white bean chicken chili

My new crock pot...that I just HAD to have when Allie sent me a picture of one that she had seen on Instagram, was just asking to be tested out!

I think the message I got from Allie said something like, "THAT'S a crock pot!"  

With a quick visit to Mr. Google searching "black and copper crock pot" I realized there was a reason I already loved Target so much.  Ordered.  Done.  Free Shipping.  Thank you Target Red Card, and thank YOU Allie!  You can get yourself on HERE!  They also have them this style in purple, red and turquoise HERE. 

White Bean Chicken Chili it was.  My Aunt Kathy made this for us while we visited them for Thanksgiving a year ago, and mom and I have been using the recipe every since!  We love it, and it's a regular around here during the winter months.     

If you want to make it not so spicy, I would stick to one package of seasoning, and you can also leave out the green chilies. 

Throw all your ingredients into your crock pot...and don't forget your crock pot liner--those things are life saver!  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. 

ENJOY!  

cinnamon butter [YUMM!]

I tried an easy new recipe that would make a great gift for people you wouldn't normally "buy" a gift for.  I let my family be the testers at Thanksgiving and then they all got a jar to take home with them!  It was a hit for me...and they at least acted like they liked it!  ;)  I made sure and snuck home with all the left over homemade crescent rolls from Nana, so I could eat them with my cinnamon butter!  ENJOY!

Whip ingredients together using a Kitchen Aid, beaters or food processor until whipped.  Can in jars (I just used old ones I've collected over the past year).  You can always double or half the recipe! 

lasagna soup!

Fall is here!!!  Scratch that--more like WINTER is here!  I think we skipped right on past fall here and are hardcore into winter already.  We've actually already had our first dusting of snow, which usually doesn't happen until late December or January.  

Last week Fancy Ashley posted a picture of a yummy looking Lasagna Soup and I knew I had to try it.  It came from Paula Deen's son, Bobby.  Southern boy's soup recipe...can't go wrong with that!  

Monday afternoon we had family pictures...outside.  Let me remind/tell you that it was 32 degrees out and windy.  There was even some snow still on the ground from the night before!

Here is a sneak peak of some pics Mom took on her own of us...we took professional ones at a different location. 

We were out there for a good 30 minutes...so Blue Sail Coffee was a must on our way home!  

It was the perfect night for Poppy to build a fire and for me to whip up some Lasagna Soup--so that's exactly what we did!!

Any ways...I recommend you try it out for yourself!  You can find the recipe HERE!

Mom, dad & I were all very impressed...and it took less than an hour to make so that was a plus!  

Let me know what you think! =)

summer time lemonade!

I was inspired by Molly at Fiddle Dee Dee to make some faux-made lemonade with R!  I didn't have a citrus juicer, but that was quickly fixed by a trip to the neighborhood market! ;)

R was a great help of course!  The real lemon juice in there really does the trick!  Check out Molly's post for the full recipe and go make yourself some yummy lemonade on this beautiful day! ;)

Sweet little hands, hard at work!

{dried fruit} trail mix

The wedding I was in last weekend had the yummiest little trail mix for us to snack on in the Bridal Suite!  I knew I had to make it when I got home...and thought it would be great for road trip munchies!  

{INGREDIENTS:}

1 bag dried pineapple

1 bag dried apricots

1 bag dried banana chips

1 bag craisins OR raisins 

1 box cheerios of choice

(optional): 1 bag yogurt covered raisins

Mix all ingredients together until they look even and ENJOY!

luke's salsa {recipe}

I've always bought salsa, but I bought a food processor last year with some birthday money and thought, why aren't I making my own?!

When we were in GA for Thanksgiving break, Luke made some yummy homemade salsa for dinner one night, so I called him up for the recipe and off to Kroger I went!

INGREDIENTS:

1 28 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes 

2-4 jaleps seeded (number depends on your preference)

1 whole white onion

1 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP salt

1/2 tsp cumin

Throw ingredients in food processor and mix!

This is a weekly staple around here and it great to add on top of things!

Luke uses cilantro in his, but Kroger was out the first time I went to buy ingredients, so we've just always gone without!

I hope you ENJOY it as much as we have!  

pink eye and ants on a log

Yesterday wasn't just any other Monday around here....R had stayed the night with Mimi and while she usually keeps him home with her on Mondays, she took him into school because she had a doctor's appointment.  We had gotten an e mail from school earlier in the morning saying several kids were out with Pink Eye.  Womp Womp.  Sure enough, after Ryder got to school I heard from Mr. Jerry saying he was for sure R had it.  So I hustled around trying to get a sub so I could leave to go get him.

He was happy to see me at school "before nap" and had no idea he even had anything wrong!  Sweet, innocent children I tell ya! ;)  It seemed like an empty house at school with lots of kids out!  It was kinda of sad!

R and I came home to rest up and get some meds in those eyeballs!

He had recently requested I buy some specific things at the store--and luckily I had just gotten all of them the following day!  So it was time for us to make one of Ryder's new favorite creations--"ants on a log"!  I couldn't believe he had ASKED me to buy celery....I don't even eat that stuff!!  But he was gonna "teach" me how to make these things that they had made at school.

I put the PB in the crevasses and R told me I needed to put it on the humps to make it look like a log...he's right, but I was totally thinking logically!   So we did half his way and half my way!

Once you get the PB on all the logs, you have to let a set of little hands count out 5 raisins for each log!

TA-DAH!  

Before you let anyone eat them...make sure and take their pic with the finished product after they ask you to!   ;)

...then, let them ENJOY!  I will say he ate every single one yesterday!  Who knew right?!  I will keep buying celery if he is gonna eat it the way he did yesterday!  I have NO problem with that!

He wasn't all for his eye drops at first, but I told him I'd get him a cupcake from the new cupcake shop if he would let me put the drops in his eyes!  Poor guy...it doesn't "hurt" he says, it just "feels weird" which who can blame him!?

We decided to try out a new part of our walking trail tonight...R loved it!  It was such a pretty night!  There was a playground at the end R wanted to play on, but I wouldn't let him while he was sick...so that means we'll just have to go back soon!

Hope you have a FANTASTIC Tuesday!

"What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it's supposed to be."

Summer Time Pasta

The fabulous Pink Lou Lou shared this recipe the other day & I made it the next night & wanted to share it with my readers, because I love it AND my parents loved it!--& it's fairly healthy & great for a quick summer time pasta!

{Ingredients:}

1 lb. noodles (which ever type you prefer) (1/2 a lb. if you want less noodle & more veggie)

1 container of grape tomatoes

1 container of feta cheese

2 cucumbers

1 bottle of Italian dressing (I used 3/4)

{While your noodles are cooking according to directions on the side of the box, chop up your cucumbers & half or quarter your tomatoes}

 {Add your noodles & veggies all together in a large bowl}

 {Sprinkle your feta on top & then drench in Italian dressing...}

{Stir well & refrigerate until desired eating time!}

Like a lot of things...& especially pastas, this was MUCH better the second day!--So make ahead of time if you think about it!  ;)  ENJOY!  Thanks Pink Lou Lou!

Tuscan Italian Black Bean Dip

These pictures aren't great (I didn't have my camera, just my phone) but I am in love with this dip & just had to share.  DeeDee made it for Josh & Allie's Engagement Party & is seriously all I ate the whole time.  I didn't have a burger, or a hot dog...JUST THIS DIP!  Funny huh...must be GOOD!!

I didn't get a picture of all the ingredients before hand...but here's the list!

Ingredients

3 cans of black beans (rinsed & drained)

1 chopped yellow bell pepper

2 finely chopped jalepenos (I used a little food processor to chop)

2 tomatoes chopped

8 oz. Tuscan Italian dressing

2 fresh avocados chopped (added right before serving so they don't brown)

{black beans}

{add jalepenos}

{add 8 oz. of Tuscan Italian dressing}

{add the chopped tomatoes}

{& your chopped yellow bell pepper}

{stir all ingredients together & THEN add the avocados}

{lightly stir!}

Serve with your favorite tostitos chips!