We had yummy lunch out today
The girls and I made a pie for dessert
Super day today and better yet, we still have Sunday to relax and play!!
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Saturday night
Crazy day of trying to get lots of lights installed all over the house. Yay! So excited our house is becoming more our house. And yummy date night dinnerMmmmm mole chicken with black beans and salad..... Mmmmmmm
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Day 2 and 3
I totally meant to blog last night about day 2 and 3 but got too caught up in Moonshiners and forgot. I love that show, not sure why, but it is fun to watch.
So day 2 and 3 of this new journey have been hard but rewarding. I have stuck to most of the plan for this week, which makes me happy. My energy levels have remained consistently high, including in the morning and at night. I think I need more sleep, shocking I know. The hard part has been some of the stomach aches that have come along with eating more lentils, beans, and more fiberous veggies.
Here is what I ate on those days:
Day 2
Oats and berries
Shake - same as the other day
Leftover Brocolli stir fry
KIND bar and a pear
Spinach with beets and a bowl of the lentil soup
Day 3
Oats with berries
This is where yesterday went bad. I was working/sewing alot trying to get some dresses done. I didn't realize what time it was or that my daughters nose was looking horrible, even though she was playing on the floor in my workroom. So with the craziness of calling the dr, calling the school to tell them she wouldn't be there, to talking this over with my hubby, getting the girls' lunches ready, and figuring out what to do about some playdates we had scheduled...I was running low on steam and patience. No one's fault but my own. Open the fridge to either soup or salad, wasn't appealing to me. Leftover cinnamon roll on the counter, appealing. Shoved it in my mouth and went back to crazy. The roll didn't help me in anyway other than it was fast. I don't even think I tasted it. This has got me to thinking about next week and having something in the fridge that is appealing and ready to eat. No assembly required.
I ended up making my shake around 1:30 to help curb that hunger I knew I would / was feeling.
Dinner
Veggie jambalya - this turned out really good. I got the recipe out of my taste of home magazine. It had rice, butter beans, and pinto beans instead of the meat. The kids didn't like it but they don't like anything lately. Ryan and I thought it was really good. I will probably have it today at lunch or tonight for dinner since it is leftover night.
Other than the cinnamon roll, the journey hasn't been too hard. I don't think I said this on the other post because it was already a novel but I am not doing this as a diet. This is a lifestyle change and although I want to avoid carbs and meat, it isn't out of my life forever. Moderation is the key. The cinnamon roll wasn't a bad splurge. It was whole wheat flour with raisins and pecans and very little butter and absolutely no icing (I hate icing on cinnamon rolls). It was quick and helped keep this momma going on a rather stressful day. Plus, why make wonderful treats like that (especially ones that take as long as rolls do) if you can't enjoy them....once in a while.
I am looking forward to some good cooking this weekend, trying new recipes, and to making my menu for the week. So far, I like this journey. Oh and I have lost two pounds which is nice but I notice more that my stomach doesn't seem as "fat" as it did before. Not sure if that is where the two pounds disappeared from, but I like it. Happy Thursday!
So day 2 and 3 of this new journey have been hard but rewarding. I have stuck to most of the plan for this week, which makes me happy. My energy levels have remained consistently high, including in the morning and at night. I think I need more sleep, shocking I know. The hard part has been some of the stomach aches that have come along with eating more lentils, beans, and more fiberous veggies.
Here is what I ate on those days:
Day 2
Oats and berries
Shake - same as the other day
Leftover Brocolli stir fry
KIND bar and a pear
Spinach with beets and a bowl of the lentil soup
Day 3
Oats with berries
This is where yesterday went bad. I was working/sewing alot trying to get some dresses done. I didn't realize what time it was or that my daughters nose was looking horrible, even though she was playing on the floor in my workroom. So with the craziness of calling the dr, calling the school to tell them she wouldn't be there, to talking this over with my hubby, getting the girls' lunches ready, and figuring out what to do about some playdates we had scheduled...I was running low on steam and patience. No one's fault but my own. Open the fridge to either soup or salad, wasn't appealing to me. Leftover cinnamon roll on the counter, appealing. Shoved it in my mouth and went back to crazy. The roll didn't help me in anyway other than it was fast. I don't even think I tasted it. This has got me to thinking about next week and having something in the fridge that is appealing and ready to eat. No assembly required.
I ended up making my shake around 1:30 to help curb that hunger I knew I would / was feeling.
Dinner
Veggie jambalya - this turned out really good. I got the recipe out of my taste of home magazine. It had rice, butter beans, and pinto beans instead of the meat. The kids didn't like it but they don't like anything lately. Ryan and I thought it was really good. I will probably have it today at lunch or tonight for dinner since it is leftover night.
Other than the cinnamon roll, the journey hasn't been too hard. I don't think I said this on the other post because it was already a novel but I am not doing this as a diet. This is a lifestyle change and although I want to avoid carbs and meat, it isn't out of my life forever. Moderation is the key. The cinnamon roll wasn't a bad splurge. It was whole wheat flour with raisins and pecans and very little butter and absolutely no icing (I hate icing on cinnamon rolls). It was quick and helped keep this momma going on a rather stressful day. Plus, why make wonderful treats like that (especially ones that take as long as rolls do) if you can't enjoy them....once in a while.
I am looking forward to some good cooking this weekend, trying new recipes, and to making my menu for the week. So far, I like this journey. Oh and I have lost two pounds which is nice but I notice more that my stomach doesn't seem as "fat" as it did before. Not sure if that is where the two pounds disappeared from, but I like it. Happy Thursday!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Only the beginning
Over the course of this short lived blog, I have been trying to become a healthier, more conscious, person about the food I am fixing for my family and myself. I am proud of these things and all that I have accomplished in our household. But there are still a few things that I was not happy with. My weight loss is slow, like S.U.P.E.R slow. Slow is good when it comes to weight loss but 1oz a week is not slow, that is down right turtle's pace. More importantly I was still feeling really bad. Define bad...well I was still very lathargic (even with working out for an hour everyday), still very depressed, and still feeling very old and stiff , especially that darn knee of mine. I could chalk all of those up to it being winter, cold, and the pressure in the atmosphere going crazy but that just didn't seem ok to me. You mean to tell me every winter this is how its going to be?! No way!!
During one of my movie nights while Ryan was away I watched a movie called Forks over Knives. Every food documentary I watch changes our or my thought process of food and eating, so I was prepared to take notes so that I could do a little more research when the movie was done. This movie goes through a few individuals that go totally plant based with their diets in order to combat heart disease and other problems/illnesses. It is focused on two dr's and their research in the field of plant based diets reversing such illnesses as cancer, heart disease, and obesity. It is a very informative movie and I enjoyed it. My favorite quote kept coming to mind and it is the main theme of this movie.
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ― Hippocrates
After watching it, I thought about trying to go no meat and no dairy. We were already going meatless for 3 nights a week anyway and fish was another night. So for me (only me for right now) to try this wasn't a huge leap. If I was totally honest, meat is not as much of a draw on a normal basis. I love smoking ribs and occasionally baking a chicken in the oven with all those yuumy flavors and herbs that go along with it, will still happen. But for the most part, meat is just a side. About this same time I got my Whole Living magazine for the month. Inside was a 3 week, reboot your body, meal plan. Most of the meals were veggie based with some fish thrown in toward the end of week 2 and 3. What the heck, why not. I have no reason to not. I have a plan, I already was eating all raw veggies and fruits except for dinner. So this is my start to making my food nourish my body and my soul. So far it hasn't been too much extra work, in regards to cooking two seperate meals each night.
I wanted to document my journey down this path to see and be able to look back at my journey. Many people have done the same and say they haven't gone back, it will be interesting to see where I stand in a few months or weeks. I am interested to see how my physical bloodwork turns out in March, this is kind of a goal I am hoping to get to. I want to see how much weight I lose and how much better I feel by this milestone.
So here we go...this is what I ate yesterday....
Breakfast was a serving of steel cut oats with about 10 blueberries and some brown rice syrup drizzled on top
Cup of coffee with coconut milk as the creamer
Lunch was sweet potato and lentil soup - this is a super hearty and sweet soup, plus it makes quite a bit
A couple glasses of water
Midafternoon Shake
Handful of spinach, 1/2 banana, about 10 blueberries, 1/5 of a pineapple, handful of mint, splash of coconut milk, and a tsp of spirulina
I noticed a couple weeks ago I get really hungry around 4:00pm....not sure why. This is when I normally eat things I don't want to eat, that don't help control that hunger, that I always end of regretting eating. So I found a recipe for DIY Kind bars. They are fabulous and do the trick controlling that hunger without costing a fortune. I also have a latte in the afternoon to help "keep" me going. I am not sure this really helps seeing as it is Earl Gray tea but I like it :)
Dinner was a Brocolli and Cauliflower Stir Fry this was delicious and holy cow a lot of food. I served it with a bok choy slaw but didn't really need to. I loved the use of cauliflower pulsed in a food processor as the "rice" part of this dish. This picture of it today for lunch, I completely forgot to take a pic of last night. I was so anxious to try this last night :)
While I was watching Downton Abbey (LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SHOW), I had a handful of raisins. They were sweet and helped tame that little sweet tooth I have.
I would say that yesterday was a success, I'm still going strong today. I have yet to feel hungry or feel like I should indulge in anything else. It seems kind of funny to me about this. I know it might not last long but I don't want the other stuff. I know it will taste good but will only taste good for about a minute and then it is gone. It's not worth it.
During one of my movie nights while Ryan was away I watched a movie called Forks over Knives. Every food documentary I watch changes our or my thought process of food and eating, so I was prepared to take notes so that I could do a little more research when the movie was done. This movie goes through a few individuals that go totally plant based with their diets in order to combat heart disease and other problems/illnesses. It is focused on two dr's and their research in the field of plant based diets reversing such illnesses as cancer, heart disease, and obesity. It is a very informative movie and I enjoyed it. My favorite quote kept coming to mind and it is the main theme of this movie.
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ― Hippocrates
After watching it, I thought about trying to go no meat and no dairy. We were already going meatless for 3 nights a week anyway and fish was another night. So for me (only me for right now) to try this wasn't a huge leap. If I was totally honest, meat is not as much of a draw on a normal basis. I love smoking ribs and occasionally baking a chicken in the oven with all those yuumy flavors and herbs that go along with it, will still happen. But for the most part, meat is just a side. About this same time I got my Whole Living magazine for the month. Inside was a 3 week, reboot your body, meal plan. Most of the meals were veggie based with some fish thrown in toward the end of week 2 and 3. What the heck, why not. I have no reason to not. I have a plan, I already was eating all raw veggies and fruits except for dinner. So this is my start to making my food nourish my body and my soul. So far it hasn't been too much extra work, in regards to cooking two seperate meals each night.
I wanted to document my journey down this path to see and be able to look back at my journey. Many people have done the same and say they haven't gone back, it will be interesting to see where I stand in a few months or weeks. I am interested to see how my physical bloodwork turns out in March, this is kind of a goal I am hoping to get to. I want to see how much weight I lose and how much better I feel by this milestone.
So here we go...this is what I ate yesterday....
Breakfast was a serving of steel cut oats with about 10 blueberries and some brown rice syrup drizzled on top
Cup of coffee with coconut milk as the creamer
Lunch was sweet potato and lentil soup - this is a super hearty and sweet soup, plus it makes quite a bit
A couple glasses of water
Midafternoon Shake
Handful of spinach, 1/2 banana, about 10 blueberries, 1/5 of a pineapple, handful of mint, splash of coconut milk, and a tsp of spirulina
I noticed a couple weeks ago I get really hungry around 4:00pm....not sure why. This is when I normally eat things I don't want to eat, that don't help control that hunger, that I always end of regretting eating. So I found a recipe for DIY Kind bars. They are fabulous and do the trick controlling that hunger without costing a fortune. I also have a latte in the afternoon to help "keep" me going. I am not sure this really helps seeing as it is Earl Gray tea but I like it :)
Dinner was a Brocolli and Cauliflower Stir Fry this was delicious and holy cow a lot of food. I served it with a bok choy slaw but didn't really need to. I loved the use of cauliflower pulsed in a food processor as the "rice" part of this dish. This picture of it today for lunch, I completely forgot to take a pic of last night. I was so anxious to try this last night :)
While I was watching Downton Abbey (LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SHOW), I had a handful of raisins. They were sweet and helped tame that little sweet tooth I have.
I would say that yesterday was a success, I'm still going strong today. I have yet to feel hungry or feel like I should indulge in anything else. It seems kind of funny to me about this. I know it might not last long but I don't want the other stuff. I know it will taste good but will only taste good for about a minute and then it is gone. It's not worth it.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Favorite Things...
Wow has it really been that long since I posted?! Yikes! No wonder I have been in a bad mood. Blogging is a great release for me and I really do need to get back on it. The holidays are busy for everyone so I thought I would put a few of my favorite things right now out there.
Favorite thing right now : Advent calendar. Every year we do some thing different. Last year it was something fun to do every night as a family.
It was a cute idea but it was overwhelming. Add in no where near possible this year with 4 nights of sports practice so this year we are doing a book advent calendar.
Every night we take the next book in the stack and read it.
It has been a blast so far and it MAKES us read to the girls (and boy sometimes).
Another favorite : reading in the girls' tent that we made them a couple weeks ago. It is just the right size for us.
Another favorite : Gingerbread Cookies made from this recipe from Annie's Eats (which is a great site!!)
They are soft and spicy. Perfect gingerbread in my eyes!!
Another favorite : our meals this week. We have had some yummy meals this week that have helped keep me focused on the holiday's and not my bad mood. Plus throw in that it was / is a short week around this kitchen and this momma is one happy camper. Here are the meals with links....
Sunday - Chicken Parm Meatballs and Twice Baked Cauliflower- both of these were delish. I will be making the meatballs again to store in the freezer and to also have for the girls at lunch. I didn't have fresh mozzerella and it I would almost say it is a must for the next ones. But they were still good. And the cauliflower, it was so good as well. Throw some cream cheese, bacon, and cheese on just about anything and it will be good.
Monday: Herb Crusted Salmon and Creamy Tomato Pasta - again both of these were delish. The salmon has already been requested again by the hubby
Tuesday : BBQ Chicken and potatoes in crockpot - this meal was awesome in lack of planning and time spent! My only complaint was the chicken was really dry. Next time, I will just add some more sauce or chicken stock as it cooks.
Wednesday : Tuscan White Bean Soup with No Knead Bread - this was a very hearty and healthy soup. Next time I will be adding in a ham hock (possibly) or the rind from a parmesean cheese wedge. It just needed a little something else. I also made the beans from scratch. Not sure if I will do that next time. I don't think they cooked long enough but any longer and it would have been mush.
Thursday: Brenner (breakfast at dinner) WOO HOO! Yep, I'm a little excited.
Another favorite of mine right now : throwing away CRAP that has been in our lives for far too long. I said goodbye to ALL of my food dyes today. Threw those oil laden chemicals in the trash and will be replacing them with all natural food dyes. Here is a recent article I read : 7 Reasons I hate artificial food dyes. It is not the only article out there about Red 3 and Red 40 or Yellow 5. Check it out for yourself!
And my last favorite thing: my husband. Life around this house has been a little crazy which makes this momma a little crazy. Ok, bitchy not crazy. I hate it. It will get better. I know it will. He makes it all better, all the time. He made the night tonight bringing me home a flower. Definitely my favorite.
Favorite thing right now : Advent calendar. Every year we do some thing different. Last year it was something fun to do every night as a family.
It was a cute idea but it was overwhelming. Add in no where near possible this year with 4 nights of sports practice so this year we are doing a book advent calendar.
Every night we take the next book in the stack and read it.
It has been a blast so far and it MAKES us read to the girls (and boy sometimes).
Another favorite : reading in the girls' tent that we made them a couple weeks ago. It is just the right size for us.
Another favorite : Gingerbread Cookies made from this recipe from Annie's Eats (which is a great site!!)
They are soft and spicy. Perfect gingerbread in my eyes!!
Another favorite : our meals this week. We have had some yummy meals this week that have helped keep me focused on the holiday's and not my bad mood. Plus throw in that it was / is a short week around this kitchen and this momma is one happy camper. Here are the meals with links....
Sunday - Chicken Parm Meatballs and Twice Baked Cauliflower- both of these were delish. I will be making the meatballs again to store in the freezer and to also have for the girls at lunch. I didn't have fresh mozzerella and it I would almost say it is a must for the next ones. But they were still good. And the cauliflower, it was so good as well. Throw some cream cheese, bacon, and cheese on just about anything and it will be good.
Monday: Herb Crusted Salmon and Creamy Tomato Pasta - again both of these were delish. The salmon has already been requested again by the hubby
Tuesday : BBQ Chicken and potatoes in crockpot - this meal was awesome in lack of planning and time spent! My only complaint was the chicken was really dry. Next time, I will just add some more sauce or chicken stock as it cooks.
Wednesday : Tuscan White Bean Soup with No Knead Bread - this was a very hearty and healthy soup. Next time I will be adding in a ham hock (possibly) or the rind from a parmesean cheese wedge. It just needed a little something else. I also made the beans from scratch. Not sure if I will do that next time. I don't think they cooked long enough but any longer and it would have been mush.
Thursday: Brenner (breakfast at dinner) WOO HOO! Yep, I'm a little excited.
Another favorite of mine right now : throwing away CRAP that has been in our lives for far too long. I said goodbye to ALL of my food dyes today. Threw those oil laden chemicals in the trash and will be replacing them with all natural food dyes. Here is a recent article I read : 7 Reasons I hate artificial food dyes. It is not the only article out there about Red 3 and Red 40 or Yellow 5. Check it out for yourself!
And my last favorite thing: my husband. Life around this house has been a little crazy which makes this momma a little crazy. Ok, bitchy not crazy. I hate it. It will get better. I know it will. He makes it all better, all the time. He made the night tonight bringing me home a flower. Definitely my favorite.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Meal planning made easy
I had a super fun evening to share with everyone. This is a fun and easy way to make meal planning a little easier. I decided to host a Friday Freezer Night at my house this past Friday night. The basic idea is to bring enough ingredients to make one meal 5 times. Here is an example : I decided to make Beef Barley Soup. I bought enough ingredients to make this soup 5 times (because I had 5 ladies coming over). This way each of us left with 5 different meals (6, if you made your meal for your family) to either cook this week or put in the freezer for later use. It was a blast! The ladies all came with such yummy food to share! We prepared it all here at my house which took all of an hour. That's right, ONE hour to prepare these 6 meals. I can handle one hour and get 5 other meals in return. Here are some pics:
To get prepared I tried to set up various stations of utensils and stuff that we might use.
Here is my set up for my station
I also made some yummy sweet snacks : Nutella Brownies and Gingerbread Muffins
My new favorite fall drink is Honeycrisp Apple Sangria. It was a hit with the ladies and with me!! PS: I used Brandy instead of Peach Snaaps, it was just as good.
This young lady made her meal before she got to the house so she got to help out and read cookbooks while the rest of us slaved away ;)
We made messes but it was soooo worth it!!
See, the sangria was a hit and a well needed drink while we were mixing. We were working hard!
Yummy spaghetti for spaghetti pie
Oh yeah!!
This young lady made the best chicken salad pasta that my family has snacked on all weekend! It never even made it to the freezer.
The best part of the night was the 3 hours of conversation afterwards. It is so important to connect with other mommas. It makes us feel normal and less stressed about our lives and children. Our conversations were heartfelt and allowed us all to get to know each other a little more. It is nice to feel connected with strong, smart, and loving women in our big town. We weren't meant to be momma's alone, it isn't good for our souls. Then throw in a freezer full of food, it was a great night to say the least!
A huge THANK YOU to all 5 mommas that came out to my house carrying huge bags full of supplies and food to try an idea I had. You all had delicious meals to share and your friendship means a ton to me. We had a good time! We talked of continuing this and I can't wait to stock back up that freezer and refill my "feel like an adult" bank.
My last pic will be of this stuff: Christmas Crack.
I made this for a football party last night. It is ridiculously delicious. It is SO incrediably bad for you but that doesn't even stop you from eating it. Good thing I am only making it once, never again for the pure fact that I can't keep my hands out of it.
To get prepared I tried to set up various stations of utensils and stuff that we might use.
Here is my set up for my station
I also made some yummy sweet snacks : Nutella Brownies and Gingerbread Muffins
My new favorite fall drink is Honeycrisp Apple Sangria. It was a hit with the ladies and with me!! PS: I used Brandy instead of Peach Snaaps, it was just as good.
This young lady made her meal before she got to the house so she got to help out and read cookbooks while the rest of us slaved away ;)
We made messes but it was soooo worth it!!
See, the sangria was a hit and a well needed drink while we were mixing. We were working hard!
Yummy spaghetti for spaghetti pie
Oh yeah!!
This young lady made the best chicken salad pasta that my family has snacked on all weekend! It never even made it to the freezer.
The best part of the night was the 3 hours of conversation afterwards. It is so important to connect with other mommas. It makes us feel normal and less stressed about our lives and children. Our conversations were heartfelt and allowed us all to get to know each other a little more. It is nice to feel connected with strong, smart, and loving women in our big town. We weren't meant to be momma's alone, it isn't good for our souls. Then throw in a freezer full of food, it was a great night to say the least!
A huge THANK YOU to all 5 mommas that came out to my house carrying huge bags full of supplies and food to try an idea I had. You all had delicious meals to share and your friendship means a ton to me. We had a good time! We talked of continuing this and I can't wait to stock back up that freezer and refill my "feel like an adult" bank.
My last pic will be of this stuff: Christmas Crack.
I made this for a football party last night. It is ridiculously delicious. It is SO incrediably bad for you but that doesn't even stop you from eating it. Good thing I am only making it once, never again for the pure fact that I can't keep my hands out of it.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Menu
My menu for this week is below. I was super excited to try a few new recipes! This week was a little different as far as prep goes. So far all meals are made! Yep, they're done, finished, ready to be cooked or reheated throughout the week. As tired as I was on Friday after cooking all these meals, I am super excited that I don't have to do much of anything throughout this week for dinner. Open the oven door and stick in the pan, my kind of cooking :). I would like to say I will continue to do this but we all know that life tends to laugh at us when we make grand plans. I didn't however like all the washing I did. My kitchen looked like this :
Every time I turned around. So back to the sink I would go. It was what was so exhausting. Oh well. I will enjoy it this week!
Sunday: Buffalo style cauliflower - wanted to try this for a while
Sweet potato enchiladas with creme sauce
Monday: Shepherds Pie
Tuesday: Butternut Squash soup with homemade crusty bread
Wednesday: 2 Bean Chicken Soup - I had a bowl of this last night just because I couldn't wait. This is so delish with a cut up avocado in it. I made both types of beans at home which made it so much better. If you haven't tried to make black beans (or any other beans) at home from scratch, try it. It is super easy. Throw a pound of dried and rinsed off beans in a crockpot with 6 cups of water. Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours or on low for longer. You can add in any spices. So good and so healthy and soooo cheap!
Thursday: Eat out of the FREEZER night. After some looking yesterday, our freezer is full of little odds and ends that could make a good meal. There are a couple pieces of salmon so I am sure me and the hubs will eat those with some veggie. There are veggies and other various odds and ends the kids can have.
Friday: Homemade chicken nuggets with some baked carrot sticks (substitute for french fries). The girls are going to decorate their own leaf cookies since we are having a little sleepover.
This week for lunch the hubs and I are trying a new salad recipe. Since the craziness of football practice is over, working out can commence! I am soooooo ready to get back into the gym. But with that said, I have to start eating more protein to help me actually make it through a workout :). I found this great recipe for an asian salad that will go great with our quinoa patties that we both love. I will be making those today and portioning them out for both of us to enjoy at lunch each day this week.
Every time I turned around. So back to the sink I would go. It was what was so exhausting. Oh well. I will enjoy it this week!
Sunday: Buffalo style cauliflower - wanted to try this for a while
Sweet potato enchiladas with creme sauce
Monday: Shepherds Pie
Tuesday: Butternut Squash soup with homemade crusty bread
Wednesday: 2 Bean Chicken Soup - I had a bowl of this last night just because I couldn't wait. This is so delish with a cut up avocado in it. I made both types of beans at home which made it so much better. If you haven't tried to make black beans (or any other beans) at home from scratch, try it. It is super easy. Throw a pound of dried and rinsed off beans in a crockpot with 6 cups of water. Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours or on low for longer. You can add in any spices. So good and so healthy and soooo cheap!
Thursday: Eat out of the FREEZER night. After some looking yesterday, our freezer is full of little odds and ends that could make a good meal. There are a couple pieces of salmon so I am sure me and the hubs will eat those with some veggie. There are veggies and other various odds and ends the kids can have.
Friday: Homemade chicken nuggets with some baked carrot sticks (substitute for french fries). The girls are going to decorate their own leaf cookies since we are having a little sleepover.
This week for lunch the hubs and I are trying a new salad recipe. Since the craziness of football practice is over, working out can commence! I am soooooo ready to get back into the gym. But with that said, I have to start eating more protein to help me actually make it through a workout :). I found this great recipe for an asian salad that will go great with our quinoa patties that we both love. I will be making those today and portioning them out for both of us to enjoy at lunch each day this week.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
No where to turn
My years teaching in title 1 schools are over but they are not long forgotten. For teachers in these schools, the children are forever etched in our minds and have permanent residence in our hearts. Maybe not all of them but the ones that are forgotten, led astray by neglectful parents, or just plain abused, these angels never leave our hearts. This is one of the biggest reasons I left and will not be returning even though I loved teaching more than anything. My heart overflowed for these children and I bent over backwards to make sure they had the same chance in life (or at least 2nd and 3rd grade) that every other kid. I can honestly say there isn't a day that goes by that some of these kids aren't on my heart. But that stress and dismal outlook on life took its toll on me and my family.
Since leaving teaching, wonderful angels, like the ones I had in my classroom, rarely cross my path, our families path. We are involved with sports with parents who care, who support, who attend. We are blessed and lucky and don't take a minute for granted. This football season an angel, like one in my classroom, crossed our path. He is a great kid. Kind, quiet, so incredibly polite it is almost unreal how genuine he is, handsome, and so desiring attention from anyone. We have taken him to most practices and taken him home afterwards. We take him to all games (ok maybe one we didn't) and we take him home afterwards. We have him over to play and take him out to eat with us when we go. We offered to take him to a college football game. We found out he was walking over 2 miles to school and home, EVERY SINGLE DAY. We paid for his bus services the next day. (Do you know how far that is? Can you imagine sending bubba out the door at 7am to walk to the school and then walk home, every single day?!) We (and others on the team) give him clothes and shoes and feed him every time we take him home. I have grown to love this kid.
Tonight was our very last football game, ever. Tonight was the last time this group of boys will play and be coached by dads. Tonight was bittersweet. I was so glad for practice and late night freezing cold games to be over but I didn't realize that it meant the end to making sure this angel is ok. This was the last night that we might have to take him home, the last time he might get a balanced meal, the last time he would be so polite when saying thank you for giving him a ride home even though we take him home, every night. I didn't realize all those feelings I used to have while I was a teacher would come back. The fear of whats to come of this young man. The sadness that he doesn't have a good home to go home to. The anger I feel towards his family and the circumstances. The overwhelming feeling of loss of having him in our lives and being able to help him, to now be gone. The frustration that I feel towards his parents for not even being able to come to his VERY LAST GAME and listen to the awesome words spoken about their son. Words that were powerful enough to move this momma to tears and he's not mine. The utter disgust I have for parents who neglect their children. The devastating loss this world will have if he is left to fend for himself, even longer than he already has. But my mind goes back to all those angels that have permanent residence in my heart. The children of our world are suffering in great numbers from something other than hunger (which is a huge need don't get me wrong) and abuse (which again is huge) but they are suffering from lack of love. It is huge and it is the hardest to say you have to have. Which has left me here, tonight. Crying on my couch because there is no way, other than a few things here and there that I can do to help this baby, this angel. He has no where to turn and neither do I.
The worst feeling I have is embarrassment. I am embarrassed because all of us are no better than his parents. We make every excuse to not help him and to hold his parents lack of judgment dictate what we will do for him. We avoid get togethers because he stinks or is a little socially inept. We moan and complain because taking him home or picking him up causes us to be in more of a hurry. We are no different than his parents. We are forgetting that he didn't choose this life and/or lifestyle. We are forgetting that he is a part of OUR world, OUR community, OUR school, OUR FOOTBALL TEAM, OUR hearts. We are forgetting him. I refuse to feel this anymore. I am left here to think of ways to help him throughout this next year. Putting reminders on my calendar to call his parents to see if he can come over, spend the night, maybe make it to that college game, and make sure his holidays are good. Make sure he knows that our home is a safe place to come. We aren't perfect but our kids get love, attention, and unconditional support. I refuse to be embarrassed anymore.
To this angel these few times a year that we invite him into our home might be the best, they might be the worst, but I know it will hopefully break the endless cycle he is on. It only takes one to break the chain, right. He is worth it. Just like my kids would be worth it if the tables were reversed. I would hope someone would show them what love looks like. So my prayer tonight is for this angel to be etched on my heart and for God to help guide him and his parents to find that love. I want so much more than the dead end I am feeling right now for this young man.
Since leaving teaching, wonderful angels, like the ones I had in my classroom, rarely cross my path, our families path. We are involved with sports with parents who care, who support, who attend. We are blessed and lucky and don't take a minute for granted. This football season an angel, like one in my classroom, crossed our path. He is a great kid. Kind, quiet, so incredibly polite it is almost unreal how genuine he is, handsome, and so desiring attention from anyone. We have taken him to most practices and taken him home afterwards. We take him to all games (ok maybe one we didn't) and we take him home afterwards. We have him over to play and take him out to eat with us when we go. We offered to take him to a college football game. We found out he was walking over 2 miles to school and home, EVERY SINGLE DAY. We paid for his bus services the next day. (Do you know how far that is? Can you imagine sending bubba out the door at 7am to walk to the school and then walk home, every single day?!) We (and others on the team) give him clothes and shoes and feed him every time we take him home. I have grown to love this kid.
Tonight was our very last football game, ever. Tonight was the last time this group of boys will play and be coached by dads. Tonight was bittersweet. I was so glad for practice and late night freezing cold games to be over but I didn't realize that it meant the end to making sure this angel is ok. This was the last night that we might have to take him home, the last time he might get a balanced meal, the last time he would be so polite when saying thank you for giving him a ride home even though we take him home, every night. I didn't realize all those feelings I used to have while I was a teacher would come back. The fear of whats to come of this young man. The sadness that he doesn't have a good home to go home to. The anger I feel towards his family and the circumstances. The overwhelming feeling of loss of having him in our lives and being able to help him, to now be gone. The frustration that I feel towards his parents for not even being able to come to his VERY LAST GAME and listen to the awesome words spoken about their son. Words that were powerful enough to move this momma to tears and he's not mine. The utter disgust I have for parents who neglect their children. The devastating loss this world will have if he is left to fend for himself, even longer than he already has. But my mind goes back to all those angels that have permanent residence in my heart. The children of our world are suffering in great numbers from something other than hunger (which is a huge need don't get me wrong) and abuse (which again is huge) but they are suffering from lack of love. It is huge and it is the hardest to say you have to have. Which has left me here, tonight. Crying on my couch because there is no way, other than a few things here and there that I can do to help this baby, this angel. He has no where to turn and neither do I.
The worst feeling I have is embarrassment. I am embarrassed because all of us are no better than his parents. We make every excuse to not help him and to hold his parents lack of judgment dictate what we will do for him. We avoid get togethers because he stinks or is a little socially inept. We moan and complain because taking him home or picking him up causes us to be in more of a hurry. We are no different than his parents. We are forgetting that he didn't choose this life and/or lifestyle. We are forgetting that he is a part of OUR world, OUR community, OUR school, OUR FOOTBALL TEAM, OUR hearts. We are forgetting him. I refuse to feel this anymore. I am left here to think of ways to help him throughout this next year. Putting reminders on my calendar to call his parents to see if he can come over, spend the night, maybe make it to that college game, and make sure his holidays are good. Make sure he knows that our home is a safe place to come. We aren't perfect but our kids get love, attention, and unconditional support. I refuse to be embarrassed anymore.
To this angel these few times a year that we invite him into our home might be the best, they might be the worst, but I know it will hopefully break the endless cycle he is on. It only takes one to break the chain, right. He is worth it. Just like my kids would be worth it if the tables were reversed. I would hope someone would show them what love looks like. So my prayer tonight is for this angel to be etched on my heart and for God to help guide him and his parents to find that love. I want so much more than the dead end I am feeling right now for this young man.
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