NO Excuse NOvember + a recipe!

We are a nice, "normal" family.

At least that is what we like to believe...

We've got bills and are stressed for time. I decided a while back that I wanted to make our life a little more flexible. I wanted to give us options to be debt free and not so stressed. I'm getting organized (Oh how I LOVE my new planner- have you read about it? It's awesomeness is detailed here) and I'm taking care of my health.  My babies are growing and it's harder to keep up with them. I'm over being tired and overweight.

I decided after two years ago to get healthy. I work out, I eat healthy but not all of the time, at least until March. I had ordered the 21Day Fix from Beachbody awhile back and thanks to my awesome coach I got back on board. At my last weigh in I was finally down below Amelia's delivery weight and had gone down 2 sizes. I am also helping other people reach their goals and it feels so good knowing I'm making a positive impact on other people. 5 Rounds of the Fix and my challengers have lost a collective 245lbs!!! That is incredible and I'm very proud of them :)

As a Coach I am also earning an income that is helping my family's bottom line. I earned enough with Beachbody since March to pay off a credit card balance and boost our savings account. But most importantly I've found a renewed purpose and drive in my life. I love helping people achieve their goals and become happier people. 

This week I started my NO excuse NOvember challenge group. We're just getting underway and I'd love to have a few more people join. If you want to hear more about the program let me know!

It's getting colder and we all want comfort food. One of the things I love about the 21 Day Fix is that I get to eat real food and I am not doing math to figure out how much I can eat. I'm also only making one meal for the family so we're all getting healthier!

One of my kids' favorites from the Fixate cookbook is the chicken soup. It's a lot like I used to make anyway and I've tweaked it ever so slightly. Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup
*adapted from Fixate

2 Green
1.5 Yellow
1 Red

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 c sliced celery
• 4 cups of low sodium organic chicken broth 
• 3 cups of shredded, cooked chicken breast (I roast two organic chickens on prep day and use the bones to make stock and the breast meat for the soup and chicken salad)
• 2 c sliced carrots 
• 1 c cubed turnip or rutabaga
• 1tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1tsp chopped rosemary (1/2 tsp if using dried)
• 1tsp chopped fresh thyme (1/2 tsp if using dried)
• dash salt, pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 c of cooked whole wheat bowtie pasta (I use Catelli SMART pasta because my kids won't always eat brown pasta willingly)

Cooking:

1. In a large pot add the oil and heat
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute until fragrant 
3. Add celery, carrots and turnip and cook 2-3 minutes
4. Add broth and chicken
5. Heat on high until boil
6. After boil, reduce to low and cover for 30 min (or until carrots are soft)
7. Add pasta during last 8 minutes of cooking.
8. Measure out 1.5 yellow of pasta and put into a bowl.
9. Top with soup (about 1-1.25 cups)