Healthy Monday...Crockpot Paleo Sweet Potato Minestrone

It's healthy Monday so here is a great recipe to start your week out right...
I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to share it with everyone because it was so good. Here's a few great things about this recipe: It's healthy...paleo, it's a crockpot meal so you throw it all in and come back later and it's done, you get all your veggies you need and it makes a great leftover meal or two.

Crockpot Minestrone Soup

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 20 mins

A simple crockpot minestrone soup with no beans or pasta. You can leave out the pork for a vegan meal.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Sweet Potato, diced
• 1 cup Carrots, diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, diced
• 2 Zucchini Squash, diced
• 2 Shallots, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 28 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes w/ Juice
• ½ cup Frozen Spinach -or- 1 cup packed Fresh Spinach, chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Parsley
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ tsp Sea Salt
• 1-1/2 lb Ground Pork Sausage (optional) or ground beef

Instructions

1. Place the olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Add the prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, shallots, and garlic to the crock pot.
3. Pour in the chicken (or vegetable) broth. I did half chicken brother and half water. 
4. Add the entire can (including juice) of diced tomatoes.
5. Add the frozen spinach (no need to thaw and drain, just add it frozen).
6. Add in the oregano, basil, parsley, cayenne, and salt.
7. Stir everything together, add the bay leaved, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours (I prefer 8 hours).
8. About 2 hours before the soup is done, brown the ground pork sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. I used ground beef
9. Once the pork is cooked through (no pink), add it to the crock pot and mix it all together.
10. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Crafty Thursday....Wooden Pallet

DIY Pallet Wall Decor

We bought a home, remodeled almost everything in just three months and moved in when I was 36 weeks pregnant. It was a crazy chapter in our life. Well, we were on a budget and our main wall in the family room was empty. We needed something big to fill the space and I didn't want to go and buy something. So I searched on pinterest and got crafty. I used the pallet our couch was delivered on, which I'm so glad I saved. Anyways, I stained it with a dark walnut stain and then Chet screwed leftover wood floor pieces on each shelf of the pallet so I could hang pictures. We made sure it was compeltely dry and then screwed it in the wall. Having the shelves make it nice and easy to decorate. I love our new wall piece and the best part is it was free (well for the most part). :-)

Tips on Traveling with a Newborn

    
 Okay so some of you may find this blog absolutely ridiculous but those moms out there who will be traveling with their newborn or baby for the first time will probably find this helpful, at least I hope so. Before taking my first tip with Tru I did a lot of reading from other moms. Some things were helpful but I wanted to share my experience and what I recommend. Then hopefully your travel experience will be great and stress free. 

     So I just got back home from my second trip with Tru and he is only 13 weeks old. After my first flight I learned a lot on what not to do and after this second trip I have a better idea on what to do and what to pack. Flying with a newborn is very stressful. My first trip was solo and I don't recommend that. Tip #1: Fly with your husband or someone because you need those extra set of hands and all the help you can get. Trust me! I was so stressed and anxious on my first trip with Tru. We were traveling to Texas and Chet was at realtor school so it was just Tru and I. I was worried he would cry the entire flight and I would be that mom on the airplane that everyone hates. :-) Well he did great! He slept a ton in the ergo carrier, ate and was quiet. As I was walking off the plane people came up to me and said they didn't even know there was a baby on board because he was so quiet, which is the best thing to hear! On my way back was a different story. I had the flu and I realized I brought WAY TOO much stuff. I had a 36 minute layover, they changed gates and I was running with a screaming baby in the ergo carrier as I was trying to hold everything. I got to the gate and had to put everything down to get Tru out of the carrier and if it weren't for a very sweet lady who offered to help I probably wouldn't have made it on. As I just mentioned I brought way too much stuff. So I had Tru in the carrier, a huge backpack, diaper bag and his car seat. Trying to carry all that through the airport is not fun. So tip #2: you don't need as much as you think. Pack smart!

     Chet flew with us to California and on the second flight he cried a lot and at that point I didn't care and wasn't stressed about people getting upset. You get over it very quickly. Just remember babies are going to cry and sometimes you don't know why (at least on an airplane). From my experience, if you don't stress about it you'll feel a whole lot better. 

Here it goes:
- What not to do: Don't bring as much stuff as I did on my first trip, especially by yourself. If you can get a car seat at your final destination then DO IT! Carrying a car seat through the airport is a pain in the butt. 
- What to pack: Lots of diapers, wipes, couple extra outfits, beanie (in case it's cold on the airplane), blanket, lavendar oil (helps calm them), lots of burp cloths and a couple bibs, ziploc baggy to put dirty items in, a few toys (rattle toy), ergo carrier, extra top for you in case he spits up on you, nursing cover, pump, bottles, hand sanitizer, and snacks.
- What to wear: Shoes that you just slip on and off because you have to hold your baby through security without the carrier. Wear something comfy and a top that's easy for nursing. 
- What to do: always be one step ahead of your little precious peanut. I pumped and brought a bottle just in case and ended up using it. You have to be very organized, and I mean having a burp cloth and a bib in the ergo zipper for quick and easy access. As well as headband and rubber band so they don't spit up on your hair. We bought fly baby and it's the thing Tru is in at the top fo the blog. It attaches to the tray and around your waist. Tru liked it because he could kick, move and play. I tried using it when I flew by myself and I don't recommend that because you need an extra set of hands to put it on. Also, I recommend having a layover of at least an hour in a half so you can get a bite to eat and let your little one kick and move. Let him get tired so he will sleep on the airplane. 
- Best way to change their diaper on the airplane: There were a couple times with Chet that I changed Tru's diaper on Chet and it worked out great (of course we used the diaper pad). But if you're by yourself it's difficult. I wasn't about to get his diaper pad and put it on the nasty germ filled bathroom seat so what I did was I put the toilet lid down, sat there, leaned back, put my legs together and up on the door (so there was an angle for him to lay on me), had him lay on my legs and changed him on me. It worked out great. And that way he didn't touch anything in the bathroom, just you!

I hope this has helepd you. If you have any questions let me know.