Recipe: Slow Cooker Tomato Soup

I've been requested to post my recipe for slow cooker tomato soup. It's ridiculously easy!

There's two parts to the soup, the base and the options.

Part 1: The Base

My tomato soup starts off the same way every time.

Ingredients:
1 796ml Can of Crushed Tomatoes (No Added Salt)
1 796ml Can of Diced Tomatoes (No Added Salt)
Mrs. Dash (I add garlic & herb, southwest and extra spicy. Add as much as you want.)
1 tbsp of cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste.
1 Cup of Skim Milk (for a creamy texture)

I cook it 8 hours in a crock pot on low.

Part 2: The Options

This is where it gets fun. It really depends on you and what you have.

For the Whole 8 hours

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Pork Loin

Add in the last half hour - hour

• Frozen Corn
• Black beans/kidney beans
• Frozen Edamame
• Sweet Peppers
• Jalapeño Peppers or hotter

Add in the last 15 minutes

• Spinach
• Any herbs (I love cilantro but you can add parsley, basil, etc)
• Green onions

Add the extras

• shredded cheeses
• sour cream

If you can't be there during the last hour, prepare/cook your frozen ingredients before hand and add whenever you get home. It's delicious and my favourite soup. It changes every time.

My Why.

I've been writing this post for months. I don't know why I've been stuck on this for so long but it will be done today.

Over the last year, I have had to adjust my mindset. Christmas 2012 I spent my holiday season struggling to walk. My legs felt heavy. I was depressed. I know that it's a symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. I know I needed a round of steroids and I'd be able to walk properly again but it still was super scary. It got me thinking.

I know that my future is uncertain. I don't know when/if I will relapse. I don't know what my symptoms will be. Somethings, I just don't know. But there are things I do know:

1. I wake up every morning. Simple as that. I get up. I move. I do.

2. Life is short. I learned that from losing my mom 4 years ago. Her journey inspires me on a daily basis. She didn't give up and neither will I.

3. I workout because I can. It's not about determination or will power. It makes me feel like I can do anything. I'm stronger. Healthier. Leaner. Nicer. Happier. It is a blessing.

4. I will be able to play with my nephews, niece, cousins, etc. I will to be able to chase around my Godson and be the "cool" aunt. And at some point, I will be a "cool" mom. Maybe. I don't know if I'll be cool but I hope.

I visited the MS clinic Wednesday and my physical results haven't changed. He even noticed my arm muscles ;).  To hear that I haven't changed physically is amazing news, especially since 6 months ago, they did.

 I can do all the things I want to do. I can. I will.

That's my why.

What's yours?

MS & Me

Here's my truth, I have multiple sclerosis. It does not define me. I have this disease but I am not the disease. It took a lot for me to come to this conclusion.

I started complaining to my family and my doctor that I was constantly tired. All I wanted to do was sleep. I was 14. He tested my iron levels and several other levels but they all came back negative. I just kept pushing forward. I napped constantly and my sleep patterns were all crazy. Every other year or so, I'd go back for tests and it always came back negative. 

High school passed, University passed and I still felt exhausted. 

Then on one random day in November, just months after my mom passed away, I fainted at work and smacked my head on the floor. Off to the E.R. I went. From there, a miracle happened. 

I did a cat scan of my head. There was an abnormality in my scan. It should be super scary, especially since one genius doctor mentioned a tumor, but I didn't let it worry me. Actually, I was incredibly nervous. I had just buried my mother who lost her battle to cancer so I was petrified. An MRI was scheduled and I waited (im)patiently for the results.

"You have lesions on your brain."

What? What did that mean? The lesions are a sign of MS but a diagnosis was a still a while away. I was devastated. I needed answers. I didn't know where to turn. I had an incredible support system but it didn't help to ease the worry.

"Don't google! If you need more information, go on MSsociety.ca. Google will only show you the worse case scenario so don't do it." I didn't google like crazy, well just a little. My neurologist was right. BAD IDEA! The MS Society of Canada website was all I needed.

So now I waited. I needed actually symptoms to confirm a diagnosis. They hit me hard. I had intense shoulder spasms, a tightness in my torso that felt like "perma-spanx", limited use of my left hand and heavy legs. Here we go. Next came several MRIs, a round of Steroids, a visit to the MS Clinic to discuss a medicinal course. Inject myself with a needle everyday? It was overwhelming but worth it. I had an official answer. That's all that mattered.

It's been a tough battle. A really bad roller coaster ride. I have ups and downs. I spend days in bed. I spend nights awake. I have moments when I feel like I can conquer the world. I have moments when I want the world to go away. That's life in general for everybody isn't it?

I will survive. I will thrive. MS is not a death sentence. 

I really should be sleeping

I need to sleep. I have a very busy day tomorrow. Since I've been sick with this stupid cold, I haven't worked out, except for burpees, so I NEED to get a workout in. I'm singing at a wedding. I'm meeting with the inlaws. I'm taking the nephew to watch Monster's University and most importantly, I start my new medication Tecfidera. I'm hoping and praying for very little side effects but of course I won't know until I start. Hopefully, this will help me with my relapses. I hate them and I hate taking Prednisone to get rid of them when they start. I also hated injecting myself with a needle on a daily basis so taking a pill twice a day is a blessing. Living with MS is a difficult situation but it's not a curse. Wish me luck.

After the Reset

It's been a week since I completed the Ultimate Reset. I lost 9 lbs and it's an awesome feeling. After the reset, my life has been a little chaotic. I wasn't prepared. I should have meal planned. I put back on about 1.5 lbs. I'm not upset, nor will I give up. This is all a learning experience so I am stepping up my game and I meal planned for the week. I purchased tons of delicious goodness. I can't wait. I'm going to post recipes this week. Keep myself active and accountable. Plus, I really enjoy creating new recipes and this will be a great way to remember them. Keep an eye out for some recipes and food ideas!

Relay for Life

I have so many feelings about the last 12 hours of my life. 

It's my 4th year participating in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Or so we think we can't remember at this moment. Regardless, it's the toughest 12 hours of my life but I'll do it over and over again. 

For those of you that don't know, Relay for Life is a 12 hour walk, done in teams. Basically you walk around a track for 12 hours as a team. It's broken up but I always try to walk as much as humanly possible. 

The evening starts off with a celebration of life; the survivor's lap. A walk my mother once took. It's an emotional moment when you see survivors of all ages walking the track or sitting in classic cars. You can't help but thank The Lord that they are still here and miss the ones who aren't. 

With high spirits, we're off. The first few laps are exciting, dancing our way through it. By lap 10, we're thinking let's take a break. Doesn't last long because its freezing and we realize movement keeps us warm. Visitor's bring us coffee and walk alongside us. We share stories, laughter and therapy sessions. Until 10 when my favourite part, the luminary ceremony begins. Hundreds of candles surround the track with messages of sorrow or great joy and the word HOPE creates a warm ambiance. A slideshow plays to remember those who have passed included my wonderful mother. 

By 3 am we're exhausted but we keep pushing. With breaks in between we push until breakfast time. You slowly start packing up. Tents come down, blankets folded up and coolers get packed. Heading home to sleep is our main focus!  And with that, another year is done. The memories will bring us through until next year. It's an experience that changes every year but it's one worth repeating. 

Day 17

I can't believe I'm on day 17! It's been an interesting experience. I'm not going to lie, I miss chicken and I'm sick of fruit every morning but I'm enjoying it. I miss working out. I can't wait to start Les Mills Combat after I'm done. 

I'm enjoying a wonderful Moroccan carrot salad. I probably should have taken a picture before I started eating it. 

 

I went to Target again today. I'm a little obsessed. Thinking of redecorating my bathroom. That will have to wait until after my reset is done. For now, I need to put together a unit for my living room. Wish me luck!