Two things are happening that I am very excited about. One, I walked for an hour today and two, I’m planting my first vegetable garden. The first thing may not seem like a big deal, but let me assure you it is. Over the last year, my strength has declined greatly and I become fatigued very quickly. This makes activities like walking for long periods of time very difficult to do, but today I made a break through. Today I had the best walk with a friend. The sun was shining and we talked and laughed as we pushed our two happy kiddos in our strollers. Before I knew it, an hour had gone by. It was like old times, before my struggle with Esophageal Dysmotility, and I know that it was because I am finally getting the nutrients I need. This brings me to number two: the vegetable garden. Since I am only able to eat little bits at a time, I have to make every bit count. It has been said that fruits and vegetables have the highest nutritional content when they are harvested and eaten at the time of their peak maturity. Since I am focusing on being purposeful with our meals and making sure that they have a high nutritional value, the thought of being able to pick ingredients fresh out of the garden and use them in whatever meal I am preparing is thrilling. Plus the best part is that I am doing this with my son. We are planting the garden together and I am teaching him about food, about where it comes from and how to eat healthy. He already loves to cook with me, and now he loves to plant the seeds and to watch the vegetables grow. He even sings to them “grow baby, grow baby, little baby grow,” he says. We are just starting our garden so we have many months to learn and to watch our garden grow. I look forward to every day with him as we check our plants and see what has changed from yesterday. There is new life beginning all around.
With spring comes new growth and new beginnings. I hope you have your own new beginnings my friend, and allow yourself to grow. It is amazing what you can do when you give yourself a chance. Go for it!
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This week my little guy came down with a cold and his first ear infection. He was not a happy camper and refused to eat anything substantial. Toddlers are famous for being picky eaters, even more so it seems when they are sick, but I knew what would peak his interest. Nothing makes you feel better than a warm bowl of Chicken Soup. Thankfully my son loves my Chicken and Rice Soup. He couldn't wait for me to finish making it and promptly asked for a bowl. He then ate two more bowl fulls. That made for a happy mommy and a happy boy. The best part of this recipe is that not only is it healthy and easy to make, but it tastes great blended up too. It's a win, win for my whole family. I have included the recipe below. Feel free to take a look!
Chicken and Rice Soup Ingredients: 10 Cups Chicken Broth* 2 Cups Cooked Chicken Pieces** 1/2 Large Sweet Onion Chopped 2 Cups Carrots Chopped 1 Cup Celery Chopped 1/2 Cup Uncooked Rice 1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic 1 Tbsp No Salt Seasoning Mix*** Salt and Pepper to Taste Directions: Add 2 Tbsp Chicken Broth to Dutch Oven. Add Sweet Onion, Carrots, and Celery to Dutch Oven. Saute on Medium High Heat until the onion turns translucent. Add Granulated Garlic, No Salt Seasoning Mix, and Salt and Pepper to vegetables. Next add the Chicken pieces. Stir to combine. Add the remaining Chicken Broth to the Dutch Oven and bring the contents to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add Rice. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Tada! That’s it! *You may notice that I substituted Chicken Broth in place of Olive Oil when sauteing the vegetables. I found that the soup is greasy if I saute the vegetables in oil. Chicken Broth works just fine. **I usually use left over roasted chicken from the previous evening's meal. Feel free to use whatever chicken you have on hand. ***You may find multiple varieties of No Salt Seasoning Mix. The Mrs. Dash brand has their own line. I am partial to the Kirkland brand No Salt Seasoning Mix from Costco myself. It is a vegetable and spice medley and the smell of the spices remind me of Chicken Soup so it works well. Again though, please find one that works for you and your family. |
AuthorHi there! Welcome to Grace In A Glass. My name is Danielle and I am so happy that you are visiting this site today. We all have something in life that we are working to overcome. I began blogging about my struggle with overcoming Esophageal Dysmotility and Crohn's Disease with the hope of reaching others with words of encouragement and hope. Thank you for letting me share my stories with you, and hope you have the most wonderful day! Archives
November 2022
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