all I have to do is heat the broth on the stove and add the last ingredients... perhaps make a few grilled cheese. Yum!

These recipes are all so easy and husband approved (my husband likes them)! I would also just like to reiterate, if you are not particularly fond of rotisserie chickens you could totally make your own whole chicken at home and still make all of these different dishes. I use rotisserie chicken for the mere simplicity as well as the inexpensive cost.
If you have any further questions about any of these meals please feel free to comment below. I'd also love to hear from you about any quick healthy recipes you love to make!

*Keep in mind when making anything with store bought rotisserie chickens that they are pre seasoned. So add salt only if really needed. Although I put salt in the recipes listed above, I always make sure to taste the food before adding it. 

My Struggle

With bikini season fast approaching, I am reminded all too often that since getting married I have put on a "bit" of weight. I'll just be honest here, 20 pounds. I know people always say you will gain weight after you get married but I really did not expect to gain so much that my clothes would no longer fit!!! The weight gain happened what seemed like overnight. I knew I had been eating a lot more and hardly working out, so this was pretty much bound to happen. I still felt/feel frustrated about it though.
I am now at a stage where I am no longer gaining nor am I loosing. I have plateaued. Because of the plateaued status of my weight I have a dilemma: should I try to loose weight or should I learn to love my new fuller, but still healthy, body. Most days I actually am completely content with my body, cellulite, stretch marks (which I've had since my teens), soft belly and all. But there are other days when I just think "Man how did this happen? Will I be happier thinner?." In those moments I like to examine the articles of clothing the smaller version of my body use to fit into.
Loosing a lot of my wardrobe has probably been the hardest part of the weight gain. There are days when I decide to go to my closet just to try things on to see if they still fit (not a good idea) and when they don't I'm destroyed.
There have been many a time when my poor husband has come home to a sea of denim on the floor and a puddle of me sobbing thanks to this unhealthy little ritual. He, of course, says all the right things... But in these moments nothing he says will ever be victorious over the hateful thoughts I have been hurling at myself since the very first pair of pants I tried didn't fit.
I do not necessarily hate my body in these moments but I most definitely feel like a failure. "If only I ate better or worked out more", "Obviously I am doing something wrong", are just a few of the things I tell myself.
When I am feeling this way, my first instinct is to diet and exercise, like crazy! But once I take a step back and look at my situation I become extremely conflicted. I know there is nothing inherently wrong with working out or eating more nutritiously. But what I have found is there is something wrong with doing this out of "hating" my body and thinking I can only love a "skinnier", "more toned" version of myself. I know that if this type of thinking is not abandoned, it will never matter how much weight is lost or muscle is built, I will never be happy with my body.
I need to be able to love my body the way it is right now, today. I need to live a lifestyle that is conducive to doing that. Upon much thought I have come to the conclusion that the only way for me to do this is by being at a weight that is easily maintainable as well as healthy (both physically and emotionally). This means I will probably never plan to make any drastic changes to loose weight (crazy diets/extreme workouts) but I will make changes to enable myself to become a healthier person.
Some of these changes include better eating habits, adding a bit more physical activity to my life, but really the majority of the changes I need to make are mental. I have got to stop beating myself up for gaining weight. I am not unhealthy and there is nothing wrong with gaining a little weight! I should probably get rid of the clothes that no longer fit... This will be a hard one but I'm sure extremely therapeutic. It will make a huge difference to know that everything in my closet actually fits. Plus I will need to buy new clothes! I do love an excuse to go shopping ;). I also need to be praying about this. God created me and loves me the way I am. I could use a little more insight on how he sees me and a little less insight on how I see myself or how I think the world sees me.
With some of these changes may come weight loss and if that happens, then great! If not I want to be able to be okay with that. Like I said my goal is to be content with my body no matter what. This will be a process for me, maybe for the rest of my life because my body will be constantly changing with age. As these changes come I want to not only be able to accept them but embrace them. 

The Tale of Kitty Cat Vivienne

Meet Vivienne! Aka: Vivi, Vivistein, Fluffy Butt, Baby Vivs, Little Angel Kitten... My baby. My husband and I adopted little Vivienne about five months ago from the San Diego Humane Society. She was only one and a half months old and weighed just a little over two pounds at the time.

On the actual Humane Society website there are profiles of each animal available for adoption. They update it daily to introduce new arrivals and show when pets have already been adopted. I of course had certain criteria for my future kitten (medium to long hair, female). I had been looking for weeks for the perfect one but to my dismay as soon as I would find one online, the next thing I knew it had been adopted (there were massive amounts of devastation caused by this on a daily bases).

The day we adopted Vivienne I had been compulsively refreshing the Humane Society page to see if new kittens had been added. Then at about three in the afternoon Vivi's profile popped up on my screen. She was The ONE. Her name was "Tink" then and she was the youngest kitten available. She was also the only long haired kitten they had at the time. Some of the kittens had profile pictures but she did not. That did not matter to me because I though I knew all I needed to know about her (long hair: check, female: check).

My husband was waiting for me outside of my work and we raced to the Humane Society, turned in our adoption application, and were told that we could go look at the kittens while we wait for a "Pet Adoption Counselor". I was beside myself with glee at the site of about 14 kittens. But where was "Tink"! She was no where to be seen, I began to panic. Had she already been adopted?! 

Finally my husband saw her profile on the side of one of the kennels. He said "Here is her profile. Um did you know she only has one eye???". I responded, "No that can't be, they would have said something about that online". I assured him it was just a bad quality photo, maybe perhaps it had even been smudged (he was not convinced). I was just excited to know she was still available (they would have removed the profile if she was not).

We then quickly realized that "Tink" was in the kennel with her profile on it but she was in a large fluffy bed curled up so we could barely see her. I could tell she as extremely tiny and very cute (what more do you need to know... Right?). Since we could barely see her we started looking at other kittens and decided that we either wanted "Tink" or a little orange kitten who was also scrumptiously adorable .

As we waited for our chance to finally hold one of these precious little fluff balls, I overheard another family talking to an adoption counselor about "Tink". I thought "No!!! You cannot have her, she is mine!!!!". But then my thoughts were stopped abruptly when I heard the words "yes she only has ONE EYE".

My husband had been right. This poor little kitten only had one eye. When our adoption counselor finally arrived I had a million questions for her. Naturally I was desperate to know what had happened to this poor creature. I did get the answer but the tale was a hard one to hear. "Tink" had been rescued (along with several other kittens) from the home of a cat hoarder. Once she had been trapped they quickly realized this frail kitten needed help. Her right eye was ruptured (do not look up pictures online... I am scarred for life) and she had a horrible upper respiratory infection (cat cold). They had no choice but to remove her eye and then place her on an IV with antibiotics. 

As I held this tiny kitten in my hands I could not believe what she had been through. My husband and I did end up holding both kittens. The orange one was just fine but I knew that "Tink" was mine. She just sat in my lap and purred, although probably more out of fear than contentment. I also knew that she needed us. We could provide her with a quiet safe environment where she could feel completely at home and thrive.

When we left the Humane Society we still had not named our new little family member. My husband of course threw out some less than desirable names (Mike Wazowski, Pirate, Cyclopes...) but I wanted our kitten to have a beautifu name. After all even with only one eye she was more beautiful than any other kitten I had ever seen. We settled on Vivienne which I found out later means "live". How appropriate for a kitten who almost did not!

As we drove home with little Vivienne I asked my husband what he was thinking. He said "I just knew as soon as you realized she had only one eye, we would be leaving with her". I smiled because I knew that was true. How can you say no to a one eyed kitten?! 

New Favorite: C-Booth 4 in 1 Lotion

I LOVE trying new products. Whether it is some sort of makeup, skin, or haircare product, I try to get something new at least once a month. I do not do this because I am dissatisfied with any of my "usual" products, I just really like to see what is out there. Recently I have also been on a search for products that are fare trade, do not contain mineral oil and/or are made in the USA. 

A few weeks ago I was in the market for a new everyday lotion, so I found my way over to Ulta to do a bit of "browsing". Typically I had been using "Vaseline Essential Moisture Cocoa Radiant Rich Body Lotion" (wow I never realized how long the official name was!) which I liked just fine. It works well and smells great. Plus the price is right, $6.99 for a pretty huge bottle. My issue with it is that it did not have many skin nourishing ingredients. The cocoa butter element was great, but I wanted more. So on my quest for a new lotion I knew I was searching for something filled with lots of nut oils and shea butter. I am excited to announce that I found it!

This "C-Booth 4 in 1 Multi-Action Body Lotion" (pictured above) is amazing. There are three different scents (all under $10!), I purchased the "Coconut and Fig". It contains almond oil (as well as several other oils), shea butter, and for an extra kick a tad bit of caffeine which really perks up the skin.
The lotion formula is very light weight and is not greasy at all (I cannot stand greasy lotions for everyday). After using it for several weeks I have noticed that my skin is brighter and more even toned. And the icing on the cake... This lotions is actually MINERAL OIL FREE!!! If anyone is looking for a great everyday lotion for a reasonable price I highly recommend this one!

I should also add that many of the other C-Booth products do not contain mineral oil either and all of their products are made in the USA!!! I actually just purchased a few of their other products today which I cannot wait to try, neither of which contain any mineral oil! 

So long story short the C-Booth 4 in 1 lotion is a great lotion and a great buy. I am also quickly falling in love with C-Booth products as a whole so I am sure you will be hearing more about this brand from me in the future. If anyone has ever tried any of their products I would love to hear about your experience. I would also love any recommendations for other products (C-Booth or other) you love that are worth giving a try!

Oh Sweet Thursday

So today is Thursday. Since I have a Mon-Fri work week I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It has been one of "those" weeks (watching three kids under three, I actually have a lot of "those" weeks). One child is sick, another is going through a phase were listening is just not her thing and the youngest is teething ALOT (four back teeth coming in).
Don't get me wrong. I love my job, I love being a nanny I find it extremely fulfilling. With that said, weeks like this make me wonder how I can ever go on living because I am so mentally, physical and spiritually drained. In times like these I try to remember the bigger picture. Not only do I need this job but like I mentioned earlier, it is fulfilling and I DO love it.
I love that everyday when I come to work I get to teach these kids how to be proper little members of society! We read books, they ask questions and their minds just take it all in (ask them the name of any dinosaur... they will know it!). They are little sponges who suck up every tidbit of information they see, hear and experience. I will never forget the day I saw one of them do a little happy dance after she finished a puzzle... I thought, wow she just did my happy dance and sang my happy dance song! I practically died of laughter and excitement.
In my opinion there is nothing more flattering than seeing a child "copy" you. In my opinion there is also nothing scarier than seeing a child "copy" you. In these moments I am reminded that these little people are watching me everyday. THEY ARE WATCHING ME. Everything I say or do is being recorded in their minds.
This is an amazing privilege but also at times a wakeup call. Especially when I start hearing the little boy say things like "drama drama drama" every time one of his sisters starts to cry. Yikes! I said that!!! Do I want him to say that? No! When this sort of thing happens I am put in check. I want only the most uplifting things to come from their months, therefore only the most uplifting things need to be coming from my mouth.
It is a great responsibility to watch children and I do not take it lightly. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to learn this now before I have my own children. Not because I view these kids as "test children" but because I believe any knowledge you can gain before you have children of your own will be beneficial. I can only hope that all of these years as a nanny will help to make my transition to mother (one day far in the future) a little bit easier :)

Why I Started Blogging

I started this blog for many reasons, but I will try to give you the simplest of answers. I am highly introverted but I have a ton to say. This does not necessarily mean I need someone to be listening, it just means I need to get it out! I am also highly creative but do not have the time or the space to keep up with big crafty projects. This blog (I hope) will allow me to jump online write a post about something that interests or inspires me and ta-da both my needs to express are met! 

I also like to think that maybe something I write will help even just one person. As I talked about in the "About Me" section I am a normal everyday working girl. I have bills to pay, grocery shopping to do and cleaning to get done. This does not sound like a ton of fun (why would someone want to read about that?!) but I know that being able to relate to someone even through the most mundane of tasks can make a world of difference in how I feel about my life. I hope to do this for someone.

I also know that social media has created an environment were people display only the best of the best. This has caused me to question what I am doing wrong and covet others physical belongings or even their lives as a whole. I do not want this blog to EVER make anyone feel this way!!! I want someone to read a post and relate, feel inspired, or realize a hurdle they have overcome that I am currently trying to jump.

In the same way I want this blog to be a place where I myself can see growth. I want to be able to look back and see I have finally jumped that dang hurdle and then rejoice in my victory (woo woo, happy dance). We all need to do this, we need to remember even the littlest of victories. 

I am constantly learning and growing just like so many other people on this planet. I am so NOT perfect. I make mistakes, desire others "better" lives, wish my days away too often and forget to see the beautiful life God has given me. I am hopping that through writing this blog I am able to see more and more of the beauty in my life and less and less of the negatives which are usually all too easy to spot.