BBQ Pulled Chicken ... in the Crockpot!

I wanted to try some new recipes this weekend so I looked some up online and came across a recipe for BBQ chicken that sounded easy and delicious (always a good combination).  So I went to the store, picked up the ingredients.  I did have to modify the recipe a little because I wasn’t able to find some things or wanted to add less of some things. 

Here are the ingredients I used:

•           1 8-ounce can reduced-sodium tomato sauce

•           1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

•           3 tablespoons cider vinegar

•           1 tablespoon raw organic honey

•           1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika

•           1 tablespoon tomato paste

•           1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

•           2 teaspoons dry mustard

•           1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

•           1/2 teaspoon salt

•           2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat

•           1 small onion, finely chopped

•           1-2 tablespoons  garlic, minced

Here are the directions:

1.         Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cayenne and salt in a crockpot until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.

2.         Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken is fully cooked – about 2-3 hours on high, longer on low.

3.         Transfer the chicken to your kitchen aid bowl with the paddle attachment.  Turn the mixer on and watch it magically pull your chicken for you!  Then scoop it out and either serve as is, or throw it back into the sauce if you like it saucier.

I was totally excited about pulling the chicken with my kitchen aid. That was not in the original recipe, but a friend told me about it so I decided to try it and wow – amazing!!  Here is what it looked like:

 The question really is what are you going to do with your chicken now?!  I made mine into a delicious salad with romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, Mexican cheese, greek yogurt, and lemon!!  YUM!!

BTW, if you want the original recipe, you can check it out here: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/barbecue_pulled_chicken.html

Grandma's Minestrone!

I told my friend how much I love soup and she shared with me her grandmother's minestrone soup recipe!! I did make some modifications to it as I did not want to include (or simply didn't have) some of the ingredients in the original recipe, but what I ended up with was to die for!!

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, diced
• 1/2 cup lentil beans
• 1 cup pinto beans
• 1 cup red kidney beans
• 1-2T minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons chicken bullion
• 5-6 celery stalks
• 4 carrots
• 3 zucchinis
• 3 small red potatoes
• Handful of favorite pasta (I used classic ditalini!)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, caramelize the onions. Takes about 20+ minutes on medium heat. Once they have a deep color, add the garlic, and all the beans. Fill the pot 3/4 of the way with water and add the chicken bullion seasoning. Can also use broth instead of water/bullion. Simmer for 2 hours until the beans are almost completely tender.
2. Then add the celery, carrots, zucchini, and potatoes. Cook 20 minutes. (I added my veggies before the 2 hour simmer was up because I like them very soft!)
3. After 20 minutes, add pasta and cook until the pasta is cooked (about 10 minutes). 
4. Enjoy!

The original recipe called for adding swiss chard, homemade pesto, and parmesan cheese as well, but I opted not to add those (chard is added with the pasta, everything else at the end).

It made about fourteen 1 cup servings - meaning plenty to freeze and eat at a later date!  Yum!!

Roller Coaster Weight Loss

I did a little “fall cleaning” this weekend and happened across some old photographs, particularly the one on the left (below). It was right after I graduated college, when I was at my heaviest weight. It was taken at Magic Mountain; I will never forget it because I had to excuse myself from one of the rides because I could not comfortably fit in the seat. I was terribly embarrassed. 

It has taken a long time to come this far in my health/fitness journey, and there have certainly been delays and setbacks and there has been sweat and tears too (no blood, I drew the line at blood!). But there is only a SINGLE regret, and that is not starting sooner.

You may look at the dates on the photos and think it took a long time, and yes, it did. But the time will pass anyway, whether you start today, tomorrow, next week, next year, the time will still pass. Do not have the same regret I have - start today.

Don't know where or how to start? That's ok, I do. Give me a chance to show you and I promise it will be worth all the time, sweat, and tears!

Giant Race 2014

Last weekend I ran my third Giant Race benefiting Project Open Hand.  I ran with a great group of people, 3 of whom ran it with me last year too!  I also got to run the whole race with one of my oldest friends - neither of us had our ipods so we talked the entire time!

It was my second year fundraising for this event.  Last year I had a goal of $500 and exceed it at $525.  This year, I increased my goal to $750 and shattered it at $940!!  Just $2 provides a healthy meal to a sick or elderly person in the bay area.  So that means 470 meals!!  That is over a year's worth for one person.  I am so grateful to all who supported my efforts and fundraising.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the city by the bay - seriously could not ask for better weather! We ended on the field as usual and got to enjoy a little down time at AT&T after the race.  A third race in the bag.

I am going to announce it here and now so you can all hold me to it - next year I will be running the 10k instead of the 5k!!  I am going to double my distance ... can you double the donation?!  :)

The Puzzle Piece Doesn't Fit

Over Labor Day weekend this year I decided to digout and start one of the many jigsaw puzzles my family has. The one I picked was a pretty and tranquil garden landscape. (Not that it really matters - it has absolutely no bearing on this story! Haha) Anyway, I always start by taking out the edge pieces and creating the border. Then I flip over all the puzzle pieces and start categorizing them. This is all the “easy” part. I then pick a pile and start working away trying to fit puzzle pieces together. I match up colors and patterns. I flip pieces around a couple times to see if they fit, and eventually I get a few pieces starting to come together. Some come together immediately, some take a little work, and others don't fit at all where I was trying to place them.

As I was doing this puzzle, in near complete silence, it was the perfect time to reflect. The puzzle, or rather the act of completing it, really made me think about life. We are working toward things falling or fitting into place. But sometimes, no matter how much we turn, how much we flip, how much we try to shove the square peg into the round hole, the puzzle piece just does not fit. It was not meant for that spot, and eventually we realize it does not belong there.

I am probably one of the most change adverse people I know. I will do the same thing over and over and over and just convince myself that everything is fine, or it just takes time, or whatever else excuse I am using that day. But at some point, enough is enough. I have reached this “enough point” many times in my life in many areas (fitness, dating, etc.) and I have reached that “enough point” again recently in yet another area of life. Now, I will stop trying to shove that square peg into the round hole. I will take my puzzle piece and find where it belongs. If you have reached your “enough point” in any area of your life and made some positive changes, I would love to hear your story for the encouragement. If you are at your “enough point” now maybe we can work on change together. Enough is enough.