Monthly Archives: October 2013

Mac Turns 2!

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, , , ,

Hey everyone! I feel like I’ve been scarce around here for some reason. It’s been a hectic beginning to my week, so I’m very thankful to have tonight off of teaching. I love me some Jazzercise, but I also love me some time at home with my doggie, Mac!

And speaking of Mac, he turns 2 years old this month!

IMG_2260Ahhh look at that tail wag. Just ignore the hair in his eyes. He is going to the groomers in the morning for a spa day. 🙂

In honor of his big day, Nick and I did a little gift shopping after my run on Saturday.

IMG_2262We picked up the cutest hoodie/sweater and a chew bone that stands up on its own! Mac had troubles paying attention to mommy with that bone around.

IMG_2264That’s better.

I’m so thankful for my little guy each and every day. He is always so happy to see me when I get home, and then snuggles into bed with me each night. He’s spoiled, but it’s for good reason. I love him! Plus, he’s cute so that makes him extra easy to love.

IMG_2266The sweater fits perfectly, and he’s been wearing it just about everyday as the temps have dropped to the mid-50’s here in Springfield. He’s not a ‘fufu’ dog, but he definitely enjoys being warm and cozy in some nice sweaters.

And in other news, I signed up for my FIRST HALF MARATHON!! I’m beyond excited! I’m going to be running the half marathon in the St. Louis Track Club‘s Frostbite Series in January. I feel like I have a good base for my training after preparing for the 10K, so I’ll just continue my running to increase my distance between now and January 25!

Any words of wisdom for this first time half marathoner?! Any advice is appreciated. I’m going into this pretty blindly I feel like even though I’ve done tons of research. Comment and let me know any awesome tips you may have to offer!

Morning Run & Breakfast

So in honor of finally registering for the half marathon (I’ve been thinking about it for a while now), I woke up bright and early today to complete 7 miles around my neighborhood. I completed it in around 59 minutes and felt great the whole time. The temps were in the low 40’s, and I was still comfortable. I’m sure my attitude will change as the temps keep on dropping during these months of training I have ahead of me.

I ate breakfast as soon as I got to the office, so it was my typical grab-n-go style morning meal.

photo(79)Luna bar. Banana. And yogurt. The Luna bar was extra chocolatey – I loved it!

Lunch

The morning went by quickly and I was headed home for lunch in no time! I started with a big salad full of romaine, spinach, snap peas, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

photo(77)I topped this baby with my new favorite dressing, Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette, and a few dried cranberries. It was super tasty! And I finished off the rest of my meal with another bowl of the spicy chili I made on Sunday.

photo(75)Yum!!

And now I’m just relaxing at home, trying to catch up on some household chores that have been pushed aside so far this week. I also need to set up a good training plan for this half marathon so I’ll have some good guidelines to keep up with during these next few months. Should be a productive evening!

Have a good one, and I’ll see you all tomorrow!

Spicy Crockpot Chili Recipe

Recipes, , ,

Happy Tuesday to ya! It’s another lovely Fall day here in Springfield, so in honor of the cooler temps and changing leaves, I have a new Crockpot Recipe to share!

chilispicySpicy, Meaty Crockpot Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

photo(86)

  • 1.5 lbs ground beef (or turkey!)
  • 2 cans of Chili Beans
  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes in sauce for chili – spicier the better!
  • 1 can of large sliced stewed tomatoes, Mexican style
  • 1 additional can of tomato sauce (if needed)
  • 1/2 of a red onion, diced
  • 2 tsps chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp minced onions
  • Mexican hot sauce to taste
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Begin by browning the ground beef in a large skillet. Season with the garlic salt and drain well.

photo(85)Once your meat is well drained, put it into your Crockpot or slow-cooker. On top of the meat add the cans of beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and diced red onion. Stir well to combine and add a little water if the mix seems too thick for your liking.

photo(84)This particular batch ended up being a little too soupy, but it was still tasty! Next, add your seasonings – the chili powder, cumin, and minced onions. Stir this well to combine.

photo(81)Now this is where your taste-tester needs to step in. If you want it to be spicy (like Nick does!), you can add some hot sauce, extra salt & pepper, or even some crushed red pepper here. Give it a taste and doctor it up how you like!

photo(83)Now put your Crockpot on the Low setting and cover it.

photo(80)Let the chili cook on low for around 5-6 hours. Be sure to keep the lid on the whole time! I only opened it to stir about 2 times to make sure it wasn’t sticking to the bottom. By the time my chili had been cooking 6 hours, it was boiling and ready for dinner.

photo(76)This was our Sunday night dinner this week, and Nick loved it! I loved it too, but it really made my nose run. I think it was my spiciest yet! So if you are whimpy like I am, add lots of crackers to help tone it down a bit. 🙂

photo(74)YUM!! I’m still eating on this stuff for my lunches this week. It’s an awesome treat in the middle of my day. I’ve also been adding a spoonful of cottage cheese into my chili to make it a little creamy and cool it down a little. You should definitely give it a try.

I hope you all have time to break out your Crockpot soon. It’s that time of year where the cozy smell of chili coming from your kitchen NEEDS to happen. Haha, at least I think so.

Hope you’re having a great Tuesday! Get out there and enjoy this lovely sweater weather!

Pumpkin Spice & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipes, , ,

Happy Monday! It’s Columbus Day AND National Dessert Day so let’s celebrate with something sweet!

I was experimenting in the kitchen last night after dinner because my sweet tooth was raging. I have seen these easy 2-3 ingredient recipes all over Pinterest, so I had to give it a shot!

pumpkincookieEasy Pumpkin Spice & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

photo(74)

  • 1 box Spice Cake Mix
  • 1 Can of Pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (not pictured)

Combined the pumpkin and the spice cake mix in a large mixing bowl.

photo(85) photo(84)Mix it well – it’s a little tough to get fully combined! Next add your chocolate chips. And that’s it! Now you’re ready to drop the dough onto lightly greased baking sheets. Be careful. It’s sticky stuff!

photo(83) photo(82)You will end up having to lick a lot off your fingers, but since this recipe is egg-free, you could eat the whole bowl uncooked if you wanted!

Ooey gooey!
Ooey gooey!

photo(80)Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for around 12 minutes. The cookies will remain fairly soft and will poof up nicely thanks to the cake mix.

photo(77) photo(79)And voila! How much easier can it get??

This recipe made around 2 dozen cookies plus a few extra, depending on how much of the dough you snack on. I had to eat at least 3 of them straight out of the oven because they were so amazing!

photo(76)They look like pumpkiny-puffs and are a mix between a cake and a cookie in texture. The pumpkin keeps them from getting too stiff, so they are also very moist.

photo(75)And if you’re lucky like me, they will cause any tiny dog in your house to cry incessantly for at least 20 minutes.

photo(86)So celebrate National Dessert Day today by making these easy-peasy little treats. My coworkers lucked out, and I brought in most of these to share. Nick and I don’t need to eat 24 cookies on our own, that’s for sure!

Happy baking!