Follow Subtle Chic for advice and fashion tips
(“OH Captain, My Captain”) Mood: Casual Chic
Butternut Squash Chili
Now the it is starting to feel like fall, you are craving comfort food. Try my new recipe for butternut squash chili 😊
2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 cups black beans rinse
2 cups chopped red pepper
1cups raw onion
1 8 oz can of diced tomatoes or sliced grape tomatoes
1 stalk celery
2 cups chick peas
2 cups veg. Stock
2 cups salsa
2 tablespoon miniced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste or use a few dashes of taco seasoning
5 dashes of cumin
3 dashes of chilli powder
1 jalapeno pepper sliced
Add all ingredients into crockpot and mix well. Cook for 5 hours on med temp. Serve with garlic bread or have it by itself.
Enjoy!!
How to Remix Your New Year Resolutions
3-2-1 HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Ball has dropped, the fireworks have fizzled, and the noisemakers are away – now it’s time to tackle your New Year resolutions. You have recommitted, pinky promised and made an oath to yourself to finally eat better, lose weight, or quit a bad habit so you can enjoy life to the fullest. It is now 30 days into the New Year; how are you doing so far? Awesome? Ok? Gave up on day 4? Wherever you fall, don’t fret, we all have been there. Here are ways to successfully refocus your resolutions:
Yes Please! More Protein and Low Carbs: You do not have to be limited to eating only salad to eat better. There are many recipes on Allrecipes.com and several free apps like Epicurious or Yummly. Another great app is Fooducate; a tool you can use to scan the bar code on any food your buy and get a rating and nutritional value. These tools allow you to find healthy options and alternatives to typical “diet trends”, which will ultimately help you establish a fitness standard that can stand up to the curse of the discarded resolution.
30 to 45 Minutes of Activity is a Must: Sweet, delicious, and decadent: a triple threat and demise to diet’s everywhere. To keep yourself on track, download any free pedometer app on your Smartphone and go for a walk. In 30 minutes you can burn between 90 and 360 calories. If you want a more detailed account of your progress, purchase a Fitbit; it will track your sleep and provide an accurate reading for daily steps. The Fitbit app also provides its users various personal and group challenges that all help to motivate you to keep moving.
Don’t Stop, Fading from Bad Habits is Better: A lot of us think quitting or going cold turkey is what works best. It is not, people who stop all at once usually go back to the same habit within the first month. Another option is to gradually move away from the habit. It takes time to stop something you have been doing for years. Be patient, but work on it daily. Try to replace the old habit with a new positive habit like, volunteering, walking, or scrapbooking.
Bottom-line, resolutions are created to improve our overall wellbeing and to challenge us to be the best we can be. Set realistic and measurable goals, i.e. drink 3 bottles of water a day or cut out ice cream for a week. There will be days you fall short, but just get back up and try again until you reach your goals. Remember, be gentle with yourself, you are doing the best you can.
The Value of Giving Back: How Giving Back Changed Lives (and History) for the better…
As the holiday season ends, a brutal and biting chill crashes against our warmly layered bodies. Old man winter has its grip on us but this is a time to reflect and renew our resolutions. The upcoming months are recognized as celebrating moments in history that shaped our lives as we know it. Giving back may seem minor, but the impact it can have is life altering.
“Many hands make light work” – this is a Tanzania proverb which holds especially true within a team or organization. We, at points in our lives, have needed the help of others. When we all pitch in, the work does not seem as stressful or burdensome. Throughout history, we have seen or experienced many examples of teamwork and unity.
Think about it – most movements started with a single idea from an individual or a small group of folks that eventually transcended to the changing of history itself. Who knew? Listed below are perfect examples of individuals changing history:
Harriet Tubman, was born to enslaved parents and eventually escaped slavery. Despite these hardships that very few were able to overcome, Harriet Tubman went on to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds to freedom by way of the Underground Railroad. A single person with a single desire.
Rosa Parks, who simply refused to give up her bus seat, ignited the Montgomery boycott and help to end segregation. A single person with a single action.
Lady Gaga, singer and actress, is an outspoken activist for LGBT rights. She established the Born This Way Foundation, a non-profit organization which encourages empowerment and issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring, and career development for teens and young adults. A single person with a single belief.
Whether you donate money or time or talent to someone in need, a ripple effect of kindness is created. Step out your comfort zone. Your decision will help not only another, but will help you build and strengthen your relationships with others.
Nawlins, a city in transition
The heartbeat of Nawlins still goes on despite tragedy and the changing city. Music, culture, and cuisine are mainstays. If you have time to visit this city by the river, make sure you take your time. The city is jammed packed and spilling over the brim of funk and soul. Artists and thinkers don’t be fooled by the watered down circus of Bourban St. Enjoy the roadless traveled of Frenchman St. stroll down St. Claude Ave. and speak to the people waiting in the line wrapped around the block for piece of hope. Everyone just trying to make it and get by. A town hungry for a better way of life who ain’t afraid to hustle. A trip to Frenchman St. is a must. The Blue Nile night club fills the club with energy and body moving music. I double dog dare you to try to sit still soul and funk of the area. the band plays nightly and the crowd can dance and join along. lose yourself to the rhythm and blues while bopping and bouncing to the bass.
Can’t Sleep? A few tips on how to organize your career goals
In the still of the night is a perfect time to ponder your next career move or the direction. It’s quiet and free of distractions. Check out these tips you can do during your next bout of insomnia.
1. Update your resume. If you recently switched roles update your resume with the current role or if you won any awards or received certifications.
2. Review your Cover letter. Look for minor mistakes you may have missed.
3. Update your Professional References page. Make a note to contact those listed the next day with a quick email asking if there information is still accurate.
4. Make two lists of companies you want to work. One local and the other in another state. Step out and take a chance. Don’t let distance hold you back from your next opportunity.
You are good but there is always room for Greatness!
Get some sleep
Is Change Possible?My thoughts
Recent headlines tragedy, death, and horrific images. Blue on Black crime is on the rise. The brutally is tremendous however little has been done to stop it. I have never been more afraid for my father, uncles, brothers, cousins, and nephews. I overhear the preparation speech from their mother’s on how to act if pulled over by the police.
Rodney King after being a victim of police brutality said “Can’t We All Just Get Along” The answer is a resounding, No. But who is to blame? Law Enforcement? Congress? Media? Or African Americans? The answer is everyone.
Music and media depict images of violence, struggle, and pain yet these images are celebrated as an accomplishment. Music of encouragement and uplifting are not mainstream. But why not?
The idea of a positive setting is unrealistic and nonexistent. Where is the love? I know it exists but why is love hidden and not shown?
When I was growing up we had respect and pride for being black. I enjoyed learning about my history and culture. Learning about my people and their accomplishments
I pray we can find a peaceful solution. I want the violence to stop. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away.
I’ll Take Happiness and a Side of Peace to go, please.
When I was younger, in my teens to early twenties, I believed happiness had to be created by two people. I thought my happiness existences was contingent on it. As I have grown older, I realize happiness is choice and a way of thinking based on experiences and cultivated through gestures, connection, and appreciation.
My choice today and every day is happiness. Life is too short to complain about what we can’t control or hold on to anger.
Each day is a new opportunity to be better or to start being the person you truly want to be.
You can’t erase the past but you can change your future.
Food Intervention #1
Sitting in my kitchen, as I usually do when I am working through life’s ups and downs. I realize that my love life is like many of my recipes, inconsistent. Most of my recipes are created on the whim from ingredients that are just lying around. You know the type just sitting on shelves, or in the back of the cabinet minding it’s business. Then I decide to make it into something better or at least that is my intention. Sometimes I create a winner and share it with everyone my proud accomplishment and others never see the light of day to never to be spoke of again.
But sometimes there is a dish you make, that you know you should not have but you make it anyway because you love the way it makes you feel. Deep down you know it doesn’t nourish you and it is actually doing more harm than good. But why do I put myself through the suffering? Pills and Potions may deter the side effects momentarily, as your insides suffer silently while you indulge.
When is the right time to intervene between your euphoria and wellness? I am unsure of the answer. I am like a diabetic sneaking a taste or a cheat to satisfy my craving.
Eventually you have to stop before it stops you. Enjoy the foods that naturally agree with you and doesn’t cause an uproar when you consume them. Food is to nourish and fuel the body and beverage is to quench the thirst. Be bigger than the addiction of food and free yourself to a fresh and new start.
Enjoy! Posted from WordPress for Android
Food for the Soul! Life Lessons Served Daily
It’s Saturday, I could be like many people, who say they live for the weekend however they opt to do tasks like running errands or doing chores or even working. I on the other hand, will do none of the such. I love to cook and that is what I am going to do.
Heading to the kitchen, I put on my favorite heather grey robe with pink polka dots and matching slippers. I grab my phone and head down stairs.
It’s 8AM, so I plug in the coffeemaker and add two cups of water and two table spoons of ground coffee.
I turn on my Pandora App Pandora -Free Music and my new Formation by Beyoncé station begins to play. The kitchen is filled with today’s Hip Hop and RNB.
As I am singing along to the various artists, I decided to meal prep for the week. Since I love to cook, I don’t see any other way to enjoy a non work day.
I pull out of the fridge a bottle of minced garlic, italian salad dressing, yellow mustard, a green pepper and onion. I have 3lbs of ground turkey and 2 lamb chops. Oh, I can’t forget the asparagus. They were on sale this week at Shoprite. http://shoprite.com
What to make? I thought, I decided on meatloaf and meatballs for the ground turkey and I will bake the lamb chops with potatoes and carrots.
Since the new season of House of Cards began last week, I need quick and easy to prep meals so I can get back to my favorite bad boy fictional character, Frank Underwood who plans to take over the government.
I pulled out my mixing bowl and added the ground turkey, mustard, italian salad dressing, garlic and onion powder, soy sauce, minced garlic, black ground pepper, green pepper and onion. I chopped up the pepper and onion first to get that out the way.
I mixed all the ingredients together with some elbow grease and a wooden spoon. After everything was mixed I grabbed a glass Pyrex dish and molded my turkey meatloaf perfectly. I added a cup of water to the bottom of the dish to help create more steam and covered with aluminum foil.
http:/pyrex
I decided to kill two birds with one stone and prepped the lamb chops. I decided to take it up a notch and I make spicy lamb chops. I took the two pieces and seasoned them with garlic and ground black pepper and onion powder. I added minced garlic. I topped it off with red pepper flakes for a nice kick.
Are you a driver? or a passenger?
I set the oven to 350 degrees and set the timer for 90 minutes. I allowed it to preheat for 10 minutes and placed both dishes into the oven. As I sat and waited. I thought of the many “Table Talk” conversations I had growing up around the kitchen table. I enjoyed them with my friend Madison the most. She was a quiet yet an old soul. She lived her life to the fullest and didn’t look back. She shared all her experiences, good and bad. I appreciated all of our talks and the advice she gave me growing up. She was like the big sister I wish I had.
“What are you? A driver or a passager?” She would ask me directly and at random. In my young age, I thought “Heifer! You know I am a passenger; I don’t drive. She would just shake her head and laugh at me. Now thinking back, she was asking me a question that we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives.
Yes in theory, I was a passenger but was I willing to stay a mental and emotional passenger of life? For years I leaned upon what Madison said, her opinion mattered and was as good as gold.
Madison wasn’t perfect nor did she try to be but I thought she had a dynamic and distinct life.
I glance at the timer on the stove and realize the food is almost done. Wow! Time flys when you are strolling through memory lane.
I am definitely a driver and it takes faith, patience, and risk. I am enjoying the open and mysterious freeway of life. I threw out my life tracker GPS, life checklist, and age sensitive timeline a long time ago and since then, my life has been peaceful and a lot more fun.
The food is done and I am ready to dig in.
Spicy Lamb Chops
Two lamb chops
Wash and pat dry
1 1/2 Garlic powder
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 capful soy sauce
1 1/2 Onion powder
1 tablespoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cost: $4.89 for the lamb chops. The other ingredients I had handy. You can buy from dollar store or discount market for less.
deliciousdiningonadime 