Delicious Chili Recipe

This chili recipe was part of my menu plan last week and we all enjoyed it so much.  We finished off the leftovers today for lunch and it was still tasty!  I did alter the recipe slightly, which I will indicate in green.

Wazzu Tailgate Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, divided
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced (I actually forgot to pick this up...next time!)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped green onion (didn't add this)
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans (I did one can chili beans, one can black beans and one can navy beans)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) bottle lager-style beer
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 cup water
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Cook ground beef and pork in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink.  Drain and discard any excess grease.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and green pepper, habanero pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic.  Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir the drained meat into the onion mixture along with the green onion, chili beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beer and water.  Sprinkle with the cornmeal, then season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. 
3. Bring to simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Refrigerate overnight.
4. Reheat the chili over medium heath until it begins to simmer again.  Top individual servings of chili with cheese (and sour cream, like I did!)

What variations do you add to your chili?  I'm always looking to improve on my chili recipe.  This one was a keeper though :)

I found this chili recipe at allrecipes.com. 

Fitness Plan Friday: An Introduction

As part of my Fit Family theme here at Mom Living Healthy, I'm introducing a fitness plan to correspond with my meal plans.  You may ask, why is a fitness plan necessary?  Well, being that I was in the Army for 8 years, I did learn at least one slogan in addition to "Be all that you can be."  That is:

A Failure to Plan is a Plan to Fail

While I do feel that planning for good nutrition is crucial for nurturing a healthy family, I think that a family's fitness often gets neglected.  Now, if you have an 11 month old son who is constantly on the move, you can rest assured that your child is fit.  However, what about you and your spouse?  What do you do to stay active and keep your body in healthy shape?  What about your older children?  It would be nice to think that just because children are young that they are also on the move, but childhood obesity in America is a serious problem. 

Don't worry, I'm not asking you to sign up for a marathon in three weeks!  I'm simply asking that you give some thought to at least a few times each week during which you and/or your family will participate in physical activity of some sort.

By no means is my family perfect right now.  We do make it to one walk per week together and I have been working out 2-3 times on my own.  As you can see, we have room for improvement as well. 

This is where Fitness Plan Friday comes in!  I encourage you to add a comment with your fitness plan for the week and I will do so too. 

Here are some guidelines:

1. Walking counts (as long as it is at a moderate pace or faster for you runners)
2. Shoot for 30 minutes of continuous activity per session
3. Plan for rest days as well!
4. Have fun- mix up your workouts and try something new! 

Since Mom Living Healthy is such a new blog, I will not be doing a Mr. Linky for this event yet.  Instead, just post your 7 day fitness plan in a comment.  If you do a post about Fitness Plan Friday on your blog, feel free to include a link in your comment and link back to Mom Living Healthy.  In future posts, I will discuss different workouts that I find to be quick and inexpensive. 

Without further ado, here is my plan for this week:

Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Family Trip to the Dog Park, 1 hour of walking
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Water Aerobics class, 50 minutes (class description to follow)
Wednesday: Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism DVD (review to follow)
Thursday: Pilates for Beginners DVD with Kristin McGee (review to follow)
Friday: Rest

Healthy Snacking Links

Now that my son is eating finger foods, I'm even more aware of what we as a family eat.  Currently he LOVES Nilla Wafers and graham crackers.  I know, they are packaged and processed and not great for him!  So, I've been on the lookout this week for snack recipes that I can use to replace our current snacks for healthier versions. 

Here's what I found:

• Cheesy Crackers at Joy in My Kitchen
• Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers at Sarah's Musings
• Whole Wheat Graham Crackers at Heavenly Homemakers
• Homemade Vanilla Wafers at Delementals

Whew, these recipes should make for amazing snacks!  I can't wait to try them. 

Do you have any other cracker/ snack recipes to share? 

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I am submitting this recipe as a part of Kitchen Stewardship's October Fest Carnival of Super Foods for her Un-processed Foods Edition.  Check it out for lots of tasty recipes! 

If you're new to Mom Living Healthy, you can find out more about me here and here. 

Previously, I have always just made mac and cheese from the box.  Lately, I've been tempted to try my hand at a homemade version, partly as an effort to cut out processed foods and partly because my sister in law raves about how delicious the homemade version is!  I made this for the guys last night and we all loved it!  You should have seen my son gobbling it up.  Of course, he does gobble up just about anything, but he really did seem to like it.  I felt good that this was a homemade dish and that I knew exactly what went into it. 

Macaroni and Cheese V

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
8 ounces macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Now, I did use whole grain bread crumbs, and I had inteded to use whole grain flour and macaroni, but my son was fussy in the grocery store, so I got a little flustered while shopping and didn't remember to grab the whole grain version!  I did use whole milk though (for more info on full fat dairy, check out this article). 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.  Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl and mix well with the melted butter; set aside. 

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, then place into prepared casserole dish.

3. While the pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablspoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the minced onion and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the flour, pepper, salt and dry mustard until incorporated, then pour in the milk and bring to a simmer.  Simmer, stirring constantly until the milk has thickened, about 10 minutes.  Take the milk off the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted.  Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni, then sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.

5. Bake until the top is golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. 

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes

What do you put in your homemade macaroni and cheese?  Do you have any variations?  What do you do to make this dish healthier? 

I found this recipe here.

From Runner Girl to Fit Family

My, how things change!  It is hard for me to believe that two years ago I was on an Army base in Iraq, running 20 miles at a time and working out almost every day.  Back then I attended toning classes, lifted weights and even taught some toning classes (and did I mention I ran?).  If you would have asked me then what I'd be doing for physical activity in 2009, I would have most certainly told you running.  To top it off, I probably would have told you that I'd be running marathons or even those crazy 100 mile runs (if you haven't heard about ultramarathons, yes, people do run 100 miles all at once).

Looking tired, frazzled and happy after a 20 mile run

Flash forward to 2009....

These days I am lucky if I get three workouts in a week, and that qualifies as a really good week.  I haven't run for months and I count walking the dog as a workout!  My old runner girl self would be embarrassed and would definitely NOT write about such a pathetic situation in a blog.  However, what I've realized lately is that the disappearance of runner girl has opened the door to a new opportunity. 

From Runner Girl to Fit Family

Now I am able to focus my attention on fitness in two new ways.  First, it is a way for our family to share fun and active experiences.  I read so often that Americans are sedentary and glued to the television.  Being a fit family to me doesn't mean that we are in the gym seven days a week.  It means that we go for walks together, dance together and choose other activities that keep us moving and healthy!  Second, fitness is an even more important stress reliever than it was to me back in my Army days.  Yes, life in the military on a deployment is tough, but I will tell you first hand that being a mother is even more challenging!  This parenting gig is difficult.  Without workouts and fitness, my energy begins to wane, I get moodier and I don't handle stress as well. 

I believe that being healthy includes regular physical activity, but that being fit should not be expensive or incredibly time-consuming.  In upcoming posts, I will share with you what I do to keep fit and to keep my family (dog included) fit.

If you haven't done so yet, you can find out more about me and Mom Living Healthy here.  If you're interested in reading upcoming posts about fitness, be sure to subscribe either in a reader or by email. 

Still fit, but in a new way

What about you? 

Is your family a Fit Family?  What kinds of physical activities do you enjoy?  I'd love to hear from you!

This post part of Steady Mom's 30-Minute Blog Challenge. 

Menu Plan Monday: October 18th

While I did Menu Plan Monday last week on my other blog, this will be the first time participating at Mom Living Healthy. Last week MPM went really well! We ate two new recipes and enjoyed both of them. I will be reposting them on Mom Living Healthy as a reference shortly. This week we're also adding two new recipes in addition to a recipe for homemade taco seasoning.

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday: Wazzu Tailgate Chili

Tuesday: YoYo (You're on your own, or leftovers). I have water aerobics this night, so it will be a great chance for us to clean out those leftovers!

Wednesday: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans

Thursday: Tuna Sandwiches- my husband has a work event that night so I plan on keeping it simple with a sandwich

Friday: Family Pizza Night

Saturday: We are attending a potluck with my Army friends' and spouses. I will be bringing a brocolli salad.

Sunday: Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

If you're interested in learning more about menu planning, check out all the information that Laura from I'm an Organizing Junkie offers and all the other recipes that her subscribers post. I am particularly fond of her Menu Planner Template that helps to organize your menu for the week and all the groceries you will need to buy.

My Cloth Diaper Baby

Here are a couple of pictures of Nolan in his cloth diapers. We use them almost exclusively when he is not at day care. If you missed it here is a previous post in which I discussed cloth diapering. So far we are 10 months into using cloth diapers and are still going strong! I'm showcasing my two favorite brands of cloth diapers. The first, a One Size Pocket Diaper, is from my friend Deb, who makes adorable cloth diapers at her site Made By Mama. The second is the Bum Genius 3.0 One Size Pocket Diaper which I bought at the Peapods Natural Toys and Baby Care store.

Diapers By Deb

Diapers By Deb

Diapers By Deb

Bum Genius