Sweet Potato Chowder

We had snow day round 2 just last week and that called for soup...warm, hearty soup.
A friend of mine posted a photo of the most delicious looking sweet potato chowder and shared the recipe with me-- it originally comes from: here.

Now, to share it with you!

Sweet Potato Chowder

What you need:

5-6 slices bacon (we used sausage instead)

2 tbsp butter or ghee (or coconut oil for completely dairy free)

1/2 onion, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups of homemade broth (we used store bought broth)

2 medium/large sweet potatoes, diced small (about 4 cups)

1 bay leaf 

1/4 tsp dried thyme 

1/4 tsp dried dill 

2 cups thinly sliced kale, tough ribs removed (I made the mistake of purchasing the baby kale in a container--it would have been MUCH easier to cut buying it whole)

1 cup full fat coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley for garnish

We doubled this recipe and it made enough for dinner, lunch, another lunch, and some to share.

It also freezes/reheats well. We froze some of the extra and had it for lunch a few days later.

What you do:

Cook bacon (or sausage) in a large skillet until well done and crispy. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of fat of choice (butter/ghee/coconut oil) in a large pot. 

Add onions and cook until translucent and beginning to brown. 

Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

Add broth, sweet potato, bay leaf, thyme, and dill. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (covered) until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes (I did more like 20-25 because of doubling it--wanted to make sure the potatoes soft).

Stir in sliced kale and cook until wilted and bright green. 

Add in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, garnished with chopped crispy bacon (or sausage) and parsley.

It was such a good soup--and, as far as soups go, it was super filling. 

Jason's already asked me to make it again next week--so, I have a feeling this one will become a regular in our winter food arsenal. 

Cranberry (or Cherry) Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

These bad boys were DELICIOUS.

Cranberry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

What you need:
4 sweet potatoes, previously baked
2 chicken breasts, diced
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
3⁄4 cups fresh cranberries (we used cherries, we couldn't find cranberries (without sweetner) anywhere--I think the cherries were good!)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cooking fat

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

What you do:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
This recipe calls for pre-baked sweet potatoes; you could do this any way that works for you:
Put the potatoes in the oven 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of your potatoes) before you plan to start cooking the chicken; by the time you’re ready to stuff them, they should be done.

Melt some cooking fat in skillet placed over a medium-high heat (we used coconut oil).
Cook the diced chicken until just cooked through.
Add the cranberries (or cherries) to the chicken and cook until soft.
Add the spinach and nutmeg.
Sauté until the spinach has wilted and remove the pan from the heat.
Once the potatoes are cooked to your liking, take them out of the oven and slice them open and divide the filling equally among them.
Season each sweet potato to taste and bake just until everything is warm (about 10 minutes).

This was so good and since it made 4, we have them for lunch tomorrow as well!
I will definitely be requesting this one again!

This recipe originally comes from here.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew Coffee has become my newest obsession. 

I've tried to drink black coffee, so many times. 

I know, I sound like a whimp, but I can't. I know I physically can, but I don't like it one bit. 

But, cold brew. 

THAT'S a different story. 

I can FINALLY drink my coffee black. 

What is cold brew coffee?

"Cold brew coffee refers to the process of steeping coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for an extended period. Cold brew coffee is not to be confused with iced coffee, which generally refers to coffee that is brewed hot and then chilled by pouring over or adding ice"

I've had a few people ask me how we make ours so keep in mind, these measurements are just for what we have/use to make ours.

We have a French Press, like this one here.

We use whole bean coffee--365 Brand from Whole Foods "Pacific Rim, Vienna Roast" it's a big ole bag for about $10. One of the better deals that we've found.

We have a grinder like this one here--one of our most used wedding gifts--we grind the beans for about 10-15 seconds. This ends up being about 4.5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) of ground coffee (not finely ground).

Then, we pour the grounds into the french press and fill it with 4 cups of water. We just use the filtered water from the refrigerator.

Once you've put the water in, we give it a good stir and then put the lid on but don't press down the filter. Just leave it at the top.

Put it in the fridge overnight and when you're ready for your coffee in the morning, give it a little stir/swirl (this helps it to press down easier) and then press the filter down.

Get you a cup with some ice, pour your cold brew over ice and enjoy!

What I'm Loving Right Now (6)

Let's start with this quote

A New School Year--I am beginning my 4th year of teaching this year and I am being tested. Let me just say! This year, I have 9 students. The most I've had before now is 7. So, needless to say, we stay quite busy. Nonetheless, I am so excited for 9 little personalities that I get to know, teach, and love. It's going to be a great year!

Cross Stitching--I am REALLY enjoying this new hobby! I'm on my 3rd project now. It's definitely time consuming, but I love it!

 
Project #3, in the works...

Pretty Little Liars--I am so hooked on this show right now. I'm almost caught up! 3 episodes to go. I just want to know who "A" is! What should I watch next?

The 3 new LaCroix flavors--Yes, I am still obsessing over these drinks. Finally, my Dad saved the day and found the new flavors at our Target and they were SO SO GOOD! My goodness. It's a tie between Kiwi-Watermelon and Blackberry-Cucumber being the best. Mmmmmhmmmm

My new candle--my sweet Mom got me the best smelling candle, ever. Harvest Pumpkin Ale. If you know me at all, then you know I'm a fan of anything pumpkin scented or flavored. Thankfully, my favorite season is quickly approaching and with it, comes all things pumpkin. 

This delicious Sweet Potato Fritatta--This is my favorite breakfast right now. It is so yummy! While we're doing the Whole30, we like to try fun, new recipes so we don't get bored and this particular one reminded me of Chicken Pot Pie! It's super yummy. I'll eventually get around to posting the recipe!

Earl Gray Tea--Also, while doing Whole30, I've transitioned over to drinking hot tea in the morning and I have fallen in love with Earl Gray.

The Walk to End Alzheimer's--This year, a friend of mine asked me to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer's and I couldn't be more excited. My Dad's mom, Innie, had Alzheimer's so I am walking in her memory and for those who are currently struggling with this terrible, terrible disease. If you or anyone you know are interested in joining our team and walking with us (It's on September 19th at 9am), we would be MORE than happy to have you! Visit my page (here) and join our team! If you can't walk and want to give a donation--that would be amazing, you can do that through my site as well! I set a personal goal of raising $250 and after the two donations I mailed in today--I will be $56 shy of my goal! 17 days to go and I know we can make it happen! If you walk with our team, you can get this cool shirt for a discounted price and if you can't walk with our team, you can get this shirt for $10 and help support our team! And by the way, my team is #5 for fundraising thus far! We are doing great things here and I am excited!

All of the sunrises I've been BLOWN away by here lately--one of the best perks of waking up at 5 am is that you're guaranteed to catch the sunrise. Look at these beautiful pictures. Only one of them was enhanced, the other two--all natural beauties! 

Can y'all believe that it's September?
Time is flying!
In just 22 short days my handsome husband and I had our first date at Papitos! Like I said, time flies!
Enjoy your Labor day--here's to a long weekend!

Slow-Cooker Chipotle Pork Carnitas with Pineapple Guacamole

We are trucking along on our Whole30 and while searching for recipes we found this DELICIOUS recipe (originally from here).

I am always looking for slow-cooker recipes. I feel like they are lifesavers but I haven't found many that were appealing to me or were compliant with paleo/primal and now Whole30. 

But lo and behold, these bad boys. 

Slow-Cooker Chipotle Pork Carnitas with Pineapple  Guacamole

What you need: 

Carnitas:

2 lbs, bone in pork chops (ours didn't have bones, we read this AFTER we bough the chops from the market)

1 cup chicken stock (sugar free) (we used beef, bone broth that Jason had previously made)

1 tbsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp fresh thyme

8 cloves garlic

1 dried chipotle pepper (we didn't use this, this time. We couldn't find it! I'm sure Whole Foods or Fresh Market would have it. But, it taste delicious even without it)

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

Pineapple Guacamole:

3 ripe avocados

1 lime, juiced

3 tbsp minced red or green onions (we like red)

3/4 cup fresh, pineapple that's diced

1/2 jalapeño, deseeded and finely diced

salt and pepper to taste

Rutabaga Fries:

1 large (or 2 small) rutabagas

salt

pepper

garlic powder

cayenne pepper

olive oil 

What you do: 

Carnitas:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. 

Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Before serving, remove bay leaves, bones, and any excess fat. 

Shred pork with two forks. 

**Original recipe calls for this to happen next: Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, brown pork until crispy** (We didn't do this)

Instead, we did this:

Strained the liquid from the crock pot into a pot.

Add the shredded meat to the pot and let it cook in the juice on medium heat for about 10 minutes. 

Pineapple Guacamole:

Mash avocados in a bowl.

Work in all the remaining ingredients. 

Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Rutabaga Fries:

Cut the rutabaga into "fry-like" spears.

Put them in a zip lock bag and drizzle with olive oil.

While in the bag, dust with spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper)--coat well. 

Put the fries on a baking sheet with parchment paper on it. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes depending on the thickness of the fries. 

This was so full of flavor and really different with the pineapple guacamole. 

We loved it. 

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers with Guacamole

I've always wanted to find a stuffed pepper recipe that I like. Jason and I have tried 2 or 3 and they were, okay, but these bad boys hit it out of the park! 

The original recipe comes from here. 

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers with Guacamole 

What you need: 

4 chicken breasts 

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon of each: dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder

sea salt and pepper to taste

extra butter (or ghee--or other fat of choice for greasing)

4 peppers, with the tops cut off and seeds cleaned out

1/2 cup hot sauce 

1/4 cup butter or ghee

If you really like it spicy, add more hot sauce and use less butter--if you want it more mild, use less hot sauce and more butter. 

Jason also added a bit more dried dill to ours to give it more of the ranch taste that I love so much!

Guacamole:

2 avocados

1/2-1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons of cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

sea salt, to taste 

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix your dried spices together. 

Place the chicken breast and sliced onions together in a single layer on a greased or parchment paper lined baking pan. 

Sprinkle the entire pan with the dried spice mixture & salt and pepper to taste. 

Place a small pat of butter (or other fat choice) over each chicken breast. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

While chicken is cooking, melt 1/4 cup butter in a pot over medium-low heat. 

Once melted, add in hot sauce and stir. 

Set aside. 

If you are making the guacamole, make it now--mash all guacamole ingredients together until desired consistency. 

Once chicken is cooked, run a knife through the chicken and onions until chicken is in small, bite size pieces.  

Combine chicken with the hot sauce mixture. 

Spoon chicken mixture evenly into all 4 peppers. 

Place stuffed peppers in a baking pan. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until peppers are softened to your liking. 

Serve with the guacamole. 

Cilantro Garlic Lime Chicken with Zucchini Noodles

Jason and I really liked this dish. It was not only delicious but tasted really fresh. 

The recipe originally comes from here. We've started doing the Whole30 so we've been trying all new kinds of recipes around here and this one topped the charts tonight. 

Cilantro Garlic Lime Chicken with Zucchini Noodles

What you need:

1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces

4 large zucchini made into noodles (I use this AMAZING zoodle--it's my new favorite kitchen tool--I promise it will be the best $13 you've ever spent) some use a potato slicer, too. 

1-2 jalapeños deseeded and diced

1 & 1/2 limes, juiced

1 cup, chopped, fresh cilantro

1 heaping tablespoon of taco seasoning (or 1/2 tablespoon of both cumin & chili powder)--I did the cumin and chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt (which I didn't have so I did 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 

Non-stick cooking spray (avocado spray)--I didn't have so we used coconut oil

salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray (or coconut oil). 

Heat the skillet to medium-high heat; then add the diced chicken breast & chopped jalapeño. 

Season with taco seasoning (or mixture of cumin & chili powder) along with the garlic salt.  

Cook until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. 

Once cooked through, transfer the chicken to a separate dish; set aside. I put it in a mixing bowl and placed a plate on top of it (like a lid) to keep it warm. 

In the original recipe, she suggests to wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and then use it again--I didn't wipe it clean, I just kept going. 

Spray with cooking spray (or add more coconut oil) and turn the heat back to medium-high. 

Add the zucchini noodles, dust them with salt, and cook for 1-2 minutes--stirring continually. 

Add the chicken back to the skillet. 

Sprinkle in the chopped cilantro and add in the lime juice. 

Remove from the heat and toss to combine thoroughly (I couldn't toss, because there was a good bit of liquid in my pan--which was fine and actually added a good bit of flavor!) I just stirred and stirred. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Go and make your tummy happy!