So I made this resolution to not be so hard on myself.
This is a resolution I made, not for myself as much as for my daughter. And how I model womanhood to her.
I want to show her how to focus more on her successes than her failures.
Hold her strengths closer than she holds her weaknesses.
Our children only learn so much from our words, but our actions, especially those that we think they don’t see, are ingrained in who they are.
I’ve stopped using self deprecating statements, as my vow not to model for her what I so badly want to protect her from.
As I see her tiny body grow more and more into a mirror of my own, I now realize that all the things I say about myself, I am inadvertently saying about this tiny “Me” who is now running around trying to mimic what I do.
It’s cute when she says, “Bacon, Yum!”
Would it be as cute if she looks in the mirror and says, “I’m too fat to wear this”?
I don’t get to pick and choose what she picks up from me. I can just be more aware of my own attitudes and try to shape them into what I want her to pick up. And hope that I do my best to eliminate the mentalities that cause me to say hateful things about myself.
I want to teach her to look back on her mistakes with a postivive filter.
Not to say:
“What was I thinking?”
But instead to try and figure out:
“What was I learning?”
How the heck does this relate to Mac N Cheese soup? Well, most of you have resolutions about weight. Some of you probably even need to lose weight for health reasons. But if you have a daughter, or even a sensitive son, please don’t say:
“I don’t want to be so fat anymore.”
Instead:
“I want to be healthier. Run faster, jump higher.”
Because, the truth is, unlike a lot of regrets we have in life:
Your weight is fixable.
That is great news, because so many things we have done aren’t. Make a plan, stick to it. Focus on your success, not your failure and give yourself time to make it happen. Because,if you have kids, our resolutions aren’t that different. They are for our kids, modeling how to live. Eat how you want them to eat and they will follow suit.
Mac N Cheese soup is great way to do this. It’s familiar, with just a bit of the high calories stuff. I’m focusing on the strengths of the food to bring it into a high flavor, low calorie food.
I used the Recipe Calorie Calculator on Spark people to find out how many calories are in this. It’s a great tool for homemade food. You can even adjust the ingredients to see how you can get the same amount of food for less calories.
The idea came from The Daily Unadventures in Cooking, and her Macaroni and Cheese dish. Check out her blog if you get a chance.
Healthy 220 Calorie Mac N Cheese Soup
2 tbs Smart Balance Light (or other low cal margarine spread)
1/3 cup red onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs flour
6 cups of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
3 cups of butternut squash, fresh, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup Macaroni noodles
1/3 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
Makes 4 servings.
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, melt the Smart Balance Light. Add the onions and cook until opaque. Add the garlic and stir until you can smell them cooking, about 20 seconds. Add the flour and whisk until combined with the butter spread and no flour lumps remain. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the cubes of butternut squash, place the lid on at an angle allowing the steam to vent, boiling until the squash is very soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Using an immersion blender, puree the squash until smooth and creamy. Return to heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the spices, adjusting to your preference. Add to bowls and top with chopped tomatoes.
Printable:Healthy Mac N Cheese Soup
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Ok one your daughter is absolutely precious!! And TWO, this is the most brilliant soup ever, I love this! Fabulous recipe!
Your daughter is adorable. Being cautious of what you say as well as what your child hears is a hard rule to carry 24-7 and I am glad that you took a moment to write about the direct affects a comment from a parent can make on a child’s outlook.
This soup recipe looks delicious and coming in at a tiny 220 calories is a bonus. Great post.
Love the seniment and the soup
Mac and cheese soup? This is a great idea. And I love that it’s only 220 calories!
Okay Jackie this post just makes me want to reach through the screen and hug you. I love your outlook. You are an amazing woman and mom. Your daughter is lucky to have you to model herself after.
The soup is something my guys would go bonkers for. I am oddly not a mac n cheese fan. About once a year I get a hankering for it though. At 220 calories this is a great choice. I am off to check out that calorie calculator.
Ahhh, thank you Kim! I always wanna hug you after I read on of your posts
Hey this is a great ! Thanks!
What a lovely recipe – great inspirational post. The combination of chilli, butternut squash and some soft macaroni sounds great.
Guiltfree mac and cheese soup. Oh, heck yeah!
Lovely post. And lovely shots of this soup. I love the idea and recipe! Yum.
I love this post and how you are changing the way you frame things for your daughter! Yay! And this soup sounds so good. Bookmarking!!
I love, LOVE that picture of you two ladies ~ absolutely beautiful!! And I think that your goal to change how you portray yourself to your daughter is absolutely spot on. Kids most definitely learn how they handle situations from those influential grown-ups in their life, and your daughter ~ and you ~ will be happier for these changes! Thanks for the reminder that we get to choose how we shape our thoughts.
Thank you Katie! SO sweet of you to say
Soup seems to be great. I’ve bookmarked it.
So glad you enjoy my blog. Great sentiments and great recipe!
Thank you! I loved your Mac N Cheese
I’m seriously drooling!! This looks amazing. This with a beer is going to be my first post paleo meal!!
It does go very well with beer
Hello there, I actually really want to try this! Looks good and healthy.
This soup looks so delicious. Ive bookmarked it. A must try!
This sounds DELICIOUS and I love that it’s light! You have a great attitude towards your daughter and you’re thinking the right way to improve your own well-being.
Your daughter is adorable, your resolution awesome and the soup delicious!!!
This sounds fantastic! I love mac and cheese (seriously…love) but have never seen it in soup form before. Definitely something to try! PS: You have a fantastic attitude and it’s totally admirable that you are concerned about passing it on to your daughter.
Thank you, so sweet of you to say
220 calories??? YES. I’m so on board with this. Love the picture!
What a great recipe. I’ve pinned it and I am adding it to my soup recipe links. Thanks for posting.
going to enjoy a few more minutes of quiet before i set off and make this! today is a sunny but chilly sunday, perfect for comfort food
and what a perfect blend of comfort food – mac n cheese & soup!!!
thanks for the awesome recipe
it was DELICIOUS!!!! going to add califlowr or broccoli next time. thanks for sharing this!!!
YAAAAYYY!