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Homemade Chicken Soup

Julie

There is no waste left every time I make a whole chicken in the crock pot. I start with the chicken, then make chicken stock with the bones, and we end up with a delicious chicken soup. There is barely any manual labor and you get two meals out of one chicken. And maybe you get to save some stock for future use. So, the key to making a fabulous chicken noodle soup is the homemade stock. Again, it is so easy to make chicken stock. I am sure you all have tried different methods of making chicken stock. But trust me, my method is so easy and doesn’t require any supervision. That is why I love cooking with my crock pot. You get the darkest, richest stock full of so much flavor that you could just eat/drink it plain when making the chicken broth from the leftover bones from the “Whole Chicken in Crock Pot” recipe. Read More →

How To Cook The Juiciest Chicken Breasts

Julie

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Today, we ate quesadillas for dinner. It is sooo easy to make. And shall I say…quick too?? It is by dar one of the kids’ favorite dish. Who doesn’t like chicken and cheese in a tortilla ? However, cooking chicken breasts is not my forte. I would fry it wrong and would end up being too crusty on top and dry inside. And too often, chewy. Whenever I would bake it , the result would be just the same. I prefer cooking boneless chicken thighs. They are fatter so they are never dried.

So, one day, I really got tired of messing up cooking the simplest  meat, which is the chicken breast, and I looked for a better method of cooking it. I found this amazing method on kitchn.com and you can find the original blog post here www.kitchn.com. This method is easy and you cannot mess it up. As long as you follow the instructions to the T.

You won’t be searing, sautéing, broiling, frying, or baking the breast; this method heats the chicken breasts quickly on the stove top then lets them poach from the inside out in their juices in a covered pan.

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No Time to Cook??? Just Plan Ahead

Julie

Being too busy seems to be the answer to everything these days. I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME!!!! I work all day… the kids need to be driven all over town for their after school activities… I am not home until 7 pm so who wants to start cooking at that time…I get it. I used to be that busy mom. Working long hours and coming home late. I used to be the one making excuses. But then, the excuses didn’t stop when I started working from part time from home. Because the kids had activities from 4-5pm to 7:30pm. Right when I should have been cooking dinner. Again, I didn’t have time. Or I had to cook dinner in the middle of the day and reheat it later. Some dishes aren’t meant to be reheated. Just not meant to. Then, I realized that WE all have plenty of time with just a little of bit of planning. Read More →

Stuffed Peppers

Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

Julie

This recipe is not your ordinary stuffed bell peppers recipe. You don’t have to mix the meat with rice and cook it with tomato sauce. Whenever my mom made stuffed peppers, she literally simmered the meat the whole day. Back in the days, she didn’t work and didn’t play taxi with us after school to drive us to our after school activities. So, she basically had time to cook these sort of recipes.

Today, where most household have two working parents, nobody has the time to slave over the stove for hours. I work part-time from home and I don’t have time with all of the kids activities. So, this is why I love my crock pot or fast and easy recipes. That way, our family gets to eat home cooked meals every night.  Read More →

How to get faster on the bike

How did I Get Faster on the Bike???

Julie

It’s simple and easy, interval training. But interval training can be challenging when on the road. The best way to get faster and stronger on the bike without the road challenges is to get to SPIN class. YES!!!! SPIN CLASS. I’ll go more into details on what spin classes can do for you and why spin classes are awesome at getting you better.

It’s like running. How do you get faster??? By doing speed work on the track. And doing hill workouts. You will never get faster by just simply increasing your pace every time you go out for a quick 5k. I tried that method and it didn’t work. I got faster by doing speed work on the track and doing hill workouts. There is a science behind it and that is why the pros do it. I never thought I would get faster and I did. In no time either.  Alright. I don’t run as fast as the pros, not even as fast as my teenage so. I could. Only if I dedicated my entire life to it. And…it’s not what I want. But to go from running a 5k in 33 minutes (which included some walking) to easily running a 5k in 24 minutes was a big accomplishment. I never had a “time” as a goal, but doing better was always the goal. Enough talk about running. I should leave it for another post. Back to biking. Read More →

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Slow Cooker Maple Dijon Chicken

Julie

I felt like making the maple pork loin recipe but I was missing the main ingredient, the PORK LOIN. I had drumsticks and boneless chicken thighs on hand but since I was going to use the boneless chicken thighs later during the week I chose the drumsticks for our dinner.

I wanted my sauce to be a bit more sweet and a bit less salty than the pork loin one. I removed the skin and the modified recipe ended up tasting so good that we didn’t have any leftovers. All 12 drumsticks were devour by the 5 of us. I made this recipe with an easy Brussels sprouts salad a baked diced sweet potatoes. Read More →

Cherry tomatoes & mozzarella pasta

Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Cheese Pasta

Julie

Even with my family’s crazy schedule, I still make it a priority to make home cooked meals whenever possible…at least on school days Not only is it less expensive but it’s healthier, too!

I love “Meatless Mondays.” Even if it’s just once a week (I would like to do more!) cutting meat out of your diet can make a huge difference. There are so many yummy and satisfying plant-based proteins available. So, why wouldn’t you?! Quinoa, lentils, beans, spirulina … just to name a few! It can be hard at first, especially if you are a meat-lover, but start by gradually adding in more veggies and healthy grains into your diet when you can. When you feel comfortable, try replacing at least one full meal a day with a plant based option!

I’ll be honest, my family is OB-sessed with pasta dishes. I can’t indulge as often as I like with pasta but when I do, I try to make it as healthy as possible!

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It’s Not Organic … Don’t Worry!!

Julie

Once I got pregnant with my third child, I became more aware of everything I ate. Not just eating healthy in general, but also a deeper concern of how my fruits and vegetables were grown. You can easily become over the top and obsessive, let me tell you!

The quick solution is to reach for organic products. However, that can be extremelincredibly expensive. For most, that is not even a reality they can afford. It is a global issue we as a society need to address, because everyone deserves access to food that is not laden with pesticides. In earnest, I want to be part of that solution, but how do we feed our children and ourselves TODAY?

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Chicken Broth in Crock Pot

Julie

There is nothing better than fresh chicken stock made out of left over bones. It is so easy to make and it barely requires any labor and supervision. If you have made the “Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot” before it means you have a crock pot. I highly recommend using the leftovers from “Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot” recipe, as you will get all of the flavors from the spices used to cook the chicken. And maybe you will get to buy less boxed chicken broth. Well, maybe not if you use a lot of it. But at least, you get to have some homemade on hand whenever you need it. Read More →

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Your Flat Belly & Abs Questions Answered

Julie

Most often you will hear from someone that is working out or even losing weight…“how do I get abs”, a “6-pack”, or a “flat belly”?

There is so much information out there. OVERLOAD!!!! No wonder people get so confused!!!  So I wanted to take this blog and put together the most common questions about getting that awesome flat stomach.

Here are some of the top questions and answers:

1. Are abs really made in the kitchen?

It all depends. Nutrition plays a huge role with almost everybody that has abs. This is because if you EAT more than you are burning in a day, you will store fat and have a layer over those abs.

If you are an athlete or train at a super high intensity… the nutrition becomes slightly less critical as you are burning lots of calories and your metabolism works efficiently so that you will have a flat belly due to your hard training. This is why you will see ultra fit people or athletes get away with eating whatever they want and still have killer abs. Read More →