Chicken Soup with Quinoa

Today I have just been feeling crumby and really have been trying to eat clean....so instead of going out and buying soup (or making my husband buy me some hehe) I decided to make my own with what I had in the house...

Now this is not the first time I have tried to make a chicken soup before, the first time came out horrible I actually poured the whole thing down the garbage disposal!! This time it came out fantastic!

Here it is:
Chicken Soup with Quinoa

  I have no idea how much water I put in the pot but it was quite a bit (filled my pot up 1/2 full)
2 chicken breast
(Boil the crud out of them)
When chicken starts to boil add:
4 bouillon cubes, 2 heaping scoops minced garlic, cracked pepper...

 Then when chicken is cooked take out and shred it then add back to water and
Add:
2 small or 1 large sweet onion chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
12 baby carrots chopped
1/2 cup frozen green beans
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach

After 5 mins boiling add 1/2 cup quinoa!
I had two of these bowls I don't know if that's too much but darn it was good and I haven't eaten much today!

Favorite Things Week - Wednesday

Two more days to talk about my favorite things.... Today let's talk about my favorite health and fitness things. What do I love to use to get me be the best me I can be.

1.) Shakeology



I start my day with this almost everyday, if I don't start my day I have it for lunch. I call this my savior of my weightless and mo my hood journey! Seriously this amazing nitrous shake gives me the energy I need to get through my day. I know that I am getting at least 1 good meal a day in everyday that has 70+ nutrients in it that is aiding my body correctly. Since I have been drinking it I have not only lost weight BUT my hair is super thick and healthy, my nails grow like weeds, I am sick less often, my kids LOVE IT, and my energy like I said is up way up! I love the fun recipes I can make and feel like I'm totally "cheating" hehe. I am so thankful that this was brought to my attention.

2.) Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor



I was working out without a heart rate monitor for a while and I found I was just not pushing myself enough. With the heart rate monitor I am constantly pushing and trying to burn just 10 more calories each time I look. It's a great way to see what you are burning and how hard you are working. This one is super simple to use and does just what I want.

3.) Aasics Running Shoes



A good pair of shoes is KEY KEY KEY with me I need to change my shoes out every 6-8 myths do to tendinitis in both the top and bottoms of my feet :-) yup its fun ..... So I make sure I get the right shoe for me andi always know when it slime to get new ones from the achy feet! I am hoping Santa is going to bring the ones in that picture right there this year :-)

4.) T25, Turbo Fire and walking

            

 

Finding the right workout for you is a major key, you need to like what you are doing and between these three things I have found it. I have very bad feet and I can't do a lot of jumping or running anymore because of them. Both of these programs have modifiers that I can follow when the jumping gets to much. Turbo Fire is so fun and upbeat my energy level goes through the roof when I workout with Chalene Johnson!!! Oh and the calorie burn and sweat yea that's crazy too!!!! T25 is perfect for me when I workout with the kids 25 mins and done. Shaun T is a super motivator and he knows what he is doing man I feel so strong. As for walking well I just enjoy getting out in the fresh air and getting a nice stroll in. I don't try to win any races just enjoy the fresh air!

5.) C9 workout clothes from Target



I find these workout clothes super comfy and who doesn't like comfy clothes when they workout. They stay in place don't fall down or ride up. For me they are they perfect fit.

Favorite Things Week -Tuesday

Let's move on to Tuesday.... I am not a big time reader not because I don't like to read its because I read slow. I always say getting me a book for a present would be a great gift, because it will take me at least 6mths to a year to read it :-)
So today's post is: My Favorite Books....

The Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury

I just finished this series and it was amazing. Clean reading and a wonderful story line that follows each family member throughout each book.

The Shack by WM Paul Young 

This book was handed out to our entire church by our Pastor and he had us read it together as a church. It was amazing and a huge eye opener. It was funny to see how everyone pictured God after reading this book. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers

This was the first book I was given by a friend when I decided I wanted to read for fun. My first Christian based book and let me tell you, for someone who doesn't like to read I could not put this book down. Francine Rivers has an amazing way of writing. This book is set back in time and is about a young women who has struggles but who finds her way with Gods guidance. Great read.

P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern

Great book, I was not a fan of the movie after reading this book first but again another book I couldn't put down

Forever Faithful Series -Karen Kingsbury

Yup another Karen Kingsbury book she is my all time favorite author and this series was the first of her books for me and well it was awesome. Again she follows characters throughout each book and really depicts each one of them wonderfully. Great first read of her books. I have noticed so far though that with every book of hers I'm constantly crying or laughing or both at the same time!

Hope you enjoyed today's .... My Favorite things post.... What are your favorite books?

My favorite Things...Monday

 

 

So in honor of the upcoming Live "The Sound Of Music" I am going to post about my favorite things until Thursday night! If you don't already know The Sound Of Music is my all time favorite movie. I can't wait to see how they have done with this version. Its exciting and new and has my favorite singer as the lead....Carrie Underwood. This should be great.

So let's start with my 3 favorite things in my kitchen!!!

First up....My Keurig :-)

I love to wake up to a nice warm cup of coffee or tea every morning, this is perfect for me because I am the only one who drinks coffee in the house so a single cup coffee maker = PERFECTION!

 

Second Favorite thing.... My Blender :-)

I love my Magic Bullet it is perfect for making my Shakeology every day. It's fast and easy cleanup...I don't even need to dirty another cup to drink from.
It is also great for making smoothies and other yummy recipes too.

 

 

Third Favorite things .... My iPad
My iPad has everything on it for me...my recipes, my music and well it keeps me going. I am in the kitchen a lot and I love to have music going constantly it helps me get through the cooking, cleaning and doing the dishes in a much happier form! Music makes me happy I don't know about anyone else. How about being able to just pull up a recipe from the ipad vs a paper card or printing paper...so much easier!

 

Well there you have it...those are my favorite things that are in my kitchen! What are some of your favorite things in your kitchen?

Oh the Places I'm going

Wow it has been SO long since I have done a blog post. Well that's because I have kind of been in my own little world for a while. Not sure what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it or even where I wanted to go. I have had everything right in front of me to get to where I wanted to be, I just never put the 100% effort in to achieve the success I know I want.

I'm not saying I want to go anywhere at all...what I want to say is it's time to take my life to a whole new level. A level of pure health and fitness. I know I have said that before but it is amazing how sometimes it takes so long for things to click. Well they have,  are things in my house changing...Nope not right now. I am a stay at home mom...I have 2 kids that don't really nap (1 especially) and I have all the things I love to eat (purely sabotaging me) in my home not going anywhere. So if that isn't going to change then I need to. I need to fully commit, ignore the sabotage and enjoy every part of what my life is and make me a better person with what is around me!

So what am I going to do? How am I going to accomplish all my goals? MENTAL TOUGHNESS! That's right I have to just do this, I have done it once before and I WILL do it again.  I just need to DO IT! That's it...you won't accomplish anything if you don't do anything!

Here are some of my goals just to share with you:

Short Term Goal (weekly/monthly)

~ workout 5-6x a week

~food prep every Sunday for the week

~stretch daily and roll out my feet

~drink 110 oz of water each day

 

Long Term Goals (5mths):

~Complete Insanity

~Lose 30lbs by October

~Family Pictures with a FAB new outfit

~Ruby BeachBody Coach

 

Longest Term Goals (January 1st)

~Lose 65lbs or fit in a size 10

~Have my family on the same page as me (healthy home)

~Be a diamond beachbody coach

If you want to follow my journey you can follow me on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CarrieReachingforFit and I will be blogging more often, sharing videos and photos. Just wait in months I WILL be a completely different person.

Christmas Time Favorites

I haven't blogged in a while and things have been crazy around here getting ready for the holidays and trying to keep up with the kids and my family! 
But it is the holidays and I just love Christmas and Christmas Traditions so why not chat about that!  Some traditions I have carried over from my growing up and some we have created as a new family together. Do you have traditions you have continued to do with your family and your kids? 

My favorite is getting a new ornament every year. I still love looking at the ornaments I got when I was my kids age up until I moved out on my own. Each one has a special memory that I know of when I hang it up on the tree and I can't wait for that to happen for my kids as well. Of the many traditions I am keeping up and I am especially proud to say that we as a family have started a new one and that is making a birthday cake for Jesus...after all he is the reason for the season right!!! Let's not forget that. When I was talking about Christmas with Vitto he was so excited that Santa was coming we make sure to remind him that it is Jesus' Birthday, well he said he is very important, we need to make him a birthday cake...so there you have it....a new tradition in our house!!!

I also love to watch all the Christmas movies on Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, ABC's 25 days of Christmas and the Gospel Movie Channel as well...they are so uplifting and honestly just so peaceful to watch, they just make me so happy!  I have been watching a lot of shows with the kids too Vitto is all about Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas and we finally got to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Frosty this year! He actually stayed awake for the whole thing.

What are some of your favorite Christmas Movies and Favorite Movies for the Kids during the holidays?

Well that is all for now...I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

New blog series to come in January...you can follow me as I conquer my goals and my journey doing Body Combat starting January1st!!!!

 

Until Next Time!

Carrie

Taking on a new Role..

I haven't blogged in a while because so much has been going on.  I have decided to take a very important role and that is of being not only a mom but being a HEALTHY MOM! As I approached the final decision I talked with my husband and told him this has to be done, it's time to change. Without the full support of him and my kids I wouldn't be doing what I am doing now!  My little Vitto is cheering me on everyday while I workout during Ava's naps. He is a trooper but makes me laugh as he lays under me during pushups (really buddy ;-) ).

I started a 10 day challenge in August with my friend and now coach Karri! Boy did that open up a can of worms.  I fell in love with the product and jumped right in. 

I started drinking Shakeology and saw instant results and results that are continually going in the same direction....DOWN! So I signed up to be a beach body coach. My first goal was just to get the discount on the shakes but now it's not just for the discount it's to hopefully inspire others by what I am doing! 
What an awesome feeling!!!I have always loved coaching and I have been itching to get back to it. This certainly is one way of jumping back in...The group of people I am with are amazing and so inspiring it has made me feel like I am on TEAM again and I feel like I am help accountable for my actions!  If I don't work out that day everyone is going to know because you feel like you need to say something!  Have missed workouts happened .... Yes of course.... but not very often because everyone is so motivating you want to work out, you want to see results!

What workouts have i committed to?...INSANITY...what an amazing workout!  60 days of well, PURE INSANITY!!!Shaun T is so motivating when you want to give up he yells..YOU'VE GOT THIS...DIG DEEPER! How can you not? 

I recently did my first walking 5K in 10 years (last one was in college) and let me tell you I wasn't thinking! Who signs up for a 5k up a mountain for their first one! Yup that would be me :-) But I did it! I have to thank my sister in law for doing it with me and pushing me through the entire way, I wouldn't have finished as strong with out her pushing me!  I also heard Shaun T yelling in my head too DIG DEEPER CARRIE DIG DEEPER!!!!

I've created a 'like' page on Facebook in hopes that what I am doing will help someone else along the way as many pages like this have helped me...If you haven't seen it or even 'liked' it please do and share with your friends and family.

 https://www.facebook.com/TTMABAEUS

All these little accomplishments are so fullfilling and motiving leaving me with the thought...what is next?? When is the next race??? What is the next challenge?  Who else wants to inspire someone else? I can't wait to share more with you guys....I hope that I can inspire someone just like the people who are my life are inspiring me everyday!

Who in your life is inspiring you?  Are you ready to inspire someone else? 

You CAN, You WILL, You ARE!!!

 

 

 

 

Until next Time :-)

-Carrie