No Fat Talk Tuesday: Stephanie's Story

I'm so excited to be kicking off our first of many 'No Fat Talk Tuesday' posts. In the weeks ahead, women from all walks of life will be sharing their stories of learning to love their bodies and the importance of saying no to 'fat talk' in their lives. With that, I'll hand it over to Stephanie...

Take a gander over at my blog, Girl Versus Dough, and you might wonder what makes me an authority on anything related to health and wellness – I mean, I’ve got posts on chocolate-glazed doughnuts and bacon pancakes, for goodness’ sake! Truthfully, some of it is the result of this mean sweet tooth I’ve been blessed with since birth; but the other part of it is a celebration of being able to bake these indulgent sweets, enjoy them in moderation and not feel like (or tell myself that) I’ve instantly ballooned to the size of an elephant. It’s been a journey, to be sure, and I can’t say I’ve completely escaped my battle with “fat talk,” but I can tell you I’ve come a long way. And I have a few people to thank for that.

My first thoughts of body image insecurity surfaced when I was in early high school – probably on New Year’s Day, actually, when I decided at the ripe ol’ age of 15 that my resolution was to lose weight. It’s crazy, I know, and I was a bona fide pubescent twig, but a voice inside my head kept telling me I wasn’t good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough until I lost those hips, that arm flab, those cankles.

I wish I could say that was the end of it, that I put my foot down and realized how crazy my thoughts were, but I can’t. High school and college were battles with my “fat talk” monster – a war waged between me and my floor-length mirror. 

Counseling helped, yes, and so did maturity, but you know what really got me through the thick of it? The people around me whom I love and who love me back. No matter what stage of life or body confidence I was in, they were there to lend an encouraging word or offer a model of success that helped me realize: If I have these beautiful people in my life surrounding me, then I truly am beautiful, too.

My mom was one of those people. Name any disease, she’s probably had it. In the last decade, she’s had broken bones, breast cancer, bumps and bruises that haven’t even been invented yet. But, she is the strongest person I know. Her resilience in the face of adversity is admirable, and whenever I think my body is inadequate, I remember my mother – and all her strength and beauty – is a part of me, and it gets me through.

My friends, also, have been the best support system in the world. Sometimes they’ve been there to tell me my outfit looked cute or I just got a great haircut, but they also were there to remind me of my good inner traits: Loyalty, kindness and wisdom. They say that you surround yourself with people who are just like you, and if that’s the case, I am beautiful.

And then there’s my husband. He makes me feel confident in myself every day. We’ve been married for two and a half years, and in every moment I am with him, I feel beautiful, even if I’m in my sweatpants and haven’t showered for (cough) three days. He knows how to give me confidence in myself without even saying anything, and to have that around on a daily basis, well, I’m set for life.

So whenever I look in the mirror and feel unconfident about my body, I remember whose image is really reflected back to me – one that has been shaped by beautiful people who, in turn, make me beautiful, too.

Thanks for sharing your story, Stephanie! And thanks to all of you who have so bravely and kindly offered to share your story on No Fat Talk Tuesday. I'm looking forward to the weeks and months of posts ahead. If you're interested in sharing your story, shoot me an e-mail (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) and I can share details with you. 

Missy's Slow-Cooker Ham

When Joey really likes a dish he eats at a restaurant, he looks at me and asks, "Can you make this at home?" And more often than not, I promise to give it a try. Sometimes it's a hit right off the bat (Chicken Parm from any number of Italian restaurants) and sometimes it proves to be a bit more challenging (I'm slowly but surely mastering Texas Roadhouse's rolls).

But the first dish Joey ever asked me, no begged me, to make was his aunt Missy's famous ham. I'm not quite sure why it took me over two and a half years to make this incredibly easy recipe. Joey would mention it time and time again, how it was the best ham he's ever had.

Last week, Joey was in Minneapolis for three days, and as a celebration of his homecoming I asked Missy for her ham recipe to prepare. Joey was thrilled at the surprise, and I was excited to find out what all the fuss was about.

Being the curious food editor that I am, I couldn't resist sneaking a small bite to see what all the fuss was about. I can tell you that this ham falls in the sweet spot between sweet and salty, with plenty of zing from the vinegar, onion, Worcestershire and paprika, paired with sweetness from the brown sugar. Not to mention it feeds a crowd and requires very little hands-on time. If we were having friends over for the Super Bowl (we're not, we're going to friends), this would most certainly make my list of must-makes. 

Missy's Slow-Cooker Ham
Ingredients
*2 cups water
*1 cup packed brown sugar
*1/2 cup white vinegar
*1/3 cup oil
*1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
*1 teaspoon onion powder
*1/2 tsp. paprika
*1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
*Dash of hot sauce
*1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
*3 lbs. shaved deli ham 

Instructions
*In a large heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the ham. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
*In a large bowl, combine the ham and the boiled mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and marinade for 24 hours.
*Once ham has sat in the marinade for 24 hours, place ham and liquid in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Cook for 2 hours on high. Serve on buns. Store leftovers in a sealable container in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Soft and Wavy Curls

Are you all as addicted to Pinterest as I am? I should clarify that I'm addicted to looking at Pinterest and finding ideas. But since I'm slightly type-A, I find it hard to pull the trigger and actually 'pin' things for fear that my boards will become messy and disorganized. I suppose that's all beside the point, since what I really want to talk about is hair.

Pinterest is, I've decided, most useful for two things: recipe organization and hair tutorials. You can find a hair tutorial on pretty much any style you're seeking, although I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the tutorials make it look much easier than it actually is.

To date, my best find on the site has been this hair tutorial on how to create soft, wavy curls in your hair without looking too done-up. It comes from Katie of the blog Running On Happiness, and if you've never stumbled upon her amazing blog, I would urge you to immediately bop over and check it out. It's not all that different from what I've done in the past with my curling iron, but she sneaks in a few insightful tips that have changed the way my hair gets its curl. I can't say I've perfected the method, but I'm well on my way. And just in time for the weekend, when I actually wash my hair and put on makeup past 6 pm.

Happy Friday, all!

Madison

Chopped Green Salad Wrap

 

I've received a lot of questions from readers about what I pack for lunches and snacks when I go to work each day. I'm not going to lie, I struggle just as much as the next person. But since I would much rather spend money going out to eat with my husband on date nights, taking a packed lunch and snacks is the norm. 

A few of my favorite snacks being:

          *Lara Bars (cashew cookie, peanut butter cookie, apple pie, and pb&j being my favorites)

          *Cliff Bars (peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia and carrot cake being my favorites)

          *Greek yogurt and canned pumpkin with a dollop of peanut butter

          *Apples or pears with a few slices of cheese

          *Sugar-free applesauce with granola 

Lunch, on the other hand, is much less predictable. Sometimes I'll tote along leftovers from dinner the night before. Other times I'll make a quick salad with quinoa and veggies or a salad topped with lentils and feta cheese. 

This week I was looking through my fridge, trying to get inspired, and saw we had whole wheat tortillas, lettuce, pesto, feta cheese and broccoli. Never one to be a fan of raw broccoli, I found that chopping the broccoli into small pieces and tossing it with the other ingredients helped to ward off the raw flavor that I typically dislike. 

The wrap was super tasty and satisfying. So if you're looking for a new addition to your workday meals, I would totally give this a try.

Chopped Green Salad Wrap 

Ingredients

*1/2 cup Romaine lettuce, chopped 

*1/4 to 1/3 cup raw broccoli florets, finely chopped

*1 oz. crumbled feta cheese

*1 1/2 tbsp. Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette or other fruit vinaigrette of your choice

*1 tablespoon purchased pesto 

*Cracked black pepper 

*1 whole wheat tortilla 

Instructions

*In a small bowl, combine the lettuce, broccoli, feta cheese, vinaigrette, pesto and black pepper. Toss to combine all ingredients evenly. Spoon mixture onto tortilla. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Puppy Love

 

Joey snapped a few photos last weekend while Nutmeg and I were cuddling on the couch. She was, as you can see, trilled about being involved in a spontaneous photo shot. 

And yes, I'm reading Tim Tebow's book, Through My Eyes, during my down time. Now that the football season is almost over, how else am I going to get my fix?

What good books have you read lately?

Madison

Share Your Story!

It's been almost an entire month since I started my 'No Fat Talk Pledge' for 2012, and I wanted to check in with an update. Aside from one major "my jeans are tight and my thighs are huge" moment a couple weeks back, I've been going strong.

It's not always easy, but in the last couple weeks I've found my desire to talk negatively about my body has significantly diminished. Every time I'm tempted to say something negative, I remind myself that it's simply not an option to verbalize my thought, so why even bother thinking it? And amazingly enough, it works!

Over the past month, I've been encouraged by e-mails, tweets and comments from many of you, sharing your desire to show your bodies a little more love over the coming year. To keep our motivation going, I am hoping to turn every Tuesday on Espresso and Cream into 'No Fat Talk Tuesday.' Some weeks it may be a personal story, a list of interesting articles from around the web or a personal story from one of you!

So I'm asking for your help. I am looking for women of all ages who are willing to share their body confidence struggles and/or success story in the form of a guest post on Espresso and Cream. If you're interested in sharing or finding out more information, please e-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) and I'll give you more information.

Thanks!
Madison

Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? Joey and I have really been enjoying spending weekends at home lately after spending what felt like every weekend on the go during the months of September through December. I'm not going to lie, we felt completely overwhelmed and exhausted after the Christmas season. For that reason, January has been amazing. 

In other news, I must have been really loving the February issue of Better Homes and Gardens because the last two recipes I've made have been from said issue. It probably has something to do with the fact that it's packed with gooey chocolate recipes, including these Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies.

While I was editing these photos, Joey said to me, "Those look good in photos. But no matter how good they look in photos, they are a million times better in your mouth." I take that as high praise, seeing that my husband is more of a fan of salty snacks than sweet desserts.

I, on the other hand, think I need to get these babies out of the house and in the hands of my work colleagues before I demolish them myself. If you're planning on making them yourself, I would highly recommend inviting friends over to share them with!

Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, February 2012

Ingredients
*1/2 cup butter
*2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
*1 cup sugar
*2 large eggs
*1 tsp. vanilla
*3/4 cup all-purpose flour
*9 honey graham cracker squares
*1 cup tiny marshmallows

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
*In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and add in the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the flour until just combined.
*Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Top with graham crackers (divide as necessary to evenly top batter). Sprinkle marshmallows on the graham crackers, but do not let them touch the sides of the pan. Carefully spread the remaining batter on the marshmallows and graham crackers, covering them completely.
*Bake for 25 to 27 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 15 brownies

Happy Baking!
Madison

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce

A couple weeks ago Joey and I bought some Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt. It may not sound like a big deal to you, but I was more than a little excited. You see, it's been months since we had ice cream in our freezer. Typically, we avoid buying ice cream because I have zero self control around the stuff. I'm happy to eat a couple squares of chocolate and leave it at that, but ice cream is another story. Since we hadn't purchase ice cream in forever, we didn't have any of the traditional toppings, like chocolate or caramel sauce, in the fridge.

I wish I could tell you I found this recipe before the ice cream was polished off, but who am I kidding? The ice cream was long gone, but this homemade chocolate fudge sauce may call for buying a little more this weekend.

While reading through the February issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I came upon this recipe. I honestly had no idea making your own chocolate sauce could be this easy, and it's certainly causing me to second-guess ever buying the jarred version ever again. It takes just a few minutes to whip together and requires ingredients frequently found in our kitchen, meaning it's easier than running to the store at a moment's notice. Especially when it's -7°F outside and snowy.

Have a warm and happy weekend!

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine, February 2012

Ingredients
*1 cup packed brown sugar
*1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
*1/2 cup milk or half and half (I used 2% milk)
*2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
*In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.
*In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the milk or half and half and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until bubbles start to appear around the edges. Add in the brown sugar mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes more or until mixture is thickened and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Garlic Kale Chips

Truth be told, I've always been more of a 'quantity over quality' girl when it comes to snacks and mealtime. I would rather find a way to stretch my morning protein pancake with a little canned pumpkin, even if it means sacrificing texture, just so I can have more to eat in the morning. And I will gladly eat an entire head of steamed broccoli over a small portion of broccoli with cheese 90% of the time. Can anyone relate?

Joey and I rarely have chips or other junk food on hand except for those few boxes of Girl Scout cookies right now. So when I get a craving for something crunchy and salty, I typically have to improvise with what we have on hand.  And while I may be a little late to the game with these crispy baked Garlic Kale Chips, if you are late to the game like me, I would highly recommend you making them asap. Not only are they crunchy, salty and entirely addictive, they also deliver all the vitamin-packed goodness of kale.

My first attempt at Kale chips was anything but a success. I made the mistake of leaving the tough stems in the center of the kale intact. If you're into that sort of stringy texture, then feel free to leave the stems going through the center of the leaves. But if you're anything like me, I would recommend cutting the ruffled leaves of the kale off the stem and discarding the rest.

I ate the entire batch in one serving. But if you're slightly less greedy than I am with your kale, it could easily be a side dish for two or three people.

Garlic Kale Chips
Ingredients
*3 to 4 cups kale leaves, cut into pieces with stems removed and discarded
*1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
*2 tsp. Garlic Gold or 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
*2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
*Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.
*In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and Garlic Gold. Spread kale in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and the salt and pepper.
*Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, or until kale is crunchy and has a slightly charred appearance, tossing once halfway through baking. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Guest Posting @ Thoughts By Natalie

 

If you're anything like me, I'm guessing that you are always searching for uplifting, creative blogs that leave you with a smile on your face. If that's the case, then I highly suggest stopping by Natalie's blog. She lives in California with her husband and puts together posts and inspiration for 20-something women, although I'm sure she would welcome women of all ages to pop on by.

If you haven't checked out Natalie's blog, please stop on over and say hello. I'm guest posting today about the 'No Fat Talk 2012' pledge and what it means to me.

Madison

A Day in the Life...

A few days ago, Tanja put together a blog post about what her daily routine looks like. I'm always so fascinated by posts showing how everyone goes about their day-to-day, and I thought it might be high time to share a look into how things go down in our house.

 {Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. And most of the time, Joey and I take time to have breakfast together.}

A typical weekday goes a little something like this...

5:00 am - Our alarm clock goes off. We push snooze and sleep for another 15 to 30 minutes

5:30 - 6:15 am - Get up. Joey takes a shower while I turn on the news and make breakfast. Sometimes I'm feeling ambitious and make something fantastic, while other times Joey's on his own and has cereal and yogurt. We always have coffee.

6:15 - 7 am - We watch the news, talk about what our days look like, catch up on e-mails, I put together blog posts and catch up on any bills that need to be paid.

7 - 8 am - I get ready for work, do a load of laundry if necessary, and pack our lunches. Joey lets Nutmeg out to go to the bathroom at get a little exercise.

8 - 9 am - I make the commute into work. Joey is typically already to his office at around 7:30.

{My desk and office space. I like to think it's organized chaos.}

9 am - 12 pm - Work begins! I typically spend the first hour catching up on e-mails, reading food blogs and food newsletters and making a to-do list for the rest of the day. Then it's  time to get down to work between running to meetings.

{A less than glamourous lunch: Greek yogurt, cinnamon, canned pumpkin, peanut butter and some frosted shredded wheat. Not fancy, but it gets the job done.}

12 - 1 pm - Most days I eat lunch at my desk while browsing through a food magazine or two, but sometimes the lunch hour is a time to run errands. Since Joe and I don't live in Des Moines anymore, I take advantage of the noon hour to run to grab groceries at Trader Joe's, make a trip to the bank, or go to the chiropractor.

1 - 5 pm - Back to work! More meetings, layouts to edit, copy to proof and recipes that need to be created. On more exciting days, I'll have a taste panel (or two) to go to and see how the recipes I've created come together. Sometimes they need to be tested again, while other times they are good to go.

5 - 6 pm - Commute home. I use this time at night to call my parents and/or friends, listen to talk radio and decompress so I don't think or talk much about work when I get home. The separation of work and home life keeps me sane.

6 - 6:30 pm - Joey and I talk about our days, get ready for the gym and I prep anything that needs to be prepped for dinner.

6:30 - 7:30 pm - Gym time! Sometimes Joe and I do our cardio together, other times we do our own thing, but we almost always lift weights together. It's usually a 50/50 breakdown of cardio to weight lifting time.

{A view from the kitchen looking into the living room. And yes, we still have our Christmas decorations up. But not to worry, they are coming down this weekend!}

7:30 - 8:15 pm - I get to work making dinner. Joey lets Nutmeg out again. When it's nice out we take her for a walk at night, but when it's cold and snowy like today, we all prefer to keep outdoor time to a minimum. We eat dinner and Joey cleans up/puts away the dishes while I take a shower or relax in the tub with a magazine. Pure bliss.

{This was actually taken on a Sunday when we were watching the Packers play, but it's the only TV watching photo I had. You get the idea...}

8:15 - 9:30 pm - Joey and I regularly watch many shows, but we do try to catch Project Runway, Biggest Loser and Top Chef. Now that we have a DVR we can worry less about missing shows, and just catch up with them on the weekends when we have more down time.

9:30 pm - I have the bed time of a five-year-old child, so I'm ready to hit the hay at around 9:30. Joey will sometimes stay up a bit later, but we are both asleep by 10 or 10:30 at the latest.

Happy Tuesday!
Madison

Salmon Salad Pizza

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? Joe and I had friends over on Saturday night to watch the Broncos game and eat chili. And as an added surprise, my mom joined us for the weekend. And although the Broncos lost, it helped to have company (and ice cream) around to keep us from feeling the pain of the loss too much.

And since my mom was around this weekend, we took advantage of having her snap a photo of us that wasn't taken with my computer. All ready to head to church...

Almost every week, Joey and I have homemade pizza for a weekday meal. Typically, our pizzas are of the standard variety - pepperoni and green peppers for Joe and mozzarella and basil for me. But on Friday night we dressed things up (a lot) and made a pizza you can't order from a standard take-out joint.

Inspired by our favorite dinner, salads topped with salmon and feta cheese, Salmon Salad Pizza was born. And boy is it mouthwatering. I cringed a bit at the idea of crumbling half a pound of wild Alaskan salmon atop a pizza, but the fact is it's a really economical way to feed high-quality salmon to a group of people. Instead of needing a pound or more, you can give everyone big salmon flavor for much less.

I was a tad bit skeptical about serving this pizza to Joe. Since he's pretty traditional when it comes to pizza, I wasn't sure if he would jump on board with this unique pie. Turns out, he was just as excited about it as I was. Between the two of us, we came pretty close to finishing up this pizza, with just a couple slices leftover for the weekend.

Salmon Salad Pizza
Ingredients
*1/2 lb. filet wild Alaskan salmon
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*3/4 cup baby spinach leaves, stems removed
*Whole wheat pizza dough for one 12-inch pizza (locals - Gateway Market has the best pre-made dough in Des Moines)
*1/3 cup pesto
*1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
*1/2 of a medium tomato, thinly sliced
*1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a pizza pan or dust cornmeal on a baking stone and preheat the stone in the oven. Set aside.
*In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, heat oil. Cook salmon, about 4 minutes per side. Salmon will not be completely cooked through, which is okay. This will prevent the salmon from being dry once it is cooked on the pizza. Flake salmon into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
*With the heat still on, cook spinach for 1 to 2 minutes in the remaining oil in the pan. Spinach should be slightly wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
*Press pizza dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer to baking sheet. Spread dough with the pesto sauce and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Layer tomato slices atop the feta, followed by the flaked salmon. Top with the spinach and sprinkle with the dried oregano.
*Bake pizza for 15 to 18 minutes, or until cheese is melted and dough is golden brown and crisp around the edges. Remove from oven and cut into pieces. Makes 8 slices

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Velveeta-Chili Dip

 

If you're anything like us, chances are you're going to spend at least a little bit of time watching a football game (or four) on Saturday and Sunday. And if you're really like us, you'll probably find yourself standing and shouting at the TV while watching the Broncos game on Saturday night.

When we're particularly interested in one of the games, I like to make things a little more exciting by preparing a few traditional football eats. And while I wish I could say this dip was a healthier version of the original, that's just not true. Every time we buy Velveeta at the store (which is only to make this dip and a rare occasion) I cringe a little. But it's one of Joey's favorites and a compromise made for marriage, if you will.

This recipe came to me via my mother-in-law, Lisa. It's a little different than the traditional Velveeta-Rotel dip that's quite popular. And Joe loves this version because it has a lot of substance (aka meat) in the form of an entire pound of ground beef.

While I wouldn't recommend making this often, it's a fun and easy way to celebrate some of the big games coming up in the weeks ahead. Go Broncos!

Velveeta-Chili Dip

Ingredients

*1 block of Velveeta cheese 

*1 standard-size can (14-ounces I believe?) Hormel Chili with Beans

*1 lb. ground beef, browned and crumbled

*1 (8-ounce) bottle Ortega mild taco sauce 

Instructions

*Place all the ingredients in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir to evenly combine. Serve with tortilla chips or, if you're trying to be a little healthier, veggie dippers. Makes enough for a crowd. 

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Goals for 2012

1. No 'Fat Talk' in 2012 Yes, you heard me right. I'm instituting a no 'fat talk' policy for the entire year. When the idea first came to my mind, I thought there was no way I could go a whole year without verbally saying things like "I look fat" or "my thighs look huge". But as hard as it may be, I think it's worth pursuing. That's not to say that I'm planning on becoming complacent with my fitness goals. But I do think it's important to be thankful for where I am at in the here and now and to spend less time thinking about myself and turn that attention to those around me.

If you wan to join me and take the 'No Fat Talk Pledge' feel free to leave a comment below. I think we could all stand to be a little nicer to our bodies. Perhaps we could Tweet positive motivations under the hash tag #nofattalk2012 as well?

2. Spend More Mindfully, Save More Money Can't we all relate? I want to be more thoughtful about how I spend money this year. That means fewer trips to Starbucks, being more diligent about packing lunches at home, purchasing investment pieces for my wardrobe rather than a bunch of stuff I'll be sick of wearing a year later. You get the idea. Joey and I would like to pay off his school loans as soon as possible this year, and I want to do my part!

3. Read My Bible More I think this one is pretty self explanatory, but I want to spend more time in God's word, growing closer to Him and learning more about what His will is for my life.

4. Grow Espresso and Cream The actual plan for how to achieve this have yet to be laid in stone. My hope is that I can put together a plan for actively growing this little blog, since in the past I have been rather passive about how it grows.

4. Wash My Hair Less This is a slightly less serious goal, but I think it still counts. I really want to ring in 2013 with long, healthy locks. But my hair stylist says I need to do a better job of not washing it so darn often or using as many styling tools if I want it to grow. I'm going on three days without washing right now - off to a great start! :)

5. Maintain My Current Weight, Get Comfortable With My Body No silly diets or juice cleanses here. I'm just shy of 5'10 and weigh somewhere between 145-148 pounds. I wear size 28 jeans. But more importantly, I have a body capable of running hundreds of miles a year, walking our dog, throwing the football with my hubby, lifting weights and doing hundreds of squats. Pretty cool stuff.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

 
Hi again! How was your weekend? Joey and I spend a bunch of time watching football, like four games worth. Since it's the playoffs and all, we figure we're justified spending hours on the couch for the next few weekends knowing the dreadful stretch of football-less weekends is coming up quickly.

A tried and true Florida Gators fan, I am still basking in the glow of the Denver Broncos-Pittsburgh Steelers game and the glory that is watching Tim Tebow pass for 316 (!!) yards. Call me obsessed and color me blue and orange.

Since we were watching so much football and entirely too absorbed to cook real meals, I did a little dump-and-stir meal for Sunday lunch that actually turned out to taste fantastic. Or so says my husband, who ate it in front of the television. The chicken was fall-apart tender and the potatoes were soft and spicy. Just the way a no-fuss stew should be. 

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
*2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
*1 standard-size jar of medium salsa
*1 (8- to 9- ounce) cans corn kernels, drained
*1 large baking potato (russet) cut into cubes
*1/2 cup water
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. dried oregano
*Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
*Additional oregano (optional)

Instructions
*In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, combine all the above ingredients except for the cheese and additional dried oregano. Cook on low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken pulls apart easily with a fork and the potatoes are tender.
*Spoon mixture into bowls with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with shredded cheese and additional dried oregano, if desired.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Black Bean Brownies

Three months ago I took a trip to the Wednesday Farmer's Market in downtown Des Moines over our lunch hour. The day was beautiful and I was impressed with the selection of tasty lunch items the small farmer's market had to offer. But what really drew me in was a small whole foods stand selling, among other things, black bean brownies. As you can probably imagine, I couldn't resist trying a sample and hearing about what this black bean brownie thing was all about.

Turns out, the nutrition stats on the brownie were really impressive and I couldn't even tell there were black beans in the brownie. It was just incredibly moist and gooey. Totally my kind of brownie.

Although it took me a while to get in my kitchen and replicate the black bean brownie in my own kitchen, I can report back to you that they are as easy and tasty as ever. Made with whole wheat flour, just a bit of sugar and black beans for protein, these are brownies that you can feel good about eating! In fact, each brownie contains just around 120 calories and 3 grams of protein. If you want to make them even healthier, I think you could probably cut back on the sugar even more, and perhaps sub some apple sauce for some of the oil.

Oh, and as a trial, when Joey got home I offered him a brownie and asked what he thought. He couldn't even tell there was anything healthy about these brownies. When I asked him what he thought the secret ingredient was, he said whole wheat flour. And although that's true, it wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for. He couldn't even tell there were black beans involved. I would call that a success!

Black Bean Brownies
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients
*3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained (canned is fine)
*1/2 cup light flavored olive oil or canola oil
*2 eggs or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters liquid egg replacement
*1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1/2 cup granulated sugar (could probably reduce to 1/3 cup if desired)
*1 tsp. instant coffee granules
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
*1/3 cup whole wheat flour
*1/2 tsp. baking powder
*1/4 tsp. salt
*Additional chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the black beans, olive oil, eggs, cocoa powder and sugar. Blend until well combined and mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the coffee, vanilla, melted chocolate, flour, baking powder and salt. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
*Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread to distribute evenly. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired. Bake in the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 16 brownies

Happy Baking!
Madison

Casually Ringing in the New Year

{At one point in the evening, we were dressed presentably. However, it didn't take us long to switch into sweats and our most comfortable tops. No sparkles at this party.}

{Amber, Baylen and Jake enjoying appetizers at Lonski's in Grinnell.}

{Showing off Joey's office space to our siblings. Since our apartment is a loft, it's nice to have some work-life separation by renting an office space.} 

{The soon-to-be newlyweds, Jason and Ali.}

{Happy 2012!}

As you can see, we laid pretty low all of New Year's Eve weekend, enjoying down time with our family. I'm a bit behind (dang cold is getting the best of me) but I'm planning on putting together a post at the beginning of next week about my new year's resolutions. Can't wait to hear what yours are!

Madison

Easy Three Bean Beef Chili

I can hardly believe that 2012 is already here and 2011 is just a memory. While I spent the most of last week and this past weekend sick with a killer cold, we did manage to have a little bit of fun ringing in the new year.

Joey's sister and brother-in-law, Amber and Jake, along with baby Baylen, as well as Joey's brother, Jason and his fiancé, Ali, all made the trip to Grinnell to stay with us for the long weekend. Since I was a slacker with my camera, I'll have to wait for Amber to send some photos my way before posting a recap of our weekend. Today, since I was still feeling pretty under the weather, we spent most of the day laying low and watching football. It's what Nutmeg does best...

Typically, when we have people over, I stress out about preparing meals. It's not the cooking that gets me worked up as much as the combination of cooking and enjoying myself in the process of it all. I'm a bit of a work in process where entertaining is concerned.

Joey, realizing this, said he wanted me to pick easy meals that didn't require much stressing about. And since I wasn't feeling like myself with this cold, I was more than happy to stick with quick and easy. French toast for breakfast, make your own sandwiches and fresh fruit for lunch, and my mom's chili with homemade cornbread for dinner on New Year's Eve.

Although my mom wouldn't brag about her chili, it really is something special. First, because it's thick, hearty and filling. Second, because it's unbelievably easy and comes together in under 30 minutes. It's easily adaptable for vegetarians, too, if you leave out the ground beef.

Of course, you can make this chili in advance and allow the flavors to meld together as the simmer on the stovetop, it's entirely up to you and when your company wants to eat.

Easy Three Bean Beef Chili
Ingredients
*2 lbs. lean ground beef or ground turkey
*1 large (30 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
*1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
*1 (30 oz.) can Mrs. Grimes Chili Beans, undrained
*1 (15 oz.) can black beans, undrained
*1 (15 oz.) can white kidney beans or white great northern beans, undrained
*2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on how hot you like your chili
*Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
*In a large stockpot over medium high heat, brown ground beef or ground turkey. Drain off fat.
*Add remaining ingredients to the stockpot. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Happy Cooking!
Madison