"Happy Birthday Big Poppa"

            Today is my husband, D'reardon's birthday!                                          

 So, I decided to make him one of his favorite dinners and a special treat!  My husband, the carnivore, did not want a meatless monday option when I presented it to him.  What did he want? His mother's Pot Roast... And that's what he got (well, my take on his mother's pot roast).  My MIL recipe called for canned mushrooms, water, unseasoned beef chuck, can of tomato sauce, vegetable oil, onion, green pepper, jarred garlic, potatoes, carrots, and light salt/pepper.  Still keeping with the same bones, here's my Spin on Mrs. Thayer's Pot Roast.

My Pot Roast
Serves 8, total time 3 hr 30 min

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
3.5-4 lb Beef Chuck (seasoned w/ salt, pepper, garlic powder)
1/2 c  Onion, chopped
1/2  c green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 28oz Can diced tomatoes, in juice, no salt added
1-2 c beef broth, low sodium
1 container white mushrooms, quartered
Salt & Pepper
8-10 small red potatoes, peeled & quartered
15+ baby carrots, halved
* wait to peel & cut potatoes and carrots, they are not needed until last 60 min of cooking

Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven, over med-high heat. Add seasoned beef, and brown on all sides.
Remove roast, set aside. Sauté onions, green pepper, and garlic until tender.
Add tomatoes and broth.
Add roast & mushrooms, sprinkle with S&P.  Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hrs.
Add potatoes & carrots, cover continue cooking for 60 min, or until tender.  Remove roast, let rest 10-15 min, then cut into serving pieces, and put them back in pot.  Serve with salad or another green veggie, and enjoy.

Now, I also made a Big Poppa (as Mia calls him) his favorite Red Velvet cake (from scratch) with homemade cream cheese icing.  I might share this recipe later, but I must forewarn you, it's not healthy. Lol!

P.s. I did substitute Chobani Plain yogurt for buttermilk... Yum!

The girls & I would like to wish our Big Poppa, D'reardon, a wonderful 32nd birthday, and many (many, many, many) more happy & healthy years!  We love you!

Wellness Wednesday

With all the talk about the US going to war against Syria, pulling out of the war in Afghanistan, and the violent war in our city streets, I thought I would share a poem of peace for your wellness this Wednesday.  I'm not saying I am for war or against it, I am for a happy, healthy, peaceful life for all mankind, everywhere!  With that said, here is a poem by Cappy Hall Rearick.  Have a peaceful & well Wednesday!

We Interrupt This War

     We interrupt this war for doctors to heal the sick, poets to write a sonnet, and ministers to teach us how to love one another.

     We interrupt this war for economists to find a way to balance the national budget, for people to find jobs, for authorities to rid us of drug lords, and for minorities to find their equal place in the world.

     We interrupt this war to find our future.

     We interrupt this war for soldiers to hug their children, for family reunions, for more time to find a lasting peace for our world.

     We interrupt this war for artists to paint and sculpt, builders to clean up slums and writers to create unforgettable plots and characters.

     We interrupt this war so that we might feed the hungry, save the whales and find a cure for cancer and AIDS.

     We interrupt this war for the Special Olympics. Girl Scout Cookies. The World Series. For newborn babies.

     We interrupt this war to care for the aged, to be kind to animals and to share with others.

     We interrupt this war to clean up the environment, to find homes for the homeless, and to defend the weak and defenseless.

     We interrupt this war to marvel at a sunset, to enjoy a child’s laughter, and to sing a love song.

     We interrupt this war in order to hear a message from our Number One Sponsor:
     “THOU SHALT NOT KILL”

©2003, Cappy Hall Rearick

Pinterest workouts got me again...

Like most, I love pinterest.  I could pin all day!  And like most, I pin but never do anything with my pins, LOL!  Since I have been forced to take a few weeks off from running (Dr's orders).  I've been looking for some great workouts at a lower impact to my joints. Then it hit me, Ashley, you have like 100+ pins regarding fitness on Pinterest.  So, I went thumbing through my pins.  Here are some of the fun and crazy workouts I've been trying out.  Some will stay in my workout rotation, and some will remain on pinterest, lol! 

So here's the first one, its a favorite, and doesn't require a gym.  I've actually used this workout in the past during my half marathon training.  The bonus is one round is only 15 min, so repeat 2-3 times, you've really got a great workout in under an hour!

Now, this was another favorite, it's for the elliptical.  I must be honest, you will look like you took a shower with your clothes on when you're done, LOL!

What in Sam's h*ll was I thinking with this one... the Brazilian Butt Lift Treadmill Workout?  Another butt kicking workout.  My Butt would rather sit then lift... Lol.  But I'll keep it around for a good treadmill sweat.  Walking and trying to sit the following day will be a bit of a challenge.

This was another treadmill workout, I was soaked after the 45 minutes, and I burned as many calories as I normally do running, bonus.  It's a keeper, just for some variety.

This Fitsugar workout is another great workout that doesn't require a gym.  This is how I occupied my time in North Carolina. It will also be good for when my traveling schedule picks up again.

My last two were not favorites... The first did not require a gym, but my joints were feeling all of the many jumping jacks, and my wrists were screaming after all of the push-ups.  Pinterest can keep this one!

The second is a good scheduled workout for cross-training, however, I sub'd the running for walking at an incline.  Now, I would not have this be my everyday workout schedule, but adding some of the workouts to my cross-training days might not be too bad.

Try these workouts, see if you like them.  And don't let those fitness and healthy recipe pins just stay on Pinterest!!  Enjoy the sweat!!

Wellness Wednesday

Wellness Wednesday is back... Did you miss it?  I hope you were still making small changes to better you health and wellness while we were on vacation.  Today's wellness tip is to go for a walk.  Walking is one of the easiest exercises, just about anyone, at any age can do.  It doesn't require any special equipment or a lot of time.  You can squeeze in a walk before you get dressed in the morning to help wake you up.  Take a stroll with some co-workers on your lunch break.  Or my favorite, take an evening walk with the family after dinner.  I love this time of year because the evenings are still light (thanks DST), and in most parts of the country the evenings are cooler than the heat of the day.

 Walks can be as calm and relaxing as you would like, or as rigorous and powerful as you would like.  They are also a great way for you to clear your mind or catch up on gossip with your friends.  Just make sure you have on comfortable shoes, so you can put in the distance you so desire.  So, head out this Wednesday for a wellness walk, and make it a part of your daily or weekly schedule.  Stay well my friends!

Smoothie, smoothie, smoothies

Yum, yum, yum... I love smoothies!  And so do my kids and husband!  Smoothies are a great way to get in an extra serving of fruits and vegetable (yes, I said vegetables) every day.  You can get as creative or be as simple as you would like.  The trick to keep them really healthy, is to avoid adding extra sugary juices.  Natural fruits can add enough sweetness to your smoothies.  Here are my steps for the perfect smoothie!

1. Pick 1 or 2 veggies: spinach, romaine, celery, kale, carrots, or cucumber.
2. Pick 1 or 2 fruits: apple, grapes, melon, mango, berries, pineapple, pear, banana, kiwi, peaches, or oranges.
3. Select a liquid base: water, coconut water, unsweetened almond-rice-soy milk, non-fat plain yogurt (or Greek), or fresh squeezed juice (not from concentrate).
4. Add some extras(optional): flaxseed, protein powder, almond-peanut butter, juice from a lime/lemon, avocado, coconut oil
5. Blend, and enjoy!

Here are some other helpful tips: put veggies in first, cut up hard fruits & veggies, add liquid to loosen veggie/fruit purée, spinach is a great veggie to add bc of all of health benefits but in a smoothie its virtually tasteless, add protein & healthy fats to get more bang for your sip, make enough for 2 glassfuls and store extra in fridge for next day snack, and stay away from fast food smoothies- they are just sugar loaded, with processed/unknown ingredients that only increase your calorie count.

Stay tuned to Self Soul Space for some fun smoothie recipes that are Kid tested- Husband approved!



Check out my post on Dr. Oz's 3-day cleanse, they're some great smoothies even when not on the cleanse!