Slow Cooker Turkey and Black Bean Chili

I made the best chili tonight I had two big bowls and felt satisfied for the first time in a long time! 

 

I have a hard time with recipes because I usually have to leave something out, but I found this treasure and was so excited that I could have everything on the list! The chef comes on our shows regularly and she always has the best recipes, I will definitely be using this one again and again!

 

 

 

From: 365 Days of Crockpot Cooking

 

Slow Cooker Turkey and Black Bean Chili

 

1 diced onion

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups beef broth

1 lb ground turkey

1 (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes with juice

2 (14.5 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz) can refried beans

1 cup salsa (mild, medium or hot...whatever you prefer)

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1/4 cup lime juice

Fresh cilantro, to taste

Salt and pepper

1.  Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Add in the onion and cook for about 4 minutes.  Then add in the ground turkey and brown for about 5 minutes.  Add onions and turkey to slow cooker.

2.  Add in the tomatoes, black beans, refried beans, salsa, chili powder and cumin.

3.  Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours.

4.  Stir a bit and then add in lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Ladle into serving bowls and top with as much (or as little) cilantro as you want!

Educate.

Day 2, : Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at.

I may or may not be the best shopper you've ever met. I can drop a few hundred dollars in one trip if I have that chance ( which I usually don't....). Ever since my first job at 16 I've been able to shop. When I was single I would pay all my bills and then spend the rest on clothes, shoes, random stuff...you name it and I would buy it.  I wasn't big into savings at that point in my life. I would leave hair school for lunch and come back with three bags full of clothes. I'm not a good bargain shopper, I'm just a good shopper.

Now that I'm married and care about someone's happiness other than my own I don't shop as much. The only way for me to NOT shop is to just not go into stores/malls with my wallet. If I have to go to the mall for work I just don't take my purse with me, then I don't even have to make a decision! I'm an addict hanging out at a bar whenever I go to a store. I've come a long way and am pretty proud of how my spending habits have turned out. If I still had my way, or an unlimited budget I would go shopping most days of the week. When i need some cheering up Bart hands me some cash and tells me to go to the mall. Everyone has their thing, and this one is mine.

Day 54

and on Day 54 there was CHEESE and YOGURT!!!!!!

I just got off the phone for my weekly dr. appointment (yes, they do some over the phone. how genius is that?? No waiting around acting like you have nothing better to do.) and after complaining of my 3 food groups and being told I HAVE to start eating more calories, my lovely Dr. told me I can try out cheese and plain Greek  yogurt this week. He said cheese and my heart melted. Have you ever gone 2 months without ANY cheese? It's a delicious part of your life you don't really notice until it's taken from you (dramatic? maybe.). I can't go too crazy because I can only have 1 beautiful ounce per day until we know how it affects my body but hey, an ounce is an ounce!

Just two days shy of 8 weeks and apparently I need to work on eating a bigger breakfast and having a better bed-time snack. I told Dr that when I can only eat 10 things I'm kind of sick of those foods at the end of the day and don't want to eat anything. He acted concerned for a solid 30 seconds and then told me to get over it and eat an avacado. 

On another note, I ran for the first time in 2 months today! It was significantly slower than my average pace but I wasn't complaining. I was just happy to get my body moving again. It's only a matter of time before I'm out racing with Bart again! 

Judging Skinny

Day 22,  Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. 

For those of you have been reading my blog since the beginning, you know that I rant about something pretty often. For some reason, since I moved down to SLC and got married I haven't really had the need. Here are a few of my past rants to get you fired up for this one.


Michael Jackson
Swear Words
F-U


Today I'm ranting about judgmental people.  I don't want to get too specific about the situations that have led to this post, but basically I'm ranting about this not because it's happening to me, but because it's happening to people around me and I'm there to witness it. 

What makes you think you know people you have never met? Do you think that by seeing them every day on TV you know their personalities, their habits and their faults? You don't. You don't know if they're bitchy or the world's sweetest person. You don't know why they have the opinions they do, or their life experiences that have gotten them to where they are today. YOU DON'T KNOW THEM. And since you dont know them, why do you think you can judge them? What in that little brain of yours turns on and says, "I think it's okay to totally judge someone I have never truly met". It's not okay. JUDGING SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY ARE SKINNY IS JUST AS BAD AS JUDGING SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY ARE FAT. Just because someone is skinny doesn't make them bitchy. It doesn't make them selfish or snobby or rude. It doesn't mean they don't want to be your friend. What is so wrong with taking care of your body? What is so wrong with making fitness a priority in your life? What is so wrong with being a size 2? NOTHING. Just like there is nothing wrong with naturally being a size 14. You shouldn't judge someone just because they are skinny. Don't assume they don't have any problems in their lives. Don't assume they are selfish and must care about themselves more than others. Don't assume that just because they are skinny they look down on everyone else who isn't. You sit there and say I don't like them because they are clique and skinny. WTF?!? Screw you. No one would even listen to someone who said, I don't like you because you're fat and annoying. NO ONE SAYS THAT. So why is it okay to say something like that about a skinny person? It's not.

All growing up people judged me because I was small, confident and had spiky hair. I must not like you because my hair is bad ass. Makes sense right??? No. It doesn't. Just because I had colorful spiky hair doesn't mean I wasn't a "good girl" or didn't have a testimony at church...but that is what people assumed. I spent most of my life not caring about those people because if you judge me before you get to know me than I don't want you in my life anyway. At this point in my life I have moved past all that (mostly because I'm not in very many social situations where I meet new people) so luckily I don't have to deal with that anymore. But that's why this bothers me so much, because I've been there...and I thought women grew out of it...but apparently they don't.

Bottom line? GET OVER YOURSELF. If you feel the need to sit around and talk about people you don't even know I feel sorry for you. I"m sorry your life is so devoid of anything that matters that you have to fill it with shit that doesn't. 

Cold Asparagus and Imitation Crab

What is the worst meal you have ever eaten at a restaurant? Do you have a story to go along with it? Well this is now mine:

Bart comes home today with $150 cash for a football thing he did on Saturday. He waves it in my face and says "Date Night?" Well who could resist an offer like that? Not me! I ran upstairs, redid my makeup, put some red lipstick on and hopped in the car. After watching the Food Network yesterday Bart was really craving some crab so we headed for Market Street Grill. Since I can eat all things fishy I was pretty happy with this decision. I thought, fresh fish?! How delish! (haha!)

Anywho...we sit down and eventually I order a crab/shrimp salad. At $30 I was expecting heaven on a plate. When it got to our table let's just say I wasn't impressed. It looked like something I could have prepared myself. I should have taken a picture but instead I will try to paint you a picture.

Bagged Iceburg lettuce with a half a boiled egg, a few olives, one slice of red pepper, beets on the side, ONE piece of asparagus and a few spinach leaves on the corner of the plate. It was topped off with some imitation crab and a few tiny shrimp. Mmmmm doesn't that just sound appetizing???!

The real trouble started when I actually took a bite of said salad. The first thing I did was pick up the huge piece of asparagus and found out it was ICE COLD. WTF. A raw piece of asparagus?? Is that a thing? I took one bite and had enough. I was laughing at the table to Bart asking him if we were being punked.......why would someone not cook a delicious veggie like asparagus? They are always my favorite thing at a meal...WHEN THEY'RE COOKED......the next few bites I noticed something else....ZERO flavor. Keep in mind that the past 7 weeks I have been eating 100% FRESH food so I can taste something out of a bag a mile away. There was nothing on this plate that wasn't bagged, canned or frozen at some point.

Okay, so what? Plenty of places have bagged salads and frozen meat. Yes, but when you go to a restaurant that claims to have fresh fish you expect a little more. If I am paying $30 for a salad that shit better be hand picked from a tree you are growing outside and carefully placed on a freakin' golden platter. I could have bought imitation crab for $5 a pound at the grocery store, I expected a little more class from this place.

Don't even get me started on the other parts of the salad...the olives tasted like the inside of an aluminum can (coincidence?) and I didn't even dare to try the boiled eggs...the beets weren't even separated from their canned state and just sat nicely in a pile on the side. I was so blown away by how horrible this meal was! When the server came around to ask how things were I told her (very nicely) that nothing on my plate had any flavor and obviously it wasn't fresh. She offered to take it away and have me try something else. I ordered the shrimp cocktail just to get this experience over with.

Bringing out that shrimp cocktail just opened up a whole new can of worms. Since I can't eat the cocktail sauce I popped one of the huge shrimp in my mouth plain...I'm lucky I didn't barf all over the table. It took me a solid 2 minutes to finish chewing the thing without gagging all over my plate. It was straight up frozen shrimp completely void of any flavor as well! Are you kidding me?!?! At this point Bart and I are both laughing. We just couldn't believe how horrible this meal was turning out to be. I made him finish it off because I couldn't be forced to choke down anymore food from this place.

The only thing I ended up eating were the green beans off of Bart's plate and I'm pretty sure they were slathered with butter which is why I was inhaling them like crack (shhhh don't tell the doc). In the end we gave the server a pretty generous tip and made Market Street Grill black listed. I have NEVER sent a plate of food back because I didn't like it. I have put up with a few unimpressive meals....but this one takes the cake. Nothing about it was acceptable. Luckily for us we ended up with a good laugh and a funny story to tell....even if I still am hungry....

Pieces of Advice

Day 8, : A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.



Be kind. It's a happy way to live.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Accepting apologies doesn't mean letting people continue to hurt you. It's okay to say, "I forgive you, but I don't want you in my life".

Sometimes you just need to let him sleep on the couch

Make working hard a standard in your life, it's easier to succeed that way.

LOVE someone more than yourself

Nap Time

Hair colored

Nails done

Legs waxed

Pedicure had

Laundry folded

Sheets washed 

Workout completed 

Groceries bought 

All by 1pm. Time for my Scandal finale and a nap!! 

Oranges and Pearly Whites

Day 17, : A favorite photo of yourself and why

Nothing like a huge giant picture of yourself to feed the ego this Thursday morning...amirght??

I don't know why I love this picture so much, but I do! This was taken last year on our way to San Fransisco. The orange peeled perfectly and was absolutely delicious. I think I like this because it shows me all natural. Pure happiness. Old hoodie, day old hair and my pearly whites. It reminds me that it's the simple things that make us the most happy. Riding alongside Bart for our 10+ hour car ride with tasty treats and feeling 100 % comfortable with being myself. If we aren't comfortable in our own skin, can we be comfortable in our lives? I don't think so. 

730ish Days

2 years ago we got married! It was lovely. We looked pretty and we've only gotten prettier :)

You don't see very many marriages that work these days, which can be a scary thought. The main idea that helps give me hope? Marriages weren't meant to fail. They were designed to succeed and make this world a better place. A loving marriage goes a long way when it comes to the happy things in life. I found my person and I think we will do just fine.

Of course there are "Ups and Downs" in a marriage. Luckily for us for every 1 Down there are 20 Ups. Isn't that the way life should be? Bart has embraced the motto "Happy Wife, Happy Life". I love you Bart!!

Moderation

Bodies are a weird weird thing. They are amazing and they are confusing. You hear so many different things when it comes to nutrition and taking care of your body...

Don't eat meat. Eat locally grown meat. OK fine, meat is okay, but only sometimes. Red meat no, fish yes, chicken occasionally. Umm..meat is actually amazing and you should eat it every day.

There is no such thing as a "bad" vegetable. Well potatoes can be bad...and you shouldn't eat too many carrots. Actually carrots are good, just don't cook them. Ya, cooked veggies are bad. No, cooked veggies bring out different nutrients so you SHOULD cook your veggies.

Don't even get me started on grains. ONLY whole grains. Well multigrains are OK too...but no white flour! Well white flour can be okay sometimes, moderation! No, just cut out all grains. If cavemen didn't eat it, neither should you! Actually the Egyptians know where it's at when it comes to food...or was it islanders? Are you a hunter or gatherer? Because that matters too. 

Fruit is great in unlimited amounts...except no it's not because they have tons of sugar and acidity. Acid is good for you! No, be on team Alkaline. 3 servings is all you need, unless you want beautiful hair, skin and nails..then eat 6 servings a day! mix them in a smoothie, that looks extra healthy.

Speaking of smoothies....DONT DRINK YOUR CALORIES! unless it's a green smoothie with spinach..you can drink that. OJ yes, Apple J no. Tomato juice and soups are good, but not the best. Caffeine is bad, so is sugar and don't even get me started on aspartame! Ya know what? just drink water. only water. nothing else. 

Time to chat about sugar. it's poison in your body, you're killing yourself a slow and painful death when you eat sugar. sugar came from hell disguised as an angel from heaven. but NATURAL sugars...well of course that's okay...except it's not. all sugar is just bad. stop eating it. STOP IT! (okay fine, eat it...but only a little bit..)

See what I mean?!?! It can be exhausting and entertaining to hear all the advice. The awesome answer is "Moderation in all things" but is that even true? My body would tell you no. The 14 pounds I have lost in 6 weeks with NO exercise would tell you it's not about moderation...it's about cutting out the "crap" and eating clean. I practiced Moderation in All Things for years and never have I seen the results that I am seeing now. It's fascinating! I can't wrap my brain around it or pretend to understand what's going on under my skin where no one can see. All I know is that for 6 weeks I have been eating 100 % fresh and my body is lovin' it.

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Take Time

Day 4, : Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it


This one is so hard for me because I have so many quotes that I love for different reasons! I couldn't narrow it down. Many of them come from church lessons or my own personal study.

Take time for work-it is the price of success

Take time to think- it is the source of power

Take time to play- it is the secret of youth

Take time to read- it is the foundation of wisdom

Take time to be friendly- it is the road to happiness

Take time to love- it is the highest joy in your life

Take time to laugh- it is the music of the soul

Take time to pray- it is the pathway to eternity

I read this is a church book, but I don't remember the author. I love it!!

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind"

This is my #1 favorite quote. Whenever I am having a hard time understanding what we are doing here on Earth, and why it matters, I read this and remember my life isn't supposed to be filled with fear. I also read this whenever tragedy strikes. You can't have faith if you have fear!

What is your favorite quote? I'm a quote junkie so I would love to hear them!

p.s. I also love the advice my mom gave me when I moved out: "Bloom Where You Are Planted"

Being Uncomfortable

Day 3, : Things that make you uncomfortable


public speaking
HEAT
tight pants...(the kind you have to unbutton by 8 a.m....don't judge)
other people's PDA 
high heels
the chick in Yoga class who wears WAY too short of shorts and her crotch shows through (gross)
sitting for too long
talking about my problems to people ( blogging about it though...i'm all for that!)
weird smelling people
super soft beds and too fluffy pillows
defending myself in work meetings
crying in public
super hot/good looking people/celebrities
ordering at restaurants (it's a process...and kind of embarrassing)
listening to gossip
our couches 

250 Words

If you read my blog you know I fail at any and all blogging challenges. so instead of posting all the rules and topics I'm supposed to blog about EVERY DAY (ya...not happening) I am just going to begin and if I miss a day it won't really be like I missed a day because I never actually POSTED the challenge. (see what I did there?) Anywho....here is today's

Day 1: The story of your life in 250 words or less

It all started on the 13th day of November in 1989. Yes I'm an 80's baby, narrowly missing the deadline by 47ish days. My mom says I was funny looking at first, but eventually grew into my face. Toddler years were my "mommy killer" phase. I spent my childhood creating 4 page stories and causing mischief with my big bro. I was a teaser and spent most of my young people days bugging my siblings and being my dad's favorite (shh don't tell). I competed with 2 boys in elementary school to be the smartest kid ( i got stuck on my 4's multiplication table and lost that challenge.) Jr. High was spent thinking I was cool with my Bff. We dressed the same, talked the same, and thought we were BAMF. I cut my hair in 9th grade and never looked back. Skip high school (nothing to see here). Did cool stuff with my hair in cosmetology school, 80's dancing, lots of kissing boys moments, more 80's dancing. Moved to Logan and had to grow up a little. Met this guy named Bart (but seriously, who has a name like Bart? This guy did). Fell in love with said guy. Dominated school (B's get degrees). Wrote for a school paper, made some good memories..got married..moved to SLC. Still in this marriage thing and currently working at a TV station. Healthy eater by force...wishing for cookies and Kit Kat bars. Living happy and healthy. Dreams are coming true..

 (249 words. BAM)

Day 28

It has been one month since I started my treatment program for my Hashimotos. ONE MONTH..THAT'S IT?!?!?! *sigh* it feels like much longer.

Here are a few things that have happened the past 4 weeks.

I've lost 10 pounds

I no longer get stomach pain

My skin is still trying to figure out what's going on. Some days I have beautiful clear skin and other days I look like a raging hormonal 15 year old

I have been able to add eggs and lean beef into my diet.

I can also add tomatoes but they are disgusting and make me gag so I'm not going to really count those.

I've completed my first round of supplements (apparently the next round is even more nasty than the first)

I found out I have a parasite, a gastrointestinal yeast infection and a bacteria growing in my stomach/intestines. (Explains the 3 years of stomach  pain!)

My stomach and mind have adjusted to the amount of food I eat every day, I hardly ever feel REALLY hungry.

I am still tired, but once we start working on my adrenal glands that should improve.

I'm really really sick of chicken (rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is officially my favorite treat!)

Recently I've been craving a chocolate-caramel somethin' somethin'

I still can't exercise. I have been biking next to Bart on his long Saturday morning runs, but that is about it.

Went to Timpanogos Temple last night and saw these beauties...I love Springtime!

Have I Done Any Good?

I'm only 23 but sometimes I feel like I'm having a mid-life crisis. I come home, get into bed and think "what did I do today that matters?". I love my job, but it doesn't help people or make the world a better place. I talked to Bart about it and he said, "You go to work to make money, not change the world". True, but I need to find something else. Something that doesn't focus on me, but focuses on other people. I want to be proud of my day and know that I made a difference somehow....I'll let you know how the search goes.

B's Get Degrees

I wrote this as I was waiting for my Math final:

"Sitting and waiting for my math final to start. I'm here early sitting front row. Go me! I keep repeating the quadratic formula in my head like that's going to be the hardest part of the test. HA! Ya right. I'm all about coming to a test empty handed. No need to review my notes because let's be honest: If I don't know it now I'm not going to remember it in the middle of a final. Amiright??? It's all about the moment of truth. As of now I am feeling pretty confident but we'll see how I feel AFTER. "


 After I typed that I started looking around and realized I didn't recognize anyone in the class...then the TA walks in and SURPRISE! I'm in the wrong place for my final :|

I run down to the Math office and rudely interrupt someone so I could figure out where my final was starting in T-minus 2 MINUTES!!! I sprinted across the road and luckily found the place in time....

45 minutes later I handed in my test. 1 class down,  1 to go!

Next I drove to my Political Science Statistics final. I've enjoyed this class and actually learned some stuff! The final was pretty easy I just have one thing to say. NEVER SECOND GUESS YOURSELF! I entered in my questions and when I was going back through to double check I changed a few...and once I submitted it guess what? My original answers were right. 4 POINTS DOWN THE DRAIN! Bummer.

Since it was electronic we immediately got our scores back aaaannndd.....I B'ed it! (not Aced...B'ed)

I have 10 days of a little rest and relaxation before summer semester begins (Only 4 classes away from graduation. I can do this!)