Fiesta chili

As always, bear in mind that I hardly ever measure anything, so feel free to adjust anything to taste!

1lb ground beef
1lb venison chops
5 large tomatoes (or 2 cans diced toms)
2 large sweet potatoes
1 med onion
2 bell peppers (mixed colors)
1 bunch cilantro
1 jalapeño
3 garlic cloves
2-4 cups broth (or H2O)
Juice of 1 lime and 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbs bacon grease (optional-used w/ lean meat)

Dice/chop all veggies. In a large pot on stove, melt bacon grease and brown meat with the onion, jalapeño, seasonings and garlic. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add broth, sweet potatoes and tomato paste, simmer for about 10 minutes and add diced bell peppers. Simmer on low until sweet potatoes are done, stir in cilantro and lime/lemon juice. Top with guacamole and serve!

Sun-dried Tomato Basil Meatloaf (or Meatballs)

Well the comments have been coming, many thanks to all of you! So, as promised, for those interested in the aforementioned recipes, here is one of them! Thanks again everyone!

1 1/2 - 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (halves or juliened to measure-then finely chop)
A handful of fresh basil (finely chopped)
1-2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 lb bacon (cooked and crumbled or chopped into bits)
1-2 TBS bacon grease (from cooked bacon) - optional, but recommended!
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix all of your ingredients together. I just used my hands to make sure everything gets really well mixed.

If making meatloaf: Press mixture into a pan. (I went for a 8" round cake pan and cut it like a pie when it was done.) bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Check it at 20, depending on your pan. Loaf is done when center is firm and edges are pulling away from the pan. Enjoy!

If making meatballs: Shoot for the size of a ping pong ball, rolling mixture tightly. Cast-iron skillets (or anything oven-safe) work best, but is not necessary. Brown each side of your meatballs on the stove top, then bake in oven-safe dish at 350° for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are firm.

Tips for a Healthy Holiday

I apologize for my long absence, the holiday season is crazy! I have not forgotten you dear readers, and I also hope you have not forgotten to take care of yourselves during these busy and festive times. Many of us know how hard it is to learn to say no to the donuts that can dominate an office setting, or to pass over the bagel that seems like such an easy choice. With the Christmas season upon us, temptations can surround us at every turn. Here are a few things you can do to stay healthy over the holiday, while still indulging in a few treats.

• Make your own holiday goodies, with real food and real ingredients. Those trans-fat, chemical laden sugar cookies from the store will be forgotten if you set a plate of Magic Brownie Bars next to them!
• Volunteer to do some of the cooking at the holiday dinners. This will give you some control over what goes into the food, and potentially avoiding a can-full of high fructose corn syrup.
• No time to cook? Learn how to navigate the table. Pass on the stuffing and rolls, double up on the meat and salad, and make sure to indulge in some mashed potatoes smothered in butter!
• Missing that glass of creamy eggnog? Making your own is easy, and can be done dairy free! Check out this coconut milk eggnog recipe, and enjoy every sip.
• Don't deprive yourself and remember, never tell yourself that you can't have something. Simply choose not to put bad things in your body. There is always a healthier substitution, and thanks to Google, ideas can be found in a snap!
• Remember to keep movement in your busy life! A half hour walk still leaves 23 and half hours in your day.

~Happy Holidays!

Sweet Potato Chili

So this recipe turned out really good, but please bear in mind that I don't measure things very often. You may have to tweak spices to taste!

2 lbs beef (I used 1/2 venison)
2 cups beef broth
2 sweet potatoes
1 - 28oz can crushed tomatoes
4 Roma tomatoes
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 bell peppers (I used a green and an orange)
1 jalapeño
1/2 of a bunch of cilantro (about 1/2 cup chopped)
3 large garlic cloves (minced or smashed)
1/2 tbs sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 small cinnamon stick

Brown your meat and dice all of your veggies. Place all ingredients in a large crock pot and mix well. I cooked it on high for about two hours then left it on low for another three hours. Cook until sweet potatoes and carrots are soft, but be careful not to over cook, as your veggies get mushy. Enjoy!

Haddock with White Wine Caper Sauce

Tonight's dinner turned out pretty darn good so I thought I would share it!

2-4 haddock filets - seasoned lightly with sea salt and lemon pepper

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until fish is flaky in the center.

Sauce:
3 Tbs butter
1/4 C white wine
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 Tbs capers
1-2 Tbs chopped cilantro
1 Tbs coconut flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp arrowroot powder (optional-thickens it up)

Melt butter in small sauce pan, add wine, lime juice capers and cilantro and bring to a simmer. Whisk in flour, garlic powder and arrowroot powder, return to a simmer. Pour over fish and serve! (I went with zucchini pancakes on the side)

For my family and friends

Since I have not participated in the Thankful Month postings that have dominated facebook, I decided to just make a blog posting. Here I will attempts to take care of all 30 days in one crack! In an effort not to bore you, you may want to scan for your name and skim the rest. :) So, here it goes...

• I am first and foremost thankful for my husband of seven years. Kevin, we have been together for nearly 13 years now, and growing, learning and changing with you has been a wonderful journey. Rough patches in the past and rough patches yet to come, the good times make it worth it. You are one of the strongest people I know and often keep me grounded, bringing balance, security and love to my life. I would not be the person I am without you.
• Thank you to my parents, for your hand in bringing me up to be the best I can be. 
• Mamiska, you have taught me that love can be shown in the simplest touch or the smallest action. You taught me to never stop growing and learning, it is NEVER too late! 
• Daddy, you taught me to take pride in the things I do, and never to "half ass" anything. Your unconditional love will stay with me always - RIP, I love you forever.
• Blood sisters - you know who you are. You two have no idea how much you mean to me. You know as well as I do that sisters don't have to be blood relatives and I am soooo lucky to have such a great relationship with the both of you. The following only scratches the surface of how I feel:
• Hilly, your determination to always stand tall is such an inspiration to me. I learned long ago to never doubt you. You continue to amaze me in all you do, and your sense of humor cracks me up, on a daily basis. If you ever doubt yourself, please remember, all you have to do is take a look at that amazing little girl beside you, and know you are a huge part of who she is.
• Mally, you have overcome things that most people can only read about or see on a screen. Perseverance and grit aside, you have managed to hang onto something very important...your heart. Most people would be hardened, but I am pretty sure your heart got bigger; I just hope you never forget to make room for yourself in there!
• Parents-in-law - I am the luckiest person alive, as far as this goes, you truly are like a second set of parents to me!
• Mom, you have always opened your heart and home to me. Your strong heart, commitment to the things that matter and determination to experience all that life has to offer has inspired me to do so many things in my life! Thank you for always being there for me!
• Dad, I will never forget when my pops passed away, you called me and said "Don't ever forget that you still have a dad." Those words still mean the world to me. Thank you for helping me remember unconditional love and continuing to teach me strength and pride!
• Sisters-in-law - you also know who you are! At some point or another, I feel like I have established a special relationship with every one of you, and you have all taught me things I will carry with me forever!
• Lindsey, I have know you longer than any other member of your family. It is strange how the world works, bringing us into the same family after a small lifetime of being mere acquaintances. I can tell you anything and know that you will just listen with an open heart, bringing all you have to offer to each situation. Thank you for always reminding me that love, understanding and acceptance truly are the most important things in life.
• Katie, what can I say, you hold a special place in my heart. You were pretty much responsible for bringing Kevin into my life (some days I am more thankful for this than others...hehe). We have spent a lot of time together in the past, and you have always provided me with a sanctuary outside of my own home. Thank you for being a big sister to me, I love you forever!
• Jen, you continue to teach me the deeper meaning of family. You are strong, kind and determined, and I admire you and all you do. I love being in your life, learning "Jenninesse"and knowing you will always have coffee!
• Steffie, I miss you more than you know. You always seemed to "get" me and I love that I can always make you laugh, while everyone else missed the joke. You put people around you at complete ease, and accept others for who they are. I will forever aspire to be as grounded as you are!
• Syd, getting to spend a summer with you was great. You are a wonderful, spirited person and I cannot wait to see the woman you become. I am here for you always.
• Brothers-in-law - you two have made me laugh, made me mad, made me smile and made me cry; which means you have both given me something I never thought I would have - brothers!
• Bob, we spent a lot of years in close proximity to each other, and you are responsible for my desire to always have clean kitchen counters! On a serious note, you helped me learn to take pride in all I do. You are also behind my ability to find a way to work and relax at the same time. You have always been there for me, taken chances on me, and given me more opportunity than I probably deserve! Thank you for always pushing me to be the best I can be! (I have a great memory of you driving that red mustang up north to rescue me, in a blizzard. I was terrified the whole drive back... :)
• Dave, I am so glad you moved to our neck of the woods. You not only brought me closer to more family members, but continue to reinforce the meaning behind what it means to be a family. I trust and value your opinions and know I can always count on your honesty. I feel we have bonded over the years of WoW, Kart, and Michael Connelly. May the years bring us more adventures!
• To my nieces and nephews - It would take me two weeks to list out all 12 of you, so I will do my best to cram it into one paragraph! I have enjoyed watching you all enter the world, find your voice, make mistakes, and continue to grow. You have each, in turn, filled my life with laughter, light and love...even the hope of having my own child, (followed closely by the desire to double up on birth control) ;) Thank you all for filling up the holes in my life with your unique personalities, please don't forget about me when you become rich and famous!
• For all of my friends, I am so blessed to have so many of you who really are more like family. I know it is impossible to list you all out and not miss someone, and I hope you all know who you are...but I am going to give it a quick try: Leslie, Lei, Jared, you guys are my oldest and closest friends. No matter how much time passes between visits, I feel like we pick up right where we left off, I will love you forever! Jen, Heidi, Ashley, Amanda, I feel like I have known you ladies my whole life. You guys have re-defined the meaning of soul-mates for me, I am lucky to have you all! Kayla, Brooke...sometimes I feel like we were all sisters in a past life :) I have never met two more unique and beautiful people. Thank you for making me part of your lives! There are more of you...Rena, Emily, Tarah, Nikki, Sarah...I love you all and I am so sorry if I missed anyone!
• And finally, I have to mention how thankful I am every day for my two knucklehead dogs. I love that I can be gone for 10 minutes or 10 days and I am greeted at the door with furry hugs and kisses. Digger and Gwynnie, you truly are my four-legged children!

That should about cover 30 days! I am truly blessed in my life, and could have continued on. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

~Namaste

GMO's? OMG!

While it may seem to some of us that California is states away, and not our concern, I would like to take a moment to recognize the defeat of Prop 37. 

Those of you who know me well, are probably aware that I am not really a political person. I voted republican for many years, to make my parents proud, but my feelings of distrust and distaste fall onto all sides. I hate election season, the two party system, and the fact that the wellbeing of this country has taken a place miles behind the power of the almighty green dollar. I could go on, but I digress.

I have chosen to take my personal politics a step further than just casting my vote. (which, just to verify, I did do) My politics are now something that I can put into effect with each purchase I make at the grocery store, coop, farmers market or directly with a local farmer. 

I truly believe that the health and wellbeing of this country starts with what we put into our mouths. So many of us have fallen victim to convenience, abandoning our human instincts and following misguided information that is presented to us daily through various media sources. We have become so disconnected with our food, and its source, to the point that it has made us the sickest species on the planet. 

One of the biggest causes of debt in this country? Healthcare. Cancer, heart disease, emergency surgeries...medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy. We work hard, save for years, dreaming of retirement, only to have it wiped out by an avoidable heart attack. The sad and simple truth is that this most of this can be avoided...just by changing what you put into our mouths.

Which leads me to Prop 37...a proposition that would have required foods that have been genetically modified to be labeled as such; ensuring that consumers would be aware of what they were purchasing and putting into their bodies. Many devoted people spent over a year gathering the signatures required to secure a spot on the ballot for Prop 37, but California voted. These people, and their supporters, lost the battle. To quote Sean Croxton, of Underground Wellness:

"Apparently 55% of my State's populace doesn't mind being part of our nationwide food experiment."

I loved this, because that is exactly what it is; an experiment. These GMO foods are largely untested on humans, and as many of them are so new, no one will be able to determine the long term effects of until it is too late. 

What can we do about it? We can start by buying foods that don't need labels at all. We can take the time to care about our bodies, to reconnect with our food and its source. There is information out there to guide us, you just have to look. In the meantime, I will continue to stand up for what I believe. I will continue to learn, to read and to grow. I urge you all to read the blog post on this subject from Sean Croxton, linked here.  He also has an awesome youtube channel and a podcast with some very good and very real information. Until next time dear readers...

~Namaste