I'm still here, I promise!

I haven't forgotten about you, blog. There's just been so much going on - lots of work, lots of travel - but I'm here, and I want to share the last few months with you.

I started the new year with a quick trip to New Orleans, where I had some of the best meals of my life. We ate at some amazing restaurants, where I gave most of my hard-earned money to John Besh, and it was totally worth every penny. AND we got to experience my first ever Mardi Gras parade. Our daily activities were planned around our meals (I mean, eating is an activity in NOLA) and in between meals, we explored the French Quarter, the Warehouse Arts District, the Garden District, and lots in between. We decided that five days just wasn't enough, and we'll have to make our way back. 

After returning from NOLA, I ate as much green food as I could - a girl can only eat so many beignets and drink so many cups of chicory coffee. I brunched with friends, explored new parts of the city, and geared up for IIN's annual conference. 

After months of planning, organizing, a weekend of 4:30am wake-up calls, and an overall extremely successful event, I was more than ready to escape for a long weekend.

Miami was beautiful and my body was thrilled to finally experience sun and sand. Highlights included a delicious breakfast, beautiful cocktails, and a morning of solitude on the bay.

After a whirlwind past few months, it felt great to get back to my normal routine. More homemade meals was the goal, and the easier, the better.

Breakfast-for-dinner is a great go-to, whether it's breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs, leftover cabbage slaw, + homemade guacamole, or toasted whole wheat sourdough with almond butter, banana, chia seeds, hemp seeds, maple syrup + cinnamon.

Or, one-pot tofu coconut curry with light coconut cream, vegetable stock, tofu, + all the vegetables I could thrown in.

As I've said in a previous post, I'm continuously exploring my new home of BK (+ NYC). Even though I get to enjoy NOLA coffee here in my own apartment, I'm afraid I've caught the travel bug this year. I can't wait for my next non-local adventure!

'Tis the (Crockpot) Season

We're well in to the Fall season, so that means it's time to dust off the crockpot. I have made this chili so many times, and not only have I memorized the recipe, but I've tried enough cornbread recipes to finally get it right!

After a long day of work, or a cold Saturday hike, or even a sick day, this chili and cornbread is the perfect comfort-food meal.

Here's what you'll need for the chili (makes about 8 cups):

• 1 lb ground turkey, cooked until just browned
• 1 29oz can tomato sauce (no salt or spices)
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes (no salt or spices)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
• 1-2 chiles in adobo sauce (add more or less depending on desired spicyness)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped finely
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt + pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 6-7 hours. THAT'S IT! Serve with cornbread (recipe below) and garnish with toppings of your choice; cheese, green onions, tortilla chips are some awesome options. To freeze for future use, cool the chili down completely before storing in air-tight containers.

Here's what you'll need for the cornbread (makes 9-12 pieces):

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or flour of your choice)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup almond milk (or non-dairy/dairy milk of your choice)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted/liquid
• 1/4 maple syrup
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour batter in to 8x8 baking dish and cook for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top (you can increase temp to 375 degrees F for last 5-10 minutes for extra golden crust). 

Cheers to my favorite season and snuggling up in front of the fire (or maybe a fake fire on your TV) with a bowl of chili and a glass of red wine!