I DON'T HAVE TIME

With the holiday season underway you may be feeling the ever-common stress of I DO NOT HAVE TIME! Boy, oh boy, I know I do. Between all the added holiday parties and events, gift exchanges for the kids, and our sports calendar, we are on overload. This week we already found ourselves in situations where we were participating in Christmas traditions and unhealthy foods were laid out in abundance tempting my children. 

It is a constant challenge to get children to understand and care that each unhealthy food actually does their body harm over time and that they should care. It is especially difficult when the food doesn’t make them feel bad or it looks so decadent and delicious that they just have to have some! We can’t constantly be telling our children no; it wouldn’t be healthy for them, and it will drive us crazy. This weekend, while we were at our favorite Christmas store, there was a table of treats laid out. Donuts, cookies, chocolates, hot cocoa, capri suns, chocolate milk and little cakes! All four of my children acted as if they were in heaven! Ugh. That’s not very knightly of them! We compromised and they each got to pick one thing. I reminded them that not a single thing on the table was good for them, but some were worse than others. I encouraged them to make the healthier choice if they were so inclined. 

I have to remind myself that these times will happen. What’s important is that they know it’s an actual treat, meaning once in a very long while, and that it is not good for them to have more than one. In my world, they would eat treats that are made out of much healthier ingredients. I hope we get there as a society, but in the meantime, these moments will happen. Don’t sweat the small stuff! If your pantry is filled with nutritious choices, and your children’s everyday meals are strong foods for their bodies, these little moments are just blips on the radar.

To help keep the balance this time of year, doing your part to cook nutritious meals for your children is very important. Their bodies are growing, it is cold and flu season, and they will inevitably be eating some junk here and there. It is important we take the time to cook our children a well-balanced meal. A nutritious meal will go a long way towards fueling and healing their bodies. Tonight, I made a chicken tortilla soup that everyone gobbled up. It’s chock full of protein, veggies and minerals. Best of all, it was simple to make. I hope your kiddos love it too! *Please note, I am a sprinkle and taste cook so these amounts are easily adjusted based on your tastes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (feeds 8)

1 Small/Medium onion, diced	1 T. Cumin (divided)
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, diced	1 T. Salt (divided)
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced	½ tsp. Pepper
1 Jalapeño, finely diced	1 tsp. Chili Powder (divided)
2-3 Cloves Garlic, crushed	Topped with: diced Avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese.
2 Stalks of Celery, chopped	Siete Corn Chips
3 Medium Carrots, chopped
8c. Chicken Bone Broth
2 small Zucchini, diced
¼ c. chopped cilantro
2 T. lime juice
3lbs Chopped Cooked Chicken
1-1 ½ c. Cooked Rice (½ c. uncooked)

Heat a large pot and then add some olive oil to the bottom of the pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Add all the vegetables from onion to carrots into the pot and stir occasionally. Cook for 5-7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. (To speed things up I added the carrots and celery first. While they were cooking, I chopped the rest and added as I finished chopping). Sprinkle veggies with 1 tsp. Cumin, 1 tsp. Salt, ½ tsp. Pepper and ½ tsp. Chili powder and stir. Add the chicken bone broth and zucchini. Bring to a small boil. Lower temperature to simmer and add cilantro and lime juice. Stir in more cumin (about 1-2 tsp), 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp chili powder to taste. (Be careful not to burn yourself while tasting!)  Add in rice and chicken, simmer until you’re ready to serve. Top each bowl of soup with cilantro, diced avocado, shredded cheese and serve with Siete corn chips! Enjoy!

Hints: 1.) I buy chicken thighs and cook them in the oven before making the soup. You can do this hours or even a couple of days beforehand if needed. Just cook and then cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Place chicken in an oven safe dish, sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Cook at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until cooked through. 

2.) Cook the rice in a separate pot while the soup is coming to a boil.