Learning How to Slow Down

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to actually slow down.

For a long time, slowing down wasn't really an option. There was always something that needed to be done, something that needed to be paid, another goal to chase, or another problem to figure out. So when life finally gives you a little breathing room, you'd think you'd know exactly what to do with it. Apparently, I don't.

My husband recently started a really great new job, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. It has given us a little more stability and, for the first time in a while, I've been able to take some time to relax without feeling like I'm neglecting something. The funny part? I don't really know how to relax anymore; I Still Like to Keep Moving. That's probably why you'll still find me out doing DoorDash. DoorDash has actually become a positive thing for me. I'm using the extra money to help put aside what I need for my real estate dues and expenses. It's not about feeling like I have to work every second of the day. It's about giving myself another way to stay financially prepared while I'm building the next chapter of my life. I've worked too hard on my goals to stop now. I'm also learning that staying focused doesn't mean constantly running yourself into the ground. Sometimes staying focused means knowing when to work, and sometimes it means knowing when to put the phone down, breathe, and just be.

This Season Has Been Different

I've been spending more time meditating and reflecting lately. I've needed the quiet. When life is constantly moving, you don't always get the chance to stop and ask yourself how you're actually doing. So I've been trying to create those moments. I've been thinking about the things I want, the things I'm working toward, the things I've learned, and the person I'm becoming along the way.

I'm realizing that I don't want to spend so much time chasing the future that I forget to appreciate the present; because honestly, there is a lot to be grateful for. My husband has a new opportunity. I have time to breathe. I have my food, my creativity, my business ideas, my real estate goals, and so many things that I've worked incredibly hard to build. Even the things that haven't happened yet are still worth working toward. Sometimes

Slowing Down Looks Like Soup Yesterday was a perfect example. I had some frozen vegetables, some chicken, and vegetable scraps that I had saved instead of throwing away. So I decided to turn it all into a big pot of chicken noodle soup.

I used the onion and pepper tops I had saved to make the broth, and honestly, there was something really satisfying about taking things that could have ended up in the trash and turning them into something comforting. It reminded me that not everything has to be complicated. Sometimes you just use what you have, and sometimes you let a pot of soup simmer while you take a minute to breathe.

Freezer-Cleanout Chicken Noodle Soup

This is one of those recipes where you really don't have to measure everything perfectly. Use whatever vegetables you have hanging around and make it your own.

For the broth:

- 2 quarts water

- 1 chicken

- Onion tops

- Pepper tops

Add the water, chicken, onion tops, and pepper tops to a large pot. Let everything simmer for about 3 hours so the chicken cooks and the scraps have time to flavor the broth.

Once it's finished, strain the broth and set it aside. Pull the chicken apart, removing the bones and shredding the meat to add back into the soup.

For the soup:

Add your vegetables to the crockpot. I used:

- Frozen onions

- Frozen peppers

- Zucchini

- Carrots

- Celery

- Okra

- The shredded chicken

- Homemade chicken broth

- Italian seasoning

- Salt and pepper

Pour the broth over the vegetables and chicken and let everything cook on low for about an hour, or until the vegetables are tender.

About 20 minutes before you're ready to eat, add your egg noodles and some parsley.

Let the noodles cook until tender, give everything a good stir, taste for seasoning, and adjust your salt and pepper if needed.

Then serve yourself a big bowl and enjoy.

That's it.

No fancy ingredients. No complicated technique. Just good food made from what I already had.

Gratitude Before the Next Goal

I'm naturally a goal-oriented person. Give me a goal and I'll figure out how to get there, but maybe this season is teaching me something different.

Maybe I don't always have to be in "go, go, go" mode.

Maybe rest is productive too.

Maybe sitting in the car waiting for a DoorDash order can be a moment to reflect instead of another thing to rush through.

Maybe cooking just because I enjoy it doesn't have to become content.

Maybe I can take a day off without feeling guilty.

And maybe I can be proud of where I am while still being excited about where I'm going.

That's the balance I'm trying to find right now.

Still Moving Forward

I'm not giving up on my goals. I'm still dreaming about growing The Line Cook's Table, building my food business, creating more content, growing my real estate career, and eventually creating a life where I have more freedom to do the things I love. But I'm learning that the journey doesn't have to be exhausting to be meaningful. Right now, I'm choosing to be grateful for what I've been given.

I'm grateful for my husband's new opportunity.

I'm grateful for the ability to slow down.

I'm grateful that I can still work toward my goals without feeling like everything has to happen tomorrow.

I'm grateful for the creativity that keeps showing up in my kitchen.

And I'm grateful for something as simple as a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup.

Maybe this season isn't about doing more.

Maybe it's about learning how to appreciate what I've already built while I continue building what's next.

I'm still moving forward.

I'm just learning that I don't have to run.