Crockpot Recipes to Keep You Cozy

January. It's a tough month isn't it? I always think it's a little sad when the holidays are over and you're left with that bland, grey sky and old, dirty snow. It's easy to get depressed or feel in a slump. 

But I've found a really good way to keep you cozy (at least within your living space) and that is this: Crockpot Recipes! They won't make your sky any bluer or make your snow whiter, but cooking gives you a purpose and warms up your house. 

I've kind of killed two birds with one stone with this topic. Not only am I blogging about it, but I actually worked on an article for Rewire (part of the PBS family)! And no no, I didn't write the recipes. But they are some of my very favorite recipes! The added pizazz to the article is that I took pictures of my work. Who wants to make food without pictures?! How do you know what you're doing?! Well don't fear, I have beautiful pictures like this to help you out: 

S'more Cake... UNREAL 

And this:

Chicken Stroganoff

AND THIS:

Spicy Carnitas Tacos (aka the perfectly spiced pork in my life) 

Right? I bet you're mouth is watering. Mine too. Makes me want to make the food all over again. What I loved about this assignment is that I could use my photography skills too. Photography is something I love, but I know I wouldn't want to do full-time. It's a lot of work and it's a lot of weekend work. And editing. SO. MUCH. EDITING. When I was a nanny in Boston, the husband was a wedding photographer, and I tell you, the editing gets old real fast. So I'll stick to my food shots and my nature shots. And the selfies of course. 

Baker At Heart 

I really didn't get into the cooking scene until I got married. Prior to the "I do's" I was more of a baker (and even then, I think it's a sham to call myself a baker. Maybe a baker enthusiast). I love dessert, chocolate, sweets and the list goes on and on. And while I failed at a lot of different recipes, I still found joy in providing something delightful to others. I will say I have NAILED my chocolate chip cookies (literally just follow the recipe on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse back. You won't regret it). 

But when I started dating my now-husband, I really started to like cooking. He was skilled in the kitchen and my role was to help chop or grab him things he needed while he used the skillet to saute beautiful veggies. He's also a little more adventurous than I am when it comes to food. But that's another blog for another day. 

Anyway, check out the article that i'm linking again RIGHT HERE. I hope you find something satisfying in the article. Feel free to tell me what you liked! 

Always, 
A 

Knitting Part Two: The Beauty of Creating Stuff

I'm happy to report that over the weekend, I finished my first ever knitting project ::and the crowd goes wild:: Considering I did most of my heavy lifting knitting once a week, I'd say I flew through this project! It was fun to watch my skills progress. Or stressful. Or a little bit a of both. The faster you go, the easier it is to miscount, drop a stitch or have to start all over (luckily I was not in THAT boat). 

I won't keep you in suspense for too long. That's just mean. Without further ado, the hat: 

Who wouldn't model their hat at sunset? 

Amazing isn't it?! It even has a cute pom-pom on top to finish it off. Of course there are things I need to tweak as I continue on this knitting journey, but I would call this a definite success. The nice thing about this pattern is that it didn't require me switching the size of the needles or adding anything tricky (or at least trickier than learning to knit, purl, decrease and increase...easy peasey right?) 

What I've really loved about knitting is the peace that comes with it. Sure, there are stressful times when you are trying to figure out the next set of rules or a new pattern you haven't worked with before, but it's such a gift to be able to create something with your own two hands. And  it's something that can be done on a long commute on a bus, or while you're waiting for your in-laws to stop discussing the last hand in cards (seriously, this is a ten-minute reality for me). And when you've finished, you have a new piece of work than can bring joy to you or others around you. 

What's Next? 

I have 10 two projects that I'm wanting to work on, and I might be biting off more than I can chew. The first project is Christmas Stockings. You must be thinking "aren't we past that season?" but all i'm thinking is that I have basically a whole year to figure these out. Because believe me, I picked a doozy of a pattern. It's no joke. It's a fair isle pattern (which is using colors to create patterns in your knitting, for the non-knitter speak... I just googled it. hah.) so yes. I'm jumping from this simple hat to a patterned stocking with not one, not two, but THREE different colors. And a pom-pom. But that's the fun part. 

Project two will be my break from project one, when I feel like giving up on knitting because patterns and colors are just too too much. I wanted to make a hat for my husband. Something he would really enjoy and use all the time. He even came to pick out the yarn I would use for it! He's very particular about styles and colors and textures, so this worked out perfectly. While he hasn't picked out a pattern yet, we did pick the softest merino wool/alpaca yarn we could find. It's unreal! 

Two projects at once, again, might be a bit much, but i'm excited to take it on. I'm really not holding back on this knitting thing. Let's make knitting great again!! (too soon?)

For the Knitters Out There

In case there are people out there wondering where I found such awesome patterns, let me tell you: Ravelry.com. My friend tells me it's basically Facebook for the knitting world. Well hey, I like me some Facebook, so I'm all about this new site. But truly friends, there are hundreds of projects and patterns and things to work on. They help you sort out what you're looking for by project names, yarn, needle sizes and the list goes on. I highly recommend it. AND a lot of the patterns are either are reasonably priced or completely free! 

If anyone has some of their latest projects to show off, please share! I'm interested to see all the secret knitters out there and the secret projects they work on. It'll probably inspire me to knit even more! This addiction might need it's own room, guess I'll just go buy a house then. ;) 

This is more about the boots and the expression than the hat, but this photo is perfection to me.
And show the hat off nicely.

Love Always, 
A

Amy, The Knitter

I've always craved to be skilled. In high school I wanted to join dance line. So so bad. And I was terrible. I can't high kick, I can't do the splits, and I have a hard time keeping rhythm. But I WANTED to be good. No surprise: I didn't make the team. It was probably for the best (seriously... I think my husband does better splits than I do.)

Then of course there was the scrapbooking. I poured my heart and soul into my high school boyfriend's scrapbook, (who is now my husband, so I must have done a pretty good job) clipping dozens of words from magazines, buying glittery pens, and printing the perfect pictures that depicted a happy relationship. After one pen explosion on a page and some blurry photos, I realized it wasn't one of my skills. It was made more apparent when I went to college and, no joke, my room mate had a stackable, wheel-able tote for all of her scrapbooking supplies. She was legit. 

While I have been known to write a thing or two (or hundreds of blogs, an unfinished novel, and a dozen poems) I've always wanted to do something more. And as luck would have it, I have! 

Knitting. 

Ask me a year ago, I would have laughed. And I'm not exactly sure why. It's not that I'm against it, but it seemed like there wasn't time for it or I wouldn't be able to make anything that looks nice. I'm not crafty. And this is definitely a crafty business. But my friend insisted to the point of basically buying my knitting starter kit for my 30th birthday. Hard to say no to that. 

She says I'm a natural. I think I'm faking my way through it. But as the weeks have gone on, I've really learned to love it. It's a nice kind of busy work for your hands and your mind. And what I find thrilling about it is watching the big ball of yarn turn into an object that you can use! Yes... I used the word thrilling. 

As of now, I'm inches away from finishing a hat. Example 1: 

I'm actually already farther than this, but this was from the past weekend. I've enjoyed taking photos of my progress. I am very interested to see what it looks like once I close up the top and add a little pom pom (no hat is complete without a pom pom!). My goal is to use this piece of fine outerwear before winter is over. Luckily I live in Minnesota where winter is 75% of the season. This little friend should see plenty of the white fluffy stuff. 

Is it crazy to already think about my next project? Maybe. It's already clear that I've lost it. I was shopping this past weekend and I came across a very beautiful sweater. I paused and thought to myself I could totally make that. Lord knows if I actually could or not! Perhaps I shall see what the hat looks like in completion before I conquer the knitting world. 

And for those who are just perched at the edge of their seats to see what happens in the "knitting of the hat saga," do not fear. I will post a follow-up the second it's done! I'll even model it, how about that? 

Always, 
A

2017: The Year of Fitness Goals

New Year's resolutions got me like: 

Credit: Pusheen

Okay. Maybe this isn't me exactly. But it's still pretty good. I think most people can see this image and say "yep, pretty much." Why do we make such hard resolutions to live by? Can't we just say, "I will be healthy half the time this year." That's gotta be better than your last year right? 

I'm actually an avid fitness person... connoisseur? aficionado? Whatever you want to call it, I like to work out. Sure, I haven't gotten into weightlifting (I don't know WHAT i'm doing) but I like to run and take classes. I actually completed both my first 10 Mile and my first half marathon in 2016! 

Anyway, my fallback resolution that I've been working on since 2002 is to get a six pack. I don't even think I need one at this point, but it feels like since I haven't accomplished it, I'll just keep it there. That way, it's not like I fail and give up, I just am still working towards that goal. 

So what's a person to do in January of a new year? Should you attempt to get to the gym and become this meme?

Or should you not even make a fitness goal? 

My answer is: SORT OF. 

Maybe instead of making a goal you know you won't keep, try something smaller. 

But Why Exercise? 

Look. It's easy to get home from work and sit on the couch and binge a Netflix series for the next five hours. On top of that, these brutal winter days and the darkness that ascends oh so early doesn't help either. But I can honestly say that as much as I've fought going to the gym, I've never regretted it afterward. And guess what? You can binge watch any show on a bike or treadmill! Boom! Health meets Happiness. 

But really, according to the Mayo Clinic, working out produces endorphins, which help put you in a better mood and decrease your stress levels. And friends let me tell you, stress is bad. REAL BAD. Stress can lead to hypertension, a stroke, or even a heart attack, Gulp. And I promise you, exercise can help with way more than this. 

So... How Do You Fall in Love Exercising?

It's not easy. I'll be honest. How did I do it? My friends got married. I was invited to be apart of their wedding and during my fall semester of school (which I couldn't go to because of money problems) I decided to walk/run on my parent's treadmill for one mile everyday. Isn't there a saying out there about how if you do something for 30 days it becomes routine? Well if it isn't one, I made it one. I did it. Everyday Pretty much everyday. And guess what? I fell in love. When your heart gets going, your skin produces sweat, and you see the progress that you've made, you tend to get hooked. And then when you are finished, you get this euphoric sense that builds with each day. It becomes an addiction (and not a bad one!) that you need in order to feel happy. I went from 12-minute miles to running a half marathon in a little under 2 1/2 hours. ME! 

Running doesn't have to be your thing. It really doesn't. I think you can find something that you can enjoy and fall in love with all the same. Here's a list of great activities to test out. 

20 Activities to Fall For

1. Walking
2. Running
3. Swimming
4. Tennis
5. Yoga 
6. Cycling
7. Weightlifting
8. Kickboxing
9. Basketball
10. Racquetball
11. Barre
12. Bootcamps
13. Aqua Aerobics 
14. Zumba 
15. Downhill Skiing
16. Cross Country Skiing
17. Snowshoeing
18. Ice Skating 
19. Dog Walking
20. Dancing 

What Gym Should I Join? 

Once you find one or two things that you think you can do for the next 30 days, set your mind and go for it! And know that the excuse of not having any money isn't a real excuse. It's the excuse you give yourself to not work out. Buy a latte everyday? Subscribe to several different streaming services? Color your hair every week? Get drinks with friends a couple times a week? I promise you, somewhere among all those fun perks of life, you can squeeze out an Andrew Jackson to keep your body healthy. 

Joining a gym these days can be as cheap as $10/month, either by joining a cheap gym or using your health insurances perks of discounted memberships. 

Not sure what type of gym to join? Let me break it down for you 

Cheap Gyms

These types of gyms are where a lot of people go in the new year to try to make their resolutions goals. I've read many different articles that these are also the places that people stop going and continue their membership because they feel too guilty to cancel it. Basically, these types of gyms stay in business because of New Year's resolutions. BUT I've used them for years and they have a sufficient amount of equipment to make for a great workout. Here are a few: 

Snap Fitness

Anytime Fitness

Planet Fitness

Mid-range Gyms

This is the next step in memberships. It's not as pricey as my next list, but it adds a few more perks like pools, classes, and if you're lucky, saunas (saunas are what get me to the gym during winter).

YMCA 

LA Fitness

Specialized/Expensive Gyms 

This is where you go when you're ready for a lifestyle change. These gyms are pricier, but tend to be great for those wanting to work with personal trainers or have a desire for a specialized workout. Or, for people like me who live in a frozen tundra but desire to play tennis year-round, these are the types of places for you. NOTE: I don't actually have a membership in this category, but I want to! 

Lifetime Fitness

CrossFit 

Orange Theory

And basically any gym that focuses on Barre/Pilates/Yoga/Kickboxing etc. These are too much of boutique style and probably will be localized to your area, not nationwide.  

I have total faith in all of you. Once you get going, and get past the two week why-did-i-start-this phase, you'll fall in love. You won't know how you did life before this. And if you need encouragement, come to me and i'll be your personal cheerleader. Or maybe tape one of these up in front of you as you workout: 

Always, 

A