Snowed-Out

No, I am not actually snowed-out of my apartment or anything like that, but this constant barrage of snow is becoming quite tiresome. I know it's my fault for moving to Boston from sunny South Carolina. I know I brought this upon myself. But if I had any idea it would snow THIS MUCH, I don't think I would have moved!


Don't get me wrong, the snow is beautiful at times. When I can be inside, bundled up all nice and warm with a blanket and some tea, the snow is lovely. It makes the outside world sparkle. It's nice to take a pause and relax, slow down, and enjoy the winter wonderland. However, the winter wonderland only last so long. Once this beautiful, white, fluffy snow turns to mush, it becomes messy, dirty, and unattractive. Melting snow is a mess. 


I'm going to quit complaining, suck it up, and learn to love (or at least tolerate) all this snow. After all, if I'm ever going to live in a snowy city, my 20s is the time to do it. I found this recipe from Bobby Deen (Paula Deen's son) and thought that a nice, yummy, healthy chili would be just the thing to get me out of my should-be snow-day slump. (I mean, come on, we got almost 10 inches!) I'm so looking forward to coming back from work tonight and making this hopefully delicious meal!

Update: This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!! I halved the recipe so I wouldn't waste the leftovers, but I'm somewhat regretting that decision. Super filling without being heavy and making you feel disgusting afterwards. Next time I'm going to try a little less chili powder and some red pepper flakes instead. Can't wait to heat up my leftovers :) 

Bobby’s Lighter Chili

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 green bell pepper diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans petite cut diced tomatoes
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can red kidney beans
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
1 cup medium salsa
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
1/2 cup chopped scallions

Directions:
Heat oil in large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until the turkey is browned, about 6 minutes. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, beans, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended and the chili begins to thicken, about 1 hour. Serve with the cheese and scallions.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Yield:  8 Cups  

Per Serving: (1 cup) 260 Cal

Cozy Winter Comforters

On this first day of "spring" semester, I woke up to swirling, twirling, beautiful snowflakes. The novelty of snow itself has quickly worn off - I don't know how to walk in it, and it takes me much more time than it should to navigate the sidewalks. However, there is still something magical about watching these tiny ice crystals fall from the sky. I'm sure that too will get old quick!

As pretty as the snow looks, I still wouldn't choose to wander around in it. Oh no, I'd much rather spend a snowy day curled up on my couch or in bed with a mug of hot chocolate and a warm blanket. I absolutely love blankets and bedding collections, especially those from Anthropologie. While they’re outrageously expensive, they look so divine that I’m almost tempted to spend the money on them. Keyword being almost.

Rivulets Quilt

I absolutely LOVE this bedding from Anthroplogie! I'm waiting for the Euro shams to come in this cream color; they already have a place reserved on my bed! It's ruffly and romantic and girly...and that to me equals love.

Tuxedo Bedding

This is also from Anthroplogie and has an equal ruffly and romantic feel. I love the way their designers mixed this simple tuxedo bedding with bright, colorful sheets! This is definitely a runner-up to the previous bedding since it doesn't exactly work with the comforter I already have. Come on, I'm a poor graduate student, I can barely afford the pillows I'm buying, let again a whole new bedding set!

Laerke Duvet

 And to prove to all of you that I don't have some bizarre dislike of color, here is this adorable duvet from Urban Outfitters. Orange and yellow are my two favorite colors - yellow is so happy and can instantly brighten my mood, and I have a soft spot for orange ever since I became a Clemson Tiger. I seriously thought about getting these pillows, but I'm not sure how they'd look with my current bedding. I'll have to think about that a little more...

Wherever you are, I hope you stay nice and cozy and warm during these chilly winter months! Just remember, sooner or later it'll be 90+ degrees and you'll be begging for this cooler weather!