Wednesday, May 21, 2014

A Pot of Chili

One thing my family loves is chili!  We can eat it any time of year, for any occasion and be completely satisfied.  My mother and I have been using the same chili recipe for years and each time we make it we always try to improve it.  This week my grandpa came over for my college graduation so my mother made a big pot for all of us.  



Here is our current healthy Too Hot To Trot Chili:
(picture shown has both lean ground turkey and tofu)

Ingredients:
2lbs lean ground turkey (if making it vegetarian you can add more beans and 2 squares tofu cut into small cubes if you would like)
1 medium sized onion
1/2 large pepper, chopped (can use green or red or a mix of both)
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped small
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 jar of low sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 15oz can of each dark, light kidney beans and black beans 
Splash of hot pepper sauce
Dash of chipotle chili pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper 
Dash of Red pepper flakes
Pepper
9 Tbsp chili powder
4 Tbsp cumin

Step 1: Brown ground turkey in microwave. (If making vegetarian then skip this step, add in beans or tofu later in recipe) (If using tofu press to get excess fluid out before adding)
Step 2: Sautee onion, pepper, jalapeno, celery and garlic in non stick pan with olive oil until onions are soft
Step 3: Place remaining ingredients and sauteed vegetables in large crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.  If cooking on stove cook for 2 hours in large pot making sure to stir every 10 minutes on med/low heat.  

It is a very simple recipe, basically a one pot dish and tastes great when reheated!  

*If sharing this recipe please link to this page. Thank you!






Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Game of Thrones Mkal

Hello everyone! I just recently got hooked on Game of Thrones!  I came in very late, however I have managed to catch up and I am obsessed!  I decided to join in on the Game of Thrones Mkal that has been going around on Ravelry.  This is a shawl knit a long and the shawl is inspired by Daenerys Targaryen, one of my favorite characters!  It is a beautiful lace pattern so far and I am having a great time knitting on it!  Each clue comes out every Sunday with the release of a new episode so you have plenty of time to work the whole clue before the next one.  
I am using Madelinetosh Pashmina in the colors Citrus and Hosta Blue.  I am loving the colors together!  These are the colors I in-vision when I see the mother of dragons!  The blue perfectly matches the blue dress she wears and the orange reminds me of fire! 



The colors in this picture more closely resemble the actual colors of the yarn.  I plan on striping the shawl and as for now I have a lifeline in just in case I do not like the stripes later on.  I do plan on getting a nice camera but for now this will have to do!

I am currently in the middle of clue 2 and the pattern asks you to work from two separate charts for each row.  I am enjoying the pattern a lot.  It is something that is a little bit out of my comfort zone but I am learning a lot!

So what do I love about this pattern so far?
  • Easy to follow instructions!
  • The pattern comes with both written out instructions as well as charts.
  • Each clue can be finished in a reasonable amount of time.  
  • It is so much fun! 

Who is your favorite Game of Thrones character?