Red Beans And Rice

If you love your slow cooker as much as I do, here is a great recipe. You can do all the prep the night before, throw it in the crock pot in the morning, and in 7 hours you have dinner! All you have to do is remember to make the rice. Additional bonuses: It makes a ton of leftovers (which we freeze, so we have another meal) and it's very cheap to make.

Ingredients:
1 lb dried red beans
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3-4 celery stalks, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb smoked sausage, diced
1 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
Hot cooked rice
Sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:
Place first 14 ingredients in at least a 4 qt crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours or until beans are tender. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with green onions.

*Tip* Make sure to ladle additional liquid from the crock pot onto your rice. That liquid left in the crock pot is packed with flavor. Yum!

Rhythm And The Workout

It's been awhile since I made a new playlist for working out and I have been hearing lots of new songs lately that I thought would be perfect for a workout. I like to do cardio 2-3 times a week and music is what gets me through those heart-pounding minutes. It's essential for me to keep it fresh so I don't get bored. New music also makes me push harder, thus getting  a better workout. Here is the playlist that will keep me entertained for oh, probably a couple of weeks :)

1. Not Over You- Gavin DeGraw -----> My warmup song
2. Sexy and I Know It- LMAFO
3. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)- Kelly Clarkson
4. All Your Life- The Band Perry
5. We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)- Fun
6. We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris)- Rihanna
7. Hell on Heels- Pistol Annies
8. Domino- Jessie J
9. Young, Wild, and Free (ft. Bruno Mars)- Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa
10. Good Feeling- Flo Rida
11. Ass Back Home (ft. Neon Hitch)- Gym Class Heroes
12. Turn Me On (ft. Nicki Minaj)- David Guetta
13. Baggage Claim- Miranda Lambert
14. Glad You Came- The Wanted
15. Give Me All Your Luvin (ft. Nicki Minaj)- Madonna
16. Heartbeat- The Fray ------> My cool down song

Again, no apologies peeps. This is what's currently getting my blood pumpin'! And hey, if it gets my lazy bum off the couch, who can complain?

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

For my mom's birthday in January, I baked her cookies and shipped them off to Oregon. They were such a hit at home that my brother has requested I make him cookies for his birthday. Not only that, but he had a specific request. Dark chocolate cookies with fruit and something salty in them. Honestly, nothing came to mind so I set to work researching cookie recipes. This is the first recipe I decided to test-bake to see if they were if any good. I think they turned out pretty good, but I am going to make them again because I already know how to make them better after tasting them. They look pretty tasty though!

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup diced macadamia nuts

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisk together.
2. Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in another large mixing bowl with hand mixer until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add egg. Mix completely.
4. Add vanilla. Mix completely.
5. Add flour to butter mixture in 3 additions, mixing well.
6. Add milk a little a time until batter thins out.
7. Fold in chocolate chips, dried cherries, and macadamia nuts.
8. Place spoonfuls of dough on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in oven at 375 degrees about 8-10 minutes.

Here are my notes after tasting the cookies:
1. They aren't sweet enough. I also will want to make the batch bigger (this makes 24 cookies) so I think I am going to use 1 cup of butter, 3/4 cup white sugar, and 3/4 cup brown sugar. This goes without saying but this will change the proportions of everything else in the recipe.
2. They need more chocolate chips, more cherries, and more nuts! I think I am going to use 2 cups chocolate chips, 1 cup cherries, and 1 cup nuts.
3. The macadamia nuts don't have enough flavor. The next batch is getting pistachio's.

This is why I like to do test runs!

What Motivates You?

I'm speaking to physical fitness right now. There was a time in my life that this did not concern me. I was an athlete in high school, playing sports year round. I pretty much ate whatever I wanted because I was burning a ton of calories every day. I remember my dad telling me when I was younger that I was going to be in trouble when my metabolism slowed down. I just laughed at him because I was young, and I believed that I was invincible. I would never gain weight, I would always be thin.
When I was 16, I developed a chronic headache disorder which means that I have tension headaches every single day. I was put on a low dosage anti-depressant which controlled the headaches. While the headaches were controlled, the medicine created unbelievable cravings. As I mentioned before, when I was in high school this was not an issue. When I got to college however, I gained 20 lbs in what seemed like overnight. In college, I was either in class, doing homework, coaching my club volleyball team, or working at my 30-hours a week job. There was no working out. There was a lot of eating. By the time I graduated college, I had gained 50 lbs from my high school weight.
After college, life slowed down but I hadn't built a healthy foundation for living. I graduated college on a Friday, and started my career on the following Monday. Life became cocktails and quesadillas at the cantina across the street from my branch after work. It got even worse when I met my future husband, and we moved in together. We ate out every single night. Red Robin on Monday, Buffalo Wild Wings on Tuesday, Newport Bay on Wednesday, etc. You get the picture. I gradually went from a size 10... to a size 12... to a size 14... until the day I didn't fit into my 14's.

I was 180 lbs. I had reached my breaking point. It was either go up to a size 16, or do something. Right around this time, the hubby and I went to Hawaii with his company. The pictures we took while we were there changed my life. There was one picture in particular that shamed me in so many ways. I will share with you this photo that changed my life (it's not easy to share this by the way!)-

February 2007

My husband tells me I carried the weight well. I say that's not the way a 23-year old should look. In the end, it doesn't matter. This photo inspired me to get healthy again. I already had a gym membership, but now I actually used it. I started small, 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week. I started cooking at home, using Cooking Light. Slowly but surely, the weight started to come off. It took me a year, but I lost 40 lbs. It took me another 6 months but I lost another 10. 

I won't ever make it back to my high school weight but I know that that's just not realistic. I am very happy with my body as it is now. I worked hard to get healthy again and I am going to work very hard to make sure I don't slide back into unhealthy habits. That photo of me at my heaviest reminds me of where I have been, and where I don't want to return to. It's a huge motivator for me! I've also got the Brazil Butt Lift to keep me in check (still killing me, by the way!).

A picture of me today, getting ready to do Pilates. Who loves the Oregon phone cover by the way? Booyah!

New England Clam Chowder

Being from the Pacific Northwest, I was born and raised on fresh seafood. It is one of the things I miss most about Oregon. It's just not possible to jump in the car and drive for an hour to get to the coast and its abundance of freshly caught fish and crab when you live in the middle of the country. One of my favorite things to eat is clam chowder (I like to be silly and pronounce it chowdah) and thanks to things like canned clams and clam juice, I can still enjoy clam chowder here in Kentucky. The hubby has been requesting clam chowder for about a month now, so I finally put the fixings for the clam chowder into the budget and made a batch last night.

We like to serve ours with crusty bread or sometimes, oyster crackers.

We like our clam chowder very thick, so if you like a thinner broth this is not the recipe for you! I will also add that this is not a light recipe. We only make clam chowder maybe once a year, so when we go for it, we really go for it!

Here's my recipe:

Ingredients (serves 10-12):

6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 lb of bacon, diced
1/2 cup of butter
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic gloves, minced
4 stalks of celery, diced
1 1/4 cups flour
8 cups clam juice
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground thyme
4 bay leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
6 cans canned clams (juice from canned clams will equal about 3 cups of your 8 cups of clam juice)
4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup minced parsley

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, boil diced potatoes until crisp-tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside
2. In same pot, cook diced bacon until crispy. Remove from pot with slotted spoon, place on a paper towel, and set aside. Leave 4 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot, reserve the rest for future use
3. Melt butter in pot with bacon grease. Add onions, garlic, and celery to pot and cook until tender (5-6 minutes)
4. Add flour to pot to make a thick roux
5. Add 2 cups of clam juice and mix well. Continue adding clam juice, stirring continuously, until the mixture is thick, smooth, and creamy
6. Add thyme, bay leaves, black pepper, and red pepper
7. Bring to a boil and then turn temperature down to bring soup to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes
8. Add potatoes, clams, and bacon. Simmer for another 15 minutes
9. Add heavy cream and parsley. Allow mixture to heat, about 1-2 minutes
10. Serve immediately! Garnish with a pat of butter and sprinkle of parsley and serve with bread or crackers.

Printable Recipe

Yum! Get ready to have an appreciative significant other after making this one 😁

*Side note* This recipe makes a huge batch! The hubby and I usually get 4 meals out of it, so it actually is pretty economical. We have a FoodSaver so I always freeze 2 large bags of clam chowder after we've already had dinner. The soup freezes and re-heats amazingly well.

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Superbowl Sunday

Superbowl Sunday is a holiday in our house. The hubby and I look forward to it every year, even when neither of our teams is in it. Well, let's face it. His team is never in it, the poor hubby being a Bengals fan. This year's Superbowl between the Patriots and the Giants was not really a game we were looking forward to watching because A. This was a repeat of Superbowl XLII and B. I loathe the Patriots. My dislike of the Patriots stems back to the ill-fated 2002 season when the Patriots denied my Steelers from making it to the Superbowl. Never the less we still looked forward to today, if only because it gave us an excuse to make wings.

My hubby's homemade wings are delish! He coats the chicken wings in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper and browns them up in a frying pan. They then go in the oven for about 25 minutes, basting them with wing sauce 2-3 times during this duration. After they come out of the oven they get a quick toss in more wing sauce and then... we basically devour them. A couple of pictures to sum up our holiday:

Pre-Superbowl snack of chips, salsa, and Miller Lite

We always buy whole wings and the hubby separates them with a cleaver. The whole wings seem to have more meat on them than the pre-cut up "party"wings 

Flour coated wings going into the pan

Wings after their first basting

The final product. Served with the traditional celery and blue cheese dip. Yum!

Me and Haloti. I still wear my Steelers gear for the Superbowl, even when they aren't playing!

I must say that while I was not looking forward to the game, I am satisfied with the outcome. Sorry Dad! :)

Hey, It's Ok...

One of my favorite columns in Glamour magazine is the 'Hey, it's ok...' column. They always crack me up and I always find more than one that apply to me. To that effect, I have compiled my own list...

Hey, it's ok...

-if you had to Google whether the proper usage of the term is "to that effect" or "to that affect"

-if you try to fit absolutely everything you can in the dish washer and loathe using non-stick pans because you hate washing dishes by hand. Isn't that what dish washers were invented for?

-if you consider a Lean Cuisine and chocolate chip cookie dough a balanced dinner when you're home alone

-if you'd rather have dogs than kids

-if you bake something strictly because you can't think of anything else to blog about

-if you are already tired of the upcoming Presidential election. Really? 8 more months?

-to like TV a little too much. Justified! Breaking Bad! Dexter! True Blood!

-to claim the TV was left on that channel when your husband catches you watching 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'

-if you don't really want to get to know your neighbors

-if you are disgusted by how much people spend on weddings. Kim Kardashian anyone?

-to love spending Friday and/or Saturday nights in sweat pants with a cup of chamomile tea

-if you have used self tanner for years and are still horrible at applying it

-if you have read all the Lora Leigh books that the public library has to offer and are annoyed there aren't more

-to read this list on IMDB and think the person that wrote it is absolutely INSANE!

-to never go outside without sunglasses on

-to be "that girl" that loves football, beer, and wings

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Superbowl weekend!

The Lust List: What I Am Coveting Right Now

Yes, I am a couponer that lives for savings right now but I am still a girl! And a girl with good taste at that. Here are the top 5 things that I am dreaming about right now:

1.

Luxury Rebel Luma Boots

These motorcycle/riding boots from Victorias Secret. It's been a while since I bought new boots and I am really into the flat riding boots with skinny jeans right now. I like that these boots aren't too feminine, as that is not really my style.

2.

Fossil's Boyfriend Stella Watch

Ah, I have actually been lusting after a new watch for awhile now. I have been itching to get a new tattoo (I think it's been 3 years since my last!) and my next tattoo is going to be a very small one on my wrist. Hence the necessity of needing a watch, as I like to be able to cover my tattoos when I want. I love Fossil watches and I love a little "bling-bling" so what's not to like about this watch?

3.

Sephora Collection Hot Hues Purple Bag Collection

I love, love, love these makeup bags from Sephora. They are in my favorite color, of course, and they all match! Anyone that knows me knows my makeup collection is quite ample, multiple makeup cases are a must for me. They look perfect for traveling and looking chic on the go.

4.

UGG Classic Hobo

I have been needing a new purse for awhile. I pick up cheapies here and there to get me by, but it's been a long time since I bought a quality purse i.e. a good investment. I still have the Coach purse my hubby bought me on the first birthday I celebrated with him. That was five and a half years ago! So yes, a purse can be an investment. I am not too flashy with my purses, I tend to stick to the basics. This means most of my purses are black. I like that this one is gray.

5.

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette

I can lust after this item all I want and it won't do me any good. It's basically sold out everywhere. I bought the original Naked palette from Urban Decay probably a year and half ago and I still use it almost everyday. The colors are amazing and Urban Decay shadows are quality. The pigment is amazing in them and I get the best shimmer on my eyes from these shadows. I was so excited to see the Naked2, I am hoping I will be able to get it at some point.

And those are the things I am dreaming about at the moment. A girl can dream can't she? :)

Snickerdoodle Muffins

My oh my, it has been a rough week for me! I have been battling insomnia for about a month now and this week has been the worst of it! I think I have been averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep a night, with some nights only getting 1 hour of sleep. Argh. Anyhoo, I am feeling a little bit better today so it was time to get back to baking.
I found this recipe on one of the blogs I follow, Your Homebased Mom. I love her blog, she always posts the most delicious looking recipes and I want to try them all! It doesn't hurt that her food pictures are always amazing! These muffins I tried today are so good! They have an almost cupcake like texture but since they are low on sugar, they definitely taste like a muffin. I think the hubby is going to love them! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients (makes 15 muffins):
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of milk
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a large mixing bowl
3. In another large mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes)
4. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time
5. Mix in vanilla
6. Slowly add flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with milk
7. Mix cinnamon and sugar together
8. In a lined muffin pan, fill cups with batter
9. Top each muffin with the cinnamon and sugar mixture
10. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (Mine took exactly 15 minutes)
11. Cool in muffin pan 10 minutes. Remove muffins to a cooling rack and let cool completely
12. Enjoy!