Haphazard Deliciousness

I think I've mentioned a time or two how much I like to cook and feed people. It's one of my favorite things. That being said, I struggle to cook for just myself. I've been on my own for the past 2.5 weeks, and there has been a lot of eating out, random sandwiches, or just not eating dinner because I wasn't hungry and didn't feel like trying to figure it out. Not my proudest moment, but there you have it.

However, last week I found myself home alone on a Friday night and ravenous after mowing the yard. After a quick shower, I just started throwing things together until I got what might have been the most delicious meal I've had in a while.

I couldn't think of a real name for it, but it was so good I couldn't keep it to myself.

Haphazard Deliciousness

(serves 2ish)

Ingredients:
     5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved
     4 mini sweet peppers, chopped
     3 button mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
     2 C raw baby spinach
     Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb, to taste
     2-3oz chicken breast, cubed and fully cooked
     3oz whole wheat Angel hair pasta, cooked and drained (I use Barilla)
     1 100-calorie pack Wholly Guacamole
   
Directions:
     1.  Cook tomatoes and peppers in a large skillet over medium high heat.
     2. Add sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and chicken. Season with Mrs. Dash. Cook until spinach
         wilts.
     3. In a separate bowl, stir together pasta and guacamole.
     4. Add chicken/vegetable mixture to the pasta mixture.
     5. Enjoy!

Notes:
*I had already cooked the mushrooms to make an omelet that never happened. Otherwise, I would cook those before the tomatoes and peppers.
* I also had pre-cooked the chicken for a salad and had some left over. I seasoned it with a Mrs. Dash Grilling blend.
* Next time I might add a second guacamole cup to make it a little saucier. ;-)
*Spicy guacamole would have be delicious here.
*It should have served 2, but like I said, I was ravenous after mowing the yard.

I got the idea for using the guacamole as a sauce after making an avocado pasta sauce a few weeks ago. It was a good decision. I will definitely be making this one again!

Two-Ingredient Turkey Burgers

With my renewed effort to pay attention to my eating habits, I've been on the lookout for healthier recipes. So when one of my co-workers went to visit a nutritionist the other day, I may or may not have stolen her food list. :-D One of the recipes that really caught my eye was the turkey burgers, and even better, it was only 2 ingredients!

How easy is that?? And they were delicious! I think the concept would work with any vinaigrette style dressing. My only critique is that they kind of wanted to fall apart in the pan. I will probably add an egg white as a binder the next time I cook them. There will definitely be an next time. ;-)

I am also trying to come up with different workouts I can do at home. We've already established that I don't want to work out at work these days, so I turned to Pinterest. Oh my, what a wealth of ideas! First, I found a list of Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere. Then I found a list of Free Workout Videos and a list of the Top 30 YouTube Channels for Free Workout Videos. I'm very excited about it! I need to go back to Pinterest and see if I can find an exercise/workout tracker I like, then make a plan for the next few weeks. Failing to plan is planning to fail, right?

Now I need to get off here and work on creating a Personal Growth Binder for a new girl in my small group. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Game Day

The day that many of us have anxiously awaited is finally here... It's Game Day, y'all! I'm not even kidding. I drove by a store in June that had a countdown in the window saying "57 days til Football Time in Tennessee!" We get excited about our Vols. Not to mention that we have a new coach, and everyone is excited to see what he will do with our team this year. We've been through some rough patches with our coaches in the past 5-6 years, so I think most of the fan base is in wait-and-see mode. But it's a new day, a new season, and we have faith again!

So what does that mean? It means I'm wearing orange and making chili!

In case you can't tell, I make my chili with a lot of stuff in it. Vegetables, meat, beans... It's a hearty meal. Here's the recipe.

Game Day Chili

Serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients: 

1 C chopped onion

1½ C chopped bell peppers; any color or a combination

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (I use no salt added)

1 C mild salsa

1½ C chicken or beef broth

1½ T chili powder

1 T brown mustard

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t liquid smoke

2 t cumin

¼ t black pepper

1 15oz can dark red kidney beans

1 15oz can red bean

Directions:

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick spray. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and cook another 5 minutes.

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

I know, it is quite a few ingredients, but it is worth it! I made mine early, then transferred to a preheated* slow cooker to keep warm until I'm ready to eat. Which will probably be around kickoff.:-)


*Many moon ago I read that you shouldn't put hot food in a cold/room temp slow cooker because it can cause cracking in the insert. That makes total sense to me! They suggested putting 2" of water in the slow cooker before turning it on to help it heat evenly.