Back in the Rut...

    I'm sad to say it, but I'm back in my rut.  Maybe it has something to do with waking up with a super sore throat this morning...maybe it has to do with all the junk we ate this past weekend while out of town.  It's probably a combination of things.  I'm just feeling overwhelmed and out of my element.  I want desperately to de-clutter my house, but I can't seem to find the time to do the big plans I have.  I have most definitely been cooking better foods, but now I am having trouble finding new recipes that I think Evyn and Sylas will eat.  Not only am I making dinner, but I am also having to find healthy lunch recipes.  I want to work-out, but haven't been able to stick to a normal schedule.  All these things sound like excuses to me, so then I feel down about not just getting up and doing it.  This is a vicious cycle that I've gotten stuck in my head and want to break free of!!

    On a positive note, I did make my own chicken nuggets last week!  The littles LOVED them.  I thought they were pretty delish myself!  I got the recipe from a blog that I frequent weekly to get meal ideas.  Get the recipe here!  I made extra so that I could freeze them and have them on hand for other lunches or an easy dinner.  Evyn told me that she liked these better then the dinosaur nuggets we used to buy - which is a HUGE win for me!

    I suppose that's enough venting for now...I need to get up and do something productive to help get me out of this slump! I need to find that gumption I had when I started this blog....

First Recipes = Success!

I have served up a few "real food" meals and so far, everyone has loved them!  This excites me so much, because my picky eater, Evyn, is my toughest food critic.  She has eaten all these meals - and asked for seconds!!  I am PUMPED!  I figured I'd jump on here real quick and share some recipes.

The first real meal I cooked is called lime sauced chicken.  It was very simple and quick, which is something I look for in meals.  In addition to the chicken, I roasted fresh green beans and baked rolls.  Sylas ate the green beans (something I've been trying to get him to do for a long time) and Evyn ate two helpings of chicken!  I don't have a link for it, so if you want the recipe, message/call/text me.

A few nights ago, I made ground turkey tacos.  We always cook with ground turkey rather than ground beef for many reasons, but the main one being that it is much healthier!  A few weeks ago, I found a recipe to make my own taco seasoning, but I came across this recipe and decided to give it a go.  This one calls for using tomato sauce rather than water.  It was delish!!  I used all natural tomato sauce and mini taco shells, so that the littles could hold them better.  This time I steamed the green beans, but E and Sy weren't as fond of them, which I already knew from previous meals!  Get the recipe for the tacos here. 

 I've been struggling to find lunches that I think Evyn and Sylas would like, so I've been scouring Pintrest and Google.  I came across this one on www.100daysofrealfood.com.  Again, super easy and they loved it.  Apple and peanut butter sandwiches and pretzels - yum!

This was the kids being happy with their food - haha!!

I currently have a new recipe in the crockpot that smells amazing.  Also, I FINALLY prepped a couple week's worth of veggies, but I'm thinking this blog is already long enough  =)  I'll save it for later this week!

Gotta Start Somewhere

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Having time to blog is a lot harder then I thought it was going to be!  Not only do I have my littles, hubby, house, and work to worry with...I also got sick this past weekend.  However, I used the little down time I had to figure out exactly what I wanted this year to bring AND to clean out my hall closet.

*FOR MY HOUSE:

    I want more organization!  I clean the exact same thing every single day.  Granted, I know that will happen with three littles running around, but there has got to be a way to not feel like my life is stuck on lather, rinse, repeat.  So, I will be teaching Evyn and Sylas to clean as they go and they will be straightening up their rooms at the end of each day. 
    The hubby and I are also in the process of re-vamping a lot of rooms in the house.  We just got done with the jack and jill bathrooms in the hallway, so next we are moving on to our bathroom.  Instead of buying all of our decor, I will be doing my best to make what I want (thank you, Pintrest!).
    I cleaned out my hall closet on Saturday!  Gotta start somewhere :)  While doing this, I discovered that I have quite a few framed photos that are just collecting dust and promptly decided that was another project to deal with on another day.  I did clean out some serious storage space.  I also have a bunch of blankets to donate to Goodwill! 

    Here are the before and after pictures:

*FOR MY LITTLES:

    We will have more structured days.  At some point this week, we will be shopping for some school-type books catered to their ages.  Evyn will soak this right up - she is dying to go to school. (Speaking of, I need to register her for pre-school this month!)  This will be more of a challenge with Sylas, since he is a HUGE busybody.  I am hoping this will help him learn to settle down just a little bit.

*FOR OUR DIETS:

    I have been looking into a "real food" diet.  I have done a little research and honestly, I'm bit overwhelmed.  I've decided to take it slowly...introduce one "real food" meal a week until I have built up a few menus.  I also am looking for a  real food cookbook that is kid friendly, as I think the biggest obstacle in this change will be Evyn.  She is an extremely picky eater.  I do have her excited to make our own chicken nuggets and b-bars (that is what she calls granola bars). 
    In addition to the new diet, I plan on prepping for meals and even making some meals in advance.  I'd like to chop two weeks worth of veggies (green peppers, onions, broccoli, etc.), portion them into labeled bags with different portion sizes, and freeze them.  So when I need them, I'll grab the size I need and thaw it out.  This will make dinner that much quicker at night!  I also plan on doubling some meals when I make them and freezing the second serving.  On nights that I don't feel like cooking or I have to work, there will be a meal ready and waiting in the freezer!  We recently bought a second fridge, so that will be helpful!
    I am also looking into starting my own garden.  But this means I will have to find space in the backyard around the trampoline and storage barn.  Sounds like a job for the hubby :)  In the mean time, I'm going to start an herb garden in my kitchen!  Hopefully by the next time I blog, I will have that started.

FOR ME:

    This is something I will have to work on very hard.  I have been pregnant for the majority of the past four years and have not had complete control over my body.  I am ready to take back that control and have the body that I want!  I am hoping our real food diet will help with a lot of it, but I also know that somewhere within my busy day, I will have to schedule some exercising.  My plan, for now, is to Zumba at home with my littles dancing with me and it start running.  I am not a runner.  Let me repeat, I am not a runner!  I have two faulty knees that I blame on my cheerleading days.  I don't have the patience for running.  I don't know how to breathe while running so that I don't feel like I'm dying from emphysema.  However, I have been told by two trustworthy people that the app Easy 5K (a.k.a. Couch to 5k) is an app for everyone.  I would love to be a runner.  I envy the runners that say it helps clear their mind.  I envy that they have that "me time" and I also envy their sleek bodies.  I plan to join that runner crowd this year.  To get me psyched up for it, I am currently saving up to buy some nifty running shoes!  I believe I will be able to buy them within the next 2 weeks. 

    Wow, I didn't realize how long this was getting...gotta go do some shopping for cookbooks now :)