Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

It's that time of year! SOUPS!!!! 

Here is my favorite beef and veggie soup recipe.  My hubby doesn't even like veggie soups and he liked this one! 

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can low sodium diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 cup chopped cabbage(optional)
• ¼ each cup chopped carrot and green beans(FRESH is best)
• ½ cup chopped bell pepper
• ¾ cup chopped broccoli or zucchini (I do both!)
• 5 cups low sodium beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon each thyme & basil
• salt, pepper,onion powder, garlic powder to taste. I just keep tasting it until its good! 
• Beef tips or whatever beef meat you may have.  Stew meat....is that the same as beef tips?  IDK...haha 

Directions. 

I add everything BUT the meat in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours.  About an hour before we eat I will cook the meat in a pan with some olive oil.  I add some pepper to it as well.  Then add it all into the crock pot again an hour before we eat.  

Stop Comparing

 Comparison is so easy with social media.  And as a mom its easy to start comparing ourselves to other moms.

Shortly after I found out I was pregnant I was researching working out while pregnant, which I have always done in the past with my other pregnancies but with the Crossfit style workouts I knew it was going to look different after a few months.  So I saw pictures/videos of moms at 6 months pregnant still doing pull ups, over head squats and running.  " I've got this this."  I told myself.  Well.... 6 months later here I am.  Some days are slow.  Some days I sweat, some I don't sweat much! My growing belly of my 4th child is way different then my first.  Everything is different and I NEED to stop comparing.

If you are pregnant or not, each of our bodies gains and loses weight different.  Lovely genetics  play a role as well, along with age.  We can't look at social media and workout programs to determine what our outlook will look like.  We just can't.  We need to embrace where we are at, work hard, stay focused on our "why" we work out and go from there.  We need to be kind to ourselves whatever stage we are in with our fitness journey.

So today, set realistic goals.  Stay focused on your WHY and be kind to yourself.

XO,
Mickey

Finding Joy

I find JOY in helping others.  Sometimes that looks like helping others along in their health journey and other times its guiding them in their spiritual journey.  Trust me, I don't have all the answers about what happens in this life, but I do know the One who can hold your hand as you go through life. 

I started praying each day for the opportunity to share Christ through my own health journey.  As much as I realize the importance of a healthy lifestyle, having your heart in line with the One who created YOU and ME is so much more important. This body is going to quit working someday, and I hope to take care of it the best way that I can until then.  

I want to do everything FOR GOD, not for myself.  I want God to be the one that leads my life, my family's lives and everything in between.  From the everyday mom "stuff", being a wife and working out.  You can find JOY in ALL of that when you put God in the center of your life.  

Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do ALL for the glory of God.  

Early Riser Movement

While you are sleeping away in dream land there is a movement of people waking up and getting things done BEFORE the sun comes up.  Oh yes, it actually happens. They are making most of their day and getting that " TO DO" list started. Yes my friends, we call these folk " Early Risers." These  are men and women tackling emails, hitting the gym and getting some wonderful "alone" time before their kiddos are awake and getting ready for school and so on.

Ok, some may think this kind of choice, to wake up before the sun is just crazy.  I myself have started to embrace this Early Riser Movement.  My day just doesn't feel right if I don't get up early now.  Before all the crazy wonderful starts happening.  The buzzing of messages, lunches to be made and children's bums to be wiped.  (real life)

Being apart of this movement doesn't come easy to everyone, and it can take a lot of training, but once you sit in silence with coffee in hand, your bible open, seeing the sun sneak up from the early morning sky and embracing the kid-free silence you will be glad you joined the movement.  Here are some tips if you want to embrace waking up early!

1- Go to bed early.   Everyone needs a different amount of sleep.  Going to bed at 1am and getting up at 4:45am probably isn't the best way to start your day.  Some nights you may only be able to watch one show or read a few chapters in a book, and then hop off to dreamland.

2- Give yourself something to look forward to.   That yummy, hot coffee waiting for you in the morning.  A new book to read, scripture reading, hitting the gym or doing your favorite yoga DVD in the morning. TREAT YO SELF for getting out of bed!

3- Commit to a fortnight.  Basically give yourself TWO weeks to adjust to this new routine.  Be patient and don't throw in the towel after a few days. #coffee

4- Finish with a delicious breakfast!  As a pregnant momma at the moment, this might be my favorite part! After a good workout I just want to eat something yummy! Eat like a King or Queen to start your day!  For me its usually Eggs, avocado,salsa and maybe some toast. Oh and coffee. YUM YUM!

Mickey 

Hi my name is Michelle Elkins, but my nick name is Mickey.
I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I met my husband at college in Springfield, Missouri.
We have lived in Missouri, Florida, Michigan and now Ohio!
Together we have 3 girls and a little BOY on the way.

     My health journey began in High School.  I played soccer from 4th-9th grade and a little basketball.   I REALLY wanted to be on a "team."  I worked hard, played hard but it was never enough.  I thought I was never enough.  Going to a large High School you had to be on TOP in order to make a team.  Again, I wasn't enough so I decided to focus on just working out.  Working out turned into something I did because I ate too many calories OR I needed to look a certain way.  This life style continued into college and beyond.
     Then I was introduced to Crossfit.  I showed up with a baby number 3 body.  Weak and squishy. Embarrassed too.  No confidence what so ever.  But I kept coming back because it was so different.  People were cheering me on, helping me and guiding me.  It wasn't a typical gym.  My husband also fell in love with Crossfit along the way and we have been doing Crossfit ever since.  My husband also went on and got certified with his Level One, which I hope to do in my future as well.
      This past year I finally realized how much my faith and fitness went together.  God has given me this body to take care of.  If I don't do my best to take care of it, I don't have the energy or capability  to help others!  I want to accomplish what God has in store for me, so I need to feed my body the right foods, and exercise.  Not because I like to eat.
    Ive come to realize through Crossfit that obedience brings freedom.  But it costs something.  It definitely costs extra energy, it may cost extra sleep.  But in the end obedience brings freedom.  Freedom from the bondage of an unhealthy body.   Freedom from the sin of trying to do it all our own way. 
  Maybe Crossfit isn't for you(right now, hehe) But there are other programs out there for those who like to workout at home.  And I would love to connect with you about your health and fitness journey! 

Mickey