In The Kitch With Kaara Lo

Extra Special

2012-02-08T11:08:00.001-08:00

I've been over visiting www.KelleHampton.com a lot lately... Getting to know her blog, and it's quite inspiring to me. Yesterday her blog was about trying to make the ordinary, extraordinary!

It got me to thinking about the little things that I love that make me feel special. Things like putting my breakfast on a plate that I painted by hand, using my favorite pig coffee mug, putting on a pretty color of lip gloss, wearing a new pair of earrings, sitting with my chickens, or taking the extra time to curl my hair, just to name a few.

I think it's important to value these little things and make them have more importance in our lives, so that it's not always about the big things- or things that take up a lot of money to make us feel special.

In Kelle's blog, she mentions about the special little things that she does to ensure she makes memories for her little girls... Oh how I cannot wait to join the mama club and make those moments for my children one day... It just makes me a little teary, but in a sweet-anticipation sort of way.

What are the little things that make you feel special?

Inspired

2012-02-05T23:23:00.001-08:00

I have been so inspired lately, I'm almost bursting at the seams in anticipation of all the fun projects I have lined up in my head...

Here is a sneak peak at a project I'm working on... I can't wait to post the final project!

And though sometimes I'm upset with myself for how addicted I am to Pinterest, it really is the catalyst for all my crafty inspiration lately, and some great ideas to help me save money on things I didn't think I'd be able to do for a while ;)

Tomorrow I start my new part-time job at a shipping company in my new little town... Thanks to my cousin, Julie. Wish me luck!

Oh and that little football game that was on tv today.... Go Giants! Way to get the W!

Happy week everyone,
Kaara

Wallpaper Removal Project

2012-02-01T16:37:00.001-08:00

Happy February!

Hi, all!

One of the most daunting projects for me around my home is wallpaper removal. I should mention our house was built in 2004... Lol, so which means the original owners were an older couple... They loved their wallpaper and birds ;) Bless their hearts. I've actually thought of framing a piece of the bird paper to commemorate them and the hard work I've done trying to take it down.

Since I definitely could have used advice when I started this project, I thought I would share what I've learned works best:

1. DO NOT waste your money on the expensive removal gels and sprays.

2. DO use your very free tap water in a spray bottle! Honestly, I've found this works best over all methods so far.

3. DO NOT, I repeat, do not use a scoring tool!!!! Oh my goodness, this is imperative that you not use one. Using one means scoring your paper into tiny little pieces, and therefor having to rip off tiny little pieces and which turns into something even more time consuming. Oy!

4. Only use a professional steamer if you want to use the money and have the patience!

5. Do use a very cheap tool- called the plastic putty knife! I use one with a wide head that allows me to scrape off more of the paper. This is faster and also saves my finger nails! It does sometimes take off some of the texture on the wall, but honestly, retexturing the wall is not that hard- and the beauty of a wallpaper-free wall is completely worth it!

Well, I must go for now... I have some sexy cherry and green gingham wallpaper just calling my name!

Best of luck with all your projects and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Xo- Kaara

Birchbox Love

2012-01-18T21:03:00.001-08:00

Hi, all!

So I received my first Birchbox in the mail today and was soooo excited!
For those that don't know what this is yet, it's a subscription, basically, to get top beauty and lifestyle samples that have already been tested by industry beauty editors.

Today's Birchbox included:
-a Lara Bar sample in the 'Cherry Pie' flavor. I have to say since going gluten free Lara Bars are a great quick snack and something I really enjoy and this flavor is particularly good, it's just a tiny bit sweet and tart. Lara Bars don't add any extra sugar and I also really appreciate this, you just get whole ingredients. Love!

-a Zoya nail color sample in 'Kristen,' I was very excited to get a color like this- sort of a grey-ish blue. I've been wanted to try this color out and Zoya is a great brand.

-VMV Hypoallergenics- Re-Everything: Eye Serum- when I first saw this I said " wow this is a huge sample!" especially for what it is! This is a size of what you would generally buy for eye serums. I am so excited to try this one out, especially as my eyes are becoming more sallow with age and having dark under eyes. It says it conquers this and brightens- I'm down!

-Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in 'Birchbox Pink.' I had to get my lips on this one already, and found it to be not too sticky and not too highly pigmented for how bright it is which scared me a little! It also doesn't have any overwhelming scent, which I hate in lip products. It's a good pick!

- Juicy Couture's namesake signature fragrance. It's quite light and feminine, something I might not have gone out and purchased on my own, but something I might wear on occasion. The only adverse thought I had about this one is that it reminded me a tad of an 'old lady perfume' sorry anybody that loves this! Just my personal opinion!

Overall this was a great first box to introduce me and now get me hooked on getting my new box every month! I can't wait till my next Birchbox comes in February!!!

Happy Hump Day,
Xo- K

Knit Yourself Silly

2012-01-16T18:48:00.001-08:00

I finally finished a knitting project I started (count it) 5 years ago!

I used a navy blue yarn that I turned into an 'infinity' scarf by knitting a typical scarf size and then sewing the two ends together.
I was initially planning on knitting it longer so it would wrap around my neck, but being that it's already taken me so long, and my hands get achy knitting, I figured I'd make it an infinity scarf instead! They're very in right now anyway ;)
I had to remind myself how to cast off by Googling some instructions and it was surprisingly easier than I remembered! Here are some pictures of the knitting and then the final product!
I'm pretty satisfied with the results
Xo, K

Getting In the Rhythm? My Zumba! Experience

2012-01-11T10:25:00.001-08:00

The first week of January I joined my very first Zumba class! I was so nervous when I went to the gym that night, but I was set at ease when I noticed not everyone in the class was a perfect size 4 blonde Lynden-ite! There were actually women of all shapes, sizes and abilities! Even the high school girls were not that coordinated, so it made me care less about how silly I may or may not look by doing this!

For those that aren't familiar with what Zumba is: it's a dance-workout class that incorporates all kinds of dance to music, and really gets your heart rate up and gets you sweating. They say you can burn up to 1,000 calories in one class, and I can see how if you are working it and doing all the moves to their potential, how this could be quite possible!

It has now been about 4 weeks that I've been mostly doing the class as my form of working out, 3 times a week, with a little elliptical training in between and I have to say I notice that my bum is actually more lifted! I notice that I feel smaller around my ribs as well. I can just tell that for me, by going out and doing something active, I feel more confident anyway. I know I still feel like a beginner in the class, but I'm excited to see how far I get with getting in shape with this! I think that since there are so many different moves and at my gym there are 4 instructors that do different classes, I think it will keep that 'muscle confusion' thing going to help me not plateau... At least this is my wishful thinking theory!

On Friday was my first Zumba Dance Party class... It was an hour and a half of dancing and workout moves and I was so tired and sore afterward! I'm glad it's only a monthly thing!

So for those of you who have always wondered what Zumba was like, or just curious to try something different, I would highly recommend you try it out! You can find local Zumba classes at www.Zumba.com best of luck in your Zumba! Adventure ;)

Xo- K

2011 Lowlights & Highlights: Part 2

2012-01-08T21:02:00.001-08:00

For the second part of being MIA from blogging: after my sickness and recovering from Cellulitis, starting my new job was probably the biggest thing that kept me busy but also made me feel so fulfilled!

I was working about 30 hours a week while I was still not 100% yet, and eventually went up to 40 hours when things started to become more normal for me. For those of you that don't know, I have been a checker with the same company for over ten years, so getting this promotion to be a front-end manager was really major for me because I was definitely burnt out with just checking. With my new promotion I got to do employment coordination, as well as write a schedule for my department and be a liaison for many different things. All of this made me feel more important, like I had a purpose and for the first time I felt like what I was doing had an impact.
I held this position well and felt like it was really something I was meant to do. Until the fall came around and we found out our store would be closing. I figured once I heard the news that I wouldn't necessarily be getting my same position at another one of our stores, but at least I knew I would still have a job, somewhere. I found out right away that I would be moved to a store in the same town I now live in so it would lessen my commute by 20 minutes which was great news and I would be working with some of my favorite people as well.

So meanwhile, one day Troy came home all dressed up and smelling good with my favorite cologne of his saying that he went out shopping for tv's. I found this quite interesting and even wondered if he was cheating! Haha! I just couldn't help but wonder with the circumstances ;) This must have been around the end of September, beginning of October. Troy had been working a lot of overtime, and his job is already very demanding, and I hadn't seen him a whole lot, so we decided we'd have a special date the end of October in Seattle. This day finally came, October 30th, 2011, we drove the approximate hour and forty-five minute drive to Seattle where Troy was taking me on a surprise date somewhere ( he decided where we went to dinner would be a surprise). We ended up parking near the Space Needle, so that pretty much let me know this is where we were going to dinner, which was very sweet. I had never gone to dinner up there, and had heard it was fabulous. Our dinner finally came around and Troy ordered a huge Kobe beef steak that was quite pricey, this made me wonder a little that maybe he actually might be proposing since he was definitely making the meal memorable and special. I ordered the beef short ribs as my entree and it was absolutely delectable! Troy's steak was the best I had ever tasted as well! We were finally finished with our dinners and the dessert menus arrived at our table- these very tall and thin menus that stood in the center of the table. We were talking about whether we were going to order anything I think, and all the sudden Troy takes away the two tall menus in the center of the table to reveal my engagement ring! I think I said "oh my gosh," about 50 times and Troy asked if I was willing to make some commitments and then asked me to marry him and I said, "yes!"

After that I definitely decided to order a dessert to celebrate and was just super giddy and laughing like a school girl as well as just staring at Troy which at one point he said it looked like I was staring a hole into him! I just couldn't help it though!

So after that those are pretty much the lowlights and highlights of my year, it was very rough at times, rewarding at times and not anywhere near perfect, but it's my life!

Now that I'm back to checking again and it's the new year, I'm considering going back to school. I think I will also be blogging a lot more this year. I'm also planning my garden for this spring which I am super stoked about! I've started working out again and eating mostly gluten-free and for my type O blood type. I have lost 5-6 pounds so far, at least that's something, and I didn't gain any weight over the holidays, so that helped. It feels great to be doing something great for myself, so to that I bid you goodnight for now...

Love,
Kaara

Healthy Hash

2012-01-08T15:36:00.001-08:00

Here is a great recipe I created for a healthy-style Sunday brunch hash. It goes along with my type O blood type diet as well as being yummy and very filling!

2 handfuls baby spinach
1 handful broccoli pieces
1 handful diced onion
2-3 thin slices smoked turkey deli meat, shredded into bite-size pieces
2 farm fresh eggs
Salt to taste
Feta crumbles to taste
Good extra virgin olive oil

Sauté the onions, spinach, broccoli, turkey and salt in the pan with olive oil.
When the onion becomes translucent, and all veggies are sautéed down, transfer mixture to your plate.
If there is enough oil still costing your pan crack your eggs into sauté pan, add salt to taste, cook over-easy or whatever your preference, just don't over-cook! Meanwhile, add the feta crumbles to the top of your veggie hash stack. When eggs are done, place on top of veggies, enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T16:57:00.001-08:00

So much has happened in the last 6 months... I am working on an update since I've been MIA from blogging...
Update to come soon,
Kaara

2011 Lowlights and Highlights: Part 1

2012-01-04T21:43:00.001-08:00

Hi, y'all! Boy I know it. has. been. awhile! And so many things have happened in the last 6 months!

Over these last months that I've been MIA- I have got a promotion, been sick, hospitalized and not to leave it on a bad note...dun, dah, dahhhh...

...Got engaged!

So for anyone that might be interested in this long story I will start with my promotion and getting sick:
At the end of May 2011, I got a call from my boss early in the morning which wasn't completely unusual, but the message he left was not quite clear and it started making me really anxious and stressed out- which I should mention- I already woke up feeling not myself that day. So I called my boss back, not expecting any good news and he proceeded to tell me that one of the big bosses at corporate wanted me to go into the office that afternoon to talk to him about becoming a front end manager- to say I was shocked would be putting it mildly... This was great news but it just made me completely nervous because it was nothing I ever expected to happen, and that particular job at my company is very rarely ever having an opening. So later that day I went to corporate and waited to see- we'll just call him- the big boss. I ended up waiting almost two hours past our scheduled meeting because he had accidentally forgot about it which the waiting just made me more nervous! In the meanwhile the HR manager gave me an interview, even though that wasn't really in the plan- I think she just didn't know what else to do- so I felt unprepared for that. Eventually the big boss showed up from his afternoon run and basically asked me if I was interested in that position and I said I was and that I was ready for that challenge and without much effort on my part he straight out offered me the job! He said that my peer group had such good things to say about me that was why I was getting this promotion basically. I was floored and more than humbled... It was great, and I was to start in approximately 2 weeks...

So I went to my job straight from there to start my shift and was feeling in shock still, but great. During my shift I began having really bad lower back pain which was odd to me, and then it somewhat radiated up to my shoulders and neck. Either way I finished my shift and headed home and went straight to bed. I began getting chills and hot and cold sweats as the night progressed and had a fever of 102.5 at one point, I just felt awful and yet I was not throwing up and I just had terrible body aches- never felt so terrible!
The next morning was Thursday and I had a hair appointment I was really looking forward to. When I woke up that morning I was surprisingly feeling a lot better yet I felt like I had somehow in my sleep, pulled a muscle in my inner left thigh area- which I thought was pretty weird and not possible. So though I had that weird pain which made me have a tiny limp, I got ready and went to see my stylist, Marsi, in Lynden. I got to the salon and was still feeling ok, my limp was getting a little worse, but nothing I couldn't handle. I felt fine until about a half-hour before the appointment was over and then I started feeling nauseous and my face and lips went a little white. I made it through and walked, or limped rather, out to my car where at that point I decided to call my health care provider. Since I told them I had been having fever they wanted me to come in right away. About 30 minutes later I arrived and was just feeling worse and worse and was starting to get red marks on my inner leg where the pain was. They didn't know what was wrong with me and just wanted to take my blood but I couldn't stomach to have it taken. They asked me to come back the next day and so I did. Friday morning rolled around after feeling very sick again Thursday night when I got home. Luckily Friday morning my boyfriend, Troy was able to take me in to the clinic this time. At this point I couldn't walk on my left leg at all and Troy had to lift me to get into the truck. We got to the clinic and they still weren't exactly sure about what was causing all this but decided to give me 4 vials of antibiotics in two big shots into my bum! Oy! They made me stick around after that for about 20 mins to mske sure I didn't have any bad reactions. When we finally left, on the drive home I wasn't feeling any better but we continued on our drive. We arrived home and I went straight to bed again and was just feeling more and more sick... Troy put me in a hot shower, I was freezing cold and couldn't walk and felt terrible. At that point he made a judgement call and decided it was time to go to the ER.
We drove to the ER in Bellingham, and all I can remember is that Troy took a really weird way we would not have normally gone and that the road seemed so bumpy that it was just painful and the longest drive ever. We finally got to the hospital and had to wait a while while they checked me in and luckily Troy grabbed a wheelchair so he didn't have to lug me around anymore. I can remember it felt like forever until they admitted me and I just was silently crying in pain. Finally when I got moved to an examining room they knew what I had right away: Cellulitis! They believe I got a terrible bacterial infection through a crack in my left heel of my foot and this is what was making me feel this way, and what was making the red marks up and down my left inner leg and all that pain. They put me on an antibiotic drip of Vanquomiacin right away in the exam room and we had to wait until a room was ready for me in the hospital.
I was quite surprised really that I was actually going to be admitted to the hospital, even with how terrible I felt, I just never figured I could get sick enough to be put in hospital. I mean I knew I felt terrible, but that also meant it was pretty serious. I ended up spending the next 5 days and 4 nights in the hospital. I was extremely exhausted and out of it the first couple days and was on an antibiotic drip of some sort the entire 5 days. During those days I began having issues with asthma again because since I couldn't get out of bed very well or walk, being that I was laying down my lungs had begun rubbing on the wall of my chest cavity causing breathing to become difficult. I also started having bad anxiety and high blood pressure, which I normally have almost too-low blood pressure. It was just all too much. And the entire time Troy was by my side which was great, he'd just sit with me all day until visiting hours were over, and I'm so thankful for him. I sassed him a bit too, some of those anti-pain meds worked wonders for my sassy side! ;) poor Troy! I also had lots of visitors and flowers sent, which was so sweet, I loved it, though I didn't love that they had to see me looking the way I did- oh vanity! My mother was one of my surprise visitors- I say surprise because I hadn't seen or heard from her in over a year. It was nice that she made an effort, but she couldn't hold back which added to my anxiety problem. One of the worst things about being in the hospital and not being able to walk is that they have to give you anti-clot shots which are very painful, burning shots administered to your stomach area. These shots were given about 2-3 times a day- absolutely awful! I ended up finding out that having the shot on my left side was more painful than my right. With one nurse I almost smacked the shot out of her hand as she was giving it to me! I felt bad, but I couldn't control my reflexes with the pain it caused. If I could have walked in order to not get those shots, I so would have! So since I couldn't walk with my left leg, I thought maybe I'd be able to hop on my right leg- um no, that doesn't work so well when the other leg is out of order- what I ended up doing is shimmying with my right foot with these super fuzzy socks, while holding onto my IV stand to get to the bathroom and shower, but being that I was so tired I could barely do that until the last couple days when I had enough energy. Which meant I had to muscle out of bed to use one of those bedside potties most of the time, boy are those humbling! Besides not being able to walk my left foot and leg was swelling very bad- it was not pretty. I still have some issues with it swelling today and deal with the possibility that it always might, but hopefully never as bad as that.
What I forgot to mention was that even though they knew what I had, that didn't mean they knew what type. One of the worst tests they had to give me was for Mersa, although they had drawn my blood and it didn't show up in that test, they wanted to make sure, so they had to stick a very long q-tip up my nostril, basically trying to touch my brain- the other extremely painful test they had to do on me- oh my gosh that was so extremely painful! Troy got a lovely picture of me just as I was about to burst into tears from the pain. I burst into tears many o time during my stay, mostly because I was scared and anxious or being prodded, or not having an IV put in correctly, which just freaked me out.
Well I think that's probably enough of that story, I went to the hospital in a Friday evening and left on the next Tuesday evening. I still couldn't walk yet when I left and when we got home I had to take 4 pills a day for I think 2 weeks, and had to have my foot constantly elevated. I eventually was able to walk with a cane, went back to work a week after I got out of the hospital and to my new position, it was hard at work being I probably went back too soon, but I was able to elevate it when I needed to. And I felt pressure since I knew there was a timeline that I needed to be trained and my mentor had to move to another store. So I worked through the limping and pain. Unfortunately all the antibiotics caused great digestive upset for a couple months after I was finished using them which lead to my having to take more antibiotics to get rid of the bad bacteria that had taken over in my intestines. I was told after that I have to be a little careful and that I wouldn't be able to take anymore antibiotics for at least a year after this, even if I got sick again unless it is a very dire situation. I should mention I am not one for taking antibiotics or medications anyway unless it is a must. It only worried me because I have been more sick in the last couple years than I have ever been in my entire life.

Well if you're still with me and reading: kudos to you! I'm sure it's kind of boring to read about!
I will write the second part in a while, just think its getting too long to put it all in one!
- Kaara

Happy May Day!

2011-05-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

Goodmorning!

It has been a while since I have made a post and a lot has happened in the meantime!

Number one: We finally got into our new home which is on the forefront and it's so exciting, I just wish I was affluent enough to get everything decorated and furnished all at once!!!

Right now I am so (so, so, so) into Moroccan-style tile print, if I can find it I almost always have to take it home with me, whether it be on a pillow, rug or curtain- I MUST HAVE IT!

Number two: I registered for school this summer and am going back to pursue my degree in Business Operations and hope to eventually get into HR.

It is so relieving to me to finally have some idea about what I want to do. Let me tell you: this month marks my ten-year anniversary at my current employer and I cannot believe I have actually committed that much of my life to my current job, that's almost more than a third of my life that I have worked there! Geeesh!

Number three: I am just very excited to be starting this next chapter of my life, I feel more settled already. Having a place that you know is going to be yours and you can get comfortable and not thinking about the next time you will be moving for a while, is so relieving!

Have a happy Sunday,

Kaara <3

Bethenny Frankel Gets It!

2011-03-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Chicken Curry Pasta Salad

2011-02-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

I made this delicious chicken curry pasta salad last night and I just had to share.

3-4 Pieces Skinless Boneless chicken pieces, I prefer thighs which I feel have the most flavor, but you can use whatever you like, seasoned and cooked, shredded.
12 ounces Whole wheat penne pasta, cooked until al dente.
1 C. Light mayonnaise.
1 T. Freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2 t. Curry powder.
1 T. Italian parsley, finely chopped.
1 T. Green onion, finely chopped.
1/4-1/2 C. Celery, diced.
1/4-1/2 C. Red grapes, halved.
Slivered Almonds to taste.
Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Directions:

I had frozen chicken on hand when I made this recipe, so I first defrosted it in the microwave, then baked the chicken with my favorite olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper, with quartered Yukon Gold potatoes and red onions. (Obviously I did not put potatoes or red onion in this recipe but I did this so I would have a second meal for later.) I baked the chicken for about an hour and ten minutes at 375 F. I took the chicken pieces out of my baking dish and let them rest until room temperature. Once room temp, I took to forks to shred my chicken until I had about 1 to 1 1/2 C. cooked chicken for my salad and left the rest for my other meal.

Once your chicken is cooked, put all ingredients into a large serving bowl, except for pasta and chicken. Make sure your mayo mixture is well incorporated then add the pasta and chicken and mix until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Been Awhile...

2011-01-20T23:53:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since I've blogged so I hope you all had a very pleasant and fruitful holiday season!

Here's what has been going on in my life lately...
We have been on the house search! Yay! It's very exciting and frustrating at the same time for me though. The price range that we have been looking in is just a tough one, we could get an absolutely beautiful home on no land, but we want land... and it's completely a give or take situation on most properties in Whatcom County. It's sad how many awful homes are on the market, people either haven't EVER updated their home or just had a poor construction in the first place, or did not care/take pride in their homes. We also have a tall list of wants in a first home which makes things a lot harder on us. We have probably looked at close to 20 homes, if not more and it's just discouraging after so many unappealing showings. But alas, we finally found something that we like-- and I can't stop thinking about how horrible the kitchen is! Lol! It's silly, but I've been going over and over in my head how it could possibly be reno'd in the future and the options are slim. Considering this is a home built in 2004 with certain finishes that look like they are almost 1984. Oh well! Like I said it is definitely a give and take situation, there are a lot of other wonderful things about this house too! I just hope that it all works out! So this is a pretty major thing that we've been up to!

Other than that I am personally still having days, like today, where I am struggling with dealing how I feel about my certain family member. I just have to bite the bullet and go talk to someone about it. I know there is no way around this and I also won't ever grow as a person if I can't get over this. My aunt and I talked about it today and as you get older things just get harder to deal with, not easier. So I've got to tackle this for myself and for my future!

Another thing that I have been going on about, over and over again... going back to school. I have so little left that this year has got to be the year and depending on my speed with it, I can probably get a lot if not all done by my 29th birthday! Hahaha, here's to hoping! I just need to get that silly piece of paper and I know I will feel so much accomplishment and so much better about myself! There's nothing better than feeling confident in yourself and feeling productive... wish me luck!

Something else new is that I am trying to re-program my mind and how I think about food. I am trying to approach things in more of a European way of thinking. You know how it seems like Italians and the French (are best examples) always seem to take such pleasure in their food... but the women, overall, are not heavy. They know how to enjoy food! They have bites of things, a little of everything, but not anything. So far this has worked for me. I am going off of what I have read previously in books such as French Women Don't Get Fat, and more recently, Naturally Thin. The latter, which I relate most to because I feel a connection with the author and how she was raised and how she wasn't always in this mind set not being a European, she has changed to this mentality and it works. And, it does work, I lost 5 pounds right away. So for now, I am just trying to remember to listen to my body more, "try everything, eat nothing," -which sounds bad, but just means that you have bites of things, not just limiting yourself to one kind of food at a meal, but trying bites of lots of things, but not eating a whole portion of any one thing, so you feel satisfied. And you end up enjoying your food more and your experience more.

I know I have rambled on here a bit, but it's nice to get in out, even if no one ever reads it!

Ciao, Bella and Bellos!

Kaara's Crock Pot Chili

2010-12-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1.5- 2.5 Lbs Lean stew meat
1 Medium onion, diced
1 Green bell pepper, diced
1 Pablano/pasilla pepper, diced
4-5 Garlic cloves, minced
1- 15 oz can tomato sauce
1- 15 oz can diced or stewed tomatoes
1- 15 oz can corn, drained
1- 15 oz can low-salt kidney beans, drained
1- 15 oz can chili beans, drained
1- 15 oz can seasoned pinquinto (or black beans if you can't find these) beans, partially drained
1/2 C. flour
4 Tbl. Chili powder
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp. Ground cumin
1/4 tsp. Ground coriander
1/8 tsp. Garlic powder
1/8 tsp. Onion powder
*Lime-infused diced jalapeno- recipe below.
Shredded colby-jack cheese
Light sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
1. Place flour in medium-sized bowl, put your stew meat into the flour and finely coat each piece. Place oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Place floured stew meat pieces into hot oil to just sear the meat on both sides to brown, you may need to sear the meat in sections, place seared meat into your crock pot on it's 'high' setting. After all meat has moved into the crock pot, add any left over flour to crock pot. Put a little more oil into your skillet and place onion in the skillet, saute until almost translucent. Place sauteed onions into your crock pot. Place diced peppers and minced garlic into your skillet and slightly saute. Put sauteed peppers and garlic into crock pot.

2. Add all the canned ingredients into your crock pot and your spices, add approx. 1 tsp each salt and pepper or more or less to your taste. Allow to cook for 2-3 hours, until you see bubbling at the top. Meat may not be completely tender at this point but you will be able to taste to see if you need any additional seasoning. Leave crock pot on warm setting for 2-3 more hours, or over night and you will have a delicious chili for the next few days!

*Recipe for lime-infused jalapeno:
1 Jalapeno, diced
Juice of half a lime

Directions:

Place jalapeno into a small ziploc or dish. Place lime juice over jalapeno. Put in fridge to marry over night or up to 4 days. Place as a garnish over your chili, along with the cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

Being Healthier...

2010-11-26T01:35:00.000-08:00

Ugh!

I am so tired of being over-weight. But I can't seem to motivate myself and overcome this!

There are a kazillion excuses and reasons I can talk myself into not working out, but I really need to quit it and take control! I have been a pretty fit gal most of my life, but in the last couple years I have just really piled on the pounds. It is hard seeing yourself go from being this athletic, strong girl into this over-weight and literally weak woman. I have aching knees if I have to stand during a full 8-9 hour day. And I have always had issues with my lower back, but I'm sure the extra pounds aren't helping this issue either.

I need to get REAL with myself! I know that I am the strongest force in getting my butt up and doing something about myself, but it's just frustrating to me because I have lost that girl that used to be able to control what I ate and make fitness a priority... I can't seem to get back into that head-space, that mind set. I am afraid that if I start a program I am going to become this anal and obsessed person that I hate. The fact is, is that I know that is how I get and the balancing act of being the easy-going woman I like to be and that person that I hate to be is a tough internal battle.

Let's face it- I'm not getting any younger and the longer I wait the harder it will be to get a ship-shape body. I'm on the verge of a birthday that very securely puts me into the "late-twenties" category, no question about it. I don't want to leave my twenties still being this fatty. So what do I do besides having this knowledge and just knowing I have to go for the prize-- the end result that I will feel healthier, more beautiful on the inside and out and more comfortable in my skin-- how is that NOT enough for me to go for it?!?! I just get so frustrated by this and how hard I know it will be to get where I need to be to feel like this again. I have a big feat ahead of me... if ANYONE has some ideas, advice or would like to share their story, please do not hesitate! I need all the support in this that I can get!!!

Much <3,
Kaara

Pumpkin Bread for a Rainy Sunday

2010-09-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

It's a wonderfully rainy day here in Whatcom County, so of course I am craving warm and delicious comfort food. Here is my pumpkin bread recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two loaf pans with nonstick spray.
(t.= teaspoon, T.=Tablespoon)

2 C. Dark Brown Sugar
3/4 C. White Sugar
7/8 C. Canola Oil
1/8 C. Olive Oil (I like the flavor of olive oil, if you don't just use 1 C. canola)
1/2 T. Vanilla extract
4 Eggs
3 1/3 C. Unbleached White Flour
2 t. Baking Soda
1 and 1/2 t. Salt
2 t. Ground Cinnamon
1 t. Ground Nutmeg
2/3 C. Almond Milk
1 15-Ounce Can Pumpkin

Directions:

Combine sugars, vanilla and oil in very large mixing bowl, mix until incorporated, add eggs and mix well.

In another large mixing bowl combine, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix with whisk to incorporate ingredients. Alternately add flour and almond milk to sugar mixture, adding flour mixture first and gently incorporating, do not over-mix. Add pumpkin to batter and gently mix until incorporated, do not over mix ;) Pour batter equally into the two loaf pans.

Bake in 350 F oven for 55 minutes. Enjoy!

Scheduling ME

2010-05-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

So in order to become a better, healthier, more organized person, I now am scheduled! It feels a little weird for me, but really it's a necessity for me in my life right now. I'm kind of a free-spirit in some aspects, so that free-spirit person inside of me gets a little frustrated... but otherwise it really does help me get the things that need to get done in everyday life... well, done!

I am going to Vegas in about a week and so another thing that I have had to start is drinking, everyday! Hehe! I am such a lightweight that I don't want to be totally miserable while there and everyone else around me is boozing it up... so I vowed to have at least one drink a day until we leave for Vegas :) I am so excited to go on vacation by the way!!! This is my FIRST vacation with a bunch of friends, FYI and I'm in my later twenties!! Oh well, its also my FIRST trip to Las Vegas, too! I know I am not that well traveled, but I have been places, and I just hadn't made it there yet, which is funny because it's usually one of the first few places West Coast people go.

So, if you are reading this and have any wonderful Vegas recommendations on what I must do, or at least where I must eat... let me know, I would love to hear suggestions!!!

Thanks,

Kaara Lo <3

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

2010-04-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

>1 C. Unbleached or whole wheat flour (whatever you have on hand.)
1 3/4 C. Old fashioned oats
2 Tbl. Freshly ground flax seed (I use my coffee grinder to grind the whole seeds.)
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbl. Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground nutmeg
1 Tbl. Golden brown sugar
1/2 C. Currants
1/2 C. Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. Coconut
2 Eggs
1 Tbl. Water
1/2 C. Honey
1/4 C. Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C. Unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract- use the good stuff ;)

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate medium-sized bowl, put eggs and water and whisk until just blended, add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until just blended. Make well in dry ingredients and add wet to dry at once. Mix until moistened. Allow to sit cooled in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 335 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, makes approximately 24 cookies. Enjoy!

I've added a cell picture of these cookie mounds, sorry it's not the best picture!

Friday Already!

2010-04-30T20:36:00.001-07:00

Good evening, all! Today I met up with my mother. Oh man, it is so hard to be around her sometimes (well, most of the time), I know I'm not the only one that feels this way about her mom, right!? It just seems the older she gets the more negative she gets and the jabs just never end! I know she had no clue, but she just makes me feel like I am not good enough, compared to her "friends' grown children," with whom she endlessly compares me with. Part of the problem is that I think she still does not see me as an adult yet, it's crazy but true. Maybe once I have children I will understand, but I will try my best to see my own future children as the people that they are instead of trying to change them- what she has always done with me. This is one of the most frustrating things for me in my life, but what can you do? I feel as though you really are the only person which you are in control of, so it's no changing a dog with old habits, right? Regardless of how many times I tell her to start treating me- and appreciating me- for the person I am, she will try for a while to treat me better, but will always resort to treating me the way she always has. Then she wonders why I don't really care to do much with her. She's one of the most un-self-aware people I know. Anyway now I am getting a little frustrated writing this, I can feel the fumes rising, and it isn't good. It may also be that I haven't eaten in a while too! Oops!!!

Anyway, something that calms me and makes me feel better is the fact that I planted ten ever-bearing strawberry plants tonight! I also planted seeds of organic broccoli, a lettuce mix including four different varieties... so it will be a nice surprise to see what comes up. What else... oh! I planted basil seeds in the garden bed because the basil I had transplanted from indoors in my herb pot outside is actually dying :( Oh well, I knew it probably wouldn't survive.

I also went to the feed store and ordered baby chicks tonight!!! Oh, I can't wait, they are supposed to come the end of May after we come home from our Vegas vacation, hopefully ;) So when I came home tonight and went into our bedroom, I find Troy's carry-on luggage on the floor, he's packing for our vacation (which is not for another two weeks and four days!). I thought this was so cute, he gets so worried about everything being ready. It put a smile on my face. Thanks, babe!

Red Potato Salad

2010-04-25T17:11:00.001-07:00

It's a pretty nice, sunny day in my backyard today... perfect potato salad and bbq weather!

5-7 Cooled, boiled medium red potatoes, cut into quarters.
5 Hard boiled eggs, medium to finely chopped.
1/2 Medium red onion, chopped.
1/3 C. Green onion/Scallions, chopped.
1/3 C. Cilantro, finely chopped.
1/2- 3/4 C. Mayonnaise.
1 Tbl. Dijon mustard.
A few dashes Worcestershire sauce, to your taste.
A couple shakes Johnny's Seasoning Salt, to taste.
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.

Directions:

Mix mayo, mustard, worcestershire, seasoning salt and pepper in medium to large serving bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well but make sure to not break up the potatoes too much. Serve immediately, and make sure to keep cool because of the mayonnaise. Enjoy!

Backyard Bliss

2010-04-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

So we went to the local farm supply store today and got some soil to put in our new veggie bed. I also had to get some stylish tall black rubber boots to garden and be a farmer in ;) We got some poultry wire, to hopefully assemble more of our hen house today, and purchased some more starts for the garden... and a beautiful tomato plant to put in this gorgeous clay pot I found.

Another more exciting thing that happened today... removing the ugly eye-sore of a non-working hot tub we had on our back patio! Thank you, Chad!!! I am now looking forward to inviting all our wonderful friends over this spring and summer for entertaining on our back patio... what a delight for me!

Happy Saturday!

Procuitto Half- Sammy

2010-04-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

1 Half of an onion bagel, or your favorite savory flavor, toasted.
Mustard and Mayonnaise to taste.
2-4 Thin slices of red onion.
1 Slice light Havarti cheese.
2 Slices thin procuitto.
1 Slice large tomato, preferably Beefsteak.
Light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, to taste.
Sprinkle of dried oregano, to taste.

Directions:

Cut one bagel in half, toast. Spread toasted bagel with mayo and mustard, top with slices of red onion, cheese, procuitto, tomato, oil and oregano. Enjoy your easy and extremely tasty lunch!

Working in the Garden

2010-04-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

So I'm feeling quite accomplished today! I added some recipes on here and Troy and I built another garden box in the backyard today, digging out sod and all... and Troy got some dirt in the face and mouth along the way! Oops... I seriously didn't mean to throw it right in the face, but it sure was funny!
We also started building a chicken coop today. I'm excited to eventually have fresh eggs since that is one of my most favorite and satisfying foods. We got pretty far today, even took a ride on the four-wheelers, (my first ride by myself) then the rain came... so in the house we go drying off all the dog's feet- since we have three more than we normally have today... lots of tiny feet.
There is nothing like working in the dirt, smelling fresh air. It takes me back to when I was a kid making mud pies in a frisbee with my cousin. Happy Friday!

Northwest Take on a Greek Salad

2010-04-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

1 Cucumber (preferably English or Middle Eastern), quartered lengthwise and chopped.
1-2 Lg. lettuce leaves, preferably green-leaf lettuce, shredded by hand into bite-sized pieces.
2 Vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped.
1/2 Lg. Red onion, halved and thinly sliced.
2-4 oz. Crumbled Feta cheese.
2 1/2 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil.
1 1/2 Tbl. White distilled vinegar.
2 Dashes dried oregano flakes.
2 Dashes ground chili powder.
1 Pinch dried red pepper flakes.
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Directions:
Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper in large salad bowl, mix well. Combine rest of ingredients into bowl and mix until well-incorporated. Refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

Corn & Avocado Guacamole Salad

2010-04-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

2-3 hass avocados, halved length-wise, pitted and cut into small cubes. (Reserve at least one of the pits to put in serving bowl to reserve as much freshness as possible.)

1 can corn, drained.( If using frozen corn, thaw and add only about 1/3 cup.)

1 clove garlic, crushed, then finely minced.

1 sm. green onion/scallion, finely chopped, green and whites.

Half of one jalapeno, seeded, ribbed and very finely minced.

1 small handful of cilantro leaves, chopped.

1 lime, squeezed for juice.

Salt to taste.

Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Directions:

Put all ingredients in small to medium sized serving bowl, mix until all ingredients are well incorporated together. Serve!

This is a great recipe for appetizers or as a side salad to any Mexican dish or burgers and dogs.