On Sunday I experimented with a new {and simple} recipe that is both hearty and healthy for the entire family. Regular chili is a usual favorite in my home, so I thought I would mix it up a bit by trying a white chili. Better yet...I made this recipe in the slow cooker which is a blessing for working moms everywhere. All you have to do is throw everything in at once, set to low, and forget about it until dinner.
I started with a few ingredients...chicken broth, white beans, green chillies, Anaheim pepper, garlic and an onion.
Jalapenos could be used for even more of a kick.
White Bean Chicken Chili
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces 1 large onion, diced 2 cans {4 ounces} chopped green chilies, drained 1 can white beans, drained {I used cannelini beans} 2 cups chicken broth Dash red {cayenne} pepper 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 4 teaspoons cilantro, chopped 2 teaspoons oregano 2 teaspoons cumin 1 Anaheim pepper, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips
Combine all of the aboveingredients {except the sour cream, cheese and chips} in a slow cooker.
Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Top with sour cream and cheese and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
Serves 4-6
A delicious and healthy meal for the coldest of winter days! Plus, it's even better the next day for lunch....
It was kind of a crazy weekend....between Willsey having surgery to remove a ping pong ball from his stomach to trying to fit in runs in between family obligations. I have to say...I don't feel too rested and I'm sure glad it's a snow day today.
Saturday morning we woke up to a blanket of snow. Although beautiful, some of the city sidewalks were still covered with a light coating which made it difficult to get traction. Even though I ran five miles, I might consider it six since "effort miles" come into play.
Quickly about Willsey...Thursday night he swallowed the ball while being bribed to drop it with a piece of cheese. To my surprise, it went down whole {along with the cheese} and at that moment, the adventure began. Willsey came home on Saturday afternoon after the vet removed it from his stomach and he remained calm and subdued the rest of the weekend. Saturday night I watched a movie with him on the floor while he rested his head on my lap the entire time. I was so glad to have my buddy home and he was glad to be home. This is pretty much what we did Saturday night...
Here is the culprit...all in tact, post-surgery. The doctor gave the ball to us as a souvenir, but I'm quite sure this is one experience I would like to forget....
Sunday I ran a long{ish} run on my own. Oh, how I dislike running anything over eight alone, so this one was no different. Plus the east coast temperatures still remained in the low 20s which has been getting a bit old, but Wednesday's 60 degree weather sounds like a heat wave!
I only was able to get in eight miles at a decent pace, so I was happy.
Between all the craziness, I experimented with a new recipe on Sunday...Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili. We had it for dinner last night with some tortilla chips and the fam gave it two thumbs up. You will be able to catch the recipe on here tomorrow!
That's about it for the weekend review. I hope your weekend was better than mine! Have a great Monday....
Just when the cold temperatures get me down, I find a mid-winter pick me up at my favorite store. This winter white quilted Hobo International clutch sat in plain view on the clearance rack, just waiting to be taken home. I love the size and color, perfect for brunch with a friend or a night out on the town with my husband.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are soothing on a cold winter day. Adding a wedge of Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb cheese to the mix creates an extra punch to an otherwise comforting lunch. {Snowman plates are fun, but optional.}
Fred and I have been married for two years now, but over the holidays we were surprised by his uncle with this wine bottle chiller/vase. It was hand spun on a wheel by a couple who has created pottery pieces for over thirty years.
A recommendation from Laurel, my yoga instructor....this tea is a great substitute for that afternoon coffee urge.Not only is it delicious, it contains natural herbal ingredients such as green rooibos tea, ginger, cinnamon, holy basil, cordyceps, chili and black pepper and was created to help increase the body's metabolism and resistance to stress.
I really love a day home from school, but I think my buddy loves it even more. He was my shadow throughout the course of the day on Monday...not wanting to miss a trick.
Good morning! How do you feel about sweet-salty combinations in food? I don't know about you, but I love it...especially when it involves caramels with sea salt or chocolate-covered pretzels. Delish! Because Sunday was all about football, I wanted to make my family a little dessert that incorporated that sweet-salty goodness into one, easy to eat treat. The result and recipe can be found here!
To make these bars a tad bit healthier, I used brown rice cereal rather than the regular rice cereal foundin the traditional recipe. Also, my grocery store has a trail mix bar so I was able to create my own mixture such as pumpkin seeds, yogurt-covered raisins, cashews, peanuts and pretzels.
A half an hour later, I ended up with this:
I'm telling you...these treats won't disappoint.That salty-sweet flavor was too good to be true and I found myself cutting little bites throughout my entire day off from school. Good thing I worked out that morning!!
Speaking of working out....last night I ran another workout with Moravian's team. If it wasn't for Jesse's guilt-filled texts :) and Lauretta's encouragement, I probably wouldn't have stepped foot outside to run since the temperature at start time was a balmy 17 degrees. We did some more tempo-related intervals in a neighborhood that has a mile-long loop. The streets there are clear of snow and the much of the wind is blocked by the surrounding homes and trees.
Workout: 1 mile at ~5k pace; 2 mile tempo at ~5k pace; 2 x 800 each progressively faster
Here's how it went:
1.5 mile warm-up and some simple drills/strides
1 mile - 6:17 {just to get warmed up} {1:45 rest} 2 miles - 12:25 {6:09, 6:16} {2:30 rest} 2 x 800 - 3:14, 2:49 {1:15 rest in between each}
1.5 mile cool down = 7 mile day!
I have to say...we were cold! But in the end, it wasn't as bad as I anticipated and was glad to get in the workout. Enjoy your day and stay warm!
