Vegetarian Chili Recipe

August 26, 2015

Gabe and I are by no means vegetarians, but with the rise in meat prices, we are looking for ways to cut back on dinners with meat. I brought in the help of my talented friend Lauren of Love Lola to share one of her recipes!

Vegetarian Chili - via IHOD
Vegetarian Chili Recipe

This recipe for vegetarian chili is my absolute favorite meal to make as the air outside begins to cool. Because it uses a lot of canned beans, it’s super easy and quick to prepare. Not to mention it could feed an army! Since there are only two of us in my house at the moment, I love to make this dish for dinner parties, or freeze the leftovers and heat them up when we need a quick weeknight dinner.

I love how this recipe proves that a plant-based diet can be full of the nutrients you need, while also leaving you full and satisfied. Between the protein and the fiber found in the beans and quinoa, there’s no chance you’ll leave the dinner table still hungry. Who knew a meal without meat could accomplish that!? 😉

Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Serves 8-10

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen
1/2 cup quinoa (dried)
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles
4 oz. tomato paste
3 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne
sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded, to garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream

To start, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a dutch oven on medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook until browned. Add in the onions and continue to cook for about ten minutes, until onions are soft and translucent.

Next, add the bell pepper, sweet potato, and the rest of the olive oil and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly so as not to burn. Once the sweet potatoes begin to soften, add in the beans, corn, diced tomatoes, tomatoes and green chiles, tomato paste, and spices. Stir everything together and immediately add the vegetable stock and water.

Bring the soup to a boil and add the dried quinoa. Let the liquid return to a boil before reducing to a simmer and cooking, covered, for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally as the soup cooks.

To serve, top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and diced avocado. And of course, don’t forget the cornbread! Enjoy!

Lauren Foster is a registered dietitian, blogger, and soon-to-be mama living in Greenville, SC. She is the voice behind the food and lifestyle blog, Love Lola, where she shares how healthy food doesn’t have to sacrifice flavor, and health is more that what we eat, but is a state of mind.

Find more of Lauren here: Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook

 

Finding the right lighting for your space + Giveaway

August 25, 2015

Symmetrical seating, IHOD
In case you missed the living room makeover reveal, you can find that here. And read on for the Lamp giveaway below!

Our living room had zero wall lighting, so we knew we would have to add in some lighting options to bring back to life its cave man status. Since we rent the home, I didn’t want to install any wall sconces, so floor lamps seemed like the best option. Only problem is, finding floor lamps that were different than the standard salad bowl on a stick is usually a challenge.

We found a really great selection of lighting though that combined my love of modern and Gabe’s love of traditional thanks to Birch Lane. They have a pretty wide selection of all types of light fixtures. After much hemming and hawing, we chose the Chicago Floor Lamp + Linwood Floor Lamp to compliment each other and offer that cozy corner vibe we were aiming for. 

Cozy reading corner, IHODLiving room - In Honor of Design

Here’s a few tips when searching for the right lighting for a room:

-Be aware of the wall height. If you have flat ceilings like our living room, the height of the wall can help you determine the proportion size of lamp you should aim for. We measured out the wall from top to  bottom and took that into account when viewing the measurements of the lamp height. Proportionally, the top of the lamps fell in the middle to upper half of the wall which visually enlarged the space. Cathedral ceilings do much better with hanging fixtures since the floor lamps might get lost in a larger wall space.

– Have your lamp heights compliment or coincide. We have three lamps total in the living room, and they are all different heights (I tend to avoid too much symmetry because I think it makes it more visually interesting), but they are within eye level. It brings them together cohesively without too much visual competition. 

-Consider room tones and colors. Since the carpet and pillows had their own bold colors going on, we went for neutral and gold tones to bring in more traditional styles. They are each different colors but there is some elements of gold in all three. You can think outside the box and find lamps that aren’t the same but work together in other ways like color tones or shape. 

I hope these tips make sense?! Let me go grab an other cup of coffee and re-read in a bit;) But let’s get to the fun stuff…

Birch Lane is so kindly sponsoring this GIVEAWAY of my favorite Linwood floor lamp ($360 value) to one of you! I cannot wait to send it your way! It has a pulley feature where you can adjust the height of the lamp shade. Enter via rafflecopter below and we will draw a winner next Tuesday!

*The edison light bulb I added to the lamp is from West Elm.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Double Fishtail Braid Stack – Video Tutorial

August 24, 2015

Double fishtail braid stack | In Honor of Design

Double Fishtail Braid Stack
Here is the second part to the half crown braid tutorial I shared last week. With a few more fishtail braids, you can create this updo in under 20 minutes.

It is so nice to have a few styles you know how to do on hand for the special occasions, or if you are like me, when you are riding shotgun and have a little time to kill (wink). Hope this video makes it easier to try something new. I’d love to see pics if you give it a go! Also, here is a re-fresh on how to fishtail braid if you need it.

P.S. Leave me any questions you have below or on YouTube and I will do my best to get back to you promptly. I will be sharing a few more fun videos soon. When you subscribe to the channel you will get a notification when a new video is posted:)

Day Date: Marcel

August 22, 2015

Marcel - IHOD

Atlanta continues to sprout up some of the best tastes in the food scene and locals are never short on options to visit. However, I think Marcel is current reigning king on the top of Gabe and I’s lists of best tastebud experience of the year. VIEW FULL POST

Living Room Makeover Reveal

August 21, 2015

Living Room | IHOD
Alas! After months of buying and returning pillows (wink), we have finally finished our living room makeover. Just in time for me to get the re-arranging fever all over again. Kidding….maybe.

I can’t wait to share all the details over the next few weeks, but for today, here are the before and after pics! It is incredible what a fresh space can do for your whole family. It has cleared up some mental clutter and become a favorite place to hang for our family. Gabe is particularly fond of the old school feel news reading nook it provides him. I am thankful for the ample couch space for naps;) We basically just had the basics in this room for the last few years. You may remember the last update… VIEW FULL POST

When everyone wants to feed the new baby.

August 18, 2015

In Honor of Design

Each baby of mine has shown little glimpses of their personalities very early on. I already know Rocco is going to have a feisty side. He demands to eat right away when he is hungry, and his little squawk resembles a cat who has gotten his tail stepped on. It is quite humorous. Like many newborn boys, they prefer to eat constantly and with haste!

I have been lucky enough to breastfeed each of my babies, and I would say I look forward to that now with my fourth more than ever because despite all the craziness around me, it forces me to sit and stare at my baby. It allows me the chance to have some close one on one time with him. I like to introduce a bottle to my babies very early on in case of emergencies (I have gotten very sick before when Gabriel was a baby and he refused to take a bottle!), and to also give Gabe and the kids a chance to feed the baby once in a while. But geez, it can be tough to find a bottle my babies actually don’t notice a difference with! Rocco for instance is already particular about his pacifier.

Little one | In Honor of DesignFather - son

When I was in fury nesting mode I went through the baby aisles and happened upon the new Munchkin Latch bottle. I noticed the shape, accordion like base, and anti-colic air valve. I was really impressed with the design and price tag, so I snatched it up. I wasn’t in love with any of the bottles I previously used so I thought I would give it a go. Well as you can see, it was a winner.

Rocco loved his first bottle Gabe was able to give him, and of course Gabe loved being able to feed him. He gulped it down without choking (which he can’t seem to do even when he breastfeeds!), and he immediately took to it without so much as a grimace or a squirm. My little ones understand that mommy has “bottles in her stomach” which allows me to feed Rocco, so when they got an opportunity to feed him they were beside themselves. Max wanted in on some of the fun as well….

Brothers | In Honor of Design

The latch bottle also came in handy this past weekend as I traveled to Chicago with Rocco for a conference I was mentoring at. I had brought along the bottle and breastmilk bag just in case there was a long stretch and Rocco started to demand his next meal;)

It’s funny the little things that make you excited as a mother, like bottle forms and swaddle blankets. But I guess they aren’t so little when it is something that creates moments like these that become quite a big deal in your memory book of life, right? 

I think every mother knows the best way to feed and nourish their child…. the best schedules or non schedules, bottle fed or breastfed or both, and sometimes it ends up being different than we hoped or planned. However, I think every baby knows when they are being fed with love and a nurturing hand that is for sure. I just wish this newborn phase would stretch a whole lot longer. When he fits into his dad’s forearm like a glove, and when he falls asleep as soon as his mama snuggles him up, and when they can sleep through a train wreck (or three boisterous siblings – same thing…).I’ll just keep holding onto him in case these moments should try to escape my grasp!

*This post is sponsored by Munchkin. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

Munchkin rids the world of the mundane by developing clever, innovative solutions that make family life safer, easier, and more fun. You can find Munchkin products at Munchkin.comTargetBabies’R’UsWalmart, and Amazon. It’s the little things!

Chicago + Travel Notes

August 17, 2015

Chicago | In Honor of Design

In my true spastic spur of the moment decision making form, I committed to a trip to Chicago before I had little Rocco. I knew he would only be a few weeks old, and in my experience, they are much easier to travel with when they sleep all the time;) He is already three weeks old, and really it took until now to feel back to normal energy wise (at least as much as you can with a new baby). I look forward to sharing about his first few weeks of life soon!

I was asked to mentor at the Create + Cultivate conference for bloggers and business owners. Gabe was actually the one who encouraged me to go, and he offered to hold the fort down while I was away. Since I have a weak spot for helping entrepreneurs, I jumped at the chance.

In Honor of Design

Create + CultivateBlue pots + Cactus | In Honor of Design

Frittata | In Honor of Design

My wonderful mother in law is from Milwaukee so she met me there to help with little man. The conference was one of the best I have ever attended. Incredibly organized down to the detail, a perfect location, and a knowledgeable line up of speakers. They spoiled both the speakers and mentors, and the attendees with hair and beauty stations, swag, and drink and food stations on hand. Rocco and I thoroughly enjoyed the day! It is always fun to connect with long time blog friends as well like Amber, Kate, Shalice, and Liz (check em outttt). If you are a blogger or creative business owner, I highly recommend you sign up for the next C+C conference since it offers some really thorough content and opportunities to learn.

We got to spend some time by the navy pier as well as brunch with old friends before taking off back to Atlanta. (Fun fact: Gabe and I met at the Navy Pier except I was clueless he would end up being my husband. We were only 18!)

Chicago | In Honor of DesignChicago | In Honor of Design

Boating in ChicagoProcessed with Chicago | In Honor of Design

SIDE NOTES ON INFANT TRAVEL:
Traveling with Rocco was actually pretty smooth sailing. My faith in humanity was restored by the end of our flights, as almost everyone was willing to lend an extra hand when needed. The flight staff loaded my luggage for me on the plane as I held Rocco, and even tried to get me an extra empty seat. You can check your carseat and stroller at the gate which was LIFE SAVING. I will say the security check was the only stressful part because as you know, it is already set up to make you have a minor panic attack before you make it through the body scanner. Thankfully in the ATL airport there is a line for strollers and babies and I teamed up with another mama traveling solo as we helped each other get all our gear through the line. Rocco slept the whole flight and pacifiers came in handy when I needed to hold him off till I could feed him. The Quinny Buzz Xtra and carseat was extremely easy to use and got us in and around the city with ease. Other than managed to book an international flight leg back to Atlanta and being lost on the wrong side of the airport, we didn’t run into to many hiccups. 

Packing for two | IHOD

Packing for two in one carry on and one tote bag was a puzzle I managed only by sitting on top of my suitcase (literally). I only packed what I absolutely needed for me, and left the rest of the space for little man’s items.
Outfit details: Top (nursing friendly), Pants (50% off!), Sandals, Diaper Bag/Tote c/o, Earrings Also wore this nursing friendly dress to the speaker dinner. (So helpful to travel with comfortable and versatile pieces!)

Have you traveled with a baby before? Any helpful tips you want to leave for fellow readers, please do!

 

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