Try Something New Tuesday: Southwest Chicken Soup

You may recall that I recently challenged my May Madness group to share some healthy recipes with me. One that spoke to me as soon as I saw it was Karen's Southwest Chicken Soup. Anything that sounds like it might have a little spicy kick to it is definitely up my alley! And it is so simple to make that I knew it would be perfect for our hectic life!

Here's what you'll need.

There is also supposed to be a 1/2 package of frozen corn in here. I totally forgot about it! I'll do better next time!

First you're going to cook about 3 cups of chicken. This will probably be about 3 - 4 chicken breasts, depending on size. I boiled mine then chopped it up in the food processor.

Next you put 12 oz. of salsa verde in a large saucepan. I'm going to be honest: I used the whole 15 oz. jar instead. I like it spicy! Let the salsa warm over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

Then you add your chicken.

And stir in your cannelini beans, corn (assuming your don't forget like I did), chicken broth and seasonings.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

That's it!!! It's done! So easy! And the verdict?

They all loved it!!!

This one loved it so much she had 2 bowls!!!

We served it with some sour cream and corn chips, just like chili. I had mine plain, and it was delicious! It will definitely be on our regular rotation.

I loved the nutrition on this dish too! I calculated it to be under 300 calories and about 40 grams of protein for a sixth of the recipe. And I would say we definitely got more than 6 servings from it. Hearty, filling AND low-calorie?! Yes, please! It meant I got an extra piece of chocolate after dinner!

Thanks, Karen, for the wonderful recipe!!! I am so thankful to have you for a friend and neighbor!

Karen with one of her sweet boys.

Southwest Chicken Soup

• 12 oz. salsa verde (I used an entire 15 oz. jar)
• 3 c. cooked chicken (about 3 - 4 chicken breasts, depending on size)
• 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
• 3 c. chicken broth (I used 4 cups)
• 1/2 package frozen corn
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder

~Empty salsa in large saucepan. Cook 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Add chicken, beans, broth, corn, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Try Something New Tuesday: Corn Salsa

Last week I challenged my May Madness group to come up with some healthy recipes. And I even bribed them with bonus points for sharing. I chose a couple of those recipes to feature here on the blog. The first one comes from my dear friend, Whitney.

Whitney is our friend and neighbor. She's a ton of fun, and she is the hostess with the mostess. Girl knows how to throw a party. And she can cook like nobody's business. So when she shared her recipe for corn salsa, I knew it would be perfect for the Mother's Day lunch I was planning.

Here's the ensemble.

You're going to start by grilling the corn. Whitney said you could also wrap it in wax paper and cook it in the microwave if you're pinched for time. You can even use canned corn. But I wasn't going to skimp. I was going to do this recipe right. So I opted to grill my corn.

Confession time: I'd never grilled corn before. So I asked Whitney how she did it. It turns out it's very simple. Just stick the corn right on the grill husks and all.

Rotate the corn every 15 minutes or so. I think I ended up cooking mine for a total of about 45 minutes.

I was afraid I had cooked some of those blackened ears a little too long, but it turns out those were the best ones! After the corn is cooked, you remove the husks and cut the kernels off the cob and into a bowl.

Next add about a cup of black beans.

And about half of a purple onion, chopped.

Finally, you'll need about a cup of packed cilantro, minced. If you have a tip for mincing cilantro, I'd love for you to share it with me. I think that was the most tedious part of preparing the dish.

Next take your olive oil, the juice from half a lime (my lime was pretty small so I used the whole thing),  cumin, and chili powder and mix well in a small bowl.

Pour the oil mixture over the vegetables and stir. Voila! Corn salsa!

I served this with grilled chicken, and it was delicious! The flavor reminds me of the Southwestern Eggrolls at Chili's...but without the deep frying. Even the kids loved it. Whitney also likes to serve it with chips, which I'm sure would be equally wonderful.

I calculated this to be around 165 calories per serving if you get about 10 servings from the dish which I think is very reasonable. It is also packed with a lot of protein and fiber. Thanks, Whit, for the awesome recipe!!!

Corn Salsa

• corn - 5 ears, grilled (can also microwave the corn or use canned)
• 1 cup black beans
• 1/2 purple onion, chopped
• 1 cup firmly packed cilantro, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder

Combine corn, black beans, onion, and cilantro in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lime juice, cumin and chili powder. Pour the oil mixture over the corn mixture and combine well. Serve with chips or as a side with grilled chicken.

Question of the Day:

What's your best tip for mincing cilantro?

Weekend Recap

This was more or less the view from my window all weekend.

I think we got something like 5 inches of rain. Not much fun! As a result, all of the sporting events our children were to participate in were cancelled. So we found ourselves with a low-key weekend!

I slept in a bit on Saturday morning, and then I got things started with Asylum Volume 2 Upper Elite. This is one tough workout. The combination of resistance training and cardio kicks my bootie every time!

By the time I was finished it was just about lunchtime, so I had my Shakeology for lunch instead of breakfast. Yummo!

Jeff worked some on Saturday, so the kids and I spent the afternoon doing some cleaning. I love that they are all finally old enough to pitch in a little! It makes my life so much easier. 

After Jeff got home, we took the kids to some sweet friends' house to play while Jeff and I had a date!

We went to Chili's because I really, truly love their light menu! I had the Margarita Grilled Chicken. 650 calories and 50 grams of protein, y'all!

Sunday included church and afternoon naps. Our minister has been doing a series on making it a point to rest. This is one lesson I can really get behind!

My May Madness challenge group is going on right now. And let me tell you, if you're not participating, you are missing out!!! It has been a blast so far! The participation has been fantastic, and I think it's keeping everyone accountable for their fitness routines. Jeff is participating too. We made this little video Sunday for the challenge.

So fun! There will definitely be more challenge groups in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled!

Other highlights from Sunday included making Teacher's Appreciation cards with the girls and transforming baby girl's mullet into a ponytail!

All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekend!

Question of the Day:

What do you do with a curly mullet?

Weekend Recap and May Madness!

This weekend had a slower pace than expected. Due to heavy rains here on Friday, we didn't have a soccer game, and the baseball game was postponed by a couple of hours giving us most of the day Saturday to spend at home.

Daughter #2 really wanted to workout with me on Saturday morning. I was doing Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning AND Cardio Abs. The two workouts combined are well over an hour. But she toughed it out like she always does. Although she didn't always seem happy about it.

And just in case I haven't already given you enough reasons to be thankful I don't workout next to you at the gym, here's me and my offspring:

You're welcome.

After our workout, we finally took the many boxes we collected over spring break for donation. And then Jeff picked up some mulch to work on our flower beds. 

While he worked outside, I was busy inside prepping some food for a church luncheon. I made my brownies with that incredible icing. I only make these when there are going to be others available to help me eat them. Otherwise, I'd eat the whole pan! I also prepared a lasagna.

After the boy's baseball game later in the afternoon, we came home and grilled some burgers (mine was a veggie burger) then did baths and bed. I tried really hard to stay up and watch the last episode of Project Runway, but I fell asleep during the judges' critiques. I will finish where I left off tonight. I know you can all tell by my own styling that I'm practically a fashion expert.

Don't ask.

Today we went to church and the luncheon. Then we came home for "quiet time." We make all the kids take some time (usually by themselves) on Sunday afternoon. They can read, nap or just play quietly in their rooms. It's nice to have some time set aside to slow things down.

If you're a follower of my Facebook page, you may have noticed that I'm going to be doing a challenge next month. This is going to be so much fun; I'd love for you to join us! It's called May Madness. You can find the event on Facebook here.

I am going to organize the participants into groups of 2 or more, depending on how many people sign up. Once it's almost time for the challenge to begin, I'll form a private group on Facebook so everyone's posts will be private and won't be visible to anyone except those in the group. Each participant can earn points by posting in the group. There is a limit of 2 posts for points (PFP) each day. Here's how the points will work:

*Workout Complete Check-In (just post what kind of workout you did): 1 point
*Motivation-related picture, quote, video, etc.: 2 points
*Sweaty Pic (right after your workout – Don’t be shy- This is a Judge-Free Zone!): 4 points
*Muscle shot (biceps, back, abs, etc. And, no, it doesn't have to look great; any muscle...even if you can't see it well YET... does count): 5 points
*Video of your workout (This can be as short as 15 seconds, and you don't have to have your whole body in the video. It can be as simple as a video of your feet while you're taking a walk.): 6 points
*Refer a friend or family member to my page AND they sign up for a FREE Beachbody account here: 6 points (BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW)
*Sign up to be a coach with a challenge pack purchase (waiving initial coach fee): 8 points

***Occasionally, I will offer bonus points randomly. These points can be earned in addition to your 2 PFP each day!***

Your workouts can be any type of exercise you would like; no purchase is necessary. You also do not have to workout with your team member(s), but your points will be added together so you'll want to encourage teammates along the way! At the end of the month, the team with the most points will win a prize! 

If you'd like to participate in the challenge, just add yourself to the event on Facebook! Then join my Beachbody team by registering for your FREE account here. This will give you additional tools to use during the challenge.

Enjoy your last bit of weekend!

Question of the Day:

How do you spend your Sundays?