Archives for January 2015

Healthy living.

January 12, 2015 / By Courtney / 6 Comments

Well, here we are. It’s January and thoughts tend to shift towards making positive changes, working on bad habits, eating better, and all that jazz. I’m sharing some of my favorite healthy living tips I try to maintain throughout the year, and I would so love to hear any you have!

1. We all know drinking water is good for you. Luckily, I love to drink it in excess, especially in this cute water bottle. I start every morning with a large icy glass and a 1/2 squeezed lemon. Kickstarts my metabolism for the day and is such a natural wake up call.

2. I like to think about healthy living from my head to my toes. This argan oil does wonders for dry skin. Also works great on any cuts you may have as well as dry cuticles.

3. Get healthy and super shiny hair with this oil. After blasting my hair with a hair dryer and straightener for years, I finally called it quits. Most of the time I just rub this oil on and let it air dry. Major, major difference.

4. We all know exercise is important, but I like to remember to keep everything in balance. Days where I am toting around kids, chasing my 35 pound toddler, running up and down the stairs with laundry, chores, etc., totally counts. I just make it a point to… move. Bonus that I get to wear these cute shoes. When it feels like I’m not moving enough, I get my butt on my neighborhood hills or treadmill.

5. Sleep. I think I tell M every night before I go to bed that I love sleep. So much. I try to get at least seven hours. Most nights it is 8-9. I fully realize that is not the phase everyone is in. For B’s first year, it was probably half of that, if I was lucky. P.S. How cute are these darling pj leggings from Old Navy?

6. My go-to lunch item during the week. Super healthy and low in calories. I heat it up, throw in some crackers, and snack on some of B’s hummus as well. Their lentil soup is also a delicious option.

7. Vitamins. Do you take any? For some reason, I just never stopped taking a prenatal (no mom, I am not pregnant). I figured, why not? Good for you and my hair stylist says it’s great for your hair and nails.

8. Balance. It’s key. 2 glasses of wine, 1 cup of coffee, some exercise, good sleep, good food. Never too much or too little of anything. I try to make this my perspective on most, if not all things.

Do you have any healthy living tips for me?

*The fine print: this post contains affiliate links which means that if you use these links to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make your purchase but please know that when you do, it supports my blog and for that I thank you.

C’s picks – week of Jan 11th.

January 11, 2015 / By Courtney / Leave a Comment

After a few weeks off due to the holidays and travel, it’s time to get back in the C’s picks saddle! Here is what will be cooking in our kitchen this week. It’s all about healthy comfort food because you know, it’s horrid outside.

I’ve been hearing great things things about this Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole recipe from a great friend. Let’s give it a go for Sunday dinner.

This one has it all going on: sausage + sweet potatoes + kale in a cheesy white sauce. Yes, please.

Let’s go with a pasta for Tuesday night. This 3 minute one is always a winner.

Sticky bourbon chicken? Oh. Yeah. White rice and broccoli on the side. I can’t wait for Wednesday.

Thursday sounds like a good leftover night.

And then it’s Friday, which means it’s time for our pizza.

A friendly reminder: our awesome Reclaimed giveaway ends TONIGHT! Have you entered? Winner announced on Facebook tomorrow.
C

Polar vortex win.

January 9, 2015 / By Courtney / 19 Comments

Oh my.

I never thought I’d be leaving 85 degrees only to come home to 3 days of cancelled school. Not cool man, not cool. As we were flying home, B and I were looking down upon Chicago and all I could think of was wow, it looks…inhabitable. Like honestly, who lives here?

Well, we do. Unfortunately. So, it’s time to make the best of it. For now. I’m still in a vitamin D high from Florida. Give me a few days and I’ll be crying in the corner.

Anyway… on Wednesday (a high of -3) I pulled out all my tricks with the kids: PJ party, warm chocolate chip cookies, a fire, good movies, and this recipe.

You guys.

If you want to kick some serious polar vortex butt, get this going in your kitchen asap. Hello, eight vegetables. Yep, eight. Also? Five beans. A heck of a lot of flavor and no meat. What you’re left with is a super duper germ fighting, temperature busting healthy comfort, all served up warm in a deep bowl next to a fire and a glass of… you guessed it, pinot.

To be precise, I literally ate this sitting on my floor next to our fireplace with 4 kiddos snuggled up in warm fuzzy blankets watching Scooby Doo. I couldn’t have been happier.

Take that polar vortex, TAKE THAT.

Polar Vortex Chili

2015-01-08 11:02:15

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
3 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
4 cups organic vegetable stock (I used a bit more - have up to 6 cups available, if you like your chili 'soupier')
1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can unsalted kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.5-ounce) can unsalted chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15.8-ounce) can unsalted Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can unsalted pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped kale

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion, and carrot; sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Add in red peppers, jalapeno, and zucchini. Saute until softened. Add in garlic, saute another minute or so.
Stir in tomato paste and your spices, saute another minute or so.
Pour in your vegetable stock, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or so. Taste to season - I threw in a bunch more of the spices, but, I like things with a kick.
A few minutes before serving on low heat stir in your kale. Top with shredded cheese of your choice (smoked gouda never fails), sliced avocado, crackers, etc.

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Chicken Cassoulet.

January 7, 2015 / By Courtney / 13 Comments

Do you have a husband or significant other who works from home?

To quote L, “Dad can work from home anytime he wants to.” While that’s not exactly the case (love 8 year olds’ minds!), his schedule is pretty flexible and hopefully it will stay that way – eek!

See, the day changes for me when M is home, and things I normally have a hard time fitting in, I get to accomplish. For example, instead of being stuck in nap jail while B is snoozing way, I can jet out for a run. Instead of waking B from his nap to rush into the cold to meet the bus, M is here to cover. We can all have a lunch date together. Little things like that change the day for me, especially in the lonely chilly months of winter. It’s also oh so nice to have his help from the late afternoon on, instead of waiting for the (sometimes late) train to bring him home, barely making the boys’ bath and bed times.

The other day it was a work from home day (yea!), and I had these sandwiches on the agenda for the evening. While perfectly delicious, they weren’t a challenge for me. I needed to take advantage of the extra set of hands here. So, I had a change of heart from my carefully scheduled c’s picks and picked up the ingredients to make an oh so fancy, oh so impressive chicken cassoulet. I do this from time to time, you know, to keep the blog interesting.

So, the funny thing is, it’s not all that fancy at all. I mean, it smells and looks that way, but it’s a total fake out. It was almost a let down to me as to how quickly this came together! I’m talking 30 minutes, max. It’s totally a perfect one pot entertaining dish, but I went the traditional route that evening for M. It’s rare I set a plate with the standard that all men love: meat + starch + veggie. Yes, we had cassoulet with green beans and grainy warm bread. All on one plate. And it was devoured.

I think he might work from home even more often, fingers crossed.

Chicken Cassoulet

2015-01-04 23:26:33

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Ingredients

4 whole chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks; about 10 ounces each), excess fat removed
2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Coat the chicken legs with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the legs on a large heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven; leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until crisp. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the fennel and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, garlic, and ground fennel seeds and cook for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in the broth and beans.
Transfer the bean mixture to a 13×9×2-inch baking dish. Nestle the chicken legs in the beans. In a small bowl, mix the panko and Parmesan cheese to blend. Sprinkle most of the panko mixture over the beans (don’t worry if the juices are soaked up by some of the crumbs) and the remainder over the chicken.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the bean mixture is bubbling all over and the panko topping is crisp and golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Adapted from Curtis Stone

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Reclaimed giveaway…!

January 5, 2015 / By Courtney / 40 Comments

What a fun way to kick off 2015 with a giveaway, don’t you agree?

Vintage/antiqued/industrial letters are all the rage. Popping up in well designed rooms from nurseries to family rooms, they provide a unique stamp of individuality. Love them.

We’ve partnered with my favorite local shop, Reclaimed, to bring you the opportunity to win a unique piece for your home. And these aren’t your cookie cutter mass produced letters. No, these are the real deal… repurposed from actual Chicago businesses that have upgraded their lighting from neon to LED. Cool.

Want one? Of course you do. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me which letter you’ll choose and where you’ll display it in your home. Personally, I’ve got my eye on a large ‘G’ for our new mudroom.

Now I know you want to increase your odds of winning, and that’s why you’ll want to follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below to get an additional 4 BONUS entries. Remember, the more you enter, the better your chances of winning this awesome prize!

Be sure to get entered to win before next Sunday night, January 11, at 11:59pm EST. I’ll randomly select a winner whose name will be announced Monday morning on my Facebook page. Be sure you’re following me there so you don’t miss out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway rules: No purchase necessary. Giveaway is open to US residents only, except where prohibited by law. Giveaway will run from January 5 through January 11, 2015 at 11:59pm EST. A single winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter (powered by Random.org) and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize; failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize. Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest do not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. Participants must read and agree to Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion.