Turkey Chili with Cornbread Topping.

I love chili. It's one of those dishes that I can seem to get enough of. I feel as if the traditional chili feels very heavy and full of grease. I decided to take a different approach and add new elements to my chili recipe and add more healthy choices.  

Items Used: Ground Turkey, Black Beans, Red Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans,Yellow Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Corn, Sweet Potato, Quinoa, Corn Bread Mix, Milk, Eggs, Chili Seasoning (Mild), and Shredded Cheese and Sour Cream (Optional). 

Measurements: 2 cans of black beans and red kidney beans, 1 pound of ground turkey, 1 can of corn, 1 sweet potato, 1 cup of quinoa, 1/2 of the green, yellow, and red bell pepper, 1 package of chili seasoning,  1 box of Jiffy Corn Bread mix, 1 egg, 1/3 cup of milk, and 1 can of pinto beans.

I put all my "wet" ingredients into a giant pot and turned the heat on to medium/high. (Sorry its messy) I placed my ground turkey is a skillet and began cooking it until it started browning. I added in the peppers and sauteed them with the turkey until the turkey was completely brown and cooked. I put the turkey and peppers into the pot and started mixing them all together, put on the lid and began to start on the cornbread. 

Jiffy's cornbread mix is one of my favorites since its so sweet but also really easy to make! In a large bowl I poured in the mix, added 1 egg, and 1/3 cup of milk. 

I put everything from the large pot into a large baking dish, poured the corn bread mix on top and spread it out. I baked the chili at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes since I like things a little more golden and with a crunch type texture. 

This did not take long at all to make and it was amazingly delicious! 

Again, with the turkey and veggies it did not feel heavy when I ate it and as you can see I took a large chunk of it once it was done. This is perfect for fall/winter or those lazy days in when you want some good comfort food. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Soul Food Sunday: Chicken Salad Sandwich.

We all know that Sundays are pretty much one of my favorite days.

Here in Las Vegas it is starting to get warmer during the day so I don't like to really use my oven that much.

I found this recipe last summer and I fell in love with it! It has to be one of my favorite things I make.

It is so easy to make, its really healthy, and after I eat I don't feel heavy. 

This is perfect as a side at a BBQ party, a picnic, you can bring it to the beach, and you can have it alone or make it into a sandwich like I did.

Items Used: Chicken Breast, Pepper, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, Dried Cranberries, Sliced Almonds, Greek Yogurt, Green Grapes, Red Onion, and Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls.

Measurements: 1 pound of chicken breast, 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 bag of dried cranberries, 1 bag of sliced almonds, 1 cup of green grapes, 2 apples, 1 tablespoon of pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt and garlic powder.

I started by cooking the chicken breast first. After all the pieces were done cooking, I placed them on a cutting board to cool down so I will be able to touch them when I cut them. 

I put all the other ingredients into a large container to mix them all together.

I cut up my whole wheat dinner roll and literally stuffed as much of the salad as I could in there. 

Like I said, this is one of my favorite things to eat. Its so delicious that I may be slightly addicted to it. 

I hope you give this a try and let me know how you liked it or if you added any new elements to it!

Soulfood Sunday: Orange Chicken, Baked Pineapple, and Chicken Potstickers.

Good evening and Happy Sunday!!

I am starting a 4 day smoothie cleanse as of tomorrow so this weekend I wanted to treat myself to some good comfort food. While shopping at Winco I found all these items. I love orange chicken veggies together. I don't remember ever eating chicken potstickers, but walking by them I couldn't help but take notice and want to make something different. Its been a rainy weekend here in Las Vegas so I truly wanted to enjoy some warm comfort food to go along with my very creative and artistic weekend of relaxing.

Items Used: Ling Ling Chicken and vegetable potstickers, Crazy Cuisine orange chicken, Uncle Bens long grain wild rice, frozen mixed veggies, pineapple, 100% organic cane sugar, and brown sugar.  Of course I could not forget one of my favorite parts...the big bag of fortune cookies. (I really wish that I remembered to buy some green tea ice cream and chocolate Mochi.) 



For The orange chicken and pineapple I preheated my oven to 400 degrees.

I sprinkled the 100% organic cane sugar and brown sugar on top of the cubed pineapple. I placed the orange and pineapple on baking sheets lined with tin foil. (Easy cleanup.) With the pineapple I baked it for 15 minutes and the orange chicken was baked for 18 minutes.

For the potstickers I added 1 tablespoon to a skillet, turned it on medium high heat and added the potstickers flat-side down in a single layer. I added 1 cup of water, brought to a boil then covered and let simmer for 8 minutes. After the 8 minutes was up I uncovered the skillet and let them finish cooking until all the water had evaporated and the potstickers are slightly browned.

The Uncle Ben's ready rice only took 1 minute and 30 seconds to make. It was easy, I just cut a little slit at the top of the bag and put it in the microwave. I put water in a large pot and turned on the heat to medium-high. Once the water came to a boil I placed my frozen mixed veggies in and let that cook for about 5 minutes. I strained the veggies and placed on my plate. At the time everything else was ready to take out and off the stove. I put the orange chicken in a bowl and poured the sauce over top and mixed together. I plated everything and I was excited for my Asian inspired night for dinner.  

Everything plated so beautifully together and tasted even better. I highly recommend baking your pineapple. It was amazing. I would have grilled my pineapple and placed it over the chicken, but that will come in a summer time inspired recipe! Try out this recipe and let me know if you like it! Hope you enjoy!

Spinach Cheese Ravioli with Turkey Meatballs.

Aside from my sweet tooth problem, my other love is pasta. The never ending cycle. With all of my favorite foods to eat I have been trying to come up with healthier ways to enjoy them. So mixing tomato based sauce instead of alfredo, spinach, and turkey meatballs instead of ground beef sure made his meal taste a lot lighter to me.

Items Used: Frozen turkey meatballs, Spaghetti sauce, Spinach cheese filled ravioli, Fresh spinach, and shredded cheese.

I started with preheating my oven to 400 degrees and placed my frozen turkey meatballs on a sheet pan. I baked the meatballs for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile I put my spaghetti sauce and 2 handfuls of spinach in a frying pan and began to cook the spinach until is was welted down. After my meatballs cooked I added them into the sauce to get more flavor.

I boiled water in a pot for the raviolis. It didn't take long for them to cook, about 7-10 minutes depending on the texture you want. It took about 7 minutes for mine. I drained out the water and placed the raviolis in the sauce pan as well. I mixed everything together and then placed in my bowl and sprinkled some cheese on top. I always have to add more cheese with pasta, it the one thing to complete my pasta dishes!!

 

Early Saturday Mornings. Cinnamon Roll Casserole.

I have times where I need to escape from the world and run away.

The place I always choose to go to is my hometown...Big Bear Lake, CA.

With breakfast food being my favorite thing in the world to make, honestly if I could eat breakfast foods 24/7 I would and be completely content with my life. But sadly I crave everything that is doughy and sweet. Hence where again my sweet tooth comes into play.

I was thinking of how to combine one of my favorite sweet breakfast dishes with a new twist. I found this idea on Pintrest. A cinnamon roll casserole!! Perfect!

Items Used: 2 cans of cinnamon rolls, 4 eggs,1 cup of milk, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, and of course the cream cheese icing that came with the cinnamon rolls. 

I started by having a heart attack slightly with the can of rolls busting open. Who needs coffee when you have surprise bursts from cinnamon rolls?

I greased a baking pan with olive oil and ripped the cinnamon rolls into bit size pieces and placed them on the bottom of the baking dish. I mixed all the wet ingredients together in a large bowl, whisking them together until all blended perfectly. After I poured the entire mixed over the cinnamon rolls. Looked beautiful and smelt wonderful!!

I placed the baking dish in the oven at 375 degrees and baked it for 45 minutes. The entire house smelt amazing and felt so cozy. Definitely made my mouth water. Once it was done baking, I did not wait a second to pour the melted icing all over the casserole. It melted instantly and bubbled. Delicious!! It was time to dig in a devour.

And of course we had to step outside and get the forest in the background since we felt we made a rustic type of breakfast. Needless to say this did not last long at all. We all dug in and went back for a couple more bites. Absolutely something I will be making again! Side it with eggs, turkey bacon, and some other favorite breakfast foods.

Give this a try if you are wanting something sweet to eat, you will not be disappointed!



Vegetarian Tacos.

Everyone loves Taco Tuesdays and Thirsty Thursdays, well tonight I decided to combine the two into an extremely filling and healthy meal to go along with my relaxing evening. I spent my night doing the two things I love when I am stressed out; cooking and taking a bath.

I spent most of my evening in my bath trying to soak my stress and anxiety away. I finally had a chance to slow down and unwind. This also gave me an excuse to use my Lush bath bomb I bought while in Newport Beach, CA 2 weeks ago. I used my interstellar bomb called Intergalactic. My bath was instantly filled with a cosmo swirl of colors and glitter. To say the least I was in love! I spent an hour soaking away the stress of the last few weeks to some of my favorite bands; The Spill Canvas, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Matchbox 20. After my baths I usually have to rehydrate myself again, hence why I am calling this my "Thirsty Thursday". Im keeping the theme of being relaxing, body beneficial, and healthy. As much as I would love to have a mango or strawberry margarita!!

 

I started my preparation with the Mexican rice, since I know this is going to take the longest.

I poured my rice into a skillet over medium heat and added 2 tbsp. of butter. I kept stirring my rice until it was a golden brown and then added 2 1/4 cups of water and the seasoning. I placed a lid over the rice and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

This was my very first time ever working with soy "meat" so I was really excited! I personally love anything that will substitute meat. Veggie burgers, soy burgers, tofu burgers all that I think tastes the exact same. Plus being a little healthier never hurt anyone! I just dumped my bag into another skillet and turned on the heat. It didn't take long since this is not meat and doesn't have to cook for a while, so then I just added a little bit of water and taco seasoning to the skillet. I also added a mix of yellow, red, and green peppers with some white onion. I had vegetarian refried beans in a pot warming up. I cut up tomatoes, avocado, and some mixed greens to place on top of my tacos.

I piled on the layers. I started with the rice on the bottom, added the beans, then "meat" with veggies. I topped it off with the mixed greens, tomatoes, avocados, cheese, and a "dollop" of sour cream. My one guilty pleasure when I eat Mexican food!! I cant help myself! Again I did not have the margarita I was craving, instead I had two big glasses of water with my meal. I am glad that I did too. I am kind of a fatty when it comes to the food I make so I always have 2 of it. But I ate every last bit of it and enjoyed it! I will be using soy meat and more meat substitutes in my cooking. Don't be afraid of soy or substitutions., if there is a healthier  options choose that! You will be so much happier after it.Try this out and let me know how it goes. Maybe next time I will try and make a skinny version of a margarita to go along and I can truly have a Taco Tuesday or Thirsty Thursday.

 



Soul Food Sunday; Turkey Meatloaf With Veggies.

Sundays have to be one of my favorite days during the week. Imagine Sunday mornings spent sipping coffee, reading a good book, watching Netflix, lighting some candles or cuddled up to your lover; this is what Sundays are made for in my definition. This Sunday was spent with running errands, cleaning out my closet, doing laundry, cleaning the house, getting stuff organized for moving and of course cooking. I decided to name my Sunday cooking/baking "Soul Food Sundays" because mostly everything I have ever made on a Sunday has been food that I would love to sit in my bed and eat. Yes, I am a bed eater and not one bit ashamed! Who needs a kitchen table these days? Today our weather in Vegas was cold, windy, and rainy; perfect weather for cooking with the oven to help heat the house and the soul. I thought what would be healthy, hearty, and considered "soul food". MEATLOAF! Perfect. I didn't really measure everything, I'm learning how to kind of guess measurements with tasting. So apologize if its not perfect, but it did turn out delicious and I was personally impressed with myself cause the last time I made a meatloaf was about 3 years ago!

Items used: Ground turkey, meatloaf seasoning packet, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, red skin potatoes, sweet potato, green bell pepper, artichoke hearts, Italian seasoning, ketchup, parmesan cheese,canola oil, eggs, milk, and panko bread crumbs.

Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 1 hour

Roasted Mixed Veggies: I started with my veggies first since there was so much cutting to be done. I only used the zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato, and red skin potatoes. I cut both potatoes into bite size cubes and the zucchini and squash I just thinly sliced them. I placed all the veggies in a big bowl. I poured in 1 tablespoon of canola oil, sprinkled in some Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese ( this is where my eyeballing measurements came in to play). I tossed everything with my hands and placed everything on a foil lined baking sheets.

Turkey Meatloaf: I preheated my oven to 400 degrees. I loaded up a big bowl with 1 pound of ground turkey, added 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 packet of meatloaf seasoning, 1 cup of panko bread crumbs, I diced up half of the green bell pepper, cut up about a quarter of the onion, and added in 3 diced artichoke hearts. I mixed everything with the best tools we have... our hands! Squished it all together and placed in a sprayed bread pan and added a little bit more bread crumbs then topped it with ketchup. I placed the veggies and meatloaf in the oven. I baked the veggies for 45 minutes and the meatloaf for 1 hour. House smelt amazing too with a warm cozy vibe.

I was excited to see how gorgeous the colors of the veggies turned out even with the burnt little edges. I really didn't let anything cool down before I plated it all. I was too hungry from waiting an hour and smelling my house. My stomach was in need of food ASAP.

I have a major sweet tooth and I constantly have to fight against wanting to make something super indulgent. But I became addicted to the dark chocolate trail mix bites that I made last Sunday. Naturally, I am a chocolate freak so this feeds that love in a slightly healthier way. I normally do not like dark chocolate because of it being so potent that it causes me to have headache, but using the semi sweet chocolate chips doesn't cause that. I don't know if its the nus and cranberries mixed together but it tastes wonderful together! I used a double boiler to melt my chocolate with a tablespoon of pure organic coconut oil. I stirred the chocolate until it was completely melted and poured it into a wax paper lined pan. Spread it out with a spatula and sprinkled on top the trail mix. The trail mix has coconut shavings, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and soybeans, and sunflower seeds. I am letting this cool and harden over night and I will break it into pieces and make it a trail mix bark.

I hope if you try this recipe it brings you as much joy as it did me. It was hearty and healthy. I did not at all feel like I ate too much or that sluggish full feeling. It was all very light and enjoyable. I was so impressed with the taste of everything together. It beautifully blended with the seasoning and spices.

Hope you enjoy! I will be traveling to California for the next 2 weeks, I will be very busy on Sundays driving back and unpacking. But I will keep cooking through out the weeks and post those recipes for you all. Please check back soon for another Soul Food Sunday!



Personal Struggles, Empowerment, and Healthy Choices.

I have had some rough times in my life with self-esteem issues that haunted me since the fragile age of 10. This post is about the positive changes I have made physically, emotionally, and mentally. The purpose of this is to hopefully help someone that went or is going through the same thing I experienced. I have kept my silence long enough. This is another reason why I decided to start a blog, to vent about my past, present and future. My escape from reality and in hopes to help people.

I started noticing at 10 years old how my body was starting to change at a solid 98 pounds of pure muscle from playing sports and constantly being outside on my bike, I still started to hate the sight of my thighs and calves. I cannot remember who it was, but a young boy in my class told me one day that my legs were too fat and I should not being wear shorts. I decided right then and there that I would never wear shorts again. I was scarred until I was almost 17 years old to wear shorts again.

Middle school was even worse when boys started noticing me as an evolving "young woman". Braces and the struggle of figuring out how to apply makeup was brutal enough, but when I started getting noticed for the size of my butt instead of my smile, kind soul, or even just being a good friend, it made me feel very uncomfortable. I developed an eating disorder; anorexia and bulimia. I didn't want that perfect "bubble butt" as it was called by all the guys in my school. I started wearing big sweaters so they would cover my butt, never wanting to wear anything form fitting, and of course  everything black because I read it was "slimming". Then the teasing came that I was a Emo/Goth kid, and that brought on a entirely different idea in my head.  I was even told by my own father that I was too fat and needed to loose weight, only as I was grabbing cereal for breakfast one morning. That destroyed me inside more than any other opinion in the world. I remember sitting in my 7th grade English class and felt miserably ill. I felt like I was going to pass out and I knew it was from me not eating anymore. I was taken to the office nurse and my mother was called to pick me up. She stopped by Carl's Jr. to get my hamburger, once we were home I ate the burger and I felt disgusting so of course I went straight to the bathroom once my mom left. I threw up and cried hysterically. I could not understand how I got here, how did I allow people's opinions ruin my self image?

My eating disorders continue on and off until high school. I finally decided that I did not want to spend my life like this anymore. I loved food, for heavens sake I wanted to go to culinary school. I got into an abusive relationship at 16 years old were again my self worth was questioned by the opinions of a man. I was told I was too fat, I needed to watch what I ate, I needed to join a gym. I had to change everything about myself. I lost all my friends, no one to talk too, no one to laugh with, no one to make fun high school memories with. I got up the courage to leave this relationship, for awhile. Of course I could not stay away from the toxic "love" that I felt I deserved. Finally our relationship ended our senior year and learned how to be free. But now I was left alone to rebuild my entire life . But because of that relationship I knew exactly the red flag warnings of what abuse is and I promised myself I would never allow it again.

In 2011 I decided to take a risk and kiss my best friend and tell him "I love you." I never thought I would find love again. But this love consumed me, took ahold of me, and held on to me tight. I was completely head over heels in love with my best friend. 10 months into our relationship we were engaged and I could not have been happier. 1 year and 7 months into the relationship my entire reality that I knew was destroyed with the words I read in a single text message..."I think I should move out..." There were many other factors in the relationship ending, but that negativity is not needed here! We went back in forth for a few weeks and me fighting to keep ahold of the little bit of hope I felt we could have. I became utterly depressed, could not stop crying every second of the day, all I wanted to do was sleep, I could not stomach food, I could not take a shower without breaking down, every song reminded me of him, and I almost lost one of my jobs from not being able to physically get out of bed and mentally handle the thought of going on with life without him. Since I could not eat I lost 40 pounds the month after our breakup. None of my clothes fit, I could see my rib cage, and I hated the way my clothes hung off my body. I finally started eating more little by little and a year later I put some weight back on and I could fit into my favorite pair of shorts again!  I pulled myself together (a little bit) and tried to figure out how to conquer life being single. I was confused and I had no idea how to function. It took me an entire year before I got the courage to start looking and dating. Yes, I did download Tinder in hopes of getting myself out of my funk. I have met a few good guys from there and started dating. I noticed I was smiling more, I started to get my self confidence back.

I am now almost 3 years being single. I am proud of myself for how far I have come. I have built up my self-confidence, I went to therapy for my depression, suicide issues, and learning how to move on from my past relationships and family issues. I figured out how much stronger I am and everything I have to offer someone. I couldn't be more proud of anyone more than I am of myself! I am still learning how to love the woman I see in the mirror every single day. I will openly admit that I have an intense fear of gaining weight. I do still constantly check my scale to make sure I am not over 120 pounds and if the number goes over I do have a heart sinking feeling and I know I need to just push a little harder with my work outs and keep my goal in mind. It is a fear and it is something I wish to change and I slowly am little by little every day moving on from the number fear.  Yes, there are things I still wish to change and improve, but that is where this blog started from.

I started eating healthier and making my own food, thank you Pintrest with my 967 pins for food I need to make! I started doing yoga and a workout series every night in my room. I have tried to have a smoothie every morning, vegies and some form of protein for lunch and dinner. I started drinking Your Tea, which I bought online for $60 for a 28 day supply. I have noticed that I am not as bloated and I don't need coffee in the mornings. On my days off I usually wake up around 6-7am. I make a cup of Your Tea and eat my breakfast. Today I decided to make one of those gorgeous fruit bowls I see all over Instagram. I cut up a nectarine, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and kiwi with low fat vanilla yogurt and a sprinkle of granola for texture. Absolutely delicious!   

I have felt a difference with making my own food and eating healthier, don't get me wrong I have a major sweet tooth and I am a cookie monster. So I decided to not deny myself I love to eat, I eat healthy all week and I will reward myself with a few Oreos or a doughnut (my two guilty pleasures).

I just hope everyone realizes that they are so beautiful inside and out! Don't let anyone dull your shine and tell you that you aren't worth anything. You have a purpose in life and that is to do amazing things and to share your story and love.

A Little Piece Of Me.

It took me many years of back and forth on deciding if I wanted to do a blog about my passions.

So we will start from the beginning.

I wanted to go to fashion school and culinary school once I graduated high school. I solely wanted to create things with my hands, my mind, and my soul. These two aspects in my life are what brought me the most joy.

With not being able to afford either education I have decided that I will just make my passions my hobby. Experience the happiness daily through trying new recipes, experimenting with new tastes and textures, exploring new restaurants, checking out the coolest bars in new cities.

This is I know is what I was meant to do in life.

After months of complaining that I do not have the newest and greatest digital camera or the newest Mac laptop, I figured that my Iphone camera is good enough for the time being. I share all my food creations on my Instagram and Facebook account so everyone can see my creations. This entire blog is about the positive vibes that we experience when exploring a new city, that first taste of a new food you never thought you would try, the excitement you get when smelling the fresh out of the oven pastries in a bakery, and the loud roar of commotion and laughter inside a bar and taking that first sip and getting the zing from your favorite alcohol. I am beginning a new chapter in my life with the process of moving back to Southern California. I am very excited to have a beautiful area to call my home and to explore. 

Keep a look out for new blog posts coming every week!