Post Christmas and Pear & PB Cup Oatmeal

A delayed Merry Christmas to you! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas filled with faith, family, and lots of laughter! I apologize for being MIA from the blog in recent weeks. Christmastime is always chaotic, but this year was even more so. I was finishing up my last semester of college, then graduation, finals, Christmas shopping, moving, trying to wrap everything before Christmas, and then Christmas! It's been a CRAZY few weeks and I am definitely looking forward to some downtime coming up. 

My eating has been all over the place the past few weeks. I've been tracking, but I haven't been super strict about it. As Sam always says memories > macros. I couldn't agree more. The biggest change for me this holiday season is eating enough and not stuffing or starving myself. I stop when I have had enough and I always make sure to have a balance of lean protein, carbs, and lots of veggies and fruit. I've been putting in lots of time at the gym and building up my miles and my body has definitely been feeling it. 

I will try to get a blog up this week with all the graduation photos and recent happenings (pre-warning: it will probably be long!). This morning I took a break from lifting and running and just did some LISS cardio- I walked and took it easy. My hip flexor has really been bothering me recently so if anyone has any advice on how to loosen it up please let me know! 

After getting back from the gym I baked some cinnamon pear oatmeal. I spiced things up a bit by adding in some mini Justin's peanut butter cups. My mom had them from doing some holiday baking and I'm not a sweets person, but I needed something this morning and it hit the spot in the oatmeal! The oatmeal is: 

• 1/2 cup gluten free oats
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons liquid egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 medium pear, sliced
• few Justin's mini PB cups

All of that mixed into a ramekin and baked at 350F degrees for 35 minutes. Just let it cool for a few minutes before eating or you will burn yourself!

I ate in front of the Christmas tree while reading Jesus Calling and Breakfast with Jesus. I love starting my day off in God's word, it helps me focus my day and keep my thoughts on him. 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend and can relax!

Open Letter to the Man I Let Go

The first time our eyes met I knew I was a goner. You looked at me like I held the entire world in my hands. I thought love at first glance was only for movies, but now I know different.

People always told me love was hard, but nothing was hard with you. In so many ways it felt like we were old souls who had known each other our entire lives. You became my best friend, my confidant, my world. I didn't know where I ended and you began.

I knew each freckle on your face. I knew your hopes, your dreams, and your biggest fears. There were no secrets between us. One look and I knew what you thinking. 

I loved the way the corners of your mouth would curve into a smile when you were trying to keep a secret. I loved the way you'd turn into a little boy when you saw Christmas lights. I loved how you'd squeeze my hand to tell me you loved me without words. I loved your passion for life. I loved how you'd find adventure in everything. I loved how you'd make me laugh until my sides ached and I had tears streaming down my face. I loved that life with you was never dull.

You were never distracted by your phone when you talked to someone. You really listened. You focused on who were talking to and made them feel like the only person in the room. You made them feel important. You made me feel important.

I loved our late night talks where we would talk about everything. I loved curling up on the couch and watching movies with you. I loved how you'd wrap me in your arms and tell me how much you loved me. I loved how peaceful you looked when you'd fall asleep while watching said movie. I loved listening to your heartbeat.

You always made me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. Even when I was wearing sweats and a messy bun you looked at me like I was a beauty queen. No matter what I was wearing you only had eyes for me. You never failed to tell me how beautiful I was and how lucky you were to have me, even in front of your friends.

I loved how you remembered the little things. I loved how you would text me before a test and encourage me. I loved how you'd listen to me fret if I didn't think the test went well. I loved that you always made a big deal about tests that did go well. I loved your unwavering support of me in all of my academic endeavors.

I'll never forget the time I had mono, but you showed up at my door with flowers anyway. Even with mono you told me I was the most beautiful girl in the world. I told you you were nuts.

I loved how you were always a gentlemen- holding doors open, pulling out my chair, offering me your coat, and paying for me even though I always put up a fight. I loved how you held my hand and kissed my forehead. I loved how you were always proud to bring me along with your friends. 

I'm sorry doesn't seem adequate. I was so young and so scared. I'd watched too many relationships around me fall apart. I didn't want to make the same mistakes. You talked about getting married someday. I couldn't. I had too much I wanted to do. Places I wanted to see. Adventures to be had.

In reality, I was terrified. I didn't want to fail like everyone around me. But I was selfish because I loved you too much. I didn't want to let you go, but I didn't want to be tied down to a commitment I wasn't sure I could keep. 

I will never forget the hurt in your eyes when I told you I didn't want to get married. You were so sure we were strong. You said we could weather the storms and find adventure together. I couldn't make you understand the fear inside me. 

In the end the overwhelming fear of failure won.

Not a day goes by that I don't regret that decision. If I could go back and change it all I would. I would have taken the chance because love is worth it. You were worth it. You treated me like a queen and I threw it all in your face because I was selfish and scared. I'd give anything to go back and change my mind. 

It's been over three years but your memory still haunts me. Every guy since I've compared to you, but not one comes close. No one has made me feel alive the way you did. No one has caused the sparks you did. Some have been nice, but none of them are you.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was selfish and scared. I'm sorry I was afraid to trust in love. I'm sorry for everything, but most of all I'm sorry for what could have been. 

But I've never been sorry for loving you. 

One Pan Dinner: Greek Chicken

Happy Monday/welcome to finals week! This past weekend was an absolute whirlwind! I tried to get a ton of studying in before the weekend arrived because I knew commencement and family was going to occupy most of my time. After finals (if I survive) I will get a post up about graduation.

With finals this week and a million other activities going on meal prep is my only hope to eat quick, healthy meals. I've been making this chicken a lot recently. It's incredibly moist and packed with flavor. Bonus I also roast veggies on the same pan while the chicken is cooking, thus one pan meal. In all fairness I roasted potatoes the other day so I had those too, but you can roast potatoes at the same time (it'd be a two pan meal then). It's a quick and easy meal to throw together and I will eating it between finals, packing, and running around like a mad woman ;)

One Pan Greek Chicken and Veggies

• 1 lb organic thin sliced chicken breasts
• 1/2-3/4 cup organic low sodium chicken broth
• greek seasoning, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• minced garlic, to taste
• 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Place chicken breasts in ziploc bag and dump all seasonings in bag. Seal the bag.

Gently shake the bag to coat all the chicken breasts with seasoning.

Open the bag and pour in chicken broth in. You want the chicken breasts to be covered in chicken broth to absorb some of the liquid. Reseal the bag. I let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for the majority of the day. 

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with nonstick cook spray or coconut oil. 

Take chicken breasts out of bag and place on lined baking sheet. 

Sprinkle more seasoning over chicken breasts lightly coating each side.

In another ziploc bag combine trimmed green beans, cherry tomatoes, diced onion, and olive oil. Seal the bag.

Shake the ziploc bag gently to coat all the veggies in olive oil. 

After coating all veggies in olive oil open bag and spread veggies over chicken breasts on baking sheet. Try to evenly spread out veggies so everything cooks evenly. 

Bake chicken and veggies at 400F degrees for 25-30 minutes. The chicken is done cooking when the juices run clear. 

I served the chicken with roasted potatoes that I had made the day before, but you can easily roast potatoes and cook chicken at the same time. If you do that the potatoes need about 15 minutes more cook time than the chicken. It will be a two pan dinner then, but if you line the baking sheet the clean up is minimal!