Louisiana...Again?

It's been a while since I've written a personal post that doesn't pertain to my quest for healthy living.

Things have changed so much since the beginning of last year. You can read all about my thoughts on becoming an Army wife here. It was an emotional journey from the time my husband decided to enlist until the night my brother, my daughter, and I picked him up from the airport a few days before Christmas. That time apart not only changed my husband from a civilian to a soldier but it changed me too, as a wife, a mother, a person.

I'm a complete newbie to this Army wife, Army life thing. There are still things I don't understand or know. I still have to subtract in my head to figure what time my husband is coming home for dinner. There are times I just nod my head like I understand what he's talking about but really all I know is that I have a headache from trying to understand all the lingo. I'm super thankful for websites and Facebook pages and groups that offer help and support for military wives. And I definitely need to take some of the classes offered on post for helping me understand everything.

We are settling into our new home in Fort Polk, Louisiana. We were somewhat disappointed to find out that after living in Louisiana for two years and Ryan enlisting there, that we were headed back. I mean, if we were gonna do this Army thing, let's have a little adventure. Not that it's not an adventure living here. It's Louisiana for crying out loud. Just going to Walmart is an adventure. I figure that God has a sense of humor. I must not have liked Louisiana enough the first time. It's definitely an adjustment. There is all the sleaze of New Orleans, like strip clubs on every corner outside the post without all the fantastic culture and places to eat.

We lived in a hotel on post for about 5 days. That was fun...at first. But after realizing what very limited dining options we had, I longed for a home, my pots and pans, and a home cooked meal. Thankfully, we were able to get a really nice town house with a garage and a fenced in back yard. I love it. I really do. It definitely makes living here more bearable. We were worried about not having enough storage space but we have plenty with room to spare!

The post itself is nice. I love shopping at the Commissary for my groceries and we went to the PX probably every day for the first week. We haven't really had a chance to check out everything else the post has to offer like the recreational areas and the other stuff like the bowling alley and the putt-putt course but we will eventually. We did make a Saturday trip into Alexandria and had lunch at a barbecue place called Outlaw's and then we hit up the mall and Target. I'm dying to go back so I can go to Hobby Lobby. I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I'm itching to get supplies and start learning to sew. The hubby didn't feel well that day so I didn't torture him with a trip the HL.

Last week was a rough week in general and then we decided to get a puppy. The night we brought him home and named him Halt after a favorite character in a book series, I got sick. I stayed sick for about two days. In the end we decided to give Halt to a different family. I realized, too late, that the puppy was just too much stress on me right now. It's hard being away from my family, being in a new place, not knowing anyone, and not really having a routine. The pup was just too much. We were sad to see him go but he has a great knew family. My daughter was heart broken, she'd been wanting a puppy for a while, but ice cream, a new toy, and the promise of a pet fish, cheered her up.

 

Things are a bit better this week. We are hoping to finally meet a few people around here and make some friends. We haven't been able to find a church yet because every Sunday someone has either been sick or something else was going on. I know I'll feel more at home and at peace when we find a church to be a part of. However, I am loving being with my husband. It's so, so, so good to have him back. I am so proud of him and everything he accomplished last year. He is definitely my hero.

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

If it has the word jalapeno in it, I'm probably gonna try it. I love spicy food. Hot sauce is the condiment I couldn't live without. There are things I simply can't eat without hot sauce. Scrambled eggs for one. My uncle Rudy turned me on to that when I was a kid and I haven't been able to eat them plain since. That and salt and vinegar potato chips, which I rarely ever eat now.

So, when I stumbled upon this recipe for Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili from Sweet Treats and More, I knew that I had to try it. However, I've been trying to fix meals in the crock pot as much as I can on Friday's. That way I don't have to worry about being in the kitchen when my hubby gets home from work or having to clean up a lot after we eat. This gives us the chance to really have some family time since his work week is usually crazy and we don't see that much of him. It gives us a good head start on the weekend. That's why I decided to throw it in the crock pot. Sure the taste might be a bit different if I had sauteed the peppers and onions. I also left out the bacon. I originally bought some turkey bacon to cook and crumble on top but I forgot about it and I thought it was great without it. You can make it however you want. Follow the recipe in the link above or do it like me and fix it and forget it!

Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

1 small onion, diced
5 jalapeno peppers, diced, seeds removed (leave some seeds for extra heat)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 can cannelloni or navy beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat kind)
bacon optional

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place onion, peppers, and garlic in bottom. Place chicken breast on top. Top with remaining ingredients except bacon. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred chicken with fork. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy.

You can top with cooked and crumbled bacon. We opted for a bit of shredded cheese on top and tortilla chips on the side.

I also shredded my chicken after 7 hours and then gave it a good stir and then let it cook the additional hour.

 PS. Mine looks a little thick because I used three chicken breasts and it was way too much meat!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Chickpea and Spinach Stew

I love finding and trying new recipes. That's why I love Pinterest so much. Pinterest just opened wide a door of food possibilities for me. Now, you do have to be careful not to get bogged down in the fat and calorie laden recipes most often found on Pinterest. Most of the time I feel like I have to dig through pin after pin after pin of fatty desserts, processed food filled casseroles, and other disturbing recipes to find the really good ones. Every once in a while, I'll pin something I wouldn't normally eat but rarely do I ever make those recipes. I have found some excellent recipes though and my newest, Meatless Monday dish is one of those.

We had to push back our meatless day this week from Monday to Tuesday because of some previous dinner plans we had made. I was pretty excited to get in the kitchen yesterday evening and begin whipping up dinner. This new recipe combines three of my most favorite things...chickpeas, spinach, and smoked paprika. I can go through a container of smoked paprika in a hurry. I put it in almost everything! It has such wonderful flavor.

The recipe comes from Kitchen La Boheme but she actually got the recipe from Bon Appetit. You should check out both sites for more yummy recipes. I did things just a tiny bit different from Kitchen La Boheme but nothing major.

Chickpea and Spinach Stew

Serves 4

3 Tbs EVOO, divided
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
1 bag of baby spinach, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 15 oz cans of chickpeas, drained
1 one pound can of whole tomatoes, crushed, plus half of the juice
1 15 oz can of vegetable broth


Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. When oil begins to shimmer, add 1 garlic clove. Stir until beginning to turn golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Add spinach to pot. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted but still bright green, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside. Wipe out pot.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in same pot over medium heat. When oil begins to shimmer, add onion and 3 garlic cloves. Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 3–4 minutes. Add cumin and paprika; stir until cumin is toasted and fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes*; stir to coat. Cook until tomatoes start to caramelize and chickpeas begin to brown, 8–10 minutes.

Add broth; bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, occasionally mashing some chickpeas with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, until sauce is thickened, 15–20 minutes. Fold in spinach; simmer for flavors to meld,  8–10 minutes.

*When adding tomatoes, I poured off about half of the juice into the pot and then crushed the tomatoes into the pot using my hands. You can reserve the remaining juice if you would like, as the stew does get really thick. I liked the thickness but if you don't, just add more of the tomato juice or more vegetable broth later on, if you have it.

The whole family loved this dish. Even my five year old ate it up. The flavors meld together so well. It was warm and comforting and perfect for a cold night. 

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Greek Chicken Salad

I'm on a roll with the blog this week. I hope I can keep it up. Sometimes I forget how freeing writing is for me. It's a great stress reliever. It's also great accountability. And after the last month that I've had, I really need that accountability.

The Greek Chicken Salad was a hit at supper last night. My husband did comment that he found the cucumbers to be "weird" in the salad but I found them refreshing.

If you are looking for something different and easy to make, you should definitely try this twist on chicken salad.

The recipe comes from a cookbook put together by members of a ladies Bible study class I was in when we lived in Slidell. I miss those ladies at First Baptist Slidell. This particular recipe was submitted by Jessica Fleming Odom.

Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Salad

3 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup of mayo
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 TBS dried oregano

Combine first five ingredients. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Toss with chicken mixture. Cover and chill for several hours.

* I had used all of my fresh parsley and didn't have time to run to the store so I used some dried parsley I had on hand. It worked nicely. I also reduced the amount of mayo and increased the amount of Greek yogurt a bit to reduce the calories and fat. Seriously yum!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Ham and Cheese Quinoa Bites

Finally, here it is. The recipe you've all been waiting for. I can't take all the credit because I didn't come up with these babies but I did add a few things to make them a bit better, in my opinion. You can view the original recipe here. I found the recipe searching Pinterest as I know many of you do. The first time I made them, I followed the recipe exactly and took them to a church fellowship meal. Of course by the time the dinner happened, they were room temperature and I hadn't tried one straight out of the oven. They were good then but a bit on the bland side. I knew that I could add some more seasoning to them and they would be perfect. Plus, they are amazing when they are hot and they reheat in the oven really well. We are currently without a microwave so I'm not sure how they reheat in that.

So without further ado...

Ham and Cheese Quinoa Bites

Makes 28 mini cups

2 cups cooked quinoa...about 3/4 cup uncooked
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup diced ham (I used about half of a Smithfield ham steak)
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
2 TBS Parmesan cheese
2 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
smoked paprika



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tin liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Spoon mixture to the top of each cup. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until egg is done and edges are brown. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from tin (I can never wait that long. They are so good!).

I plan on making these again this week but this time for my meatless day. I haven't decided if I'm going the broccoli and cheese route or the spinach and feta route but I'll let you know how they turn out.

Enjoy!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

Once an Addict, Always an Addict

Now that we are officially settled in our new home on Fort Polk, I can finally get back to blogging and back to trying to live that healthier lifestyle.

 I won't lie. It's been a huge struggle the last few weeks, the past month really. I decided this year to enjoy the holiday and not to really worry about what I ate. Bad decision. My hubby came home from all of his training a few days before Christmas. Greeting him at the airport was AMAZING! Our lives have been extremely hectic since he came home though. Between Christmas with my family, traveling to visit his family and have Christmas with them, coming home to get the house organized and cleaned before the movers came, living with my parent's for a couple of days after our house was packed up, moving to Louisiana, living out of a hotel room for a week, and finally having our stuff delivered and getting our new home set up...the bad decisions just kept stacking up. Every time I made a poor decision, I knew what I was doing. I kept justifying the decisions to myself, saying things like, "you never eat like this anymore, you can't really cook right now so just enjoy it, you can get back on track after things settle down." That's the problem with being a food addict or any kind of addict, I guess. We think we are strong enough to do the thing we are addicted to for a while and then go back to doing things the right way. But it's nearly impossible. You have to go through those things all over again...the high, the low, the guilt, the withdrawal, the disappointment in yourself. In plain English...it sucks! And once you've gone through all of those things you have to do the even harder part. You have to continuously make the right choice. Eventually it will get easier the longer you make the right choice but in the beginning, it's one of the hardest things. You feel amazing when you make the right choice. You feel on top of the world but just because you made the right choice a breakfast doesn't guarantee that you'll make the right choice at lunch. The struggle will be there again. Your mind will tell you that the greasy hamburger is so good and the Cajun fries are amazing. It will tell you that you can have the "bad" lunch and still stay on track. Your mind will LIE to you over and over and over again. There might come a day once you've been on track for a while and you are stronger, mentally and physically, that you can have that "bad" meal and get right back on track without missing a beat but if you are just coming off of a month of giving into your addiction, then that hamburger and Cajun fries is the WORST thing you can possibly do in that moment.

And folks, that's where I am right now in my journey. After hitting a MAJOR weight loss goal (never had a chance to blog about it), my weight is back up and I'm at ground zero once more. I take full responsibility for my actions and it's my responsibility to get back on track and stay there. I know I won't be able to do it without the help of my support system. I am thankful for them. My mom, even though we are separated by many miles now, continues to be my biggest supporter. One way that I am staying accountable is by continuing to create a weekly meal plan. I then email her my plan and any recipes that she needs and she and dad will basically be eating the same things that I eat during the week. It keeps me accountable and makes her life easier! :) One other way of staying accountable to my exercise plan (which has been non-existent for almost 2 months due to illness and then the holidays and moving) is signing up for a 5K. The hubby and I are going to run together in a Valentine's Day 5K here on post. I better get back to training so he doesn't have to  drag me off the side of the road. How utterly unromantic would that be? :)

Well, I had intended for this post to be a recipe post for the Ham and Cheese Quinoa Bites but I think I'm going to have to do that in a separate post. Apparently there were some things that I needed to get off of my chest!

Thanks for listening!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica