Babies

As I scroll through Facebook and see all the pictures of everyone's cute little new families and smiling babies it makes me think.

Some days I think...I need that, I need that now. I want to hold, cuddle, and love something that I was a part of creating. Sounds pretty amazing.

Other days I think...I don't know if I need that. I love my life, I love my marriage, I love adventure, I love the freedom to drop everything and run or travel... that comes with having no children. Also quite amazing.

I am far too selfish and self absorbed right now to devote my life to a totally dependent being, right? I don't know.

The conflicting emotions I have about it worry me, and I know my husband feels the same way. We have always planned on being married for 5 years before we have kids. I like that plan but I also want to know if that's still the plan. Have we changed our minds? He is ok waiting til that five year mark, readdressing the issue then and enjoying this time we have together now. I, on the other hand, want to figure it out now. Why can't I enjoy it and relax too?

Why am I so impatient and unsure?

Does everyone know that they want a child with 100% certainty? What if we regret it? Why mess with a good thing?

Will our lives be incomplete without a child? What if we regret not having a baby? Why not add to a good thing?

Oye.

Enjoying adventures in Cusco, Peru : )

Clean Eating Pasta : )

A few people asked for this recipe so I thought it was a perfect time for a blog post! I have some more recipes and stories to share but the current to-do list won't allow for all of that to be shared right now : ) Hopefully soon though!

I have been working hard to eat a gluten free (have been eating gluten free again for almost 3 months now!) and keep my diet as clean as possible. I have had my moments of weakness in the clean eating department....(french fries and milkshakes are my vices this summer apparently) but I have remained gluten free. At the advice of my trainer I have also started cutting dairy out of my diet to see if I feel different. I had a bit of a cheese obsession that I needed to reign in so I thought cutting it out of my diet would be horrible but to be honest, it's really not that bad. I do feel different when I don't eat it...no congestion, less bloating. We will see how I feel long term...I am not finding the gluten free thing to be hard at all this time around but cheese and I have a special bond : )

This pasta concoction just came to me when I was trying to find something to eat after the gym yesterday. I wanted some carbs but I wanted to have only one serving of pasta (I could easily eat 3 haha!) so I knew I needed mix in some veggies and chicken!

Clean Eating Spicy Chicken & Veggie Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 oz quinoa pasta, cooked (I used the Ancient Grains brand)
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1tsp avocado oil
• 1 glove of garlic, chopped
• 3 cups organic baby spinach
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks of fresh baby broccoli, chopped
• fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
• crushed red pepper, to taste
• sea salt, to taste
• lemon pepper, to taste
• fresh oregano, chopped, to taste
• 4oz grass fed, organic rotisserie chicken, shredded (or a chicken breast) (you can find organic and free range rotisserie chickens at Kowalski's and Whole Foods)

Directions:

1. Using a cast iron skillet or frying pan, melt coconut oil and spread throughout pan, add sea salt
2. Start cooking quinoa pasta
3. Add garlic, toast the garlic
4. Add spinach, peppers, broccoli, parsley, and fresh oregano...saute until reaches desired softness
5. Shred rotisserie chicken and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning 
6. Combine pasta, chicken, and sauteed veggies into one bowl, mix together. Add crushed red pepper and sea salt to taste, and avocado oil, mix once more and ENJOY!! : )