Mmmmmmm, Chili!

This is a post from a few years ago that I decided to share again since we are headed into Fall and football season!!!



The crisp nights, football on TV, and the smell of fall in the air and I get hungry for...chili!  The husband had been requesting it too, so I set out to the store for my ingredients and whipped up a big pot the other night.

Now, I love to cook, however I’m not a recipe follower.  I guess you can say I just go with what feels “right”?  So, I will do my best to give measurements but you can always add or remove what ever doesn’t feel “right” to you.  I also love that I can make it all in one pot, no heaps of dirty dishes to wash after!

Ingredients:

 2 Large cans Tomato Juice

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 Medium Onion

1 Large Green Pepper

1 can Tomato Paste

1 Pkg. McCormick Original Chili Seasoning

1 1/2 cups Elbow Macaroni

3 Cloves Garlic

1 can Green Chilies

Worcestershire Sauce (6 shakes)

12 oz. Favorite Beer

2 dashes Cayenne Pepper (more or less depending on how hot you like it)

Salt & Pepper

Shredded Cheese

·        First step is to brown your ground beef, while it’s browning I add a little salt and pepper and the Worcestershire Sauce, approximately 6 shakes of the bottle. Once it’s browned you may need to drain the grease, I use lean ground beef (93/7) so I can usually skip this step because the grease is very minimal.

·        While the meat is browning I chop the green pepper and onion in my food processor.  This makes the work easier on you!

·        Peel 3 cloves of garlic and chop fine, I use the food processor for this also!

·        Once the meat is brown I start the dumping, all the other ingredients get dumped in.  Add the tomato juice, beer, green pepper, onion, garlic, chili seasoning, tomato paste, green chilies.

·        I stir this all together for a minute or so, you will want to make sure the tomato paste is incorporated well. 

·        Last step is to add your macaroni (uncooked), I use 3 palms full.  It’s approximately 1 1/2 cups, you can always add more or less depending on your preference.

·        Let simmer on the stove until the macaroni is cooked through, chili will thicken as the macaroni cooks.  Be sure to stir often so the noodles don’t sink to the bottom and burn.

·        Serve with shredded cheese on top.

ENJOY!!

 

 

Post Baby Weight Loss

The dreaded weight loss after baby (babies), it's something you start planning for those last few months of pregnancy. What is my action plan going to be? How will I lose the weight? How hard will it be? All questions/ thoughts that start swimming through your head.  

With this pregnancy I gained 42 pounds, much better than the 68 I gained with my first pregnancy, and with twins I might add.  At 7 weeks post- partum I have lost 33 of the 42 pounds.  Now, don't get me wrong, 14 of that was straight babies.  The thing is, I don't just want to lose the remaining 9 pounds to get to my pre-pregnancy weight. I have 34 more pounds I need to shed. I'm not going to lie, that number is terrifying to me but I also know it's possible. 

My goal is to run my first half marathon next May. I have plenty of time to train but feel like I need to put it out there in the universe to hold myself accountable. I started running before I got pregnant and  had got to where I could run 4 miles. Then I found out I was having twins and running was no longer an option for me. Now I am starting back over at square one. I have been cleared by my doctor and bought myself some new running shoes, it's time to hit the pavement!  

I am looking forward to it, this is me time.  I enjoy the sound of my feet hitting the pavement, call me crazy but I don't listen to music when I run. I love to hear the sounds around me and I feel like I am more intune with my breathing when I have no distractions. 

So wish me luck on my goal to 13.1 miles, I am sure there will be ups and plenty of downs to share. Here is to getting healthy!

My first 5k from last summer! That was a big accomplishment for me.

Seven Years & Going Strong

Where does the time go? It doesn't seem possible that Adam and I have been married for seven years and together for over 10.   I am blessed to have found such a great partner and best friend.

When Adam and I were dating and things began to get serious we naturally had a few conversations about children. He said he would like to have two kids, I said I  would like three.   After we had Madelyn we still hadn't agreed whether we would just have one more or would I get my way (wink wink) and try for two more.  Fast forward 3 1/2 years and we decide it's time to try for number two!  Fast forward another month and I am pregnant and headed to our first ultrasound at 8 weeks pregnant.  This is the day we got the "SURPRISE you're having TWINS"!!  I guess there will be no need for that future conversation about #3!

So, why am I telling you this? Because I knew I had an amazing husband, but it was on that day that I realized he was beyond amazing. I think most men would have had a freak out moment, Adam stayed calm...for me. I was having the freak out moment! Yes, I said I wanted three kids, I just didn't think I would get two at once. 

We are now 8 months after that day and we have 1 month old twin boys. My husband continues to amaze me and prove that I picked the best partner.  For example, every night Adam washes any dirty bottles and prepares the 6 bottles the boys will consume during the night. Then he will prepare bottles for the next day, once he is gone all I have to do is add the formula to the water.  He makes sure my coffee is ready to go each morning so I can have it when I wake up, for all you coffee drinkers you know how important it is!  Every evening Adam gets down in the floor with Carter and Colten to "play"! This gives me a few mintues to myself and also keeps them awake so they will sleep.  He is the best at getting Madelyn outside for a bike ride or sprinkler action.  I could go on but I think you get the point. I'm one lucky girl!!

Adam, thank you for being an amazing husband, father and best friend! Thank you for picking me to share this adventure with. I love you!

1 Month Old

I can't believe they are a month old already!!  I don't have stats yet, we don't go back to the doctor until the 16th but I wanted to at least share a picture.  

 Lets hope these photo shoots get easier as they get older, neither one was interested in getting their picture taken.

P.S. Thanks to my good friend, Kristen, for the month stickers!

First Month- What Did I Learn

So we have one month under our belts as parents of twins, I can't say it has been easy but it's not as hard as I expected.  Now, give me a few more months when they're mobile and I may retract the above statement.

I thought I would share a few things I have had the opportunity to learn over the past month:

• A scheduled C-section is way better than laboring for hours before you get wheeled into the operating room.

• If you think you have enough diapers & wipes stocked up... you don't!

• Don't assume your babies will be on the same formula. 

• Boys are a whole diffrent adventure when it comes to getting peed and pooped on. Cover that thing up and quickly!

• Washing & sanitizing bottles for two babies is a full time job.

• You may be so tired at night that you think you're feeding one baby only to later realize it's the other baby...and wrong bottle. Oops!!

• Don't assume they will wear the same size clothes or diapers at the same time. This hasn't happened to us yet but only occured to me that it could a few days ago. 

• Your 4 year old will love them so much that she will want to smoother them with hugs and kisses...even at 4:00am. 

• You will plan ahead to make sure your 4 year old will get plenty of alone time only to find she will become hysterical if you attempt to make her leave her brothers.

• Eating lunch or anything before 6:00pm  will likely not happen often the first month. On the other hand, you will drink a pot of coffee every day!

• If you expect our entire family to be someplace tell us to be there 30 minutes before the actual arrival time. Otherwise, expect us to be 30 minutes late. (This is a huge pet peeve of both Adam and I, you can bet we will get better)

• Newborn pictures are a whole new level of stressful with two babies, especially when they both decide to be awake. A few drinks may be required!

• Our twins have an agreement to never sleep at the same time during the day. 

• They come out with their own language, or in our case their own grunting. They literally lay and grunt back and forth to each other.

I am sure there is more but that's all this tired brain can think of right now.  Here is to the beginning of month two!!