Happy Last Wednesday of February 2013!

Today is the first day in about 5 months that it isn’t raining here in the south. Just kidding, slightly. However, we have had an abundant amount of rain… and although the sun isn’t really shining, it isn’t raining, so I love that! 

Here are a few other things that I love on this LAST Wednesday in February….

I love that spring is just around the corner. Although I feel that I should be able to wear flip flops starting on my birthday and ending in October, sadly, this does not look like it will be happening this year. We have a trip to Jefferson planned this weekend, the high is like 42*. Sad. 

I love that although it is a chilly 58* here today, I am still rocking my neon running gear in hopes that I will speed the process up a bit. I am READY for warm weather… not hot, warm! 

yes, I know I slightly look like a boy with a hat on... I am ok with this.

In 6 days I will be turning 25. Twenty-five years old! I am so happy I married an older man… he always makes me feel young. (He is 3 years older than me.) 

Speaking of birthday, my birthday gift that my husband I ordered came today. They are absolutely beautiful I must say! 

I love that I have amazing friends that love going to the weight room just as much as I do. Well, really they hold me accountable and get my booty up there. I am awful at just running and not doing anything else. Although they call me crazy… I still love them! :)  (Even on days that are not Wednesdays!) 

Tomorrow is the first baseball game of the season that hopefully will not get rained out. Which means Coach is practicing late… or working on the field… or talking. Leaving me here to do nothing but eat black beans of a can and catch up on Y&R. 

I registered for a 10K in Dublin on March 16^th. 

If all goes as planned, I will knock +20 minutes off of my last 10K time from last spring. Whhhhaaattt!!??

This was today’s lunch: Collard greens, carrots, apples, and strawberries. Um…. YUMMM! It was so delicious! I know this sounds crazy but even my husband said it was great! I for sure loved it! 

Being a juicer means we have crazy things in our fridge that we never really had before. Tonight’s dinner: Mango, tomato, mushroom baked chicken. Yum!   

When I visit Athens and see runners running down the streets I kinda get jealous of their awesome views… then I take runs with views like these, and remember how lucky I am that God put us here!

What are you loving?!

Love love,

C^2

Veggie Soup With Pulp

It is cold and VERY rainy here in the beautiful south. I am slightly over winter. I am ready for spring and flip-flops. I am also officially down 10 lbs,  (I say officially because I count it if I can keep it off during the weekends. This weekend I did indeed keep the pounds off, even with eating out with friends!) so I am ready to splurge on a new bathing suit and proudly rock it this summer on our many (promised) daily beach trips this summer. Anyway... this blog does have a purpose. My last post I wrote all about juicing and our new love for it. (Check it out if you haven't. I plan to post more helpful tips soon.) So, tonight since the weather is yuck I decided to make some vegetable soup. I cannot take full credit for this soup since it is really partly Coach's recipe, and he got it from his Mama Bette. I must admit that her's is ALWAYS better. I know that I have his heart, and he loves my cooking, buy Bette sure does make the best soup, and spaghetti. I am OK with this. So, I am using her recipe that he uses, however I DID add some other great stuff to it tonight since my goal was to use some pulp from our juices that we made today. I must say... it was pretty delicious! Warning: I NEVER measure when I cook. I literally use "handfuls" "pinches" and "dashes."

Here is what I used: 

 

 1 large bottle of tomato juice (I could have juiced my tomatoes, but I would need about 30. ehhhh. I just bought Campbell's.)

1/2 pound of ground turkey/beef/chicken/ or don't use any meat. Coach has always used beef. 

Handful of frozen corn

Handful of fresh green beans

Handful of frozen peas

2 small red potatoes with skin, diced

1/2 small Vidallia onion, diced (I live 30 minutes from Vidallia. So, that is the onion we always use.) 

Little bit of garlic

Little bit of sea salt

Ground black pepper

 

 All of the daily pulp used from the previous meals. This is what was so great about this meal. It was my special touch to Mama Bette's recipe that Coach has always used. Today we had carrot, kale, spinach, and asparagus for our lunch. Just save the pulp, and dump it in the soup! 

What You Do: 

Brown the meat. (If you use meat.) 

Dump everything into a large pot. 

Heat until is boils. 

Let it simmer for about 30 minutes. 

Serve. 

Be careful, you may burn the roof of your mouth... it is super hot! (DUH!) 

Seems so easy right?! It was delicious! I will love eating the leftovers tomorrow pre-run. 

 

 The pulp was a great way to limit waste, add to our diets, and it gave the soup a thicker texture. It was great! I cannot wait to use pulp in more recipes soon. I loved that this was a great recipe to start with! If you don't juice, you can still use this concept of soup. Just clean out your freezer. Don't be afraid, I would have added beans if Coach wasn't such a picky bean eater. (He doesn't ever eat beans. Strange)  Super simple, super easy, super healthy, super delicious! 

Let me know if you try it! Also, PLEASE email me with any questions about juicing, cooking, vitamins, or just to say HEY! You can reach me at crgcain@gmail.com

Love love, 

C^2
 

 

Juicing: How We Got Started

I have recently received quite a few emails and messages asking questions about juicing. I thought I would share some of what we have learned in the past three weeks. All of these points that I will make are completely based on personal experiences.

 **I am NOT a certified nutritionist. 

**I HIGHLY recommend you talking to someone certified before you take any of my advice. 

This is my little spot online, so I thought I would share. I hope you enjoy and maybe learn something new! Also, feel free to contact me with any other questions. I love answering them! I am also warning you that I am using MY pictures for lack of desire to search and give credit. Hope you love my random iPhone taking skills. (Not really, they are terrible!)

As everyone already knows, in this household we take our vitamins seriously. We LOVE AdvoCare. We don’t drink sodas, we love Spark. I love the Rehydrate, and the vitamins are just amazing. I also LOVE the herbal cleanse and I love the ‘restart’ it gives my body. I feel the absolute best when I am taking the probiotics.  We eat clean 85% of the time, but sometimes, it is just impossible to get all the recommended fruits and veggies that you need. We are also quite guilty of eating out too much just because of our extremely busy schedules. I learned that this was the problem with lots of folks. I watched the documentary “Fat, Sick, and NearlyDead.” Wow! Although I knew what we eat is slowly killing us, I never really thought about the facts. This guy shows you the real hardcore truth. I loved it. Check it out!

The man started using the juicer to juice all of his fruits and vegetables. He juiced three meals for 90 days. His body went through a TOTALLY transformation. It was inspiring.

 Then I decided to check out, “The Juicing Bible.” 

This book is jammmmmmed packed with fruits and vegetables that I have never heard of and the sicknesses and diseases that they can help prevent. I HATE going to the doctor, and I HATE being sick and easily being prescribed meds. It just makes sense to eat right to keep the need for medicines down low. Coach was in the hospital last spring while antibiotics didn’t work, and also has asthma. Did you know that there are drinks that can be made to help prevent things like asthma? You can look up any sickness and find fruits and vegetables that are natural fighters for such problems. (I am not totally against medicines, hello, I am on one now… but I just feel like why??? WHY do we always just take an antibiotic?)  This book is filled with fruit recipes, veggie recipes, fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and also recipes to use with the pulp. Pretty much the best $14 I’ve spent on Amazon. (This is saying a lot since I have a small book obsession.) 

I had a guy once tell me, “I don’t need supplements; I just try to get them in all the food I eat.” Well, yeah, so do I… but my friend Danielle (who introduced me to Advocare, hooked me on running, and is my absolute inspiration in more ways than she will ever know) wrote this amazing post on why you actually do need supplements. So, AdvoCare is still a MAIN part in our lives, juicing is just how we handle eating. Errrrr…. Drinking…. You know. 

First, I spent a few weeks reading about juicing machines. I read reviews, articles, blogs, and manufacture’s reviews and claims. (Here is another perk about being a reader; I don’t mind reading the most random things.) I also asked around because I knew I had several friends that were already into juicing. We decided to spend $100 on a juicer. You can spend $50-$500 on a juicing machine. When Coach and I were discussing the price range we wanted, I decided that if I bought the cheapest machine, then I may not get the full experience. (Some reviews mentioned that. They thought they may have liked the process more if they had bought a nicer machine that worked better.) I also did not want to spend too much money, because HEY… what if this wasn’t for us? I ended up getting the same machine that was used in the documentary, a Breville. It had great reviews, and was also on sale on Amazon. (I bought it in January, so lots of “heath raves” were on sale.) It came with a book of recipes, and also very informative instructions. I am VERY pleased with our purchase. I am actually using this machine more than my Kitchen Aid. GASP! 

Another struggle that I have heard LOTS of is the price of eating healthy. Yes, we spend an average of $80 a week on nothing but fruits, vegetables, milk, organic chicken, and fish. (In fact we went to Kroger today and spend right at $90 and that was with a buggy over flowing! Also, really the majority of that was on meat since I love organic chicken. That mess is $$$. Those that know me know I go on some serious rants about chicken!)  However, think about it: This is for 2 people, three meals a day. When I was buying cokes, ice cream, cookies, and junk I know I was spending more than that. Also, if I ate a school lunch at $3 a day for both of us, that would add up quickly! When you eat junk you are tearing up your body, and then you have to spend $$$$ to repair it, right? I feel no guilt when I spend money on healthy foods. I may have to skip a pedicure…. Gasp again… but hey… I am making the right choice! (Who am I kidding? This chick aint missing a pedicure! Kidding… maybe.) 

Another popular complaint is the time it takes. I won’t lie when I say it does take some time. Every night I go ahead and bag or meals. Four bags, four meals. I have everything washed, cut, (although with our juicer, you don’t cut much fruit. It can go in whole.) and ready to go. When Coach gets up, all he does is juice each bag, and bottle them up. It is also important to wash the juicer as soon as you are done. If not, the pulp can be hard to wash off. So, all in all about an hour a day is spent in prep and cleaning. Not too bad in my opinion. Sure, it isn’t a frozen pizza that is easy to throw in the oven, but soooo much better for you. Totally worth it to me! 

There is also lots of pulp when juicing. I have researched ideas to use this. Tomorrow night we are having vegetable soup with the pulp from the two days. I can’t wait to see how this will turn out, because we have always used canned veggies for this. This time we will use fresh vegetables! We also have plans to have a small garden this spring. It is great to use the pulp as compost. In our book there are lots of recipes for stews, breads, ice cream, and other great ideas that use the pulp so you aren’t throwing it away. Another popular idea is to juice, then dump the pulp in the blender with the juice and add some protein and have a nice smoothie with lots of hidden goods. I am going to research some more, and also experiment with this idea. I hope to report back on this topic.

So, three weeks ago Coach and I made the promise to juice two meals a day. We juice for breakfast and lunch, and then eat a dinner. I have always heard that you should eat the biggest meal for breakfast and the smallest meal for supper. Well, this doesn’t work for us. It is easier to juice for breakfast and lunch because we can juice it, bottle it, and go. It also stores pretty well for the short amount of time that we are storing it in the fridge. Also, the main reason I feel in love with AdvoCare meal shakes was because I could replace breakfast with a smart healthy choice. I am not a big eater first thing in the morning. Actually, for a LARGE portion of my life I never ate breakfast. It wasn’t until Coach and I started dating that I started taking breakfast so seriously. (He taught me it was the most important meal of the day.) So, juicing a yummy combination of fruit and veggies for breakfast is amazing. I still mix it up sometimes and have a meal shake. (I found it helpful when I was being a girl and needing some chocolate!) We also eat pretty early in the evening when possible. Hey, I am married to a coach… he often gets home pretty late! When planning meals I am also sure to have the cleanest meal possible. No box dinners, no mac and cheese, no junk. It is motivational to keep eating clean for dinner when you worked so hard to juice during the day! 

My favorite question so far is, “Why don’t you just eat the food rather than juice it?” Well, the only answer I have to this is why would I want to eat three jumbo carrots that taste like three jumbo carrots when I can juice them with some spinach and apples and only taste the apples? That is seriously how it works. Lots of veggies, some fruit, and taste the sweet fruit. I love eating veggies, but it is so much easier to drink them! 

Another great thing that I love about juicing is that it is easy to do when you are on the go! We spent 4 days away from home and never skipped a juice! I didn’t even have to carry the juicer to the hotel with us. Grocery stores sell these great juices that are almost like juicing. You can drink them guilt free and also not break your healthy goals, or the bank. Coach actually said, “I think we are saving money buying these instead of eating out!” He was right! We spent $10 on 4 meals. Can you do that at Zaxbys? Probably not! They are so good too! Not quite like juicing my own, but pretty great! 

We also still eat out with friends and family when we make plans. We LOVE social eating! Ha! We just know that we have worked hard and don’t want to waste that work on one meal! It can be done! I promise! (Last night we split a slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Oh… it was soooo good. Sooo good I know we can’t eat sweets for 2 months!) 

Working out: I still run and do the Can You 24? DVD. I feel great, and never feel “too tired” or “no energy to work out.” I thank my snacking habits for this. (I am mid half marathon training and average 15- 20 miles a week. My plan also calls for stretching, strength building, and cross-fit like exercises.)

Snacks: Ahhhhh…. I think this is the BIGGEST key to juicing. In my house, when someone gets hungry, he goes to look for something sweet. HUGE SWEET TOOTH! At first, I was worried that he was going to get hungry at school, hit the vending machine, and buy that beloved honeybun. (I am reminded daily that he didn’t get one…. Way to go Coach!) So, I made it my goal to pack us both healthy alternative snacks to always have on hand to fight those pesky hunger feelings. It is NEVER a bad thing to feel hungry; it is a bad thing to ignore it. EAT! Just eat that right thing. Again, choices! I started by packing a banana, some cut up fruit, and a half of a pb sandwich. Coach would usually give the sandwich to a kid. I eat hard boiled eggs for more reason than one. First, they are a great snack that is full of protein. Second, I LOVE them and always have. Easter is my favorite holiday… (My mom always boils extras because I am going to eat a few… and give the yolk to the closest dog.  I also often get Mama Bette to boil me a few when I am there, partly because hers are so good, and partly because I love hearing Coach gag. He doesn’t like them at all.) At 3:30 every single day I have been treating myself to a Clif Bar. They are my new obsession. I love them before runs. They are always on sale at Kroger too. Win win. In conclusion, (am I writing a term paper here?!) snacks are just as important as meals. Just always have some healthy choices on hand! (Especially when traveling!) 

These are the questions we asked ourselves before making this commitment:  So, are you ready to feel great? Are you ready to do the best for your body? Are you ready for great skin, great energy, and to FINALLY get all of the recommended fruits and servings? Are you ready to lose some weight that is probably due to toxins? (ummm yuck!) 

We made the choice. We are doing it! We love it! I plan to keep you updated and post some good news at the first of March (that will be one full month of juicing!) 

Love love, 

C^2

'Fession Session

Friday, oh, Friday!

I hope everyone loves Fridays as much as I do. I am sadly guilty of convincing my kiddos that Friday is the BEST day of the week.

This Friday started off with a little blah. It all started yesterday when I had to go to see the doctor. Let me back up and say that the WORST part of moving is finding and trying different doctors. Luckily, nothing major is wrong with me, BUT I was told that I needed antibiotics if I wanted to feel better. Have I ever mentioned that I am the absolute worst medicine ‘taker.’ I NEVER take medicine. That’s just how I am. Well, this morning I take my first pill. And twenty minutes later I was sick as could be. SIDE NOTE: the reason I don’t take medicine is that I hardly ever get sick. When I do get sick I am a BIG baby! I just had to stick it out, and get on with my Friday. After all, I can’t be a baby when I have other babies counting on me. (This is what I kept telling myself when I wanted to go home so badly!) Apparently, you are really supposed to eat food (like real solid food/ not drink juice) when you take medicine. Common knowledge, you say?! Nope. Not to me. So, I was sick. I usually drink juice for breakfast, juice for lunch, and a meal for dinner. I have a few snacks such as Clif Bars, sliced fruit and such, so I ate that all in about 5 minutes to help with that feeling. Well, I decided I will feast for meals with the meds… I never want to be that sick again. (Sorry, I really am a big baby!) Now that you know about my morning… I thought I would share a little about my afternoon. After my blah-fest I decided to eat a school lunch. I have probably eaten school food twice all year. So, one of my students told another teacher, “Mrs. Cain is REALLY sick.” They also watched me eat as if they were expecting my head to spin around a few times. It really kinda made my day a little brighter that they cared so much about me. It’s the little things… 

I'm linking up with this blogger at Blonde Ambition 

Now for some fun stuff: A little Friday ‘Fession Session. 

I confess:

…that although I love running, being in my yoga pants and sweat shirt on the couch is quite nice on this rainy Friday.

…speaking of yoga pants, I really have no desire to leave them for the night.

…although my husband has offered to take me to see a girly movie and maybe to celebrate the holiday that is celebrated today… I really just want to stay home…

…yes, my husband is home tonight. He actually beat me home from school. The rain has cancelled his baseball game tonight and tomorrow. This is great because I love spending time with him watching him snooze in the recliner.

… oh yeah, with him home I am listening to GOLF. Although Bubba is no pain to watch, golf is nothing compared to my love of Y&R catch up sessions that are usually taking place during this time of day.

… the yuck that I have felt today has caused me to TURN DOWN a trip to the nail salon with my BFFs. I must REALLY be feeling pitiful. Coach even asked if I was sure I didn’t want to go. I think he is worried.

… I may or may not have a secret agenda to get the ‘works’ at my fave salon in Jefferson next week for my birthday. After all, it is a YEARLY tradition.

…I have started a list of stores in Buford I want to visit while in town next weekend. I may or may not have restaurants listed as well…

That is all for today. I hope everyone has a great Friday!

Love Love,

C^2