Recipe - Chicken Chili

This was our main course last night.  I love this recipe.  It is easy to remember and assemble.  It's easily doubled.  It's thrown in the crockpot to cook all day.  It has the approval of both the husband AND the kids.  (I'll add a picture next time I make it.)  For my friends in Laramie who requested this recipe, here you go!

1 pound of FROZEN chicken breast (426 cal)
1 pound of FROZEN corn (367 cal)
1 15 oz can of black beans (110 cal)
1 3 oz package cream cheese (298 cal)
1 pint medium salsa (or whichever sizzle you choose) (80 cal)

Combine in a crock pot.  Cook on high 3-4 hours, low 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken and shred.  Return to pot.  Serve alone, over rice or in a tortilla.  Garnish as desired.  Makes two quarts or 8 - 12 servings. Total calories 1281 or 106 - 160 cal per serving.

As my husband would say, "This is TASTY."

What I've learned about my eating habits

   So the binge I've had this last week has made me really look at why I eat.  Sounds odd.  I should be eating because I'm hungry, right?  Nope.  Not me.
   I eat because:
      1.  I'm bored and I want something for my hands to do;
      2.  I'm passing Taco Bell;
      3.  The food I'm fixing at that moment is too delicious to pass up;
      4.  I'm passing Chipotle's;
      5.  It's the correct time of day to eat;
      6.  I'm passing McDonald's;
      7.  I'm in 7-11 and already purchasing the Dr. Pepper so I might as well purchase the bag
           of cheese puffcorn;
      8.  I'm passing the refrigerator;
      9.  It's Thursday;
    10.  It's Monday, I've been shopping all day and now I'm at Sam's and I'm passing the
           fast food counter at the front of the store.

   Anywhere in the above statements have you seen the phrase "Because I'm hungry."?

   I don't either.

   BECAUSE IT'S NOT THERE!!

   Now, you may think that I'm being facetious or dramatic.  Well, maybe I am a tad.  I don't stop every single time I pass Taco Bell, Chipotle or McDonald's.  But I do make a mental note to make sure I stop when I'm out and alone (feeding someone else who may be in the vehicle can become expensive).  Does that make me a closet binger?  Never heard of it, but I'm not tossing out possibilities.

   But, the majority of what I say above is correct.  I really never eat because I'm hungry.  Number 8 really frustrates me when I realize I opened the door just because I passed it.  And since I've gone through the trouble of opening the door, I might as well grab a snack, right? :/

   This phenomenon was really obvious when I was eating crap last week and I was full.  Literally, I was stuffed.  Like when you've had WAY too much at Thanksgiving.  AND I KEPT EATING IT.
   I guess that's reason number:
     11.  I can't waste the food.
  Oh! I almost forgot number:
     12.  I am doing something creative (with my hands even) and my creative energy is spent
            so I need to do something different with my hands and have a snack.

What did Charlie Brown say?

AAAUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!

Today's food:
5:15 - One piece of ham lunchmeat and a single slice of Colby Jack cheese
7:30 - A medium sized bowl of Cream of Wheat with a tablespoon of White Grape Jelly
12:30 - (my blood sugar is so low at this point, I'm shaking.  Why? Because I was shopping and forgot about my eat-something-small-every-three-hours-to-keep-your-blood-sugar-level snacks.)  One Sam's size piece of all-meat pizza (equivalent of two slices) and a 32 oz Full-HighFructoseCornSyrup Dr. Pepper.
5:30 - snacking on the ham, rice and cheese casserole I'm making for supper as I prepare it.  Why? Because I was at the doctor's office all afternoon with Ryan getting his unbroken arm cleared for PE again and I forgot about my eating schedule.  (If I made this sound like Ryan's fault, it's not.  It's mine.  Just frustrating.)  Man.  I'm going to have to start packing around a diaper bag again just so I can eat small snacks!
6:15 - Eating my chicken and bean tortillas while everybody else eats the ham rice and cheese.
6:35 - Stop eating for the night.
8:00 -  keep my hands busy doing dishes while everybody else eats ice cream. :/

AAAUUUGGGGHHHH!!

I have officially blogged today.  Tomorrow will be better.  Have a wonderful evening.  See you tomorrow.
Same Bat time, same Bat channel.

I'm a waffle

    I'm a waffle.  I can't seem to commit to a 1500 calorie diet, or exercise for that matter.  I do good one day and the next, I'm giving in to every temptation I can find, cookies, Dr. Pepper, french fries.....
    I'm in a good place one day, and low the next.  A waffle.
    I have found a good meal that fills me up for about three hours (Please forgive the pictures, I'm still not good at taking pictures with my laptop.)

        I start with a flour tortilla:
               94 calories.
               I'm not concerned about anything else right
               now.







 I add a tablespoon of sour cream:
        26 calories, 120 total so far.
        I need taste.
       




                I add a tablespoon of guacamole:
                        23 calories, 143 total.
                        Again, I need taste.




I add 1/3 cup of shredded chicken breast with taco seasoning.  I cook 5 to 6 breasts in the crock pot along with 1/2 cup of water and one packet of taco seasoning.  The packet states there's about 20 calories in it.  There's about 20 to 24 servings from the pot of chicken.  I'm going to round up and say it adds 2 calories per 1/3 cup.
          82 calories, 225 total.
          The chicken is tasty.



I add 1/3 cup refried beans and 1/3 cup black beans.
        154 calories, 379 total.
        Tasty filler with protein.







I add 2 tablespoons of shredded Colby-Jack cheese.  I need cheese.
        55 calories, 434 total.
        I wish there could be more.





                        I top it off with lettuce (2 calories) and
                        two tablespoons of tomatoes.
                               6 calories, 440 total.
                               I need some veggies.




    So until I figure out some other lower calorie meals that I like, I'm eating this for lunch and dinner.  It's tasty and filling.  I've been having smaller versions of what the kids eat for breakfast.  In between, I'm eating a couple slices of turkey or ham and carrots or 1/2 cup of yogurt with 1/4 cup of granola in it (which isn't as bad as I thought it would be).  I don't know if I'm hitting the 1500 calorie mark or not.  I am certain I'm not hitting the 3400 calorie mark.  Unless...
    It's the in between times when I'm hungry that I hit the well of the waffle.  Or when I fix something for supper for everybody else and I really like it.  Or when Steph makes cookies (I had an impossible time passing up the dough).  I've been craving sugar...a lot.  There's many wells in my waffle.
    I guess I need to decide if I'm going to be a soggy waffle or a crispy one.  A waffle that won't soak up the hot, melted butter and sugary, maple syrup.





                                    Anyone want a waffle?


Reference

* Update 3/18/15 - I now split the chicken and beans into two portions and have two burritos.  I go slower since I have "more" and I feel "fuller" since it takes longer to eat.  726 calories