Shopping > Booze

Hello Everyone,

It's Fall, so that means I am back!  For whatever reason, I have blogged during the Fall months for the past two years, but then I stop.  No idea.  But hopefully, I will be here to stay this year -- third time's a charm right?

This past weekend was the first weekend that really felt like Fall.  Saturday was the most gorgeous day.  My roommate and I were on a mini-detox this weekend, but decided we had to enjoy the beautiful weather somehow, so we headed to Crocker Park, the outdoor mall near us in Westlake.  Big.Mistake...

We went to a few shops including, Express, Loft, Francesca's, Victoria's Secret & DSW...but the one that broke the bank was Nordstrom Rack.  It just opened up at Crocker on September 12, so it was super busy & crowded, but they had plenty of people working the registers, so we didn't have to wait in line.  The ladies ringing up Lauren & I conned talked us into opening up Nordstrom Credit Cards (eek!). 

Lauren found the Best.Boots.Ever for $90 and as much as I tried to tell her that she didn't need them, she decided she did.  She also found two other pairs of boots there!  I found a pair of Steve Maddens that I bought and had total FOMO (fear.of.missing.out) on the $90 boots she found.  They were the last pair at Crocker, but they had three at the Nordstrom Rack in Legacy Village, so don't judge but ... we went to the Nordstrom Rack in Beachwood the next day to get myself a pair of those boots (Woo!). 

So we rounded out our booze-free weekend with some cute Fall clothes & boots.  I'd call that a success, wouldn't you? Some of my finds are pictured below! Now, go out & get yourself some new Fall threads.

Cute pair of black suede booties from DSW

Steve Madden Boots from Nordstrom Rack

the boots I had to have from Nordstrom Rack!

Some new Fall tops -- all from Nordstrom Rack except the cream is from Express

Happy Tuesday! 

xo
Mandy

World's Best Chili

This may or may not be the world's best Chili.  Try the recipe and see for yourself! 

It was a perfect Fall weekend in Cleveland (well, except for the onslaught of rain all day Friday), so I decided that I needed to drag out my crock pot and get some chili cooking.  There are so many different kinds of chili and I feel like you can never go wrong.  From the famous Skyline Chili in my hometown of Cincinnati, to my mom's amazingly good classic chili with oyster crackers and cheddar cheese, to my own version of chili with a Southwestern twist. Yum!

Here is the recipe for my Southwestern Chili: 

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
¾ cup onion (diced)
¾ cup celery (diced)
¾ cup green bell pepper (diced)
1-2 Jalapenos (seeded & diced)  -- add this according to how spicy you would like chili
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 (10.7 ounce) cans tomato puree or 1 Big
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans (one drained, one with liquid)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans (drained & rinsed)
½ tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce (or more, to taste) --> Frank's is the best :)

Directions: 

Step 1: In a large skillet over medium high heat, add ground beef and cook until evenly browned. Chop up with a metal spatula while browning. Drain any excess grease.

 Step 2: Place beef into the slow cooker. Add onion, celery, green pepper, jalapenos, garlic, tomato puree, kidney beans, and black beans. Season with chili powder, salt, basil, oregano, black pepper, and hot sauce. Mix well.

A note of caution: Make sure you wear gloves while dealing with and chopping the jalapenos -- I didn't and my left hand burned for the next 5 hours --- seriously not fun. 

Step 3: Place cover onto the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
(Makes 6-8 Servings)

Serve chili in bowls with cheddar cheese and oyster crackers or tortilla strips if you'd like. 

And a perfect accompaniment to the Chili is...

Jalapeno & Cheesy Cornbread  

Ingredients:
Tastefully Simple Beer Bread Mix
Substitute the 12 oz beer for 1 can of creamed corn
1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1 cup Colby Jack/Monterrey Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the beer bread mix and creamed corn, add in jalapeno and cheese.  Place in a greased 9x5 bread pan.  Cook for 50-55 minutes.  Cool & Slice. So delicious!

The Result:

A delicious Sunday dinner that you can eat while relaxing and watching Football :)

Back to Blogging

Hello everyone,

Not only are the Backstreet Boys back -- this blog is back, as well!  Sorry for the long hiatus.  I honestly have no good excuse for my lack of posting, so I won't even try to make one up.

So long sweet Summer.  

Labor Day has come and gone, so now we get to look forward to my favorite season: Fall.  

Some posts that you can count on seeing soon will be related to: Fall, football, beer, bars, and patios (yes, I do realize how cliche this sounds), but please feel free to get excited.  

--

As a goodbye to the Summer season, I will leave you all with this great salad recipe.  I don't have a name for it, so we can just call it Summer Orzo Salad.  I sort-of adapted a recipe from a friend and threw my own spin on it.

Summer Orzo Salad

2-3 cups Orzo, cooked, according to directions on package
1 Green Pepper, chopped
2 Small Roma Tomatoes or 1 Large tomato, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 can yellow corn or 1 bag frozen yellow corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch Cilantro, rinsed & chopped
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt, Pepper & Cayenne to taste

Cook the orzo, chop the vegetables, and mix together with oil & vinegar (I add liquid a little at a time, depending on how big salad is so it is not too dry or too liquid-y) -- add salt, pepper, and cayenne to your liking. Refrigerate the salad for a few hours and then enjoy! Great as a side dish or as a light lunch or dinner.

Summer Orzo Salad