Self Care
Self-care looks different for everyone. Some people look at self-care as a girl’s night out, manicures and pedicures, getting your hair colored, going to the spa, working out, Dysport, Botox, every kind of physical enhancement, a quiet bath alone, wine-Wednesday, etc. I could literally list a million things that make someone feel better about themselves, but I will stop.
My kind of self-care is not your typical idea of self-care. No surprise there.
I don’t go get my nails done regularly like I did before I had children. My money is now focused on their needs/wants over mine. I have never colored my hair and don’t plan to until I see a lot of grey hair and might not even then. My self-care, self-love revolves around my healthy lifestyle more so than my outward appearance. Don’t get me wrong I would love to get my nails done every week, but time is scarce.
For me, sitting for over an hour when there are things that need to be done and two kids who think I hung the moon waiting to build LEGOs with me, just isn’t worth it. I will go workout for a little bit on Saturday when we are in town, so I guess it all depends on where your priorities are at. Since I am not just sitting, I feel like I am being productive and not wasting my time.
Working out is one form of self-care for me. It is my passion and I don’t feel like it is any different than brushing my teeth. It is just part of my regular day and if I don’t do it, I feel like something is off all day.
My latest form of self-care is improving my sleep. I knew that I was lacking in the amount of sleep I was getting, but did not realize how bad the quality of sleep was. I am a terrible sleeper. I sleep-walk, sleep-talk, jump-up for no reason, take laps around the house looking for who-knows-what…it is horrible. What is worse, is my inability to get back to sleep. Enter in my self-care lifeline for deep sleep. CBD oil & magnesium. This has been the biggest game-changer in my quality of sleep. I know all of this thanks to my Whoop band.
This band really has been great in helping me figure out what I need to do to improve my quality of life. I know what to do, but it is easy to ignore it until you see the data in front of you. It is easy to just get by and not put in the effort to better yourself, when getting by seems to be working okay. Who wants just okay though? I was getting through the workouts fine, I was waking up when I needed to, but the quality of sleep I was getting was never going to sustain the daily strain I put my body through. We want the best things for our children, spouse, loved ones, etc. but we don’t usually show ourselves as much self-love or self-care. No matter what your self-care looks like, let it be something that improves your life.
New Food Review:
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos + Creamy Jalapeno Sauce I got really distracted when I was weighing the honey for my sauce and before I knew it I was at 3 ounces. Typically I use 1 ounce of honey. That is a lot of extra carbs for me, not that I don’t love my carbs…I would just rather eat a bagel or have some extra rice. I’m pretty glad I added that extra honey though because that roasted jalapeño was super hot. I would recommend using half a jalapeño or scraping the seeds out unless you like the burning tongue feeling. The sauce was amazing and it doesn’t take much to cover the whole dish. I made it into 6 servings but it could have easily been 8! I will definitely be making this one again. I think you could easily use this with chicken or sirloin for the bowl.
M E N U
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole
Zesty Shrimp and Sweet Peach Salad
Grilled Salmon + Beet Carrot Pomegranate Salad
Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole
I am NOT a casserole girl. I don’t like the idea of all the mayonnaise and cream of whatever people typically use in casseroles. This recipe has neither, so I am excited to give it a try. My husband is a true lover of casseroles with all mayonnaise and cream of whatever though, so this one is just for him. I will have to make some changes because I can’t use rice AND orzo and might not use all of the cheese either. We shall see how this turns out!
This won’t be so easy to track because it is all mixed together. There is no way that each piece cut will have the same amount of chicken or cheese. It will be precise on the macros but the slices themselves won’t be 100%.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil *spray olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 carrots, chopped *20 ounces baby carrots sliced 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes 2 tablespoons salted butter *1 tablespoon 1 1/2 cups basmati or jasmine rice *1 cup jasmin 1/2 cup dry orzo pasta (use gluten free, if needed) *omit 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for topping 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth *2 cups 3 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste zest of 1/2 a lemon 1/2 cup whole milk or canned coconut milk *light coconut milk 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Zesty Shrimp and Sweet Peach Salad
I love this dish and its zesty seasoning. I have used it on numerous other meats and it has turned out great. The first time I made this dish, I did a mixture of shrimp and chicken, which was a great cheap way to get more protein in. The chicken was great, but the shrimp were right on the money. So good. The lemon and lime zest mixed with the spices and honey was such a great combination!
To be 100% honest it was SO frustrating trying to calculate the macros for this dish because there are so many separate parts to it. I put everything into one recipe on my app, but keep all the ingredients separate to divide evenly to each salad. It is tedious, but worth it to get the exact macros for me.
When I made this dish before, the macros were 286 calories, 42.2 grams of protein, 20.6 grams of carbohydrates, and 5.7 grams of fat. I did add some extra shrimp for the second day because the calories are very low and the shrimp was amazing. This time I think I am going to use sirloin steak instead of the shrimp and chicken. I really want to put this dish over rice, but with it being 20 grams of carbohydrates already I may keep it as a salad.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined *steak 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling *olive oil spray 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon honey *1 ounce zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime kosher salt and pepper 4 thick slices ciabatta bread *omit 6 cups mixed greens spinach or arugula *greens or rice 1 peach, thinly sliced *245 grams (split into 4 servings) 2 ears, grilled corn, kernels removed *1 cup sweet corn 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved if large *10-15 tomatoes per salad AVOCADO VINAIGRETTE 1 avocado, halved and pitted *3 ounces 1 cup fresh cilantro 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded, if desired juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar *4 Tablespoons 1 pinch of kosher salt
Filipino-Style Chicken Adobo
I haven’t made this dish before, but it seems pretty simple. It is not adobo peppers like you would typically use in a Mexican dish. This refers to a cooking method used by Filipino people to preserve food. It is all new to me.
I am going to cook this in the crockpot on low for 6 hours with rice and vegetables like I cook the herbed chicken and rice pilaf from last week. This will ensure that my chicken breast does not dry out and it makes meal prepping a lot easier. I am going to add in matchstick carrots, onions, and rice to the crockpot, along with the chicken.
In the castiron pan, I am going to sear zucchini and squash to add to the dish as well. I am not going to put those vegetables in the crockpot because I want them to stay more crunchy. Anything that goes into the crockpot is going to lose any crisp or crunch it could have had. I am going to season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear the meat before adding it to the crockpot. All of the other ingredients listed will go into the crockpot with the chicken, rice, carrots, and onion.
Word to the wise, up the amount of chicken you would normally cook. They shrink up a lot! I always use 3 chicken breasts when I roast, grill, or cook on the stovetop and it is plenty for Josh and me to share for 2 meals. When I cook chicken breasts in the crockpot I am always needing just one more.
Ingredients: 3-1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (6-8), trimmed *chicken breast 1/2 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed) 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk *low-fat coconut milk 1/2 cup rice or cider vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar *omit unless needed after cooking 1-1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 8 garlic cloves, peeled 3 bay leaves 3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced White rice, for serving *Add to crockpot: 1 cup jasmine rice matchstick carrots 1 onion *Cook in castiron pan: 2-3 large zucchini or squash
Grilled Salmon + Beet Carrot Pomegranate Salad
This one was of the first beet salads I had ever made and possibly the “fanciest” looking one. The first time I made this I paired it with seared duck. It was pretty awesome. This time I am going to cook grilled salmon with it. You can definitely cook the salmon on the stove top or in the oven if it is too hot outside to grill for you.
We wrap our salmon in tin foil and put it on the grill. It is pretty simple and hands-off once you get it on the grill. Just don’t let the fish over cook.
Ingredients: Salmon (skin on) 1 lemon (zest & slices) salt pepper Tony Chacheries garlic powder Salad: 5-6 small beets cooked and peeled 2 medium carrots peeled 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine *omit 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon honey *1 ounce 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *omit 1/4 cup pistachios chopped *omit 1 tablespoon chives chopped 1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley chopped flaked sea salt freshly ground black pepper
Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers
I don’t think I could ever get tired of this dish. I loved this dish so much it is delicious and beautiful.
This is one of those meals that you tuck away in the back of your mind for the next time you have company and want to impress them without having to try too hard. I simply loved it and the macros weren’t that bad either. You could definitely cut back on the amount of orzo used and bring down the carbohydrates. I used 1 cup, but I might even do 3/4 of a cup this time so I don’t feel as strapped on my carbohydrates next time, but the orzo is so good. I am going to make the kids their own pasta, because last time Scarlett ate most of mine.
Tracking the macros on the peppers was not super difficult. I made sure each pepper had the same amount of pasta, chicken, and toppings so that no matter which pepper was picked, they were the same.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 3 red bell peppers, halved *4 peppers 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil *spray olive oil 3 sprigs fresh oregano kosher salt and pepper 1 cup dry orzo or quinoa *285 grams or less 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives *76 grams 2 pepperoncini, chopped *66 grams 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, chopped *Omit nuts 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese *non fat feta Lemony Basil Tomatoes: 1 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *lemon juice crushed red pepper flakes zest from 1 lemon kosher salt *add cooked chicken breast to peppers
E N J O Y !
