Easy and Healthy chicken noodle soup

2tsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups sliced celery

4 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups dry whole wheat pasta

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat

2. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent

3. Add broth, chicken, carrots, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce heat to low; gently boil for 10 minutes.

4. Top with cilantro just before serving.

*To make it gluten-free just substitute rice pasta or quinoa pasta for the whole wheat pasta. 

*We love left overs so I doubled the recipe and it made a TON

Homemade Granola Bars

These are so easy and super yummy!!! 

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup honey

4 1/2 cups of oatmeal 

1/2 cup flax seed

1/2 cup chia seed

1/4-1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and then press flat in a 9x13 pan. Refrigerate for a few hours. Cut and enjoy! Makes about 18 bars. 

*I used half old fashioned oats and half instant

*after I cut them I put them in ziplocks and froze them 

Goal Setting

Please tell me I am not the only one who wants to rip their hair out when sitting down to write their goals for the year.... Yes, it is January 22nd and I am just now writing mine out! Better late than never right? 

One of the reasons why I procrastinated so long was because I didn't know where to start. I felt like there were so many things I would like to improve and accomplish this year that writing out my goals was such a daunting task. I could just keep them in my head right??

WRONG!

Writing out your goals is so important. Once you see your goals on paper they become more real and will have a powerful effect on your mind. "If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you do not have a goal- you have a wish."-Steve Maraboli

Here is an easy way to help you figure out what goals to set....

Rate your success and satisfaction in each of these areas from 0-10. It will give you a clear picture of which areas you are doing well and which areas need work.

Family & Friends

Personal Growth & Development

Spirituality

Finances

Career/Business

Significant Other/Romance

Fun & Recreation

Contribution/Giving

Health/Fitness

Physical Environment (Home, Office)

Morning Life SAVERS

To make your morning really miraculous you need to start it off with your life SAVERS. After I do my first 5 morning steps (listed in my previous post) I do my life SAVERS and it has seriously changed the way my days go exponentially. I am happier and more productive. I have more purpose in my days and really try to make the most out of each day. 

I don't do them in this particular order but here they are....

S- Silence. I take time to meditate, deep breathe, reflect and pray.

A- Affirmations. I read affirmations of who I want to be, what I want to accomplish and how I am going to accomplish it. 

V- Visualization. I have created a vision board and take time to look at it and really visualize those things happening. 

E- Exercise. This ranges anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes of exercise. 

R- Reading. I read things that uplift me and help me be a better person. "We become the books we read."

S- Scribing. Or in other words journaling. When I journal I try to stick with a format- things I accomplished the day before, lessons I learned and new commitments. 

I am so glad my team coach recommended the book The Miracle Morning. It really is changing my life for the better every single morning. If you would like to know more and get tips on how to make your own affirmations and vision board I will be doing a FREE Miracle Morning group starting 1/25.  You will get all the info you need without having to read the book and get social support to start your very own Miracle Morning. Comment bellow if your interested! 

Why in the world would someone wake up at 4:30 AM for any other reason than to go to work? 

I never in a million years thought I would be a morning person. I thought that people who got up before the sun came up were seriously crazy! Well... I am now one of those crazy people. 

Why??? 

Fist things first- it didn't happen over night. I have been working for a while now on getting up early. It first started off with waking up 15 minutes earlier, then 30, then 60. I love having time to myself before the kids wake up and do things for ME. Things that I love to do and that help me be happier and a better person. But I didn't ever really feel EXCITED to wake up until I read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. 

When was the last time you were actually excited to wake up in the morning?... Christmas morning 20 yrs ago? ... I go to bed now with that same excitement of what the next day will hold. Every day is a new day to get closer to your dreams and living the life you have always dreamed of. 

Here is my morning schedule-

1: It starts the night before actually. When I got to bed my thoughts aren't "Ah man, I am only going to get 6 hrs of sleep tonight. I am going to be so tired in the morning." , they are "I am going to sleep good tonight. If the kids wake me up I will be able to go right back to sleep and feel fully rested in the morning." It's all about your mind set!

2: I put my alarm clock across the room and when I get up to turn it off, I flip the lights on. No snoozing!  

3: I go straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash water on my face.

4: I drink a glass of water as quickly as possible.

5: I put my workout clothes on and then start the life SAVERS.

More to come on the life SAVERS :)

Don't get me wrong, I don't wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed right when my alarm goes off but when I am done with these 5 steps I am ready to tackle the day!  

 And if you don't have The Miracle Morning yet... get it! It's on Audible too. 

My first Aerobics Class!!

Last night I taught my very first aerobics class to some ladies in my church. I was so nervous! But it was a blast!! Here are a few things I gained from it....

1- Don't limit yourself! 

Anyone can do something to exercise! The ladies who participated were of all different ages, body types and fitness levels but guess what...?! They ALL participated! I was so impressed with the older ladies! For some of them walking is difficult but they were out with me doing what they could and it was inspiring. You can always come up with excuses to not work out... but there is some form of exercise for everyone! 

2- Exercise lifts your spirits!

At the end of the workout everyone had smiles on their faces! They all said how fun it was and how much they enjoyed it.  Exercise makes you feel good, gives you more energy and can lift your mood. 

When you exercise your body releases endorphins that truly will leave you happier and more relaxed than before you worked out. And I saw it happen right before my eyes! 

3- Strengthened our relationships!

I feel like working out together- making ourselves vulnerable in front of each other- really brought everyone in that room a little closer than before. It also helped some push a little harder and not quit. If you are wanting to get into exercise get a partner! Or join one of my challenge groups. When you are embarking on a new journey it is so much easier to do it with someone rather than alone. Having someone to encourage you and to be accountable to makes all the difference. 

If you are interested in getting healthier and would like to join one of my challenge groups shoot me an email to amydalley21@gmail.com or message me on facebook :) 

Oatmeal Wheat Pancakes

My 1st blog post! Woot woot!

Here is the recipe for my oatmeal wheat pancakes. I use about a 1/2 cup of regular milk instead of a whole cup of buttermilk. I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. If you are following a meal plan with the portion containers, I count 2 small pancakes as one yellow container. Hope you enjoy them! 

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

YIELD: MAKES 10 CUPS OF DRY MIX. ONE CUP OF MIX WILL MAKE ABOUT 6-7 4-INCH PANCAKES.

Note (added 3/2011): I’ve updated this recipe several times to reflect that I generally use 100% whole wheat flour (five cups total, instead of using 2 cups of all-purpose flour). I prefer white wheat flour, although red wheat could be used and will lend an even heartier taste to the mix. Also, I made it the other day and before I added the oats to the mix, I threw them in my blender (yep, blender) and pulverized them to a powder. We loved the result! Loved it. Although the texture with the unblended oats is fantastic in it’s own right, blending the oats lends a smooth texture to the mix and finished pancakes. I’ll be doing it that way from now on!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 cup vegetable or canola oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). If desired, grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients for a smoother mix. With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I’ve never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.
2. To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 egg, and 1/2 to 1 cup buttermilk (depending on how thick you want your batter. Here is a guide formaking your own buttermilk). The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it’s worth keeping it around!