It’s Still Pumpkin Time

“MOM! Don’t they know it’s not Christmas yet?!”

I’ve trained my kids well.  The Wreaths and Big Red Bows that don every shopping center in suburbia are perplexing to them.  At this house, Christmas celebrations start AFTER Thanksgiving.   Admittedly, RIGHT after Thanksgiving since I usually drag the Christmas boxes out the minute the last turkey sandwich is gobbled up.  

Let me be the first to confess, I was actually not that annoyed to see Red Christmas cups at Starbucks before Halloween.  I mean, I really really do love Christmas and everything about it.  But there is something sad about the way we, as a society, are always chomping at the bit for the next big event.  Can’t I just enjoy my family, and my turkey, and this very moment before the media starts stressing me out about that packed December calendar, the fact that I still have pumpkins out front, the financial stress of the holidays, the fact that I have “25 days 20 hours and 16 minutes” to finish my holiday shopping, and quite frankly everything else that distracts me from the TRUE meaning of Christmas.  

I’ve felt the same stresses lately related to running.  It’s time to decide what I want to do about a Spring marathon, and I just feel torn about my decision.  While I appreciate looking forward and planning for what’s next to come, I don’t want to be always so focused on what’s ahead that I miss what’s current.  I want to enjoy November for what it is… a time to pause, reflect, and be thankful for the here and now.

Today I’m thankful for a 70 degree morning and short sleeves on my run.

I’m thankful that I get to write this post with a cute little 18 month old on my lap feeding me crackers.

I’m thankful that it is November, and I don’t feel guilty about still having my pumpkins out front and Pumpkin Chili for dinner.

This recipe is super easy and healthy too.  You can easily adapt it to stovetop and have it ready in 30 minutes but I prefer the crockpot so I can make it a convenient time and basically just keep it warm until dinner.

Oh and, the cute 18 month old found the delete button on the computer so use your imagination for the first few pictures.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili
(also… super easy to double but this easily feeds 4)

1 pound lean Ground Turkey

1 yellow pepper

1/2 an onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 

1 14 oz can Chicken Broth (or more depending on how soupy or thick you like your chili)

1 14 oz Can Canellini Beans (drained)
1 14 oz can Pumpkin Puree (pure pumpkin, NOT the pumpkin pie puree)

3 tablespoons chili powder

Whatever chili toppings you like… I went with cheese, scallions and greek yogurt

In a skillet, brown the ground turkey.  About 3/4 of the way through add peppers, onion and garlic.  I like to saute the veggies a bit before I throw it in the crock-pot because I feel like it helps to bring out the flavors a bit more, especially if I have less than 4 hours of crock-pot time.

Move to the crock-pot

Then start the dumping… dump tomatoes

dump the pumpkin… the pumpkin makes this creamy and awesome!!

Drain and wash the canellini beans

annnnd dump

Now the chili powder

The chicken broth

Then cover the top and let her go.

The longer you let this go in the crockpot the thicker it gets.  I only had about 3 hours before dinner but it was still awesome.

Annnd you caught me… that’s totally not greek yogurt but a big dollop of sour cream.  :)

"Fatterday"

For whatever reason I'm pretty sure Drew only knows two days of the week. Well he only talks about two days. They are, Tuesday and Fatterday. Clearly he's trying to say Saturday, but the way it comes out is so much better and accurate! I know I have to go for a long run on Saturday mornings because after that, Saturday morphs into Fatterday. I think I'm going to go tomorrow this week since there is expected to be some serious snow accumulation by Saturday morning and I will be doing some equally serious eating given the weather forecast and the Superbowl!

I pulled from my archives for some great, snowy Fatterday food. Perfect for cozying up for the Superbowl this weekend or just to have something smelling good in the house while we get hit with another blizzard.

While I enjoyed this, I would like to say that I did not think the amount of effort was in proportion to the meal. You know what I mean? Sometimes if a recipe is super easy and quick and tastes good-enough, well, then I love it and its going in the rotation. But if it tastes good- enough but was a decent amount of work, then it's just so-so in my mind. There were a few key changes I would make to see that it is better next time and I will share these with you so that hopefully all your hard work pays off at the end!

Also, this dish was even better as leftovers - probably because the memory of making it was long gone and I could enjoy it without having to labor over it first! I had it heated with some tortilla chips like nachos. I know, so healthy. Such is Fatterday!

Chile Con Carne

6 poblano chiles
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 tbl flour
3 cups chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cup beef broth
1 tbl dried oregano
1 tbl ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
3 chipotle chiles (canned in adobo sauce) - in the mex section
cilantro and cheddar cheese for toppings

Preheat the broiler to high for poblanos.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper, and then dredge in the 3 tablespoons of flour. Shake off the excess, and then add it to the pan. Sautee 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. You don't need to cook it to death, just brown it - it will cook more in the sauce later! Remove with a slotted spoon and let excess fat drain while you cook onions.






Add onions and garlic to pan and cook for 3 minutes or so before adding beef back in. Stir in the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano and cumin, and beef broth. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.


While thats simmering, throw the poblanos on a foil lined baking sheet. Put them in your preheated broiler for 8-10 minutes or until charred. When you take them out of the oven put them in a plastic bag and let them steam and soften. Let it stand for 15 minutes before you take them out, peel and chop them.


I thought the peel was a little difficult to remove (probably because I didnt let them good and charred enough) but in any case, I left the peel mostly on and rough chopped them. Add them in after the stew has been simmering for about half an hour, and then let it simmer another half hour (minimum).


After simmering and before serving, add in the 3 chopped chipotles. Scale back if you like less heat, but I thought the recipe lacked big flavor and really needed at least 3 chiles.

Garnish with cilantro and cheddar!

Hope everyone has a great time in the snow and that your superbowl plans are not ruined! I could care less who wins, I'm just celebrating the end of football season and the return of my husband!! :)

Reset Run

I wanted to share this passage from a a blog I like to read written by Kristin Armstrong (Lance's ex-wife). I love the way she thinks, lives and writes and this particular blog about a Reset Run was a beautiful way to articulate the many ways that running helps to make me a better mom, wife, and friend.

"Here it is, already somehow the day before New Year's Eve. The idea of a Reset Run as a transition between 2009 and 2010 sounds appealing so I am planning one for the morning of January 1st. I have to do some thinking before I hit the pavement that day. I want to spend some time considering the things I want to leave behind so I can tread lightly this year, as well as the things I want to run toward. I want to leave behind things like any form of lingering guilt, any resentments, any relationships that weigh me down, any worries that hold me back, any old definitions of myself that I've outgrown, any fears that limit my view.

And I want to run ahead into beautiful things like freedom, friendship, contentment, joy, love and understanding. I wish we could all go together on a Reset Run."

I did attempt a Reset Run Saturday, the first weekend run of 2010, but I came home feeling demoralized. Running into strong headfirst winds, on one of the coldest mornings of the year, with a bowling ball in my uterus proved to be a rotten combination. This morning I was still itching to get in a good Reset Run to start the year off. But yet again I was daunted by the prospect of winds and cold at 5:45 am and skipped it. Thankfully, my friends who happen to be both moms and runners truly understand the need to get out and *pound the pavement* and watched the kids so I could go when the sun was shining. I came home feeling uplifted about the coming year, hopeful about running through these cold winter months as I get rounder and rounder, and ready to tackle the long list of things to be done in the next few months before a baby girl enters our lives.

And now, I leave you with a recipe. A good crock pot recipe for an icy cold winter day like today. My friend Jackie made this for my girlfriends and I last night and both the chili and the company were fantastic!

Black and White Chili

• Brown 1 lb of chicken breast cut into 3/4 in pieces and 1 chopped onion in pan
• Dump 1 can black beans, 1 can Great Northern beans, 1 can stewed tomatoes, and 2 tbl chili powder in your crock pot
• Add two cloves fresh garlic and 1 chopped yellow zucchini for some extra flavor and color
• Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours
• Garnish with Green Onions and Cheddar Cheese and ENJOY!