Turkey Chili

The slow cooker is really an amazing appliance that I feel everyone should own. It is the perfect way to get a heads start on your dinner plans. You can prep everything the night before, turn the cooker on in the morning, and just let it take care of business while you're off on your busy day. By the time you get home your kitchen will be filled with the aromas of your upcoming meal. 

One of my favorite one pot dishes to prep in the slow cooker is Turkey Chili. Chili is one of my favorite comfort foods. The best part about it is you can really throw anything you want into it. Switch up the meat with beef or chicken or even go vegetarian! There are loads of different beans and veggies that can be added as well. Below is my favorite version. Pair it with a big chunk of corn bread and you have yourself a delicious meal. 

Let's Get Fit

Image found on Pinterest. Original source unknown.

As I have previously mentioned in my "Year of Me" post, I have been focusing on becoming more lean and toned. This all started back in September prior to my friends wedding and our Florida vacation. I had a goal of losing 8 pounds in 4 weeks. This turned out to be a lot easier than I thought! Mostly because the first week I lost about 7 pounds of water weight; though it gave me motivation to continue. I cut back on my excessive snacking, cut out the 3-4 Lindt truffles I was eating a day (insert face of shame here), and was just more conscious about what I was eating. I took advantage of the myfitnesspal app on my phone to keep track of what I was eating each day. You are also able to add in your exercise to calculate your allotted net calorie intake. I'll admit this was tough, especially during the holiday season. I did allow myself a cookie here and there, but overall I feel I created a normal routine for myself.  To date I have lost 17 pounds and dropped a full pant size! I never thought I would see this early high school weight again. I was able to conquer each milestone by making an overall "lifestyle change." People laugh at me when I say this, but I swear it works! Changing your overall lifestyle and way of eating has better long term results than crash dieting. There are loads of articles, books, and websites out there that can help each and every person get started. You just have to do it, jump right in!

Richie & Cassie's Wedding

Last weekend we celebrated the union between two of our good friends, Richie and Cassie. These two have been together for a number of years. Richie proposed last year over the holidays. Since then, I have helped Cassie with a lot of the little details being sure she had everything taken care of for their big day. The couple had also asked Nick to photograph the wedding. So between the two of us, we were able to get some really beautiful shots. The snowy white back drop was perfect!

Strawberry & Rosemary Scones

Nothing tastes better than a cup of hot tea and a scone. It really just gives you a chance to sit back and relax for a few minutes letting your worries and stresses of the day pass you by just for a moment. I found this recipe in the Giada at Home cookbook by, you guessed it, Giada De Laurentiis. Sticking with my goal of creating a recipe from my cookbooks, I thought this would be perfect for the upcoming holiday. The scones can be cut into cut little heart shapes to give to your sweetheart. These scones are a great mix of sweet and savory, allowing them to be a great treat any time of the day.

Giada's Cinnamon Kettle Corn

I have quite a few cook books with dozens of delicious recipes. However, since the creation of Pinterest I have found myself turning towards the web rather than the hardcover. I decided to give myself a challenge and utilize my books by creating a recipe from them at least once a week. 

My favorite Food Network star has to be Giada De Laurentiis. She creates dishes that are fun, creative, and most of the time healthy. This past November her cookbook Feel Good Food was released. I received it as a Christmas gift. She created healthy, delicious recipes for any meal. One recipe that caught my eye (mostly because I seemed to have all of the ingredients) was her Cinnamon Kettle Corn. I decided to give it try for a delicious after dinner snack.