Chicken Veggie Chili

Well, I had my heart set on making some delicious spinach quinoa patties for dinner tonight, but not having any quinoa in the kitchen would have meant putting back on a bra and real pants to go to the store so obviously that was out of the question. Oh well, another day perhaps.

In the meantime, I made one of my favorites out of ingredients I already had on hand... Chicken chili. It's super adaptable and can be made in so many different ways, so it's a staple for dinner for me.

This is the basic recipe, including the veggies I had in the fridge today, although it's also delicious with zucchini and yellow squash, diced chilies, and black beans thrown in. You can also substitute ground turkey. Like I said, adaptable.

Chicken Veggie Chili

1 lb ground chicken

1 can organic diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup baby spinach

2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 1/2 Tbsp cumin

2 tsp dried cilantro

1/4 c whole wheat flour

- all of the seasonings are more or less to taste

Cook the ground chicken and spices until chicken is cooked through. Pour in can of tomatoes and water, along with all vegetables except the spinach. Bring to a boil, and adjust seasonings to taste, adding more if necessary. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let wilt. Spoon out some of the fluid and mix it with flour until a paste is formed, then stir paste into chili. Simmer five more minutes until well incorporated and slightly thickened. 

I love this chili topped with anything from a sprinkling of sharp cheddar to raw diced onions, but today I went with a few avocado slices and they really hit the spot. And it's a great filling dinner on a cold night that comes together quickly, and less than 300 calories a serving!

Random Motivation

Today, I feel like a rock star. I could rule the world.

I feel strong, and guided, and ready for whatever comes my way. I'm recording this here because I do know this high will run out at some point, and I'll feel bored and hungry and cake-y and whatever other negative thing that we feel on our journeys at different points, and posting how amazing I feel today will only serve as a future reminder that any of these negative, and positive, emotions are temporary and will pass. I say this because journeys are never straight and narrow, they curve and bend and follow a course of rough terrain that changes, and since I'm living a lifestyle instead of "dieting," it only seems fair to acknowledge that this journey, this lifestyle, will face the same challenges. 

But no deterrence can phase me as long as I remember that of all the things that are out of my control, the weather, the actions of those around me, the obstacles life will inevitably throw my way... I am in control of me. I choose this. I choose to change myself for the better. Not because I'm unhappy with who I am, but exactly the opposite. I love who I am, and I deserve a body that matches the whimsical soul it houses, a body that can travel and run and jump and ski through life and arrive at the end battered and bruised and well lived. 

It's time for the outside to match the inside. I'll just leave this reminder right here so I can find it when I need it... 

Which may be tomorrow. But that's half the fun.

Happy New Year!

WOW... time flies and I'm a TERRIBLE blog poster. But that's all going to change... I've turned over a new leaf and I'm going to be the blog postingest, go getterest, most over-motivated BeachBody slimmer downer you've ever seen. Also, I made up most of those words. And also, probably you can find someone in the seven billion more motivated and potentially even more go getterest than I... However, you'll be hard pressed.

So today started with a bang. Not literally, this isn't Fifty Shades of Lindsay... But it did start with a highly motivated me climbing out of bed at 4 am to spend three hours pumping iron and kicking some T25 booty.

Just kidding. Actually, Chad took the kids to school while yours truly lay in bed moaning about a backache and grappling for the energy to get up to let the dog out. Just being honest.

Actually though, I did find my motivation, thanks to Julie the Coach (my omnipresent social media BeachBody guru and resident smokin' blonde bombshell) texting me and reminding me unintentionally just what I've laid out for myself for 2015... Which is a LOT. I'm dead set on changing things, finishing my weight loss, succeeding in building a new business while doing so, and a smorgasbord of other, more private sentiments regarding family and finding myself that even Julie can't help me with.

Luckily, I've learned that I'm totally capable of accepting and embracing change, and this time next year you guys are going to laugh alongside me as I toss my sexy mane of hair over my slim tan shoulder and look back at the beginning, before it all transpired.

Hopefully.

In the meantime, I intended to do T25 this morning, and ended up taking Olaf to the vet for a horrible flaky allergic reaction thing that has overwhelmed his wrinkly bulldog face (no worries, he's going to be fine.) I'm about to do it right this minute and wanted to drop a blogline out there first, assuming I'll be consumed by exhaustion when I'm finished and unable to move my thumbs to type.

Wish me luck, and keep me motivated with all of your stories of inspiration and transformation!

Here are some gorgeous Christmas portraits of my kids, including Olaf, seeing as how I have no other pictures to grace your eyes with for this totally random and oddly nonsensical blog post. You're welcome.