White Chicken Chili Recipe

I may spend a lot of time watching Food TV network but I am no Paula Deen in the kitchen. In the last few years, I have cooked more than ever and have perfected a few easy recipes. My poor husband doesn't complain but I'm sure he hopes I expand my repertoire and soon. So one of my goals is to try out at least one new recipe a week. Stay tuned because I'm sure that will make for a few interesting blog posts. 


Since we've gotten a preview of fall weather these last few weeks, I had been itching to fix up a batch of white chicken chili. I think I originally got this recipe from mother-in-law a few years ago and since then I've been making it at least once a month during the fall/winter months. Its easy to make and you can easily freeze any leftovers. 


Ingredients
1-1.5 pounds of chicken breasts
2 cans of Great Northern or White Kidney Beans
Jar of Salsa
2 cans or 1 box of Chicken Broth
Ground Cumin 


Garnishes: salsa, cheese and sour cream


Rinse and drain beans. While beans are draining, bring chicken broth to a boil in a stockpot. Add the beans to the pot along with a 1/2 jar of salsa. I use Newman's Own Medium Salsa but you can use any salsa you like. I like to cook my beans for several hours but you don't have to do this. 


Once the beans are cooking, I prepare the chicken for cooking. I like to sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and ground cumin before I bake them. If you don't like cumin, you don't have to use it. Bake the chicken breasts at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, shred the chicken. 


Once the beans are cooked to your liking, just add the rest of the salsa and the shredded chicken. 


This recipe is very forgiving, you can use rotisserie chicken instead of baking chicken breasts. 

A Rainy Day for Apple Pickin'

Even though I have never been apple picking before, it seemed like the right thing to do with the little man. Since Friday was officially the first day of Autumn, we decided to head north for a little family fun and adventure. We got a late start out of Atlanta and ended up arriving in Ellijay around lunch. We had heard a lot of great things about a bar-b-que place called the Pink Pig so we made that our first stop. The Pink Pig is in Cherry Log between Ellijay and Blue Ridge. The food was fabulous, the service was great and the prices were reasonable so we will be back the next time we are up that way. 

Since we were close to Blue Ridge, we decided to head up to Mercier Orchards. We knew that they didn't offer apple picking on Friday but we heard that they had the best Apple Cinnamon bread so we decided to ride up there to check it out for ourselves. The bread was good but the "farm stand" was a little too touristy for us so we headed south to B.J. Reece Orchards. By the time we made it back to Ellijay, the clouds had too. We had to settle for buying apples from their shop.  We got a bag of Jonagold apples and a few other things before heading home. I'm sure we will be back to do our apple picking before the end of the season.

Viva la Scarf

Many years ago when I was in Paris, I fell in love with the scarf. Most European women wear scarves, but the Parisians have made an art form out of scarf tying. Since that first trip to Paris, I've been collecting scarves from my travels since they are small and lightweight they are the perfect souvenirs. 

A few weeks ago Meredith, of the Merry & Bright blog, wrote a post about her annual Scarf Swap so I decided to participate. I was paired up with Brandi of Borchardt Birdies. After reading Brandi's blog, I knew she was a huge Texas Tech fan so I picked out a red scarf for her to wear this fall as she cheers on the Raiders. Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the scarf but you can see it on her blog. 

In return, I received this great brown and green striped infinity scarf. This is my first infinity scarf and I'm excited to wear it this fall. I'm hoping it will be cool enough to wear today when we go apple picking. I can't think of a better to kick off the fall than with a new scarf!

My scarf package from Brandi 

Me and my new scarf

Thanks for the Memories R.E.M.

Today, one of my favorite bands R.E.M. announced that after 30 years they were breaking up. I haven't been listening to R.E.M. for 30 years but I have been a loyal fan for about 20 years. I have seen them perform live a total of 3 times and each concert was as great as the one before. As a student at the University of Georgia, I found out just how legendary R.E.M. was. Their first concert was performed in church and even though the church was torn down the steeple was left to mark the spot. Every incoming freshman makes Wuxtry Records a must see, since it is the store where Michael Stipe met Peter Buck. And you have to get your meat and 3 fix at Weaver D's (where its automatic) before leaving town. 


No other band has left such a mark on such town as R.E.M. has done with Athens and its not just the music. Since the members lived in Athens for many, many years they were active in the community and the preservation of historic buildings. They were artistic and business leaders who gave back to their "hometown."


Fortunately for Athens, R.E.M.'s influence on alternative music made this small town in Georgia a hot spot for tours. I saw the Counting Crows and Dave Matthews Band perform live before they hit the big time (ok I'm dating myself with that confusion) and it was all because of R.E.M. So with a heavy heart, I want to thank these four boys from UGA who changed college radio forever for all of the great music and memories. 


Its too hard for me to choose my favorite R.E.M. song so here's a video of all four members performing their classic hit, "Losing My Religion."

Fall TV Season

I have probably watched more TV in the last year than I have in the last 15 years. And I hate to say it but most of the TV shows are terrible, so more often than not our TV generally stays on HGTV or FoodTV. Over the last few years, we have watched "Mad Men," "Boardwalk Empire," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Castle," "The Mentalist," and "Raising Hope." 


I'm kind of excited about some of the new shows that I'm reading about that will be premiering over the next few weeks. I've already heard lots of talk about "Up All Night" with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett from some of the ladies in my mom's group. I think we have the first episode recorded so I just need to sit down and watch it. Some of the shows I'm getting excited to see are:


"The New Girl" - I love Zooey Deschanel so I have really high hopes for this show. 

"Pan Am" - I'm hoping this will "Mad Men" of the skies

"Suburgatory" - I live in a suburb of Atlanta but its still pretty close to the city. So even though its the suburbs we've never thought too much about it until W was born. Now we are learning more and more about life in the suburbs. 

There are also a few dramas that I'm interested in catching as well including "Unforgettable" and "A Gifted Man." I always find that I record a bunch of stuff the first few weeks and then I end up losing interest. But I hope that this year will be different and I find a few new shows to watch.  What new shows are you setting your DVRs to catch this week?

Thankful Friday: Fall is Coming

Last week in Atlanta, we had the perfect weather week. It was Mother Nature's preview of fall and we enjoyed it. Like most of the country, its been a long hot summer and it was nice to have 70 degree weather. In addition to great weather, college football season officially kicked-off last weekend. I think my Georgia Bulldogs are going to have another rough season, but I'm cautiously optimistic that the team can turn it around.


So this week I'm thankful that fall is on its way. Katie at the Loves of Life blog shared a printable Fall Bucket List this week.  She included on her list just a few of things I had planned for us this year. As a matter of fact, I think its time to schedule our trip to Elijay for apple picking. What are you looking forward to this fall? 

Fall Reading List

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. To me there is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. I can easily spend hours wandering around a bookstore. Last weekend, we stumbled upon a Borders that was going out of business. I always hate to see a bookstore close whether its independently owned or a big chain. 

Fortunately for me, I was able to purchase a few books to read this fall at great prices. Since they were closing in just a few days, they didn't have the best selection of books left and I've never read anything by any of these authors. But at $1.50 I'm willing to take a risk. What are you reading this fall?  

A Field of Flags: Remebering 9/11

This week the Kiwanis Club of Marietta is commemorating the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 with the "09.11 Field of Flags at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park." If you live in the Atlanta area and haven't heard about the field of flags, last Saturday the Kiwanis Club placed thousands of American flags at the base of the mountain. Each flag represents a life that was lost on 9/11. The flags will fly through Friday, September 16. 


I decided to take W with me up to the Kennesaw to run some errands and I'm so glad we stopped by the mountain on our way home. Seeing the thousands of American flags was a moving experience. If you live in Atlanta and can make it up to Kennesaw before Friday, please go. These pictures just don't do it justice. 

Style and Function: My Erin Condren Life Planner

I've spent most of my career working in marketing and communications, so I'm a sucker for good design, great presentation, and quality paper. Erin Condren Designs did not disappoint and I was in love from the moment I saw the box on my doorstep. 

After looking at all of the planner designs, I chose the fleur feliz pattern in turquoise. Normally, I would have chosen the black but I'm so glad I challenged myself to go with color. The turquoise is bright and cheery and it adds a splash of color to my kitchen counter, nightstand or desk. Since I'm planning to go back to work sometime in the near future, I kept my planner professional so I could use it for both work and home. 

I also LOVED the gift tag samples that they included in my order. They were such a nice treat! Below are just a few photos of my planner pages. 

The Erin Condren team thought of everything when they designed these planners including a pocket and zip pouch to keep all those loose papers together. 

I'm also hoping the special dates section will keep me forgetting any upcoming birthdays.  

Between my home organization notebook and my new Erin Condren planner, my days should be much more organized. 

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend we hosted a game watching party for the UGA vs. USC game. We had a great time and our friends got to spend some extra time with W. Since he's not able to root for either team, I got him this great football themed jon jon from Zulily.

W playing while we watched the game

Several years ago, my husband the South Carolina grad stopped eating chicken on game days so I planned my menu accordingly. Fortunately some friends brought a chicken nugget tray from Chick-fil-A so the Bulldog fans enjoyed eating chicken!

My husband has perfected bar-b-que pork in the crock-pot so he just cooked up a big pork butt and we shredded it for pulled pork sliders. I love that you can now by the slider buns at the grocery store. Our side dishes included baked beans, cole slaw (I used Puttin' on the G.R.I.T.S. recipe for simple slaw), broccoli dip with chips, salsa and spicy corn salsa, boilded peanuts, and chocolate chip pound cake.


Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the food and set-up. Now that I'm blogging I will have to get better about taking pictures to share.


We also watched a lot of the September 11 anniversary coverage. Watching it all again just reminded me how precious and fleeting life really is. Even though it has been 10 years, it felt like it just happened yesterday.


So how was your weekend? What did you do?

Thankful Friday: Bailey

This week I wrote a post about my son W and his obsession with my cat Bailey. Bailey is 17 years old and had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure over five years ago. When he was first diagnosed, our vet explained that for most cats heart failure is a rapid deterioration and she thought we could only keep him comfortable for about six months. Every month we took him for his check-ups and he was getting better not worse.  Our vet was astounded. 


We've been very lucky over the years. There were many times that we thought we would lose him and the inevitable happened this week. While we were on vacation, Bailey stopped eating. We took him in to the vet and she discovered a mass in his stomach. We decided that with his age, history of heart failure, and overall poor health that we would not pursue treatment options. Even though we've known that Bailey wasn't in the best health and he was getting older, it was still unexpected.


I know that we were lucky to have an extra five years with our furbaby - and that is exactly what Bailey was - a furbaby. I know its a dog's world but my cat was as loyal and loving as any dog could be. I got Bailey when I was in college so he and I had been through a lot over the years. I went from being a carefree college student, to a young professional moving to the big city of Atlanta, to wife and now a mother. I'm fortunate that Bailey lived long enough to meet my son. Even though, W won't remember Bailey, I will remember how sweet it was to see the two of them together.


So on this Friday, I am grateful for the 17 years I had with my cat, Bailey. He was the best cat a girl could have asked for.

A House Divided

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this on the blog or not but I am a University of Georgia grad and my husband went to the University of South Carolina. For college football fans, we are known as a house divided. This weekend, is the annual match-up between our two teams on the field.


We are staying home this year and hosting a small game watching party with close friends. Its a tradition we started last year when I was pregnant and one we may continue for a few years. Trust me, watching the game together is making progress for us. In the past, we have either watched the game on TV at different places or attended the game and sat in different sections. Its not a huge rivalry game for either team but we take it personally. I will say I'm pretty lucky because my husband is a much better winner and gracious loser than I am. 


I am still getting ready for the party and tomorrow will be a crazy day getting it all together but I can't wait. Of course, after last weekend's debut of this year's Bulldogs I'm not so sure if we can pull off a win. I'm hoping the home field advantage will work to our favor. 


So what are you doing this weekend? Any big plans? Whatever you do, I hope you have a great time. 

One Sided Love Affair

Long before I met my husband, I met my furbaby, Bailey - a gray and white striped kitten. I was in college at the time and even though I didn’t need the responsibility of a pet I took it on when a friend asked me if I was interested in kitten. Over the years, Bailey has been with me through heartbreak, good times, and bad. He has been a faithful, furry, four-legged companion.

Bailey in his much younger years

Many years ago, Bailey was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and the vet prepared me for the worst. But within a few months, he had improved and his condition is now managed with medication. When I found out I was pregnant, I worried how Bailey would handle to addition to our family. I read all the articles I could find about integrating a newborn with pets but most of the articles were about dogs. As my belly grew bigger and bigger, Bailey would do his best to climb on my chest for his nightly petting not knowing the changes that were about to come.

You can tell Bailey's not spoiled one bit

We followed the same integration tips with Bailey as you would with a dog. My husband brought home blankets and clothes the baby had worn at the hospital. The first night was hard since the baby cried most of the night and it just stressed out Bailey. The first few months were hard on him since the baby cried a lot during those early days. But now that W is older he loves Bailey and since he is mobile he makes a bee line for him everytime he is in our bedroom. Fortunately, for us Bailey has been a great sport and maybe, just maybe in his old age (17 years) he's mellowed out enough to accept the love and affection of a very rambunctious nine month old. Now if only W will get the hang of petting instead of pulling.      

W and Bailey

Thankful Friday: The End of Summer (Among Other Things)

Ok, so I'm now more than a few days late getting to my Thankful Friday post. But my goodness, last week was a rough one. Actually, I think it was one of the worst weeks of the summer. The baby had a cold and I had to make two trips to the unemployment office to clear up an issue with my check. So it was fitting that last week was the last week of summer. We kicked off the summer this year with a family vacation to Hilton Head and ended it the same way.  This was my first summer as new mom and we had a blast. 


Between job hunting and interviews, we squeezed in trips to the Atlanta Zoo and the Georgia Aquarium. We enjoyed visits from family and friends and traveled to see grandparents and had playdates, picnics, and pool parties. Looking back we did a lot of stuff in just a few months. Part of me is sad to see the summer go but its been a miserably hot summer here and I for one am ready for some cooler days. 


So this week, I am thankful for a great first summer that I got to spend with my boy. Not only did we do a lot of things but W had a lot of accomplishments as well. At the start of the summer, he was just starting to sit up on his own and within a few weeks he was crawling and pulling up. We lowered his crib for the first time on June 1 and had to lower it again on July 1. He also started eating solids and grew to love vegetables and fruits. In the last few weeks, we finally got to see a glimpse of his pearly whites when his first two teeth broke through the gums. 


I am also happy to report that W's cold is gone and I was able to resolve my issue with the Department of Labor. Thank goodness that week is done too. 

W's first trip to the beach

Enjoying the surf at Hilton Head

Tailgating Recipes

This weekend kicks off college football for most of the country. My alma mater, the University of Georgia, will take on Boise St. at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. I won't be there to cheer on my Bulldogs this year but I am excited to watch them play on Saturday night. I will be fixing up a few of my favorite tailgating recipes on Saturday for us to munch on during the game. I picked two recipes to highlight this week since its hot these two salads/dips are perfect for this time of year.


My first recipe pick is from Paula Deen. I just made this dish a few weeks ago and I wish I had taken a photo. Paula's Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad is a light, refreshing salad that will go perfectly with whatever main dish you are having. We have had it with grilled chicken and BBQ pork. It is a great addition to any menu.


My second recipe is also from Paula Deen. Something about her food just goes perfectly with football. Her South Georgia "Caviar" is a perfect dip during the hot Saturdays of Septemeber. Pair this with corn chips or tortilla chips.


Have a fun and safe weekend cheering on your teams this weekend. I will be glued to the TV with my family cheering on our beloved Bulldogs.