Productive Wednesday

I seriously had the most productive day today! I finally crawled out of bed around 8:45 this morning. Originally, I didn't have to be at work until 1pm, so I allowed myself to catch up on some zzz's. Then, mid-morning, my scheduling coordinator told me we were over-staffed, so I could take today as my day off. Umm heck yes! So here's how my day went:

• Did two Focus T 25 workouts (Speed 2.0 and Upper Focus). Got a great calorie burn and my arms were jello at the end! 



Laughing at myself because I couldn't flex anymore… and being utterly exhausted after 50 minutes of Shaun T kicking my butt!


• Read a couple of chapters from the book "The Compound Effect"  It's discusses how the smallest steps you make now to better your life can greatly impact your future. Pretty interesting read.
• Played tons with my kitties 



Eloise pulled the blanket off the chair to snuggle in it. Kind of wish my life was as awesome as theirs!

• Chased my dog when he got out of our fenced-in yard. Luckily, he has pretty decent recall when a ball is present, so we didn't have any major problems.
• Did some coach work. Yay Team Beachbody!!
• Finished up the laundry. I hate the smell of bleach, so I always avoid whites for as long as I possibly can.

I wanted needed to clean, but instead I spent more time with my pets. Priorities, right?

Their heads are resting against each other. They're like Forrest and Bubba!

For dinner, Mike and I had Mexican Pumpkin Rotini that I had prepared Sunday night. (Meal planning has seriously been a huge blessing for me!) While I was cooking, Mike gave me the suspicious look, questioning all of the ingredients. Turns out he actually liked it. Take that!  I got the recipe from TheGraciousPantry.com She has tons of clean recipes that aren't super complicated. 

Clean Eating Mexican Pumpkin Rotini

(Makes 10 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion, chopped,
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 lb. frozen, organic corn
• 1 1/4 lb. ground turkey breast
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
• Salt to taste after cooking but before adding pasta (I used about 1/2 tsp., but do it to your tastes)
• Fresh, chopped cilantro for garnish
• Whole grain Rotini pasta, cooked separately to package directions

Directions:

1. Saute the onions in the coconut oil until they become translucent.
2. Add corn and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the turkey, being sure to stir well so it crumbles well.
4. Stir in the spices.
5. When the turkey is very nearly done, add the chicken broth and the pumpkin. This will create a bit of a sauce.
6. When the meat is done, cool slightly and ladle over pasta. Top with fresh cilantro and serve.

Nutritional Content:
(Data is for 1/2 cup and does not include pasta.)

Calories: 91
Total Fat: 2 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Sodium: 42 mg (does not include any you add)
Carbohydrates: 4 gm
Dietary fiber: 1 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 15 gm

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-mexican-pumpkin-rotini/#ixzz2hHRt61X3

Changes to the recipe: I used ground venison instead of turkey because that's what we had in the freezer.  Plain corn from a can was used, as we don't really have many organic options in my area. I made my own broth by using chicken bullion cubes. I used a yellow onion and canola oil (might as well use what we have in the house!). No cilantro was harmed in the making of my dish. I also used the "veggie" rotini, as our grocery store didn't have any whole grain options. The joys of living in a super small rural town! Overall, I'll most likely make this again!

Want vs. Need

This weekend was definitely a lazy weekend! Last night, I needed to do the dishes, sweep the floor, and catch up on laundry, but I wanted to watch the Purdue vs. Notre Dame game. My want won. Looking back, I wish I would have done what needed to be done, since Purdue was leading most of the game and lost within the last 11 minutes. Bummer.  Today, I needed to exercise and catch up on everything I didn't do yesterday, but I wanted to play with my cats and take the dog for a walk. My want won... again. Granted, my husband and I had a great lunch outside, took the dog on about a mile walk, visited with my grandma and grandpa (his birthday!), then went to dinner with my brother and his family, along with my dad and brother's mother-in-law. Tonight, I really wanted to watch all of the Miss America contest, but I still needed to work out! So, figuring it's only 25 minutes, I sucked it up and missed the first bit of the program to get my Focus T25 Alpha Cardio done... finishing up just in time for the evening wear competition! Perfect! I'll be honest, I'm rooting on Miss Kansas because she seems like a total kick-ass woman! I would love to have her represent as Miss America!

Faye encouraging me during my sweat-fest

I started drinking my Shakeology yesterday and absolutely love it! Saturday, I mixed it with chia seeds and caramel extract. Today, I added chia seeds, natural peanut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. It was amazing! Drinking this may just be the highlight of my day. These mixtures feel like I'm having something I shouldn't, but it is insanely healthy! 

Discovering different editing programs has been so much fun. This is a great quote that I made into a pretty photo. I find it incredibly fitting to my life right now.

Now to the main point of this post: want vs. need. So many times in life we choose what we want instead of what we really need. Sometimes it's taking the easy way out, other times it is simply indulging. What we really need to do is listen to our brain. Take for instance this afternoon while at my grandma's house, I definitely wanted a piece of her homemade german chocolate cake but totally didn't need it! While I was envious of my husband eating the cake, I felt so happy that I didn't give in. Yes, I did end up having a 70 calorie natural lemon/lime popsicle, but you have to do that to avoid going crazy! 
My message to you is this: next time you are faced with something you really want, ask yourself if it is something you need. Is it going to benefit you overall? How will you feel about your decision 30 minutes down the road? Keep that little voice in the back of your head and always try to focus on how it will benefit you in the long run.