Thankful Thanksgiving

There are so many things in my life that I'm thankful for, but I wanted to share the top ones in my life.  They are, as expected, mostly people.  So without further ado, my reasons to be thankful this year.

My baby brother and the fact that we live in the same city now.  I cannot tell you how happy I am to be able to see him on the whim.  He is the reason I do a lot of the things I spend my time doing, and he is a constant reminder of what is right with this world.  His enthusiasm for life, silly sense of humor, and sensitive nature are qualities that I look for in all my friendships.  He really is someone special.

 The rest of my family.  Here's your shout out, family!  You guys are awesome, I wouldn't trade you for the world.  But let's be honest, you're no Will Harrod.  And I love you all for that.  That and how much you love me, him, and each other.  For what we all do for each other, even when it may not always be the easiest.  Thank you for always being there for me.  I couldn't be who am I today without you.

My fur baby Riley.  He is always there to cheer me up, whenever I need it.  There is a reason that dog is man's best friend, and he proves the rule.  Now quit shedding on my couch.

My friends, and most importantly, my roommate.  He really gets the shit end of the stick with having to put up with my OCD, and for that, I cannot be more thankful.  And he mows, mulches, and blows the leaves out of the yard.  Thanks, homie.  You're a gem!

So what are you thankful for this year?

Use What Your Fridge Gave You

Two Sundays ago I made slow cooker tacos.  Yes tacos, don't be shocked.  Well, I made way too much chicken and not nearly enough guacamole, so I wanted to use the left over chicken and other ingredients in my fridge in my next Sunday meal.  I dug through the stack of recipes I'd printed from Pinterest and found one for a chicken tortilla soup.  I took that recipe and modified it to my taste and refrigerator contents.

These are all the ingredients from the fridge.  I used almost all of them and felt pretty damn proud of myself.  My frugal grandmothers would be so impressed!

So here't the original recipe from Pinterest…

Ingredients:

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

10 oz package frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 chopped bell pepper (whichever color you prefer)

10 oz can enchilada sauce

10.75 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

2 Chicken Breasts

Instructions:

In a crock pot, combine beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, pepper and place chicken breasts on top.  In a bowl, whisk together soup, enchilada sauce and milk*.  Pour mixture over ingredients in crock pot and cook, covered, for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.  When finished in crock pot, cut chicken into pieces and add back into soup.  Top with cheese, sour cream, avocado or whatever you like and serve with tortilla chips.   *Add more milk if soup is too thick. 

Here's my modifications:

I used the whole red bell pepper instead of just 1/2 cup.

I did not use condensed cream of chicken soup.  (This is because I am terrible at following directions and didn't notice that instruction.  Also, I refuse to use condensed cream of anything soup that isn't organic.  It freaks me out how many chemicals are in there.  So the organic version wasn't a condensed version.  If I did it again, I would cut it down to 1/2 - 3/4 a cup of milk instead of 1 1/2 cups.  The more you know…ding, ding, ding.)

I used almond milk, because I didn't have cow milk.  I don't eat raw dairy due to immune system sensitivity, so I limit the amount of cow dairy I have as much as possible.  I realize that this probably doesn't make a bit a difference since the cream of chicken soup has dairy in it.  Whatever, I can only control so much.  And it's not like I'm ever going to give up cheese.  Moving on…

The leftover chicken I had was made in a slow cooker for tacos, so I didn't use a crock pot for this recipe and opted to throw it all together in a big pot.  I let all of the ingredients simmer together for about an hour to soften before adding the previously cooked chicken.

I also threw in a few shakes of red pepper flakes and cumin, squeezed the juice of half of a leftover lime, and a bunch of fresh cilantro towards the end of the simmer.  I have a cilantro obsession.

I used cheddar cheese instead of Pepper Jack.  This is simply a preference thing.  I'm not a big Pepper Jack fan.  And cheddar is what I had in the house.

{Whisked liquid ingredients}

{Before the chicken}

It turned out pretty darn tasty, but here's what I would do next time (as well as use my real camera).  Keep in mind that I'm about the most particular eater on Earth, so some of these modifications might not be needed.  

I would squeeze the lime juice directly on each bowl.  As well as top with more fresh cilantro.  

I would definitely eliminate at least 3/4 - 1 cup of the milk since I didn't use the condensed soup.

Sour cream would be a lovely addition, if I could eat it.

Less red pepper.  Maybe a little salt.

So, in summary, follow the directions.  But I like the shredded chicken better than the diced.  And the addition of spices, herbs, and lime juice is a game changer.  I highly recommend it.

Hope your week is continuing to be as great as mine, but hopefully a little warmer!  I am over this winter crap!!!  Till next time, y'all!

Winter Nesting

This weekend was absolutely wonderful for the simple reason that I had absolutely no plans.  I cannot tell you how long it's been since I could say that.  After two weekends out of town, a crazy work week,  and a lot of plans with friends, I was in dire need of some down time.  And my house was in major need of some TLC.  

Friday night I got home, poured a glass of wine, and parked my butt on the couch for the remainder of the evening.  I don't even remember what I watched, that's how uneventful my night was.  It couldn't have been more perfect!

Saturday, I spent the morning cleaning the house, doing some laundry and drinking waaayyyy too many cups of coffee.  My friends's Mary and David stopped by for a bit with their newest edition, Baby Catherine.  I spent the rest of the afternoon running errands and starting my Christmas shopping.  And drinking more coffee.  Oh, the amount of coffee I drank yesterday was asinine.  There was a reason I was up until almost 3:00 am…  Anyway, I stopped by my momma's house to hang out with her, my stepdad and my favorite guy in the world, my baby bro.  After a very ridiculously prepared meal, I headed home for a phone and wine date with Courts.

It's been really hard not having my closest friends around for random wine nights in (among other things), but Courts and I have found an ingenious way around it.  Every couple weeks or so, we'll hop on the phone, pour a glass of wine, and dish for hours!  It's almost as good as living down the street from each other.  

Sunday morning was a bit slow, due to the almost three hour wine convo, but I finally got myself to the grocery before the 1:30 kickoff of the Bears game.  I absolutely love cooking a hearty stew, chili, or soup on Sundays this time of year.  I eat on it all week and it makes my crazy schedule much more conducive to eat healthy all week long instead of grabbing something on the go.  I'll share what I made this week later this week.  But first things first, my Sunday breakfast!

I think it is a widely known fact that I have a taco obsession.  So much so that a friend or two have mentioned that I may turn into a taco one day.  I'd be okay with that, except that I might become a cannibal and eat myself.  Gross.  Anyway, I digress.  I hadn't had a taco since Friday night, so breakfast tacos were a must.  And lucky for you, I documented it in pictures and am giving you the basics for all you need to have delicious breakfast tacos this coming weekend!

Ingredients needed:

Eggs (two per person)

Splash of milk (I used almond milk since I'm not supposed to be eating raw dairy.)

Authentic Latin Corn Tortillas

Coconut Oil (or whatever oil you prefer to fry in, but I think coconut is a great option)

Tony Chacherre's Creole Seasoning (or whatever spices you like in your eggs)

Salsa/Pico de Gallo

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cilantro

Avocado, sliced

Sriracha (optional)  

It's really quite simple, so I'm not going to bore you with how to scramble eggs and put them in a tortilla shell.  But I will tell you what the most important part of this delicious breakfast food is.  You absolutely must fry the tortillas.  And they must be the real, corn ones.  This detail is paramount.  Just trust me on this one.  You will not be disappointed.  Anyway, so it's not complicated, but you have to pay attention to the tortillas.

First, turn the heat on the stove to medium/medium high.  If you're using coconut oil, a small scoop with a teaspoon is plenty.  Here's the important part: once the oil is melted and hot, put one tortilla in the oil, flipping occasionally.  Put your second (and any others you plan to eat) on top of the first tortilla and soak up some of the oil from the first tortilla on both sides.  Remove the additional tortillas temporarily.  Throw out the first tortilla.  Continue to fry the remaining tortillas individually, flipping on both sides.  That first tortilla is crucial in keeping your additional tortillas from becoming too greasy.  Unless you're into that sort of thing…  In that case, eat that first bad boy with gusto!

Top tortillas with eggs, cheese, Sriracha, avocado, and most importantly, cilantro.  I like to put a dab of salsa on each individual bite so the tortilla doesn't get soggy.  But that's just me.  Do whatever you like. You can add sausage, bacon, potatoes, whatever you like to make your breakfast taco to your liking.  I'm just offering suggestions!  Don't get all bent outta shape because I don't like your soggy, sausage tacos, dammit!!!  LOLZ.  Anyway, here is my finished product.  They were the bees knees!

I spent the rest of my Sunday watching football, finishing laundry and generally lying around like a bum.  I did have a Pilates training session with my girl Ann, but then I ruined it by going out to dinner.  

All in all, it was a perfect, low key, relaxing weekend.  Exactly what I needed.  Plus, did y'all notice how freaking cold it was???  Funk that noise.  If you need me, I'll be curled up under a blanket until March.  

Have a great week, stay warm, and eat TACOS!

Monday Photo Dump

This post should really be titled "Things I ate and drank the past two weeks." But it's not.  So here goes: a few weeks in the life of my digestive system.

Balcony view of the beach.  Rough life, I know.

Ahi Tuna on Wilted Spinach.

Shrimp and Crab Napoleon.  Holy seafood, it was delicious.  Pretty much anything with jicama is.

Fancy pants champagne.  I can't remember the name, but it was divine!

Camus Cab Sauv.  There are no words...

Mimosas on the beach.  FYI, the latest by Klosterman is much more relatable than the last.

Angel hair, shrimp, crab, and lobster in a garlic sauce.  I think it can go with out saying what my feelings towards seafood are.

Fish Tacos!  Guacamole and seafood in a taco shell?  SOLD!

Deep dish pizza, amazing!

Super cool wooden wall.

Interesting old game, I think I saw an episode of Storage Wars with one of these crazy things in it.  I can't remember what they're called though.  Good story...moving on.

More fish tacos, sooooo yummy!

Dinner with my baby cousin, always fun times!

Pretty views.  

The past couple weeks have been crazy busy with fun filled travel, but I am glad to be home!  I'm looking forward to a much slower pace over the next couple of weeks.  Hopefully that means more regular posts, but I'm not holding my breath.

Hope y'all have an awesome week!

Bat Kid to the Rescue

I just wanted to put this out there into the Internet world...

I am always so happy when I log into social media and all I see are good things happening and people doing the right thing.  Whether that right thing is making a sick kid's wish come true or someone choosing to support a worthy cause, it never ceases to amaze me all the good there is in the world.

There seems to be a trend of this these days, and it makes my heart full.  This is the kind of thing that gets me through the not so awesome days; that the majority of people are inherently good.

Just thought I'd share.  Oh, and thanks Bat Kid!  You brought me to (happy) tears today!

Returning to Five on Friday!

I have finally gotten it together to rejoin the lovely girls, April, Christina, Natasha, and Darci for the weekly Five on Friday, and I am super excited about it!  I took a break from blogging in order to finish up some random projects that required  most of my attention these past couple of weeks.  But I'm glad to be back this week with the five things I'm loving this week.  I've also incorporated my fall decor photos (and fails) into this post since I never got around to it last week.  So without anymore rambling on, here are five of my favorite things going on in my little crazy corner of the world!

1.  Finally get pumpkins and fall decor done around the house, with only moments to spare before Halloween.  I especially loved that my bubbaloo hung out and decorated pumpkins with me one night last week.  The little one is my mom and the big one is me.  We both have mustaches, but Mom was the only one lucky enough to have a perm.  Love that brother of mine!

2.  Cuddling with one of the sweetest little gals I know.  My very close friend Mary had her first little girl a month ago this week, and it absolutely slays me that I can't see her as much as I'd like.  Lucky for me, Mary is happy to let me hold her for as long as I want when I come visit!

3.  Proof that my dog is right, squirrels are evil and need to be vanquished.  Seriously, my cute porch decor lasted for one day.  Next year, fake pumpkins.  Anyway, it's always nice to have validation that my crazy fur baby is crazy for a legitimate reason.

4.  Upcoming vacations!  I'm lucky enough to have some really great trips planned in the next few months.  Some warm places, some cold places, all awesome!  Can't wait to share pictures from each trip!

5.  Realizing, even though I miss Lexington and my friends like crazy, I made the right decision to move to Louisville.  Things are working out in the most amazing and weird way, and I couldn't be happier.  I really am one lucky gal!

So those are this week's five!  This might be my last post for the next week or so since I will be out of town quite a bit.  Hope everyone has as awesome of a weekend/next week as the one I have planned!

Quick update.

So here's a brief recap of what's been going on in my world:

1.  Work, lots of random tasks keeping me busy.  That's a good thing.  I hate being bored.

2.  Attempting to keep my house clean.  It's a daily struggle when you're as OCD as I am but also really lazy.  Ha!  Thankfully once I get in the mode, I can knock out the whole downstairs in no time.  As long as Robbie vacuums.  I hate vacuuming.

3.  Second tailgate (and probably last) for me of the season!  We had so much fun, and UK won!!!

4.  This song.  I cannot get past this song these days.  It's been on repeat for almost a week.  The line about "midnight with the dead moon in her jaws" absolutely slays me.  Anyway, moving on.

5.  Finally deciding that it's okay to read something else while working on the 4th Game of Thrones book.  Too many damn characters for me to deal with when I'm this busy and need to zone out with a quick read.  A friend recommended the website www.goodreads.com, so I'm gonna check that out.  I'll let you know what I find.  I finished two (Yes, two.  I read super fast, hence getting lost with the eighty-four thousand characters in GoT) books yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed both of them.  I highly recommend anything by David Sedaris if you have a bit of a twisted sense of humor like my mom and I both do.  He's brilliant, but start with one of his earlier novels.  

6.  Pilates twice a week.  I really have come to love, love, love doing strength, core and Pilates training.  It's hard as hell, nut lucking my trainer is one of my best friends and doesn't care if I take my frustrations out on her verbally.  Love ya, Ann!

There's plenty of other great stuff going to write about, but for now, I've got to get some work done.  Have a great Monday!!!