It’s Cyber Monday! I spent the last hour or so perusing the 50% off EVERYTHING J Crew Factory sale. It’s pretty addicting and some of my shopping evidence is below. I <3 gingham. In an effort to try to get some work done today, I am trying to stay off the interwebs until at least this evening..
https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/shirts_tops.jsp
How was everyone’s Thanksgiving?! Ours was spent up in Dallas Friendsgiving style and we loved it. When family is a plane-ride away, it’s so nice to have such great friends just hours away. It was warm enough on Thanksgiving to go for a drizzly hike with their baby and our pups and it was the perfect thing to do while we waited for our bird to cook. Now it’s basically December and time for Xmas prep. This means decorating our 2 foot tree we got yesterday… #aptlife
It feels like ages since I’ve written a blog post, but I’m back. My school semester ends tomorrow which means I have almost an entire month to devote to the blog and all things Christmas & Holiday. If you’re signed up for my newsletter you know this means healthier gingerbread, gingersnaps, pepperminty chocolate goodies, etc. I cannot wait.
But before we dive into Holiday goodies, I really wanted to share our favorite chili recipe. Like most of the country, it’s definitely been colder in Texas. Endless summer is finally over, and we’re pretty much dealing with gray drizzle on most days. For Mitch this has been hard because he grew up in “300 days of sunshine Denver” and isn’t used to this many gloomy days. For me, it’s sort of cozy and the best excuse to watch Netflix. And it’s also perfect chili weather. For the past few weeks I’ve been making this chili, or some version of it, every Sunday. I know the recipe by heart and there’s nothing easier and warming than a big bowl of chili. It’s also amazing as leftovers and I just ate some while I Cyber Shopped. Shopping fuel!
I have to mention one of my favorite kitchen gadgets that makes this chili SO easy. My mother in law got me this chopper a while back in case I ever wanted to attempt gazpacho, and it’s the best. I hate chopping onions, and this gets the job done in about 2 minutes and makes cooking a lot faster since I use onions in so many recipes. It’s about $20 on Amazon and I highly recommend it! It’s also prime which means you could be chopping by Wednesday;)
For those of you that might not know why this chili is paleo, it’s because there aren’t any beans. The chili I grew up eating had red kidney beans, and as much as I love them (and that chili) I noticed I felt better after I stopped eating them. If you want to add them to yours, just know that it won’t be paleo anymore, but will have more fiber and protein! Enjoy this warming bowl of comfort food and don’t be shy will allll the toppings.
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef (or organic ground chicken or turkey)
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 3 carrots - diced
- 3 ribs celery - diced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes - I love Muir Organic
- 1 4oz can tomato paste
- 3 cups low sodium veggie broth
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Toppings
- GF tortilla chips
- Whole milk greek yogurt
- Green onions
- Avocado slices
- Preheat a large soup pot on medium-high heat and brown the meat
- While the meat is browning, dice your carrots, celery and onion and mince the garlic
- Once the meat is browned, remove with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl
- Add the coconut oil to the same pan and allow to melt
- Add the carrot, onion, celery, salt and pepper and allow to cook for about 5 minutes
- Add all of the spices and tomato paste and cook for another minute
- Add the broth and crushed tomatoes and stir to combine
- Let the chili come to a boil then reduce to low heat and simmer until you are ready to eat
SO DELICIOUS! I added the ground beef last so I got to enjoy a vegetarian chili option! We loved it 🙂
So glad! 🙂 It’s definitely one of our favorites and so perfect for colder weather!