Turkey & Kielbasa Three Bean Chili

October 3, 2023

It’s chili season!! One of my favorite times of year, hands down. The days get a little shorter, the weather is a little chillier at night and it is my queue to start making giant pots of chili to eat and freeze for the cooler months.

Everyone seems to be on the hunt for a really good recipe for chili. I have always been one of those people too. Back in 2009, I finally decided to start testing different recipes to see which appealed to me most and create my very own version.

I feel that a “good chili” is personal and really lies in the eye of the beholder. We all have our own likes and tastes, but I feel that this recipe is one that will please chili novices and connoisseurs alike. Not to brag (brushes shoulders), but this recipe has won more than one inter-office chili cookoff against some fierce and worthy competitors.

Ingredients & Tips

As I mentioned, I tried out several recipes and flavors to land on this concoction. It has been my tried and true go to chili for over a decade and is a true one pot wonder. This is the perfect excuse to break out that Dutch Oven and put it to good use, or a nice big stock pot will do. Make sure that whichever vessel you choose, it has a heavy bottom on it to avoid burning your chili over the continuous heat you will be applying in the cooking process. Once you complete minimal prep and throw it into your pot of choice, it will sit on the stove and meld flavors, doing its magic without much supervision.

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Food, Recipes

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

September 28, 2023

Aside from the infamous pumpkin spice flavor, nothing screams “Fall is HERE!!” like apple cider, and anything apple flavored really. I think there is good reason for the craze that hits us all at this time of year.

I know here in the Lowcountry, our summer spans from late March to right around the end of September with 80-90 degree temps hitting their peak, so we yearn for that brief moment where the seasons turn. We may not be able to bundle in our sweaters, but the air is a little crisper and we are all ready for those Autumn flavors and cozy baking projects.

I just finally invested in my very own donut pans, because…I mean…who are we kidding. This girl is bound to make some donuts. I love baking and have been dying to try this recipe and several others out. I am surprised it took me this long to finally give in and order these baking pans to add to my growing collection, but boy am I glad I did.

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Food, Recipes

Bennigan’s Style Ultimate Baked Potato Soup

September 25, 2023

As soon as the cooler weather rolls around, I start to crave all of the fall foods. In particular, chili (which we will get to later) and this recipe for the Ultimate Baked Potato Soup.

Recently, I had a comment pop up asking for recipe ideas for a Dutch Oven. This one piece of equipment is an absolute kitchen staple in my book, and a perfect vessel for soups, stews and frying. I use mine for just about everything and anything.

The enamel coating is perfect for all kinds of cooking, as it is naturally non-stick. That said, I cook with a lot of butter whenever I use mine, so I suppose that helps it to be more resistant to sticking. Plus, they deglaze like a champion once you add a little liquid to them, leaving you with those flavorful brown bits in soups and stews that build flavor.

If you have a Dutch Oven, or have been gifted one and aren’t sure what to do with it, the sky is the limit. Any soup recipe, stew, sauce…use this vessel for building your recipes and allowing them to develop with even heat. The cast iron holds and conducts heat steadily and beautifully for slow simmering. Once you are done prepping, you can just about set it and forget it on a low heat.

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Food, Recipes

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

September 20, 2023

I know it’s basic Betty territory, but I really do love it when pumpkin spice latte season rolls around each year. I think for me, it signifies the turn of the seasons and signals the official end to summer. Nothing against summer, but fall, and the months leading into the holidays, equal my wheelhouse for joy.

In my defense, I have always loved the coffee portion of this craze the most for this seasonal treat. I will admit it has gotten a bit out of hand with pumpkin spice eeeeverything, but if you are like me and go cuckoo for that creamy flavor mixed with your morning java, you have to give this a whirl.

It is super easy to make your own pumpkin spice creamer at home. You can mix this with your own choice of coffee, and nowadays, you can get a fairly priced espresso maker and get down to the business of making your very own legit lattes.

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Food, Recipes

Autumn Apple Bundt Cake

September 19, 2023

Ahhh the beginning of fall. That magical time of year when the air feels crisper, giving us that first little shiver in the morning to tell us that the end of summer is drawing near. The leaves begin to turn and shimmy from the trees to the ground and we have that first inkling to reach for an extra sweater to ease the chill in our bones.

It brings me a thrilling sensation. I am a lover of baking. This is the time of year when all things come to life in this realm of my life. Warm, hearty pies, spongy cakes to accompany an evening tea. There is something that is so lovely and comforting about it all.

The stars of the autumn show when it comes to the baking game are obvi pumpkin and apple, accompanied by their spicy cousins, cinnamon and nutmeg. Naturally, as soon as the first cool breeze hits me, I am off and running to the store for my first batch of fresh, seasonal apples. This is their prime time to shine.

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Events, People

The Healing Power of a Sound Bath

September 12, 2023

I recently had the opportunity to partake in a sound bath, a meditative exercise that I have been wanting to try for some time now. I would dare to say that the sound bath has become trendy, as it has appeared recently on many television shows and in yoga studios around the country, but it is actually an ancient art, dating back over 40,000 years.

Ancient Greeks used flutes and lyres to treat digestion and mental health, Tibetans used singing bowls for over 2,000 years for meditation purposes, and Australian aboriginal tribes played the didgeridoo to heal the sick.

I admittedly discovered the experience through one of my guilty pleasure shows on Bravo Network that I frequently view (don’t judge me too harshly!). A group of ladies on the show ventured on a retreat to a desert resort, where they relaxed and took in the sounds and vibes of this healing art.

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Food, Recipes

Ham Delight Bites

September 11, 2023

If you live in the south, the chances are high that you have had these mini bites of delight at any given party or get together. They are an absolute staple, and if you have tried them, you know why. If you haven’t, then you must add these to your list to whip up for a holiday nibble or gathering.

Growing up in NY, I don’t remember ever coming across these mini sammies. We moved south during my junior year of college, and I remember coming home for the first holiday season and attending get togethers at the homes of my parents’ friends. These little gems were everywhere! Each time I mentioned how delicious they were, as if I had unearthed some sort of ancient treasure, I was generally met with a giggle.

I understand now that the humor in it all was that these have been a must in the south for ages, almost a given, at any get together. There are actually catering companies throughout the south, rated and revered based on this one finger food…I am looking at you Ladyfingers of Raleigh, NC.

They were new to me and I was forever changed for the better for finding them. So now I will share them with you. This recipe is straight from the Southern Living cookbooks, to give credit where it is due. I am simply repeating their genius here with a few small tweaks. Make these once and you will be asked to make them for every occasion, I guarantee you.

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Events, History

A Tribute to September 11th

September 11, 2023

I grew up in New York and have so many life changing memories of the city. While I didn’t live in the NY at the time the Twin Towers came down, it felt like a gut punch on so many levels. The loss of life, a city forever changed and the Twin Towers forever removed from the landscape of the city’s horizon.

I lived in Washington, DC when 9-11 occurred, and we had our own scares there as well. I worked for Marriott International in the PR department, and we were in crisis mode, fielding calls left and right from family members who couldn’t locate their loved ones who were staying in the hotel at the base of the Twin Towers when they came down.

I ran my first ever marathon that year, the Marine Corps Marathon. I had trained for diligently, and thought would most certainly be cancelled, as it was scheduled for October 28th and the course runs through the heart of DC.

In solidarity, the show went on, but I will never for the rest of my life forget running past the giant hole in the side of the Pentagon building that day, as a string of armed soldiers stood on guard at salute as we ran by. I had to stop to cry.

I moved to NYC in September 2002, days before the one year anniversary of this horrible incident in American history. I remember feeling awkward and out of place on the day of the anniversary of the attacks. Though America suffered as a whole, there was a different emotion and gravity to that day amongst those who had just lived through it.

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Food, History

My Ode to the Bagel

September 10, 2023

Picture it: Saturday morning of 1986, one hour ’til Pee Wee’s Playhouse airs on the television. These were the days before DVR, so timing was of the essence. My Mom would awaken me and my brother from a deep slumber with one of the only phrases she knew would entice us out of the nest of our warm, blanketed beds. “Wanna go get bagels?!,” she would shout, as she opened the door to my bedroom, closing it as quickly as it opened. She knew I was a sucker for a good bagel.

I would hurriedly pull on the closest pile of clothing I could find and dive into the minivan with my Mom, making the short trip to the adjacent town of Babylon in Long Island, NY. We could have even walked or ridden our bikes to this place. The waterfront town was idyllic and stunningly beautiful. It was one of my favorite places to roam and explore, but we didn’t have time to meander on Saturday mornings. I had and important viewing schedule to stick to.

As we pulled up and parallel parked in the center of town – there it stood. On early Saturday mornings, the only two shops in the bustling town that appeared opened were the bagel shop and the bakery located directly (and conveniently) across the street from one another.

I will never forget it. The bright orange glow of the Hot Bagels sign fixed in the window, the words slightly blurred by the steam from the molten heat of the bagel ovens colliding with the cool, crisp air on the street side of the thick glass.

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Food, Recipes

Monster Cookies

September 2, 2023

It seems only fitting to post a recipe for my favorite Monster Cookies, with the ghoulish Halloween season just around the corner!

I call these Monster Cookies because they are chock-full of just about any kind of chip or candy you can fit into the dough. It uses a basic recipe, and it is a great project with kids, as you can add just about any kind of candy flavor that you like.

I have posted my own recipe using M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces and Reese’s peanut butter chips. If you want to swap the chips out for chocolate chips, or add both…go for it! Just try to keep the ratio of dough to candy low enough so that you aren’t just eating a glob of candy with little specs of cookie in between.

These also freeze beautifully for about 2 months, if they last that long! Just be sure to allow them to thaw for a little so you don’t crack a tooth on an M&M (I have almost done it!).

These are super easy and fun! Enjoy and leave a note in the comments to tell me about your version!

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