Handmade Roses and Homemade Chili

So, I had a lazy day today. I spent waayyyy too much time being obsessed with Pintrest! I also like to be obessed with both Foodgawker and Craftgawker, if you have never been to any of these websites, go now! (actually finish reading my post first lol)  Today it was all about the crafts :)

Here are a few awesome things that I found today.......

 I ABSOLUTLY love handmade rosettes! Whether it be paper, ribbon, cloth, or what-have-you - it doesn't matter - I love them! So I tried them out today :) Here are a few newspaper roses and some ribbon roses that I made. Plans are to use them for Christmas presents......I figure if I get started on them now, I might be able to finish by Christmas lol.

The newspaper roses I plan on painting.......I'm thinking white with a hint of pink? The fabric roses are glued down to the paper so they stay together, then I'm going to cut them out using a craft knife. I can them use them for whatever craft I want, like a headband with roses, picture frame, a wreath..........the list goes on  :) Maybe if anybody is interested I will post a tutorial on how to make them sometime in the future.

Along with my crafty mood today, I have also been craving everything fall related. I have pumpkin spice candles out, blankets on the couch, apple cider in the fridge, sticks from caramel apples in the garbage.......the only thing missing (besides the leaves changing color) is our fall food staple - CHILI!

I don't love chili, I like it ok, just not a favorite......unless it's fall. For some reason it just tastes better with pumpkin spice candles and cooler weather :) I have experimented with different chili recipes over the past few years, and I'm pretty sure that the chili that I made today comes out on top. It's a little bit different...........lots of beans, chili beans and lentils (I put lentils in EVERYTHING now) and I added corn this time. I usually only use turkey burger instead of red meat, however, I didn't have any on hand, instead I had bear burger. It's ok........not my favorite.........I just don't generally like red meat.  So anyways..........here's the recipe for your enjoyment :)

Homemade Chili

Ingredients:

1  28 oz can crushed tomatoes (no salt added)
1  6 oz can tomato paste
1 medium onion - diced
1 medium green pepper - diced
3 garlic cloves - minced
1 bag frozen corn or 1 can of no salt added corn
1   15 oz can chicken stock (can substitute water if you don't have any on hand)
2 cups uncooked lentils
1  15 oz can chili beans
2 bay leaves
1 lb meat - cooked - and seasoned with chili seasoning - I like to use turkey burger for less calories
pinch of salt and pepper
sour cream and/or cheddar cheese for garnish


Instructions:

1.  Mix all the ingredients (not including garnishes) in a largish crock pot and turn on low for 6-8 hours or turn on high for 3-4 hours.
2. Add your favorite toppings such as sour-cream and/or cheddar cheese
3.  Enjoy with crackers or cornbread........yummmmm cornbread.......didn't have any tonight :(


Now, I think I'm gonna go work on a knitting project that I started last year lol................

Will Being (slightly) Mean Help You Lose Weight?

I know this sounds a little harsh - bear with me.

I read this article at a time when I really, really needed to hear something exactly like this. I have become somewhat addicted to Self Magazine, a magazine dedicated to women's health and fitness. This article caught my eye when I was reading it at work, a place where, at the time, it seemed like people were walking all over me and rumors (untrue rumors) were flying and I even, somewhat desperately, tried to transfer out of the only job I have ever actually loved doing.
 
This was a low point for me at work, I was trying to lose weight and had lost around 25 lbs. Some people were (and are still) extremely supportive, giving me compliments and telling me that I've been doing a good job and to keep it up. However, there are those people who act like your friend and look like your friend, but inside them is just a mean little person trying to get out. Oh, they are nice enough usually, but there are those occasions where they let that side of their personality out. For instance, someone said to me one day, "don't worry about what everybody else thinks Ashley, I can tell that you've lost some weight." This is the one that has stuck out in my mind. We are not friends anymore. I decided to be a little mean and just stop being friends. It made me feel better knowing that I had one less person in my life that had the power to make me feel bad about myself.

This article struck a chord because it's about letting people walk all over you during the day - saying yes when you really want to say no, taking on a project when you don't have time, saying yes to going out when you really just want to stay home and take a bath and spend "me" time. Essentially, saying yes to the world, who is usually ungrateful, so to compensate for having your feelings hurt, you nurture yourself by indulging in food - comfort food. For me, it was letting people talk about me and say things to my face and behind my back, and just taking it and letting it hurt my feelings. This led to me eating a cookie (they are sooo available in a bakery!) and the brief sugar high would make me feel better, or I would go and buy a bag of candy, same thing, but they would only make me feel better while eating them, afterwards I would feel worse because I knew I shouldn't be eating that crap! SO I STOPPED. Lol, really, I read the part in the article that says "I won't take any crap and I won't eat any crap" and I was like this is me and it needs to stop. People gave me some surprised looks the next week or so as I spoke out and was really, actually a little mean and sarcastic, but it made me feel so good about myself knowing that I wasn't letting anyone take advantage of me or walk all over me. Self-empowerment! Lol, I happen to love Jillian Micheals (I listen to her podcasts religiously) and she is a big fan of the term "self-empowerment".

Everything is calmed down at work now (well for the most part lol - I work in a bakery full of women - there is no time when there isn't drama happening). I no longer want to transfer out, and I no longer feel as though I have to watch my back. (Of course, it helps that one of those people are gone)  It's an empowering feeling knowing that you are not going to let people walk all over you and that you have the ability to say no if you want to say no.

So, with all that being said, I don't think it has made me lose any of the weight..........lol. Something that has, however, is remaking a few favorite recipes with fresh and healthy versions :)

 It's incredibly easy to make! There is no reason to buy that jar version of what they call spaghetti sauce EVER AGAIN!! Seriously, you will not want to buy that stuff ever again after making this! This time I actually made it from fresh tomatoes, but usually I will buy the canned crushed tomatoes - organic if you can find it - with no salt added (you don't need that extra salt!) Then add some diced fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil and you are good to go!! Delicious! Unfortunately, this is my weakness, the one food that I almost always go back for seconds on, so, I always try to eat it on a small plate (tonight was on one of the kids plates lol) so when I go back for seconds, I am still eating less than one serving on a regular plate :)

Fresh organic ingredients

fresh basil: roughly chop about 6 leaves

Organic tomato sauce!

Tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste with diced onion, garlic, basil and 2 bay leaves - turn on medium high to start a slow boil

Turkey meatballs: ground turkey, egg, diced onion, garlic, basil, and 100% whole wheat bread crumbs

Mix all ingredients for turkey meatballs and make them the size of golfballs

Turn burner down to low and simmer with cover on for 25 minutes

 Take cover off and let sit for about 5 minutes to let thicken up

Serve over 100% whole wheat noodles and enjoy!

My daughter is enjoying her plain spaghetti with bananas on the side........lol

Homemade Spaghetti (and meatballs if you want)

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes - no salt added - organic if you can find it
1 can of organic tomato paste
1 small onion - diced
3-4 garlic cloves - diced
5-6 fresh basil leaves
2 bay leaves (optional)
2 tomatoes - diced
freshly grated parmigiano reggiano 
2 tbsp olive oil

For Meatballs
1 lb turkey burger
1/2 cup 100% whole wheat bread crumbs
2-3 basil leaves
1 egg
1 garlic clove
handful of diced onions

*saute onions in olive oil for ~4-5 minutes or until soft
*add minced garlic and saute another minute or two
*add to a big pot with crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, basil and bay leaves and turn on med/high
*if you are not adding meatballs in - let sauce simmer for 10 minutes and your done :) when I don't add meat I like to put lentils in for protein - they do not add any flavor and you barely notice eating them!

For Meatballs
*mix all ingredients for meatballs together

*once sauce starts simmering, add golf ball sized meatballs to the sauce
*reduce heat to low and cover
*cook for 30 minutes
*when done take lid off and let sit 5 minute to let the sauce thicken up

Serve over wheat spaghetti noodles and garnish with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Enjoy!



Read the full article here - trust me it's worth it!
http://www.self.com/health/2011/07/is-being-too-nice-making-you-fat?currentPage=3