15 in 2015: February Update

1. Write at least 2 blog posts per month. 

Check! 2 posts in February.

2. Read 5 books.

I have read 2 books so far in 2015. I just finished So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore. I read it several years ago, but didn't remember much of it (except that I really liked it the first time) so I decided to read it again. Before you dismiss the book, think of the premise more as being the church rather than going to church. It is a fairly easy read and really challenges our modern day notions of "church" in really positive and meaningful ways.

3. Eat more whole foods.

I did really well at the beginning of the month and then about Valentine's Day I discovered that Reese's eggs were in stores and I gave in to temptation and had a lot of them! However, I've still been doing pretty well in this area. I've cooked dinner at least 4 times a week each week, and we've had leftovers most other nights. We're having vegetables with just about every meal and I feel really positive about the changes we're making to our diet.

4. Spend less time on my phone.

I had a realization when I read this blog recently: my phone isn't really the problem for me. My addiction to social media is the issue (and my phone is just how I access social media most of the time). This post resonated with me SO much. I'm working on figuring out how I will "detox" from social media now.

5. Find creative ways to save and/or earn money for our family.

I got my first payment from Ebates this month for $14.81, which was deposited to my bank account.

I've received two payments from the Walmart Savings Catcher this month. I've been going there once a week for my grocery shopping and so far I've received $9.21 back in reward dollars (which go onto a Walmart gift card).

It's easier to save money on groceries when you have limited room in your cart!

I also contacted a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) to find out if we could get a better deal on our home and auto insurance. We got new policies which saved us almost $400 per year combined (with a few other discounts included like paying for the whole year at once, multiple vehicles, combining auto and home, and a low mileage discount for our vehicles).

6. Keep up with my One Line A Day journal.

I wish I could say I was better about filling this out every day. However, I've done well to never get more than a week behind so I can still remember what happened each day and fill out several days at once.

7. Purge our home of 300 unnecessary items. 

I'm up to 170 items so far (and it's only February), so I'm feeling really positive about this goal. Our guest bedroom has been the "catch-all" room for a while now, especially since we cleaned out the other bedroom to make it Peter's nursery, so I imagine I can probably get the other 130 items from this room alone.

8. Spend time outside.

I've been going for a walk or jog outside 2-3 times a week all month now, so that's a start. We've also had a stretch of beautiful sunny days, which helps a lot. I'm excited to be able to go hiking on the weekends soon.

9. Learn how to use our new camera. 

I've been playing around with our camera a lot more recently but that's about it. I asked a photographer friend for some tips and she recommended I read the manual and gave me a few specific things to pay attention to when learning about the camera.

10. Run a 5k.

I'm jogging a couple times per week now. The 5k I plan to run is held the last weekend of May, so I'm working now to get into shape for that. Running has never really been easy for me, so adding the weight of a stroller/car seat/baby that I'm pushing and a dog on a leash around my waist and the hills in my neighborhood...let's just say it's sloooooow going.

11. Complete 6 crafty/house/Pinterest projects.

Nothing completed here yet, but I've got a couple ideas for what projects I'd like to tackle and I'm looking at how to budget for them and when I can realistically get them done.

12. Try 12 new recipes.

I tried three new recipes this month:

Healthy Mexican Enchilada Casserole
PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps
Pulled Pork

I liked all three of them, but Kory wasn't really a fan of the Enchilada Casserole. I would HIGHLY recommend the pulled pork. It was delicious and really easy!

13. Lose 20 pounds.

I've been working on this goal this month but progress is pretty slow. I really feel like nursing is a big part of that. I require so many more calories because I'm feeding Peter also, and I know that's a calorie burner as well, but it just seems like my body hangs on to extra weight more than it ever has before. I'm sure it's a survival mechanism so I can nourish he and I both, and I'm really not worried about a number on a scale, but I do want my clothes to fit better and for me to feel healthier and more energized. I'm going to keep working on being healthier and we'll see where the body changes come in.

14. Organize and file our stacks of paperwork.

I got our taxes done this month, but somehow that means I pulled a lot of papers out of our file box and ended up less organized than in January. Fail. I'll get back on this stat. I've also decided to tackle several other stacks of "stuff" around our house in an effort to get better organized. Before and after pictures will be posted as I get those areas cleaned up.

15. Plant a garden.

Seeds are planted and growing! I am not sure why, but several of these seeds never took, so I'm having to replant several weeks later. I do have broccoli and tomatoes growing really well for now.

14 in 2014

Update on my 2014 goals:

1. Eat {more} vegetables.

Pregnancy has been a good motivator for me to continue to learn to like vegetables. My midwife told me I should be eating 3 fresh fruits per day and at least 3 different vegetables. While I can't say I get that every day, I'm certainly doing better than I was at this time last year.

I recently tried a new recipe from Family Meal Blog for Zucchini Basil Soup that I really loved! Kory said it tasted "pretty healthy", which means it's got too many vegetables and not enough butter/cream/sugar/junk :) I have zucchini and basil both growing in my garden now, which makes me excited to make this recipe again with fresh from the garden vegetables, which will make it taste even better!

Photo via Family Meal Blog

3. Read books.

I recently received the book Love Does by Bob Goff as a gift. I decided to take a break from the book I've been trying to read for 5 months now (and failing pretty miserably) and read something else. I don't know why, but I have such a hard time giving up on a book or moving on to another one without finishing the first one. I have been really loving Love Does and am pretty sure I will finish the whole thing in a week or two, and that's only because I've made myself stop and not read the entire thing in one day. 

7. Can 3 foods.

I'm making great progress in this area. My garden is planted and growing now. I got a late start because I thought we were moving out of this house and then I was pregnant (read: exhausted) and I just did nothing on the garden until the past few weeks. It's kind of a random assortment of fruits, vegetables, and herbs this year, but most of it was given to me, so I didn't turn down any free plants. I'm growing: basil, cilantro, potatoes, lemon cucumbers, mint, strawberries, zucchini, Japanese cucumbers, watermelon, jalapeños, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

8. Do puzzles.

We finished the giant 2,000 piece puzzle from Christmas and it was a great feeling of accomplishment, BUT there was one piece missing. We searched and searched but never found it. It was pretty disappointing.

We then did another 1,000 piece puzzle in one day. It was candy bars and and was MUCH easier. 

10. Read through the entire Bible.

I don't think I'll finish in a year, but when I read my original goal again, it was just to read through the whole Bible, so I am still doing that. Some weeks are better than others, but it's still

11. Eat more whole foods and, therefore, less processed foods. 

I read a blog a while back where the author was saying that it's just as easy to scramble some eggs as it is to get dressed, put your shoes on, get in the car, drive somewhere and pick up fast food. It was a good point because we default to fast food far too often when we don't feel like cooking or time is short. I'm supposed to be eating a high protein diet these days and so I've made us breakfast for dinner a few times lately. We usually have scrambled eggs, apples, strawberries and some toast.

12. Get my braces off.

Goal: before baby is born. I've been in rubber bands for about 3 months now and hope those will come off pretty soon. Every time I go in they tell me we are getting close, but I don't know exactly how close. 

These rubber bands make me feel like a vampire. 

Hippie Living

Since moving to Oregon, I've certainly embraced a lot more "natural" ways of living. I didn't really realize how many adjustments I've made until I had a friend visiting recently and she was telling me all about her "hippie" friend who makes her own deodorant and grows her own food and uses homemade cleaning products, etc. I started thinking, "Hey, I do that also!"

I joined a Facebook group for "Crunchy Mamas" in our area when I became pregnant so I could learn more from these gals. This group has certainly shown me that I'm a long way from being a true Oregon hippie (and I'm totally ok with that!), but I have learned a lot and thought I would share some of the changes I've made.

Discovering coconut oil has been the major catalyst in helping me embrace homemade bath and body products. Tropical Traditions is my favorite brand, but I haven't really come across any coconut oil that I didn't like. I'll share several things I use my coconut oil for, but first up is deodorant.

For a while, I just stopped wearing deodorant altogether. I just didn't really sweat or stink at all and it seemed like I was getting more deodorant on my clothes than body odor. It helps that it was winter time and that it doesn't get 100 degrees for months on end here...I know, NM and Texas residents, it's hard to imagine a world like that. I'm truly sorry for your summer heat waves, but Oregon is great in the summer. Come visit! :) Anyhow, back to deodorant. Once I got pregnant, I realized that I was getting hotter most days and the weather was also heating back up, so I decided to start making my own deodorant again. I'd done it once before but then I ran out and never made another batch. 

My friend, Cristina, is the first one to introduce me to the idea of making your own deodorant.  Here's the recipe she uses:

Cherry Family Deodorant Recipe

4 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons baking soda

2 tablespoons coconut oil

(you can add a bit more coconut oil if you'd like your deodorant to be softer)

Warm just enough to get the ingredients to mix. Do not warm too much or it may not solidify properly. When it turns into a paste-like texture, spoon into travel size deodorant containers. Tap container on counter to get air bubbles to rise to the top. Place in refrigerator until solid. Keep out of really warm temps, or it will get soft again. I don't recommend using this recipe in the full-size containers. We like our more solid, which could break the twist mechanism. That's why I picked up the travel size ones and emptied them to use. Maybe it's wasteful to throw out the stuff that was in it, but the health of my family and NOT smearing aluminum on one of the most porous surfaces on our bodies is worth it times a million in my book!

Now, when you're lazy like me, your recipe might look a little different. 

Mandy's Improvised Deodorant Recipe

Some coconut oil

Some baking soda

A few drops of orange oil

Take some coconut oil and spoon it into a little tupperware container (base your coconut oil portion on how the size of your tupperware). Pour some baking soda in with the oil and mix it up until it seems mixed well. Add a few drops of orange oil, used for its wonderful scent as well as its antibacterial properties. Use your finger to scoop out a finger-tip sized amount and rub it on your underarms each day. Enjoy the citrus goodness and feel good about the fact that you're getting coconut oil into your body through your underarm pores. 

The real benefit here is that it is super cheap. I have no idea what the cost breakdown is, but it's natural, cheaper than store bought deodorant, and I think it smells really nice also. 

I'll share more in my next post about some of my other favorite uses for coconut oil. Do any of you make your own deodorant? Would you ever consider trying it or are you loyal to your store-bought product?

February 14 in 2014

1. Eat {more} vegetables.

This month was a huge success in the vegetable department! I have heard over and over that roasting vegetables is the way to go, but I finally had a conversation (via FB) with Alisa from Family Meal Blog that motivated me to actually try it. At her encouragement, I roasted cauliflower with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and a tiny bit of sugar. I decided to roast some zucchini also because I knew I liked zucchini and if the cauliflower turned out gross, I'd have something to fall back on.

Well, of course, Alisa was right (we all should trust this gal when it comes to food!) and I LOVED the cauliflower and zucchini both. I roasted them at 400 for about 10-12 minutes, until the edges started browning. I actually had the vegetables as my meal that night because I was so focused on that project that I didn't really plan anything else. I did balance it out with some chips and dip though, so don't worry about me getting too healthy over here.

I also tried making Sweet Potato Fries for the first time this month. I put way too much oil on them, so even though I put some corn starch on as Alisa suggested, they were still way too soggy. I also didn't do a great job chopping them to be the same size, so the smaller ones got a little burned, but the thick and chunky ones were quite tasty. I definitely want to try these again!

2. Learn to drive a stick (again).

Not yet. Hopefully soon.

3. Read books.

I'm reading a really big book this month (500 pages) so it's kind of slow going for me. I'm really enjoying it, and it's not a difficult read at all. I just find myself falling asleep so easily when I read that I don't get very far before dozing off.

4. Print and make albums with the pictures I take in the year.

Nothing this month.

5. (Continue to) memorize the book of James.

You know what they say about the best of intentions... I had such a hard time keeping up on my daily Bible reading and that I got nothing accomplished here. The real solution is for me to watch less Netflix, so we'll see if I can make that happen in March.

6. Crochet a blanket for Kory

Nothing yet. 

7. Can 3 foods.

Still waiting for summer...though I'm getting more concerned that I might not have a garden (since I don't know where we'll be living), so I might have to can something from a local farmer's market if that is the case.

8. Do puzzles.

I'm still chipping away at this bad boy. It's going much slower now because SO many pieces look just alike. I wasn't feeling too great about my progress but then I looked at how much I had accomplished in January compared to now, and I'm feeling a little better about how it's coming together. I spent a lot of time working on it when Kory was gone to Guatemala for almost two full weeks.

January:

February:

9. Make my blog prettier. 

I don't really know what I want my blog to look like, which is part of my problem. I did get tired of it being so plain and white, so I added a cute background and updated a few font colors. I am not visually gifted at all, so I will probably need some outside help to get the blog to look really amazing, but the goal was "prettier", so I think I have accomplished that for now, at least.

10. Read through the entire Bible.

I didn't do so well in February. I feel like I spent the whole month playing catch up. About half-way through the month, I realized that it was real work to get through my reading each day and I wasn't really enjoying it at all. Job was quite a chore for me in January, and Exodus was proving to be the same in February. Rather than follow the "rules" of this plan perfectly, I jumped ahead many months to give myself some New Testament reading. My goal is to read the whole Bible in a year's time, so it doesn't really matter to me anymore if I do it in order, as long as I'm reading every day (well, 6 of 7 days a week) and have finished the whole thing come December 31, 2014. 

11. Eat more whole foods and, therefore, less processed foods. 

I had an epiphany recently that the best way to reach this goal was simply to cook from scratch. Duh! I know that might not be surprising to you at all, but it was a light bulb moment for me to realize that there were many things I didn't even know how to make from scratch, because I just always bought them in a can. This was the month to begin the learning. First up, I decided to make beans, as in good old pinto beans. I was going to do them in the crock pot, but then I got too impatient and just made them on the stove. I made a bean and cheese burrito with them and it was really good...homemade beans, hand-grated cheese, now I just need to learn how to make tortillas myself!


This has become one of my go-to foods lately: a Chipotle-inspired burrito bowl topped with Yumm! Sauce.

My favorite version includes chicken, rice/quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, avocados and Yumm! sauce. It's definitely a good way for me to get some more vegetables in my diet and eat healthy, whole foods. 

12. Get my braces off.

Another month and another good appointment at the orthodontist. He doesn't plan to have me wear rubber bands anymore (thank goodness!) and he said things are looking good to get them off in the not-too-distant-future. The only other excitement in this area is that they got a new mint green color for bands and I'm really digging it!

13. Brush up on my Spanish.

I'm up to Level 5 on DuoLingo. I have no idea how many levels there are, but since I'm still practicing sentences like, "I read books", I have a feeling there are a LOT of levels to go.

14. Move out of our house.

Well, February was kind of a frustrating month in this department. We had a lock box with the front door key for realtors and a sign up in our yard for weeks, but the house still wasn't for sale officially. We had to wait weeks for the engineer to write us a letter ensuring the house's structural integrity.

Finally, right at the end of the month the house went on the market. We had a great initial response with 7 house showings in 6 days. No offers made yet, but at least people are looking. We'll take that as a win for this month!

Pinterest Reviews #3

It's time for me to share again about some of the recipes and projects I've seen on Pinterest and then attempted to recreate. These have been done over the past year, so don't go thinking I've been amazingly productive recently.

Project: Homemade Pretzel Dough
Link: http://smells-like-home.com/2012/01/soft-pretzel-bites-with-cheese-sauce/
Verdict: Yummy! I took them to an Oscars watching party last year and they were a big hit with the fondue.
Best Part: They were soft and golden brown and just the perfect mix of buttery/salty.
Advice: When the recipe calls for parchment paper, don't ignore the labels and use wax paper instead. There is actually quite a difference between the two.
Next Time: I will use parchment paper so that I don't have to cut the bottom off every pretzel bite that has burned to the wax paper.

Project: Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
Link: http://cincyshopper.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
Verdict: Easy and tasty!
Best Part: You get delicious taco taste without the added junk you find in a pre-made packet.
Advice: Make a large mix while you have all of the ingredients out and are measuring everything.
Next Time: I will add a little more chili powder and red pepper to give it more of a kick. It tastes good, but I would like it to have a little more of a kick.

Project: Crochet Headband with Flower
Link: The one I used is now blocked...sorry. I can't find it again.
Verdict: Very cute!
Best Part: It's a pretty simple stitch so you can easily create the whole thing in one sitting.
Advice: Try the headband on several times as you go to make sure it's still going to fit your head comfortably.
Next Time: I will make one for myself. I keep making them for other people and really want one for me to wear!

Project: Lasagna Roll-ups
Link: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/02/lasagna-roll-ups/
Verdict: So much better than Stouffer's! (And I love Stouffer's!)
Best Part: Single servings make for great and easy left-over storage.
Advice: Follow the recipe writer's advice and grind the beef/onion mixture for better texture.
Next Time: I will get some help so we can assemble these quicker. It took me a long time because there are several steps and I had a hard time juggling the noodles and sauce and meat/cheese to get them all assembled and cooked.

Project: Easter Egg Wreath
Link: http://momandwife.com/2011/03/diy-easter-egg-wreath/
Verdict: I really love it!
Best Part: I got my plastic eggs from Walmart and they were super cheap and had fun designs.
Advice: I left the grass off my wreath, mainly because I thought it would be messy. I think it actually looks cuter without it, so I'd advise you to go with just the eggs also.
Next Time: I really don't know that I'd ever make another one. How many Easter wreaths does one need? One seems plenty for me. If I did, I would roughly plan out the egg placement before getting started.

Project: Date Night Jar
Link: http://theraysofsunshine.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/date-night-in-a-jar/
Verdict: Great in theory...
Best Part: I already had the jar and markers, so I only had to purchase the popsicle sticks.
Advice: Well, I hardly have room to give advice since I made this over one year ago and we have not used it once. I had the best of intentions...
Next Time: I'm sure there won't be a next time since we never use the one I already made.

Project: Valentine's Snack Mix
Link: http://www.glorioustreats.com/2013/01/valentines-snack-mix.html
Verdict: Delicious! Two thumbs up!
Best Part: Melted white chocolate covering everything.
Advice: Use the Ghirardelli white melting wafers you can find in the baking section. They are especially decadent.
Next Time: I will not pour the popcorn out of my paper bag directly into the mix because then the un-popped kernels fall in there and you have to pick them out individually by hand.

February 13 in 2013 Update

February was a difficult month for working on my goals. We spent the first 11 days in Texas/New Mexico and then immediately came home and began working full-speed on our 30 Hour Famine for the youth group. That being said, I'm still pleased with how much I did accomplish in the month.

1.) Try 2 new recipes each month. 

I successfully made two new recipes in February. The first was a spinach, sausage and tortilini soup. I thought it was REALLY yummy and I'll definitely be making it again. I bought the wrong kind of Italian sausage though (should have been links), so I'll correct that next time. 

I also made Italian stuffed zucchini boats. They turned out pretty well, but didn't have as much flavor as we would have liked. I used ground turkey and thought I seasoned it a lot, but obviously it needed some more. Here's the progression so you can see the basic idea of how to make them. 

2.) Memorize the book of James.

I am really struggling with this one. I even set aside some time to work on this and am just stuck in the first chapter still. There is this one verse that I can't seem to get down, but I am bound and determined to get into chapter 2 in March!

3.) Pay off the Camry. 

I made our regular and extra payment on the Camry and I love watching that balance drop so quickly. I am getting really excited to have that extra money when the car is paid off to go towards other things.

4.) Give away produce from my garden. 

I did a little bit of research and planning for my garden this month and have just about nailed down what I'm going to plant. I'm trying to stick with vegetables and fruits that we really love and will eat in abundance. I'm looking forward to starting some seeds indoors next month!

5.) Complete 12 crafty projects. 

I finished the craft I alluded to in January that was a gift for my friend, Kecia. I crocheted this baby blanket for her little girl, Harleigh, and love the way it turned out! It was really fun to be able to give this to Kecia in person while we were in Texas. Mailing gifts just doesn't have the same effect.

I also made another craft in February, but I'll talk more about it on goal #13.

6.) Make our house feel more like a home. 

This was particularly difficult since we spent half the month away from home and only had one weekend at home. (We spent that weekend doing laundry and recovering from our trip too, so we didn't get anything house-related done.) It was good to have a break though because we were able to save a chunk of money for some bigger projects we have planned for March. The curtain rods are still sitting in the guest bedroom because we need to know the length of our curtains before hanging them. We learned that lesson the hard way in our bedroom.

7.) Take a break from my iPhone.


I feel like I'm making good baby steps in this area. However, that has meant that I left my phone at work 3 times this past week alone! Thankfully I have remembered fairly quickly and been able to go back in and get it each time. Putting it on the iHome when I am at home has been really helpful. I've also made it a point to put it in my purse and put my purse out of reach when I'm out to dinner or hanging out with a group of people.

8.) Keep in touch with our Compassion-sponsored children. 

I didn't do anything for this goal in February. It did kind of feel like I just wrote to our kids and didn't have much else to say, so I think writing every other month might be better/more realistic.

9.) Develop a deeper prayer relationship. 

I finished reading Too Busy Not to Pray this month and I really enjoyed it! I highly recommend it if you're looking for a helpful guide with some really practical advice on praying.

10.) Play with Sky every day. 

I'd give myself a 7/10 on this one. There is more sunlight in the evenings now which is really nice, but there were a lot of nights where we had events in the evening (prep work for 30 Hour Famine, high school swimming awards banquet, Small Groups, art event at the high school, etc.) so I didn't play with Sky on some of those nights where I just came home and went to bed. Ideally, I'd like for him to get some exercise with us every day, but I know there is not enough hours in the day to do everything I'd like, so I'll just continue to do my best to make it happen as often as possible.

11.) Clean, organize and purge one drawer, closet, or cabinet each month. 

I cleaned out the cabinet under my bathroom sink and went through of all of our medicines. A lot of the medicine expired back when I was still in college, so I ended up getting rid of quite a bit of it. It was also a time I could be really grateful for our good health, because we really don't have to take very much medicine at this point in our life. Thank you, God!

12.) Spend time with and learn about people different than me. 

I'm still working on Not Quite Adults and plan to finish reading it in March. The one night the Warming Center was open in February was during our 30 Hour Famine, so we didn't get to help there this month No, the irony is not lost on me that we slept outside in cardboard boxes while the homeless shelters were opening up because it was so cold outside. It was an authentic experience for sure! 30HF was a great opportunity to learn about people whose lives look SO very different than mine. It was humbling and challenging and encouraging all at the same time.

13.) Plan quality, creative time for Kory and I to be together.

For Valentine's Day, I made a Date Jar for Kory and I. You've probably seen them all over Pinterest, but just in case you haven't, it's a mason jar with date ideas written on popsicle sticks. You pull a stick out to see what date you'll be going on that night. They are color-coded so you can decide if you're staying in (no $), going out ($$), or spending a significant amount of money ($$$).

(Mine isn't very creative because I had 2 days to work on it and had to throw it together, but it still does the job.)

You definitely have to be spontaneous to enjoy a gift like this (which I don't think I am!) so we're still trying to put it to use. We were supposed to use it for Valentine's Day but Kory already had a specific movie and dinner place in mind, so we went with that. I'm hoping we'll give it a go in March and really do the idea we draw out.

Pinterest Recipe: Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

I got my wisdom teeth and a baby tooth pulled today, so I've been home from work and confined to the couch all day. That has actually been good in that I have been able to catching up on blogging. I had 5 posts that I started in the past couple months and never finished, so I'm going back and posting them all now.

I found this recipe on Pinterest last summer and have made several times in the past few months. It's fairly healthy, really yummy, and not too difficult. Hope you're able to make it sometime and enjoy it with your family. Or, better yet, come over and I'll make it for you :)

Ingredients: 

Olive Oil

4-6 Bell Peppers, Halved and Seeds Removed

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 Cup Chopped Onions

2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (Homemade is best!)

1 Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed

1 Cup Frozen Corn

2 Cups Cooked Quinoa and/or Rice
1-2 Cups Salsa

Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Cilantro

Sour Cream

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil and roast in a baking dish about 20-25 minutes just until cooked thru. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow to cool until you can handle them.

While peppers are roasting, cook the ground turkey and, after draining the turkey, sauté the onions with the meat. Add the taco seasoning, black beans, corn and rice (we use this rice/quinoa blend from Costco) to the skillet. Add in the salsa and mix well.

Carefully spoon the turkey mixture into each half of the bell peppers and place back into the baking dish. Cook the peppers for another 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked all the way thru. Before removing from the oven, sprinkle the tops of each pepper with shredded cheese. 

When the cheese is completely melted (just a couple minutes later), remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro and sour cream and serve. I usually have some "filling" left over and use this to make yummy burritos the next day. You could, of course, just make more bell peppers, if you prefer. 

One more note: Last time I made this recipe, I didn't have any salsa, so I added diced green chiles instead (including the juice). It turned out really well and I would highly recommend it if you're a green chile fan like I am. 

Southwest White Chicken Chili

This is the first recipe where I can say that I substituted and added enough ingredients to claim a bit of ownership and not have to credit someone else. I certainly didn't invent this dish, but I took several recipes I found and combined them into what I thought would taste even better. This has become a Mereness favorite and people have even requested that I bring it to potlucks and gatherings! That's exciting for a girl who could barely make Macaroni and Cheese at age 22.

Southwest White Chicken Chili

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 20 minutes   Ready in: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 packet McCormick white chicken chili seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chile

1 (10 oz.) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chile

1 (10.75 oz.) can Campbell's condensed cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

2 (15 oz.) can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin, chili seasoning, onion, green chile, and Rotel and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, stirring often.

2. Stir the soup, chicken broth, corn and beans in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. Top with sour cream, if desired.

Menu Ideas

I've been feeling really domestic lately...I think Fall has been good for my motivation! There has been quite a bit of cooking and cleaning and crafting around here. Since I know we all seem to get stuck in a rut with the same recipes, I thought I'd share some of what we've been eating around here to give you some ideas. 

Southwest White Chicken Chili

Beef Stew

Apple Cheddar Squash Soup

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Green Chile Cheeseburgers

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Turkey Chili

Fettuccine Alfredo

Chicken & Beef Fajitas

I plan to share some of these recipes with you soon. As you can tell, I've been putting my Crock Pot to good use and have made lots of yummy chili/soups/stew. Oh, and because I like to keep it real on this blog, when I'm not having leftovers, I've been eating a LOT of peanut butter and honey sandwiches for lunch :) It is definitely my favorite go-to quick meal when I don't want to cook.

Pinterest Reviews

Since I have actually tried quite a few things I've pinned on Pinterest now, I thought I'd blog and review the recipes, crafts, and projects I've attempted so you can learn from my experience (both good and bad).

Recipe: Tomato, Basil, and Cheddar Soup.
Link: http://morefruitplease.net/2012/04/23/tomato-basil-and-cheddar-soup/

Verdict: Yummy!! Will definitely make again. Easy, yet delicious.

Best part: Uses greek yogurt instead of cream and, therefore, is much healthier.

Advice: Plan other recipes to use the rest of your greek yogurt so it won't go bad like mine did.

Next time: I will serve with some bread instead of just crackers. 

Recipe: Mini Caprese Salad Bites

Link: http://www.livingeventfully.com/2012/02/mini-caprese-salad-bites.html

Verdict: Two thumbs up! I could probably eat a whole plate of these myself.

Best part: Looks kind of fancy, even though it uses string cheese (i.e.: not fancy at all).

Advice: Buy the cherry tomatoes from Costco because they're much larger and hold more.

Next time: I will cut the string cheese into smaller pieces so it fits into the tomato better.

Project: Re-grow Green Onions

Link: http://homemadeserenity.blogspot.com/2011/03/putting-food-by-beef-onions-and-vanilla.html

Verdict: Works like a charm! I use this on a regular basis.

Best part: It saves money since the only expense is a tiny glass of water (costs pennies at most).

Advice: Change the water every 2 days and rinse the roots off to prevent a strong onion smell.

Next time: Nothing to change. 

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

Link: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pan-roasted-chicken-lemon-garlic-green-beans-10000000780291/index.html

Verdict: Whoa! WAY WAY WAY too lemony. I followed the recipe exactly and we could barely even eat because the lemon was SO over-powering. 

Best part: Using only one pan saves on dirty dishes. 

Advice: Use SIGNIFICANTLY less lemon than the recipe calls for, I'm serious.

Next time: There probably won't be a next time, honestly. This dish is probably ruined for us, sadly.

Recipe: Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Link: http://www.thesweetslife.com/2011/08/cheesecake-stuffed-strawberries.html

Verdict: Decadent! These won me major bonus points at the office potluck.

Best part: They make a great finger food and you can have several without feeling guilty.

Advice: Don't make them much ahead of time, if possible. My got kind of soggy overnight. Also, a strawberry huller saves a ton of time!

Next time: I will make them closer to eating time and keep more at home for Kory and me :)

Recipe: Pioneer Woman Key Lime Pie

Link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/happy-pi-day/

Verdict: You can't go wrong with PW. This pie was out of this world AMAZING!!

Best part: Everything is made from scratch and the time investment is so worth it.

Advice: If you hand-whip the cream, you'll burn enough calories to justify eating the whole pie in one setting. Or at least that was my excuse.

Next time: I will add more butter to my crust so the graham crackers aren't so crumbly. (The recipe is probably right, but my butter boiled over in the microwave and so I had a smaller amount mixed in.)

Recipe: Lasagna Roll Ups

Link: http://cookingclassy.blogspot.com/2012/02/lasagna-roll-ups.html

Verdict: Delicious! This even beats Stouffer's, which is pretty difficult in my opinion. 

Best part: Individual servings make for excellent lunches during the work week.

Advice: Don't spoon too much meat sauce into the lasagna noodles so you'll have enough left over to cover the top. 

Next time: I will add fresh herbs from my garden.

I hope you can find some menu inspiration from this post! Next up, I'll review some of the cleaning and craft projects I've tried from Pinterest.