dressed up chicken burgers

sometimes you just don't have the "extras" for your burgers that you would like.  especially a cold tomato, some lettuce and all the toppings.  but today i share one of  my favorites shared with me from my lil love danielle.  i've altered it a lithe because i don't have the patience that she does and it's almost as good as hers.  cooking and sting healthy are her passions.... eating healthy is one of mine.  hee hee.  

here are the details:
1 package ground chicken - i try to get the one that is natural
1/2 package of baby spinach
1 4 oz package of feta - reduced fat
onion powder 

place your spinach in a sautee pan
add a sprinkle of onion powder 
sautee until wilted - let cool - i don't always let it cool but if i have the time i will

add to a bowl with your ground chicken and feta
use hands to mix until well combined

make burger patties out of them
place on flat iron set at 300 degrees - you can also use a sautee pan for this step too
cook on each side for about 15 minutes depending on size
i will usually cut one or all of them open to make sure they are cooked - i am super paranoid of under cooking chicken

i don't use buns to save the carbs but
they are a good protein for a  meal of even just a snack.  

hope you love them and you visit her instagram page for more awesome recipes!  @firstmatefitness - love you!

hugs and love - s 

caffeine holla

holiday weeks are the hardest.  they are short but sometimes seem so long.  here's a little healthy pick me up to get you through and to cool you down this summer.    

fill your glass with ice
pour 4 oz or 1/4 cup of the Chameleon Cold Brew Organic Mocha Coffee
add two tablespoons of Silk almond creamer
add as much Silk Almond milk as you desire - i use vanilla

honestly, this is delicious, half the price of starbucks and a healthy alternative to the sugar overloaded dunkin donuts iced coffee.  

hope you love it as much as i do!

a beachy perspective

in my opinion, to be the best mother you have to be good to yourself.

i love my lil chunk more than all the creatures in the sea but i have found that i get lost in him... the diapers, the pumping, the feeding schedule, tummy time and everything in between.  you get lost in the hours.  they fly by and you feel as though you see them all more times than not.  it can make you feel dull.  the monotonous of it all.  but the smiles, the baths, coos and snuggles make you melt into a puddle of mush and all worth it.

my first trip away was in more ways than one refreshing.  it was a time for me to reset.  to stop and think without struggling to answer someones questions or find the right words that never seem to populate in your brain. to take care of me.  to sleep so deep and hard that a fire probably wouldn't have woken my senses.  to enjoy my husband in a way that we hadn't been able to since the delivery.  taste an entire meal in one sitting and it's hot to boot.  to shower without rushing and brush my teeth before noon.  those 3 days seemed like an eternity.  an eternity of slow motion where the days lasted longer and the emotions ran fluidly.  to lose myself in the waves of the ocean and to find where i left off with my dreams.    

an eternity being away from my son. the guilt i carried leaving him so soon.  the comments that were made.  not made with intention to hurt but with questions as to why.  why would i choose to leave him so soon.  the "wow" so soon statement.  lets get something straight, i don't love my son any less than the other mothers of a 6 week old.  i don't compare my need to come up for air to theirs.  we are all in this together.  to raise young men and women in a world that is hard enough.  to cherish every moment with them.  aside from the day to day tasks that are part of his life.  now our life. your struggle is my struggle.  take a moment to recognize that.  


i remember going to his first doctors appointment. seeing another mom.  her hair up and tethered.  the lack of makeup let alone sleep.  i could see in her eyes, she was toast.  exhaustion wasn't a strong enough word.  in that moment as i changed my son's diaper on the floor of the bathroom (another discussion for a different day) i realized that for her too, it took everything she had to get there. let alone flash a smile.  i sympathetically sent her an acknowledgment smile.  so she knew i knew and that i had and will be there too on a different day.  but as to say, it will be ok.  we will all make it. 

just imagine if we didn't have the opportunity to make it.  how different our lives would be.  if i had not been blessed to be his mother.  i would have different joys and sadness.  fears and accomplishments.  but now they all will include him.  i will continue to support the other mother that struggles just like me.  and i just might tell her to be ok with taking a weekend.  just like this holiday one  for her and for them.  to get lost in herself again even if just for a minute.  and learn to be content in it.  to be better for her and him.  one day at a time.

hugs and love *sarah*

  

bundle of joy

there is something to be said for having a child... it is a beautiful, humbling and one of the most selfless things you can do in your life.  most of my pregnancy, i chose not to read books or become the over obsessed mom that i knew i would be if i decided to go down that path.  i wanted to enjoy every moment.  the beginnings of the flutters (is that gas or the baby), the hiccups, the exhaustion that made you want to cry to your momma or the decision to either brush your teeth or use mouthwash to get through the wanna puke feelings.  there are no regrets but only the realization that as prepared as you feel like you are.  you aren't.

the emotional undertow that consumes you, is gracefully overwhelming.  i now understand what my mom always talked about in relation to loving something so much. i am so thankful to have her a part of the process.  she has been so supportive and loving, i couldn't be more inspired to be as amazing of a mom as she has been to me. her love for my son reminds me so much of the love that she had for me growing up.  pure and steadfast.
  

going through labor, it was painful but being 3 weeks out, it doesn't seem as life and death as it did in that moment.  partially because of the love you have for the lil human that i now call my son. it went exactly the way it was meant to and being surrounded by so many positive, encouraging people, made it so much more bearable. i couldn't have asked for a better team or husband. he is a strong willed little man, that is for sure.  i had it in my mind that he was going to be born on his due date but he had another plan.  after two hours of pushing, discussions of what beer i would drink first and what the next meal would be with my midwife, he made his debut on march 24th at 12:03 am. 

in all his glory, {21 inches, 6 lbs 15 oz} the lil guy was placed on my chest and cried his little heart out.  i think i was so taken back by the entire process that this part is a little foggy to me but i remember his sweet face looking at me for a brief moment before they swept him away to check him.  at that moment i became obsessed.  with him.  all of him. allan made his way over to check on him and with the sweetest, proudest smile, allan was just as in love as i was.  

the joy we felt jointly with the newest addition to our family, couldn't be put into words.  it's a different kind of love. a love that grows every moment of every day.  we can't wait to see what our future holds as a family of 3.  well technically 6 including the puppies and horse.  the most perfect imperfect family.  i am forever grateful that we were blessed to be his parents.  

friday thoughts on a tuesday

lawd...i haven't even given birth yet and trying to keep up has proven to be a task but before i start beating myself up, i am choosing to forgive myself for the imperfection.  :)  this topic to be blogged about at a later date.  

so to the topic at hand.... friday thoughts on a tuesday.  

being 3 weeks out to welcoming a baby into this world, can be super intimidating and overwhelming.  am i ready, are we ready, is the house ready, can i do this in general.  and at that moment, i say yes.  i will not be perfect, nor can i try to be.  i just need to be me and do the best that i can.  that's all anyone can ask for and he will never know if i didn't get all the laundry done, or the house clean.  what he will know and what we strive to do is love.  love him and each other.  there needs to be more of it in the world.  it all starts with us.  as parents, friends and family.  be a better person.  do more.  love harder.  it's our responsibility.

this past week has been an extremely emotional week for me in various aspects of my life.  many of the emotions have been good and there have been some that i have had to process.  we aren't always dealt the cards we want but it is how we handle ourselves in the moment of struggle, that defines who we are and how we are perceived by others.  sometimes you just get tired.  tired of settling for less and continually being looked at as someone who will "always understand".  i'm only human and i too have needs and deserve the best out of what i give.  there are some tough decisions to be made in the following weeks but there is no better time than the present.  and i hope that for anyone who is struggling like to me to make that change, i hope you find the peace to be able to make the change too.

i have been so blessed and honored by multiple friends and my sister in law showering this lil guy with love.  my soul sister that has been living on a boat for 6 months surprised me by attending one of the showers.  to say that was the best gift is an understatement.  i mean i couldn't be more grateful and the attention to detail from them, made me feel more than special.  it was everything that i could have asked for and more.  i can only hope i am half of a friend and in law that they all are.   

i've got some really fabulous things in store for the next few weeks even with a lil bean on the way but i hope that you can forgive the tardiness that may occur.  i don't want to set that precedent but it will be a reality.  

thinking of you all and wishing you happy warm spring days!  pictures to come soon!

peaches and mondays

mondays...i really don't know of anyone that loves them.  but i found a way to make it a little brighter this am or at least so i thought.

a sweet friend of mine, whitney carlson of he and she eat clean, have the most outstanding, delicious recipes.  not only are the recipes soooo good, their workouts are hard but produce results so make sure you check out their website when you have a moment.  www.heandsheeatclean.com

so without further delay, the recipe we should all make a staple in our homes.  i have altered a few items as i didn't have the exact ingredients specified.  and i had to make a second batch today because well it's a monday and nothing ever goes right on a monday.  when it says to cook for 7 hours...it doesn't mean 10 plus.  whoops.  :)

you'll need:

2 cups of steel cut oats - i used bob red mill 

4 peaches - sliced

1 packet of stevia in the raw

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of pure maple syrup

3 cups of water 

3 cups of vanilla almond milk

place all items in a crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours (not 10 :)).  if you are able try and stir is as you can.  if not, it won't ruin anything.  :)

looks like it will last me all week and smells just like the peaches and cream that i used to eat as a kid.  head over to whitney's site to get the healthiest version of it.  i made it work for what i had in my pantry and it will still be healthy and filling.   and to say it is so yummy doesn't do it justice.  i love it! you could even spruce it up with some blueberries to get those antioxidants!  enjoy!  

friday favorites

every now and then it is fun to try new things or products out... if you have the extra funding or time... both of which are pretty tied up baby wise right now butttt i wanted to share a few of my favorite things anyway.  

first.... my new moisturizer and face serum... i have wanted to try so many different products but i just feel like i am wasting so much money sometimes soooo i went to that place, you know, the place where your wallet goes to die....ulta.  :)  i am currently using these two products as part of my daily routine.  and with being pregnant have been very fortunate with the results.  see below.  45 days ago and now.  :) 

second...loreal lip balm... now i am a brat when it comes to lipgloss, too much color on my lips or a just all around crappy lip moisturizer.  that being said i have usual suspects but was so pleasantly surprised with this lip balm with a hint of color.  it's amazing!  you should try some, like today.

third... EOS body lotion and shave gel.  y'all they can't make your legs feel any better than this.  i love that even after i shave i usually can apply a light lotion to keep my legs smooth and soft but (even on the days i don't shave, which i am sure will be fewer and fewer the closer i get to having this lil guy)i use the lotion to supplement the softness.  and it's not expensive.  i am all about being frugal but also getting good products.

and the list goes on...
mother's blend oil.  as someone who has had stretch marks everywhere and all of her life, i am super sensitive to the body image they leave me with.  i am self concisous of them to a fault.  i know that i shouldn't be and that they are part of my life story but i can't help feel that way.  and being pregnant has only enforced that fear.  i have been using this stuff on the regular on my stomach and hips and have been blessed thus far.  and not even just that, my skin feels so soft and moisturized.  a pregnancy love affair.

last but not least... sweets.  this has never been a big part of my life but i can't get enough of them.  probably not a good thing but if that's the worst craving i have, i will take it and feed it.  baking time will be had this weekend just in time for valentines day  <3  :) 

happy fridayyy lovelies.