Sweet Potato Chili

Like I've said before I am not strict anything when it comes to eating, except for good clean fuel (and every know and then I break that rule to!)  My husband and I do a paleo challenge every now and then, whether it is at our gym with our members or just us.  Well, when paleo you must get creative with what you eat to make it good and different otherwise you find yourself eating the same thing over and over agin (which is why I believe a lot of people struggle with a paleo diet).  We don't have any food allergies but we really enjoy eating paleo at our home and we have come up with some great paleo recipes (when I say we, I mean ..... I).  =]

I created this recipe years ago because we love chili (who doesn't).  This is really a simple recipe.  It all starts with..........

Then you need to roast the peppers........

'Yep, I put them right on an open flame and rotate as it blackens.  You want blackened.  It takes about 7ish min.

I'm super picky and like all my pieces that get chopped up to be about the same size.  You laugh but this ensures that all pieces cook at the same time.  Ever wonder why a few pieces of potatoes are still hard?  Hmmmmmmm..... bigger than the others.  Cut them the same size!  It's not Chopped or a WOD, you don't have to cut for time.  =]

Get your Dutch oven out our crock pot, either works.

Do you know how hard it is to take a pic, while pouring olive oil and get a clear pic?  Hard people!  Hope you love this photo!  =]  I went dutch oven this night.

That's a mix of turkey and hamburger meat.  I try to go extra lean with my meats just because of my extra high cholesterol.  I have to be careful which is why I use a lot of ground turkey, chicken or fish.  BUT...... I don't do turkey bacon or fake bacon.  It's alwasy the REAL deal with this girl!  Moderation right?  Everything in moderation.  =]  See...... balance.  It makes us happy.

Yep, canned tomatoes.  So, to make a loooooooooong story short (I can expand on this later), I grew up in a home where everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was homemade.  From jellies and jams, to fruit leather, beef jerky (yep, we set up an old school dehydrator outside (they didn't make these machines back then) and got the sulfur out!  I can still remember the smell.) and also made our own cereals, breads, and canned and canned and canned!  So, I pretty much swore of any kind of canny as I got older, then I wised up and started!  So, I can my own tomatoes and they are amazing and useful in many food items I make.  =]

Sweet potato chili!  There ya have it.  Now just let it sit and cook for 5-6 to 8 hours.  The longer the better.  It's even better the next day.  =]

Recipe:

1- 1 1/2 lbs ground meat (use any kind you like)

3 red peppers (roasted, set aside to cool a little)

1 med onion diced

3 garlic cloves crushed

1- 24 oz can stewed tomatoes (or 2 -15 oz cans)

1 can paste

1 large white sweet potato (2 small)

salt and pepper

1 chili seasoning packet (if desired)

other seasonings:

chili seasoning

garlic salt

cayenne pepper

crushed red pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

paprika

1. dice onion and put in dutch oven w/ olive oil, season w/ salt and pepper

2. then dice potato and add, let cook for several minutes then add garlic

3. Add meat, season w/ more salt and pepper.  Season every time you add something.  

4. Then add tomatoes and paste (puree tomatoes if you need too).

5. add all seasoning.  I am not good at measuring so always start w/ about 2 tsp of the more mild seasonings like paprika, chili seasoning, then go with 1/4 tsp of the others.  Season to taste, or add 1 chili seasoning packet and add a few extra other seasonings for taste.  

6. Bring dish to a low boil, then turn to lowest simmer setting and simmer all day long til ready to eat.  Stir every now and then.  =]

-OR-

Throw all ingredients in crock pot and let cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

PALEO - no chili seasoning packet

GLUTEN FREE- no chili seasoning packet

VEGETARIAN - use morning star ground beef substitute (it's really good, I've done it before)

DAIRY FREE

VEGAN - no meat, add other vegetables and maybe firm tofu. You could actually do a tofu, mushroom (use a portobella), sun dried tomato mix as your meat.  That would be great.  Then season with chili flavors.  

Enjoy, go get cooking.....

Recipe Book

See this mess?  This is what happens when cooking starts to happen.  And....... that is the tru'f.  =]  See my laptop?  See what is under the laptop?  That would be the recipe book that all these recipes you are getting, are coming from!  Can you see all the sticky notes?  haha.  I literally write my recipes on whatever I can find in the kitchen.

I had a really bad habit (still do sometimes) of creating recipes and not writing it down!  It would drive me crazy and my kids when they would ask me to repeat something.  So, my daughter would tell me ALL THE TIME to write everything down.  So, I started doing that.  It isn't pretty in that recipe book but it stores a whole bunch of yummy recipes.

Be patient with me because they are all coming.  =]

In my spare time.......

Part 1, of My spare time:

Why is this blog called 'In my spare time' ?  Well, let me tell you.  I have been pestered for about 4 years to start a food blog and just didn't feel like I had the time to get it started.  I am a wife, a mom of 3 teenagers, 2 dogs, 1 large sulcata tortoise (I had 2 but recently had one pass away, which was very sad), and I run a CrossFit gym.  Not to mention the 'all in between' stuff that comes up.

Family:

As a mom.....it's a given that you will be busy!  No way around that.  One thing always leads to another.  I feel like all of a sudden my kids all turned into teenagers, my daughter is in high school, dance, and school activities.  My boys are also in sports, skate parks, football and soccer.  Then my daughter is off to college, and then my middle son is in high school, football, and friends, my youngest son is a freshman, trying out for high school soccer team!  What the what, oh and got his driving permit!  Then my daughter is off on her mission........ (crying)

The family before Kylee left.......

(No, I was not being Hollywood, I was covering my crying eyes)

This was at Christmas, but now she has been out for 1 year!
(and that is Wesley's new haircut!)

Now it is the 2 boys at home and they definitely keep me busy!  So as our kids grow time continues to get busy.  Not only am I running the house, managing the kids, I also run a CrossFit gym.  I own it, I manage it, I do all programming, I have 6 trainers that work with me, I have over 150 members, and I am currently working on a rebrand and getting ready for a Re-Grand Opening in just 2 weeks!  Lots going on........

Running my gym:

Here is my gym!  It keeps me very busy, for those of you who know about CrossFit gyms, it takes a ton of time to run, manage, program, do the scheduling and managing all my members.  I work really hard to keep the gym up which takes a ton of time (but my husband is amazing and helps a ton).  I love what I do for sure and enjoy all my peeps that I get to teach at the gym.  I am excited to show our new brand and how the gym will look.  We have a lot to do before our big event!  2 weeks (did I mention that already?).........

Food Blog:

Not only am I running the house and my gym..... now I am doing a food blog!  Why not right. (laughing crying face) I have always worked to create  healthy meals, post photos, and share recipes I create.  I consider myself a foodie (I am sure most people who love eating consider themselves that!)  haha.  But I really love food, not just food, but really good food.  Good, healthy, clean food.  Both my husband and I have heart disease that runs in the family and I already struggle with high cholesterol for over 5 years now.  I have done my best with being active with working out and I have been able to manage my eating by keeping it pretty clean.  I always have room for improvement though!  I am weak and enjoy indulging in certain food items.   

Creating healthy meals has been a lot of fun and a lot of work to create recipes.  I would have people ask me to share recipes or 'where can they find my recipes'.  'You should create a blog', they would say.  Yay, yay, yay..... sure, why not, I have nothing going on.....right?!  Well, before my daughter left she sat me down and helped me start my blog.  I let it sit for 7 months!  Lame.  Yep, I didn't do a thing with it, and then I put my foot down, and said.....'I will start my food blog no matter how busy I am'.  I am sure my husband was thrilled to hear that!  haha.  He is actually very supportive and doesn't mind sampling all the dishes I create.  I even take items to the gym to my Saturday classes for my members to try (and my 8:30, 9:30am classes!).  

So, here I am.......in my spare time........ doing a food blog.  =]

House remodel:

I think I am crazy!  Yep, I am sure of it.  Not only am I doing all the above but I am in the middle of a house remodel as well.  I am pretty good at finding something to complain about, who isn't (look if I am going to throw myself under the bus, someone is going with me)!  I love my house, I do, but I sure would like to update it (or move).  The husband says, no moving, so I say....REMODEL!  It all started with what I wanted for Christmas...... a new laundry room.  I didn't want anything but a new laundry room, with new paint, new tile, new washer dryer (brat you say..... yep!).  That isn't too much to ask for, right?  Well, we got the new washer dryer on BLACK FRIDAY and then started the demo 3 days before NEW YEARS EVE!  Yep, sure did.  Why wouldn't we do it with family in town, all the kids out of school, and taking down Christmas decorations, and having a NEW YEARS EVE party at our house.  =]

HERE IT IS!  It's still not done though.  I have a few more things to finish in there.  I had some custom cabinets made to put in (I have them they just need to be hung, still haven't found the time to do that yet) and then I have my laundry basket shelves to add, and my hanging bar!  Whew.  I am hoping to have it all done in............ya, not 100% sure when.  Maybe......... before the grass starts to turn green.  =]

So right after the laundry room, we jumped right into the whole upstairs!  Yep, the whole upstairs is in the middle of a remodel, paint, changing out door jams, tearing this out and adding that.

                    AFTER                                                                     BEFORE

Still lots to do...... but a lot has been done.  It has literally been days and hours of......1. waking up, getting kids off to school 2. teaching at the gym 3. coming home to paint, and paint, and paint 4. some days back to the gym to teach 5. picking my son up from school to get to soccer practice 6. more paint 7. make dinner 8. bed, sleep, repeat!  those have basically been my days for about 6 weeks.

That is all for now.  PART 2 coming...........