clean eats pick of the week | chicken & spring vegetable soup

ok, so this one doesn't sound like one to write home about, i know.  i was surprised.  it was TASTY.  there isn't anything creamy or thickening in this soup so it's pretty light but with all those veggies?  it's super filling & satisfying.  sam rated this one an 8 out of 10 which is pretty good for a guy & a veggie soup, amiright?  i mean let's be honest here, this isn't BBQ.  but it was a super veggie & nutrient packed fresh soup & i will definitely be making it again.

this is another recipe from emeals.  loving my emeals subscription!

ingredients:
--> 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast - cooked & either cut up or shredded
--> 1 tbsp olive oil
--> 3 small red potatoes, chopped
--> 3 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
--> 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
--> 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
--> 1 pound plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
--> 4 oz. snow peas, trimmed {i used sugar snap peas... still tasty!}
--> 2 tbsp sliced fresh basil
--> 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill {i used 1 tbsp dried dill}

directions:
--> heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  add potatoes & carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender & slightly browned.
--> add garlic, cook 1 minute.
--> add broth & chicken; simmer over medium heat 10 minutes.
--> add tomatoes & snow peas; cook 5 minutes or until peas are tender.
--> stir in basil & dill before serving.

obviously some warm rolls would be pretty awesome with this but that kinda decreases the healthy-factor a bit.  i thought it was enough on its own... the only thing i had a hard time with was waiting for it to cool down enough to not burn my mouth while i scarfed it down!

enjoy & go eat something healthy!

{to see my other clean eating recipes click here}

our week in iPhotos | 17/52

highlights of our week: a big saturday downtown filled with cupcakes, milkshakes, the farmer's market & colorful doors, a 5.5 mile early morning run, homemade lemonade & picking flowers at the park, 80's day at stroller strides, cute kiddos & lots of grocery shopping, clean eats, more cute kiddo antics, a walk at the wildlife refuge, a twilight bike ride & run & fro-yo for lunch on parker's birthday with friends followed by dinner at the best most tastiest most dirtiest burrito bus in town.

was basically an awesome week.  we had a run of sunshine which always seems to take our weeks up a couple notches.  seriously, when it's sunny in the pacific northwest i will attest that there is basically nowhere better in the whole wide world.

we're keeping the good times going with a day of celebrating tomorrow for p-ray's birthday.  it's his big day o' fun!  we aren't doing a party but instead are just filling the day with things parker loves.  pancakes for breakfast, a ride on the train {light rail} to the zoo & dinner at chipotle.  capped off with cake & ice cream.  it's sure to be a day a three year old's dreams are made of.

happy weekend friends!

{i post lots of my photos in real time on instagram.  do you instagram?  let's gram together! @amy_agoodlife}

parker! you're three!

today my #1 turns three.  three years old.  you guys that's like, little KID status.

we're celebrating tomorrow with a parker day-o-fun.  pancakes for breakfast, a ride on the train to the zoo & dinner at chipotle... all per p-ray's request.  this is the first year he gets that it's his birthday, we've been talking about it for weeks.  he knows that he's turning three years old & that we get to do some fun things for his big day.

having a little kid is amazing.  he is so. much. fun.  sure, it's a constant battle of who's in charge around here... most of the time he thinks it's him.  but the rest of the time?  it's just like hanging out with my little homie.  he is so smart.  i am constantly amazed at his desire to learn knew things, to read & count & to point out things he knows.  he knows all his letters & numbers & constantly spells words out when he sees them & asks what they say.  he can spell his own name & can write it out on the computer or on our phones.  he can count to 20 & always barters with me for more... "ok, here are 3 more chocolate chips."  "ummm, how about 4 more?"  that's a typical conversation around here.

he loves "dinosaur train" & his thomas trains are his favorite.  he acts out little scenarios with them all day long... "thomas & percy are best friends & gordon is so fast!  oh, james is so sad because he lost his freight cars!"  it's that & much more over & over.

he really is such a good little boy.  he's a toddler, so yeah... he has a short fuse sometimes.  but honestly, i don't think parker has a mean bone in his body.  he is such a sensitive little guy & just loves to be loved.  he loves his dad & his brother & i think we're pretty good buddies too.  he gets so proud when we watch him accomplish something & beams with pride when he's done a good job.

his favorite foods are oatmeal, toast, yogurt, french toast, cheesy noodles, grapes, strawberries, bananas, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, rice, cereal, chicken nuggets, applesauce, veggie squeezy pouches & cheese.  so yeah, we have a picky toddler eater on our hands.

this year i got to see parker become a big brother.  he has handled the transition better than i could have possibly ever hoped for.  he loves elliot SO much & has never ever been resentful or mean toward him.  the only thing he is sometimes guilty of is wrestling too roughly but i think that just comes with the boy territory.  whenever he talks about doing anything it always includes elliot.  he wants elliot to come everywhere with him & always comforts elliot when he cries.  elliot is obsessed with parker too & i hope the bond between these two brothers stays this strong forever.  so far parker is everything i hoped he would be as a big brother in these first eight months.

i love this little monster so much it hurts.  i love the way he is growing up & becoming a little person.  i love that i can have conversations with him & that he has opinions & can tell me the way he sees things.  he is so funny.  he is witty & has me laughing every single day all day long.  he is just a good kid... he is cautious & smart and :::knock on wood::: doesn't really do things he's not supposed to do.  he's a joy to be around & have i mentioned i just love him so much?

well i do.

and i can't wait to celebrate his big day with him all day long tomorrow.  because he deserves it & i hope he knows how much his mom & dad love him.

happy third birthday to my little first born.  can't wait to watch you grow one more year.  i think this year is gonna be a good one, p-ray.

wordless{ish} wednesday | these days.

i realized the other day our days are getting routine.  we've kinda hit our stride & the new normal isn't just organized chaos anymore, it's just normal.  i have a long list of to-dos, just like any other mom, and on any given day i just have to pick & choose what gets done.  i can't do it all.  and when i see someone on facebook, instagram or a blog post who looks like they are doing it all?  chances are they're not.  i bet their house is messy.  oh wait, their house is perfect?  well then maybe they don't work out, cook regular meals or maybe they're not trying to run their own business.  because you guys our plates are only so big & no one can do it all!

this was a little epiphany that hit me the other day while i was putting away laundry {woohoo, the laundry was getting put away!}.  we all have things we are juggling & we can all only do so much.  we pick & choose what is important to us & what gets done.  if you add something to your plate, something else has to be pushed off.

on any given day the things that really matter get done... my kids get food in their bellies, clean clothes & clean diapers.  on a good day we all eat a healthy home cooked dinner, get out to play with friends & elliot gets two good naps.  on an awesome day i also fit in a work out, a blog post, answer some emails & get to bed before midnight.  it just depends.  but in the end, the important stuff gets done & you can't beat yourself up over what doesn't.  you just pick it back up tomorrow.

and you know what?  at the end of the day if my boys have had a good belly laugh or two i consider my day a success.  there will always be emails waiting, loads of laundry to wash or fold & a room that could use some picking up.  those things can wait.  but my boys won't always be babies & what's important to them is a well-rested, somewhat-sane mom who can be present in their day.  so for them?  i'll quit losing sleep over what isn't getting done & just take things one at a time.

and of all the things that require my time?  they will always be first priority.

our week in iPhotos | 16/52

highlights of our week: some sun, a trip to the children's museum, the park, baby kisses {please tell me you saw the baby kisses}, baby in a mug, trip to the wildlife refuge, lunch with friends, friday night movie night.

it was a good week friends, good week {you know, beside all the boston bombing, west texas exploding, manhunting events... because there was that too.}  but mostly i'm just happy we made it through another week & get to lay low for another weekend.

happy weekend!

{i post lots of my photos in real time on instagram.  do you instagram?  let's gram together! @amy_agoodlife}

clean{ish} pick of the week | bbq chicken pizza

mmmmm, pizza.  who doesn't love pizza?  besides parker.  and my sister in law jodi {who i think brainwashed parker into not liking pizza}.  but seriously, so good.  this recipe comes from my own head & was inspired by the bbq chicken pizza at cheesecake factory.  that's where the idea for red onions & cilantro comes from. delish.  the addition of fresh pineapple comes from experience of making homemade pizza, it's a must!

ok... so yes, this one is clean-ish.  i say "clean-ish" because i cheated... a little.  sometimes you gotta just go with convenience right?  we used a pre-made whole wheat pizza dough from trader joe's & a bottled bbq sauce.  but, if you want to make your own sauce this one looks pretty tasty.

whole wheat bbq chicken pizza

--> trader joe's whole wheat pizza dough {or whatever dough you prefer}
--> bbq sauce {we use sweet baby ray's but you could use the clean recipe i posted above}
-->cheese {we use quattro formaggio from trader joe's - raw milk & no hormones, a mix of parmesan, asiago, fontina & mild provolone.  yum}
--> shredded {cooked} chicken
--> red onion
--> cilantro
--> fresh pineapple
--> oregano
--> ...and more cheese!

assembly is pretty self explanatory.  cook according to dough directions until crust is golden brown & cheese is melty.  SO GOOD.

do you have yummy pizza recipes?  let's hear 'em!

enjoy!

{to see my other clean eating favorites click here}

our week in iPhotos

another week!  you guys, i'm a blogging machine these days.  let's all notice that this is officially the most posts i've done in a month all year so far.  and it's only the 12th.  boom.  dare say i'm back?  kinda?  maybe.

anywho, we had a good week around here.  there was lots of rain & some sickness... two kiddos with coughs & colds but meh, we survived.  we went on some walks, some runs, did some shopping, the boys did some {lots of} wrestling & i finished watching LOST.

you guys, talk to me.  what was your interpretation of how the series ended?  did the stuff on the island actually happen?  were they dead the whole time?  did they die later?  what the freak LOST... so many unanswered questions.  ya know, because i'm only three years late on this one.  i watched the whole series in a couple months as opposed to six years though, so i guess i win in the end.

anywho, here's what some of our week looked like in iPhotos.  happy weekend!

{i post lots of my photos in real time on instagram.  do you instagram?  let's gram together! @amy_agoodlife}

clean eats pick of the week | fish tacos w/ lime cilantro slaw

boo-ya, week two ya'll!  i'm two for two & i didn't even think i could do it.

i'm continuing on in sharing my favorite clean recipes here on the blog because the more we delve into this whole foods & clean eating stuff, the more obsessed i'm finding myself become with it.  i can't get enough tasty fresh food!

this week's recipe is another from the emeals.com menu.  every week i open up my menu planner email from them with the week's meals & read through them like it's christmas morning.  isn't that lame?  but it's kinda fun to see what new things will be on there & i've been having a blast learning how to cook a few new things.  for example, have you ever cooked with leeks before?  last week i made a baked potato & leek soup that was basically amazing.  will definitely be making that one again, fo sho.

anywho, this week i'm sharing this fish taco recipe & the thing that makes this bad boy blog worthy?  the lime cilantro slaw.  freaking delish.  here ya go.

slaw:
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- dash of salt
- 1/2 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

fish:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb tilapia fillets, thawed
- 1/4 tsp pepper

tacos:
- whole wheat taco size tortillas
- avocado
- tomato
- black beans
- cotija cheese {<-- dudes, best cheese EVER}
- whatever else you like on your tacos

directions:
- combine sour cream, lime juice, cumin & salt in a large bowl.  add cabbage, green onions & cilantro, tossing well to coat.  refrigerate until ready to use.

- heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  sprinkle tilapia with a dash of salt & some pepper.  add tilapia to skillet & cook 2 minutes per side.  remove from heat & flake fish with a fork into large chunks.

- heat tortillas in skillet until warm & crisp. fill with fish, slaw mixture & all the other fixins.  also, try to work the word "slaw" into as much of your conversation as you can while making these... because doesn't it just sound so appetizing?

enjoy!

{to see my other clean eating favorites, click HERE}

wordless wednesday: parker's alter ego.

you probably almost didn't recognize parker on account of his disguise, right?  but it really is p-ray, in true p-ray goofball style.

love this kid.

ps: he did this completely on his own, totally voluntarily.  i was just lucky enough to have my camera already in hand.  the stars aligned for this one.

elliot | seven months.

here we are, having watched another month come & go.  i liked this month.  this was honestly the first month i stood back, looked at my day & said to myself... dude, we got this.  we've hit our stride.  we have a routine, our days have structure & for the most part, i have my sanity.  that doesn't mean there aren't moments where both kids are crying or i'm attempting to cut potatoes with one arm while bouncing a fussy baby in the other because that actually happened tonight.  but.  for the most part, we got this.

here he is all growed up to seven months {... and a few weeks}.
{compare previous p-ray & elliot pics here}

elliot is a fairly easy going kiddo... he still isn't the biggest fan of being put down for floor time but he's getting way better scooting around the living room & i'm pretty sure crawling is in our very near future. a baby that can get around & grab what he wants tends to be a happier baby, so i'm excited for crawling to happen.  he's mastered rolling & loves to just roll & roll & roll... he rolls over while having his diaper changed because he thinks it's hilarious & busts out with the cutest laugh.

he took his first legit road trip this month, traveling 14 hours to & from salt lake city in the ol' carseat... he did awesome.  he slept heavy for most of it & the only times he got really fussy was when it was time to stop & eat anyways.  rockstar status.  he still just has the two bottom teeth but his top gums are bulging like crazy i swear it's gotta be any day now the top teeth pop through.  i hope so, it looks painful!

he goes to bed around 7:30, wakes up to eat once or twice & is awake for the day around 8 or so.  he naps twice for 1 to 2 hours each time & still doesn't really like being put down for the most part.  he loves baths & laughs when water is poured over his head... he kicks his legs & flails his arms like a maniac & has graduated from the infant tub to a laundry basket {thank you pinterest for that one!}.

he still isn't interested in solid foods or bottles & refused to eat for TWENTY ONE HOURS while i was away for some training.  he's cray that way.  he nurses 5-6 times a day {1-2 of those times are at night} and looks like you're poisoning him when food is put in his mouth.  we've tried avocado, bananas, sweet potatoes, green beans & baked potato & leek soup & he didn't see the sense in any of it.  we'll have to step up our game this month.

he is still obsessed with his brother.  elliot & parker are best buds & it makes me so happy to see them play together.  although my day is full of "parker, elliot had that toy first, you need to find something else to play with at the moment" and "parker, if he's crying that means he doesn't like it so you need to back off a little.  ok, stop.  parker, stop!" yeah... lots of that.  elliot totally wrestles back.  he gets his head down & grabs onto parker & holds his own a little.  i am so in for it with these two.  also, i swear the hardest i have EVER heard elliot laugh has been because of something parker did.  no one can make elliot laugh like parker can.  cutest thing ever.

i mean seriously, did you see those two?  it's that.  all. day. long.

and also? he is still so dang cute.

love this kid.

our week in iPhotos

oh man.  this week in iPhotos is all about sunshine, cute kiddos, working out & good food.  it doesn't get much better than that.  the northwest teased us seattle-ites this week by giving us just a taste of sunshine & legit spring... just in time for easter.  and now?  baaaack to the rainy days.  ah well, we all knew it was bound to happen.

this weekend is gonna be pretty laid back around here... we may or may not journey to portland looking for a good time.  sam & i both agreed that our little family is in need of an adventure.  i mean it's been all of two weeks since our last vacay, two weeks too long if you ask me.

here's what our last week looked like through the lens of my iPhone.

happy weekend friends!

{i post lots of my photos in real time on instagram.  do you instagram?  let's gram together! @amy_agoodlife}

amy's clean eats pick of the week | apple, goat cheese, walnut salad

so i set some goals a few posts back to make myself a priority & help get "myself" back.  and unlike a lot of my goal setting (what? goals are hard!) it's actually been going pretty good.  i registered to run a 10k & have been running 3x a week per a training plan.  i have cut a lot of the crap from my diet & am subscribed to a meal planning service called emeals.com & am using their "clean eating" plan.  it's going awesome.

ok, long story short, i wanna start sharing a meal a week or so from our menu here on the blog.  a clean recipe that is good & worth making.  eating healthy & fresh foods is totally doable!  so... here's week one.

apple, goat cheese, walnut salad w/ honey, orange, maple dressing

haha, enjoy the descriptive name?  i had to include everything!  here we go:

salad:
-mixed baby greens
-1 small granny smith apple, peeled & diced
-1 oz. goat cheese
-1/4 c. chopped walnuts

dressing:
-1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
-2 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
-1 tsp. Dijon mustard
-1 tsp. maple syrup
-1/4c olive oil

it's pretty self self-explanatory beyond that.  mix it all up accordingly & eat!  i didn't know i was such a big fan of goat cheese.  on its own, it's not the best.  but combined with the sweetness of the apple & the dressing?  so delish.

enjoy!  now go eat something healthy.

happy Easter, happy Spring!

it's starting to get real springy up in here, people.  we've had a little bout of awesome weather in the pacific northwest & got to celebrate easter with some sun & some bare feet in the grass & bubbles & a walk down to the park.

spring just might be my favorite season of all time.  well, maybe tied with fall & summer... and winter has its perks too.  but i do love spring.  it's when you get that first glimpse of some sun & are reminded just how awesome it feels to be warm in short sleeves & no socks & to have your windows open with a breeze going through your house & the sound of bird chirps & lawn mowers filling up your house.  love it.

we had a pretty good easter.  it was the first year parker got a legit easter basket (i know, easter bunny fail) and he was old enough to really enjoy it.  there was a trail of candy-filled eggs leading him from his room through the house & to his basket.  he had a blast following the eggs & was so excited to see the things in his basket (squeezy pouches, coloring book, chocolate bunny, bubble-blowing gun, stuffed bunny & stickers).  we went to church, ate some delicious food, played out on the lawn in the sun in bare feet & relaxed.

i also realized that i have pretty much zero pictures of elliot & i taken with my big camera.  actually, i just really have avoided being in front of my big camera for the last seven months because of that whole post-baby-awkward stage where you just don't really feel or look like yourself.  so i figured with my boys all dressed up, my hair curled & heels on, what better time to hand the camera over to sam & have him snap a few.

i'm glad i did.  now i have a couple pics of me with my boys & i'll get to remember easter 2013 forever.  now if only i coulda gotten sam in the picture somehow...

also?  please notice parker in the first picture.  we couldn't get him to come stand by me for the life of us... he just wanted to stand there & "take pictures" with a toy cell phone.  i guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree... ha!