Christmastime is here, which means moving time for the Parsons. Wait no that's not right. More like... A new season is here, which means it's moving time for the Parsons. 10 moves in 30 months. No big deal. Anyway, I digress, the point is that this year I have decided not to deck my halls with decorations that I will end up furiously tearing down when we get the word that we're moving, and stuffing them willy-nilly into disorganized boxes that I will be forced to dig and sort through next year. (Whew!) Was I jealous at first when I saw our neighbors putting their lights up? Sure. Do I sometimes lay awake in the middle of the night wondering if I should "surprise" Richie by turning our apartment into Christmas-town while he sleeps? On more than one occasion. But to save myself the headache and stress, I left the boxes sealed in storage, unearthing only my favorite Christmas Pine Yankee Candle, which is quickly nearing the end of its burnable wick.
Sounds depressing, I know. But something quite curious has happened in the absence of my decorated digs. I have caught myself thinking, in several self-defeating moments, that this doesn't feel like Christmas. ...But what does Christmas feel like? Has my attitude and love for Christmas really always stemmed from dressed up trees, Santa figurines, garland draped hearths, and home baked goodies? This troubling question has forced me to feel Christmas in a different way this year, which as cliche and lame as it sounds, has been one of the best gifts I have ever received. While I secretly love all of the hullabaloo that surrounds Christmas, it shouldn't define it. So instead of feeling a sense that something is missing, I am thanking the Lord for keeping my wonderful family safe and giving us another Christmas together, for giving me such a beautiful life with my best friend and hubby, and for opening my eyes to see what Christmas should really feel like - through this tree-less Christmas season.
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I haven't forgotten about wintery foods though, and I'm still embracing them whole-heartedly :)
Everyone knows that men love Chili. Well, this is true for Richie, but he doesn't like it spicy. And unspicy chili may as well be dog food as far as I'm concerned. So I decided to go down a different and more interesting path with my chili recently... and it was a home run! It doesn't really have a name since I melded together a couple recipes, so we'll just call it Home Run Chili.
Home Run Chili (One pot!)
Medium Stock Pot
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion, chopped, and divided in half.
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Chili powder (or more if desired)
Dash - 1/4 tsp. of Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp for entire pot)
Black pepper to taste
1 lb. 96% fat free ground beef (96/4)
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans
1 Tbsp chopped unsweetened baking chocolate (yes!)
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
4 cups of cooked instant brown rice
2 cups of grated low-fat sharp cheddar cheese (don't use fat free, it won't melt properly)
Heat oil over medium heat in stock pot. Add 1/2 of the onions and garlic and saute until onions begin to soften and become translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add all the spices and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and stir until beef crumbles and is cooked through (about 3-4 minutes). Add the can of crushed tomatoes and the can of kidney beans (undrained). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add chocolate and vinegar and simmer for another 15 minutes until the chili thickens.
To Serve:
In individual bowls add 3/4 c. - 1 c. brown rice. Top with about 3/4 c. - 1 c. of chili but leave room for remaining uncooked onions and cheese. (Easy on the cheese, no more than 1/3 c. per bowl!)
For dessert or an early morning treat, I have concocted my own version of a mocha that is much easier on the waistline and the pocketbook than its Starbucks counterpart.
Mocha
1 c. boiling water
1 tsp. instant coffee
(OR one 1 c. of freshly brewed coffee for those of you lucky enough to have a working coffee maker)
1 Tbsp baking cocoa powder
1 Tbsp fat free Coffee Mate or other powdered coffee creamer
2 packets of Truvia or Stevia sugar substitute
Combine coffee, cocoa, creamer and Truvia, and stir until combined. Enjoy!
Only 50 calories!
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