Chili and XO Cornbread

2 Comments

Last night dinner was all about using up ingredients in the fridge which included:

2/3 of a yellow onion
refried black beans
whole plum tomatoes with juices
remainder of a jar of salsa

I decided that those four ingredients combined with a few other staples I had in the kitchen were the perfect ingredients to make a nice and hearty black bean chili.


 Towards the end I remembered that I had a bag of frozen corn the freezer and decided to add a few handfuls to add a little sweetness to the spicy chili (I was a little heavy handed on the chipotle chili powder). The end result was a nice big bowl of spicy rich black bean chili, so good!

To go with this tasty black bean chili I decided to try out the Gluten Free Corn Bread Mix that  Lindsey of XO Baking Co. sent me to try out.  The mix calls for milk, eggs and butter but I veganized it by using unsweetened almond milk, flax “eggs” and soy free Earth Balance.

I was a little nervous about how it was going to turn out with the flax “eggs” but the end result was something delicious.  The cornbread was slightly sweet, just how I like my corn bread and it was the perfect pairing to the spicy chili.  I ended up having two slices of cornbread dunked in my chili- the perfect pairing!

Three Things Thursday

3 Comments
  1. I make 98% of the home cooked meals in our house but I’m not a baker.  The husband who is much more scientific and needs to follow a recipe in the kitchen has proven himself to be a really wonderful baker and lately we have had lots of fresh bread. He recommends these two books for bread making: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
  2. I can’t get enough citrus. Apparently I became pregnant at the perfect time because it’s citrus season and I just can’t enough of it.  I am loving grapefruit and cara cara oranges.  I love to add blood orange, lemon and lime to water and seltzer.  I also have been craving Izze sparkling grapefruit juice. 
  3.  We have a million types of glasses in our house but I only like to drink from pint glasses.  Okay so I don’t drink everything in pint glasses but lately the only thing I drink is water and I only like it in pint glasses.  Give it to me in another glass and I’m apt to poor it into a pint glass.  

Setting Goals

Leave a Comment

I am a huge fan of setting goals- weekly, monthly, yearly, ect. Goals help me to stay on track and really what feels better than actually accomplishing a goal?

(Image Credit)

This week I decided that I needed to get back on track with my goal setting and create tasks for the week and a reward for completion (what can I say I like rewards as well). My goals this week are:

  • Pick up the living room floor
  • Unload the dishwasher and load every other day
  • Change the sheets
  • Do two loads of laundry
  • Clean the guest bathroom
  • Go to pre-natal yoga at Evolution
  • Do my pre-natal workout dvds 3 times this week
  • Do my pre-natal workout dvd once this week
  • Write 4 health and wellness articles

Currently:

  • I have unloaded the dishwasher once and I wrote two articles this morning.

Reward for completing everything:

  • Buy myself a $25 gift card for a spa treatment

Punishment for not completeing:

  • No movie theater date this weekend instead I’ll be home cleaning the second bathroom.

Do you set goals? How often do you set them? How do you ensure you will accomplish your goals?

{Pregnancy Update} Almost 16 Weeks

2 Comments

Where has the time gone? I am just now getting around to write my Week 15 pregnancy update but since I am 15 weeks 5 days today I think I will do a 15/16 week update.

Week 15: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She’s busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. (source)

Week 16: Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he’s about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren’t recognizable yet. He’s even started growing toenails. (source)

And finally a photo of moi…

(please ignore the crazy eyes)

How I’m Changing

I am getting rounder. Duh right? I especially feel rounder in the evening after I’ve eaten all day and everyday I feel a little bit different.  Now you can finally see the physical changes and I will post a new photo each week from now on so you can watch my changes.

How I’m Feeling

I am feeling exhausted and hungry.  I am having trouble sleeping lately and toss and turn all night, this whole sleeping on my left side thing just isn’t my favorite. I end up tossing and turning from side to side to relieve my hips.  In addition to aching hips, my mind is racing a mile a minute creating lists of things I need to do to prep for the baby.  Oh and don’t get me started on the crazy dreams! Needless to say I am trying to get used to all these changes and I try to find time to sleep when I can.

 

What I’m Eating

I am eating everything lately! I am so hungry all the time so I have been eating small meals throughout the day. Currently my favorite things are brown rice with beans and sriracha and my husbands AMAZING pasta he made the other night with veggies and garlic <—craving this right now.
Random Facts of The Week:

{Recipe} Fiesta Tempeh-Bean Burger

Leave a Comment


This burger is great for the entire family! Serve on a bun or in a wrap and top with your favorite condiments! Have extra patties? Freeze them and cook them up whenever you have a craving for a yummy veggie burger.

INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup bell pepper (color of your choice), finely diced
• 1/3 cup corn, frozen or fresh
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4oz (1/2 package) tempeh, grated
• 1 (15oz) can of kidney beans, black beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed then pulsed in a food processor 2-3 times
• 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning & paprika
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp sherry or red wine vinegar
• 2-4 Tbsp water

Directions:
1. In a small skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; add in the onion, pepper and corn and saute for 6-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for an additional 5-6 minutes until the onions and peppers begin to caramelize. Transfer the onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.
2. To the mixing bowl add the grated tempeh, beans, wheat gluten, spices, salt and pepper; stir to combine. With a wooden spoon stir in the hot sauce, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir until the mixture begins to come together similar to a dough; if the mixture seems dry add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Once the burger mixture has come together form into six thin patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. To cook the patties, heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes per side; until they are firm to the touch.

Serve on a bun with your favorite fixin’s!

The Babymoon

1 Comment

babymoon : A last vacation taken by expectant parents before a baby is born.

Ever since we found out we were expecting I have had a babymoon on the brain and I have been searching and searching for the perfect trip.   The trip must fit into our limited budget since our normal fun/travel budget is much smaller with a baby on the way and it must be somewhere relaxing.  Usually when we travel we are always on the go, running around to here and there, this time we want to just sit and relax. The other factor that we have to consider is the fact that I only have a small window of opportunity to fly and unfortunately that is February to mid-March, the most expensive time to fly south from Vermont (of course).

Ideally our babymoon would be spent somewhere like this:

(source)

Sunny, warm and on the beach with a virgin mojito in my hand.  Instead we probably will have to go with Option B:

(source)

Still on the ocean but only 4 hours driving from home and about 40 degrees colder (I don’t think we’ll be lounging on the beach.)

Either way I know we will have an amazing time together.

Did you go on a babymoon? Where did you go? 

Quick Pregnancy Update: 15 weeks yesterday so stay tuned for my 15 week pregnancy update coming up tonight or tomorrow.