Avocado, Pineapple, Chicken Salad

As of late I've been on a salad creating spree. I have had a lot of fun experimenting with sautéing different vegetables, fruits, and lean meats. It's hard to go wrong with salad!

 I literally whipped up this salad in less than ten minutes, granted the chicken was already baked so had I had to bake it would have taken longer. Nonetheless it is easy to throw together and I used what I already had in my kitchen.

• 2 cups organic romaine lettuce
• 1/4 small avocado cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup mandarin oranges
• 1/3 cup frozen peach slices
• 1/3 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 6 strawberries cut in half
• 10 grapes, red or green
• 1 small chicken breast, already baked 

Place romaine lettuce and grapes on a plate and set aside. 

Spray a skillet with nonstick cook spray and heat to a medium heat. Add in everything expect grapes and lettuce.

Sauté chicken long enough to brown it and to bring out the natural juices in the fruit. Stir constantly so nothing sticks to pan and burns.

Remove skillet from heat and pour contents of skillet over lettuce and grapes. 

Pour any extra juice remaining in skillet over salad as a "dressing." I did not add any extra dressing to my salad because the fruit was already really sweet and the pineapple had produced a decent amount of juice which I used as a "dressing." Bon Appétit! 

Crockpot Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup- Low Sodium

Being away from home is rough, but being away from home when you're sick is the worst. Growing up when I was sick my mom would always make me her famous chicken noodle soup. Her chicken noodle soup has nursed me through mono, the flu, and just about every other illness there is. My mom was even awesome enough to bring some to me in college last year when her and my dad came to visit. I love her chicken noodle soup. 

When I got really sick this past week I wanted to call my mom and beg her to come and make me chicken noodle soup. As much as I wanted my moms chicken noodle soup I also wanted my mom. I know I am a grown college student, but sitting in the college medical clinic after having numerous tests run on me and doctors telling me they don't know what's wrong with me brought me close to a breakdown. I am ok with the fact that I still need my mom sometimes. 

I spent much of the weekend laying around in bed sleeping and fighting off migraines, oh the joys of being sick! I have been careful in what I've been eating because my stomach has been sensitive so I finally decided enough was enough and I was going to make some chicken noodle soup. I did not feel like cooking over a stove, so naturally I did what I do best and threw everything in the crockpot. My chicken noodle soup turned out really good, but it is not as good as my moms (maybe one day she will teach me her secret). I promise this is an easy recipe and easy on the stomach which is good when you're sick!

You will need:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 cup diced onion
• 4 large organic carrots sliced
• 1 cup sliced celery (I did not include this because I don't like celery in my soup)
• 6 cups organic low sodium chicken broth
• pinch of garlic salt and pepper
• 3 cups whole grain pasta 

Sprinkle pepper and garlic salt over chicken breasts, then place chicken breasts in crockpot.

Pour 2 cups organic low sodium chicken broth into crockpot. 

Add carrots and onion (and celery if including) into crockpot.

Pour the remaining 4 cups chicken broth into crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

This is the type of
noodle I used.

In the last hour of cooking add the noodles into the crockpot. Make sure to fully submerge the noodles into the chicken broth. Cook for one additional hour.

Pasta will turn a light
brown when ready.

I broke the chicken apart after it had already cooked, it easily fell apart. You can cut the chicken up before cooking if you'd prefer. 

I got enough chicken noodle soup for five servings. While it is isn't as good as my mom's it did help my stomach and frankly it was still delicious!

If you make them tag me on instagram and use the hashtag #thesimplelife and go like my new page on Facebook! 

Nutrition per serving:

Calories: 213 

Carbs: 28

Fat: 3 grams

Protein: 21 grams

Sodium: 232mg

Sugars: 6 grams

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!!

It's hard to believe I have been blogging for over a month already! So much has changed, but all for the better. Since the birth of this blog I I've been working hard to create recipes that are healthy but easy to make. I know the struggles of a tight budget, I am a college student, and I know how hard it can be to find time to cook an elaborate meal. With my blog I hope to provide quick and easy recipes that are delicious healthy recreations of some favorite foods.

I can't thank every viewer enough for giving me an audience to blog to. Thank you for all of you who have shared my recipes with friends and family and thank you for helping my blog grow! There are still so many recipes I want to recreate and I have so many of my own recipes to share with you! I look forward to an amazing blogging future! Thank you for participating in my passion of healthy living and healthy cooking and thank you for joining me on this journey!!

XOXO,
Rachael