Friday Favorites

I don't know about where you live, but it's starting to get chilly here. When I say chilly, I mean we're in the 60's and that actually means it's freezing. But there is absolutely nothing better than being all bundled up in your favorite sweats and eating hot soup for dinner. Actually, the only thing better than that is coming home to the smell of that hot soup simmering in your crock pot all day. Yummmmm. So for this week's Friday Favorites, I've linked to a couple of my favorite soups below.

BONUS: I've included a super secret recipe to a copycat of Panera Bread's chicken and wild rice soup. Put on some stretchy pants and let's do this.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
This one is so easy, it's stupid. If you can just get past the fact that you're using a half brick of Velveeta cheese, I promise you'll enjoy this. I will be the first to admit that using a "cheese product" in anything is probably immoral. But selling your soul to the devil on this one is totally worth it, I promise. This is one of those "I have absolutely no time to make dinner, what am I going to feed my kids" kind of meals (as if I know what that's like). It's seriously so fast.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Pair this with a loaf of French bread and you'll be horizontal for hours trying to recover. Seriously, just unbutton your pants before you sit down at the table. Save yourself some time. Or just don't wear pants at all. This is another stupidly simple recipe. Are you noticing a theme here? If you're wondering whether or not I'm lazy, just remember that my nickname is "sloth." Alright, back to the soup. This is the perfect fall soup. Ya got your meat. Ya got your potatoes. If you've got a lumberjack boyfriend type, he'll be impressed with this. Guaranteed.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
The grand finale. You guys. This soup is everything. It's a little time intensive, but if you have a servant kid that you can trust with a knife, you can probably cut the prep time in half. There's a lot of slicing and dicing in this one. If you've ever had this soup at Panera Bread, you can appreciate this recipe. So creamy. So delicious. I credit my sister's father-in-law with this recipe. I'm pretty sure that's where this came from. If not, just take the credit Phil.**** Without further ado:

Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cooked, boneless chicken breasts (shredded)
1 (4.5 ounce) package Uncle Ben's chicken and wild rice w/seasoning packet
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup chopped mushroom (I usually use more - love mushrooms)
1/2 cup chopped carrot (too much carrot will sweeten the soup - don't do that!)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves chopped garlic
*dry, white wine

Directions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and cooked chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.
2. Saute mushroom, carrot, onion, celery, and garlic in pan (with olive oil) until soft.
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, until full incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Add vegetables to pot. Cook over medium heat until heated through, about 10-15 minutes.
5. *Finish with a dry, white wine. (Just enough to flavor the soup).
6. Enjoy! I always serve with a sourdough baguette! Perfect for dipping into the soup.

****UPDATE: Sister has informed me that this is actually her recipe. Apologies, I didn't know you were capable of making something this delicious. I mean that in the best possible way.

Please share your soup recipes with me! I always love adding new ones to my repertoire!

Trick or Treat!

Halloween is a pretty big deal in my family. So much so, that my brother-in-law claims that my sister, mother and I are in a coven. I wish. Because if I had magical powers I would cast spells that made me skinny and cure hangovers. Alas, I have no thigh gap and a residual hangover from Saturday night. 

I still get a really big kick out of Halloween even though I no longer drag an old, dingy pillowcase from house to house, begging for candy and wearing a princess costume inevitably covered up by a winter coat (I have an overprotective mother). 

To this day, I remember coming back with our goodies and dumping the contents of the pillowcase out on the floor between our legs. I'd always give my mom the Jujubes and Hot Tamales because they are absolutely disgusting, my sister would give me all of her milk chocolates (dairy allergy) and my dad would shamelessly steal the candy that we had worked so hard for. Opened or unwrapped candy had to be thrown out and our loot always had to be checked by an adult before we could begin our overindulgence. 

Last year, we gained a new addition to our coven. And now that she is more aware of her own existence than she was last year, I am SO excited to experience this holiday through her eyes. She has already perfected her "boo!" game. And she practices her shrill scream every chance she gets. What a pro. 

Also, I cannot wait to share my costume details with you guys. I REALLY wanted to be Hillary this year but I've decided to go in a different direction. I'll spill the beans soon! What are your favorite Halloween memories? Did anyone actually get a razor blade in their candy? I'm thinking this was a tactic used by our parents to steal more candy. Also, check out this Halloween contract you should 110% make your kids sign. 

Happy Halloween!

Friday Favorites

This week's Friday Favorites are my favorite fall everythings! Ten bucks says you'll catch yourself saying "Amok! Amok! Amok!" before the day is over!

---

Watching the entire Harry Potter series over and over and over and over and over...

Pumpkin flavored hard cider, pumpkin flavored coffee, pumpkin flavored coffee creamer, pumpkin flavored biscotti, pumpkin flavored beer...

Stepping on crunchy looking leaves.

Finally being able to actually spend time doing my hair because the humidity is gone.

Wearing leggings as pants in public (wait, I do this all the time).

Cider mills, hay rides and haunted houses. Also, doughnuts and cider.

Alternating between Uggs (don't hate), wellies, and riding boots depending on the occasion and weather conditions.

Fuzzy socks.

The smell of burning leaves.

Pumpkin flavored waffles, pumpkin flavored Oreos, pumpkin flavored cream cheese, pumpkin flavored oatmeal, pumpkin flavored ice cream...

Buying shaving cream less frequently.

Free candy!

Watching Hocus Pocus and quoting every. single. line.

Taking an extra 10 minutes to get ready because I can't decide which of my 50,000 scarves go with my outfit the best.

Hot tea, cozy sweaters, and good books.

Halloween Pandora station.

You guys, just go to Trader Joe's. They have pumpkin flavored everythings.

---

What are your fall favorites? Let me know in the comment section below! This Hocus Pocus drinking game posted by Little Baby Garvin might just be a top priority this month! Enjoy your long weekend - this is what Pip and I plan on doing. Happy fall everybody!

Bedroom Design Tour

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been mildly obsessed with home decor. I would rearrange my room every couple of months and would surprise my mom with a rearranged living room as well (reactions varied). Now that I have a place of my own, I find even more joy in personalizing my space. I am by no means a professional. I am more like an assistant junior novice low-budget hobby designer. The only people who have let me "design" their spaces have been my mother and sister. Both of them mostly begrudgingly. I actually tell both of them they aren't allowed to make design purchases without my prior approval (HA!). No but really...please don't guys.

So, this week I'm taking you on a short tour of my bedroom. This is really the only space in my apartment that I am mostly content with (if you have the design bug like me, you know what I mean). You guys, let me just tell you how much I am obsessed with Craigslist. It. Is. Everything. I troll that site like most people troll Facebook. Everyone in my neighborhood (except me) is pretty well-off so there is an abundance of quality treasures to be found. Almost everything in my apartment was bought from Craigslist. Mainly because I am so unbelievably poor (thanks Navient!). But also because some of these items are antiques and you can't buy them in stores. Let's get this thing started!

---

Let me just tell you that my bed never looks like this. I used to make it every day before I left for work. Nowadays, I'm lucky if I wash my hair and walk out the door wearing the same shoe on both feet. Anyways, this space is my jam. I'm actually in the market for some new bedding and a new rug but until I marry someone rich can afford it, these will have to do.

Nightstands: Craigslist - $20 for the pair (originally Ikea - $70 each); Bedframe: Ikea - $180; Table lamps: HomeGoods (a.k.a. heaven on earth) - $40 each (similar here); Duvet: CB2 - $70 (similar here); Quilt: Target - $60 (similar here and here); Faux fur throw: Pottery Barn - purchased on sale for $80; Rug: Ikea - $20 (similar here); Antique bench: Craigslist - $15 (similar here); Antique mantelpiece: Craigslist (Surrendered Goods) - $90; Wreath: Target - $20

 

Here's a closeup of one of my most favorite Craigslist finds (it's a tie between the bench and the mantelpiece). Regardless of the fact that this thing is usually the keeper of all the clothes I've worn for the week and haven't hung back up or put in the laundry, I love it dearly. Just look at it - so pretty.

Also, can we talk for a minute about how to style a shelf? I don't care if it's a bookshelf, a nightstand, or the back of your toilet. For the love, will you please take five extra minutes and color coordinate the damn thing?! Thanks. I needed to get that off my chest. 

Let me tell you a not-so-funny funny story about this mantelpiece. It is being held up by screws that I hammered (yeah, you read that right) into the wall. Hey, I never claimed to be a handywoman (side rant: why does spellcheck recognize "handyman" but not "handywoman"??? #girlpower). 

I could just stare at this thing all day. You can bet your bum that I'll be throwing up a seasonal appropriate wreath on this thing for every season from now until forever. I have my eye on this magnolia wreath for the warmer months. 

 And here is my favorite home decor accessory, Mr. Pip. 

I'll be doing more tours once I am happy with my other rooms. The living room is almost there. Just waiting on my sofa :) Happy Monday, everyone! May your coffee be strong and your anxiety level low! 

How to Deal

I really do plan on keeping this blog lighthearted, but today's events have got my heart hurting and now I have these words burning a hole in my chest. I have to put them down. I hope you'll bear with me.

When I was 18 years old, I attempted suicide.

I was 200 miles away from home, living with strangers in an unfamiliar place and my long-distance boyfriend dropped the bomb that he no longer loved me. I had never felt so alone, so hurt and so incapable of dealing with my own emotions. You see, I had been struggling with depression and anxiety for years before this night. I had gone undiagnosed, untreated, and most importantly - uneducated.

I say "uneducated" because had I been told what depression is, I might not have decided to swallow two handfuls of pain killers in an attempt to end my own life. I say "uneducated" because had I known and recognized my own symptoms of depression, I might have gone to see a counselor instead of the emergency room doctor on duty that night. I say "uneducated" because instead of drinking a 16 oz. cup full of liquid charcoal to rid my body of the drugs, I could have been prescribed antidepressants.

Depression is so much more than feeling sad and I wish people would stop trying to make it seem that small and insignificant. For years I had felt emotionally unstable and unable to deal with the pressures and anxieties of my life. And one night, I felt that it would be better to feel nothing at all than to feel the pain I was experiencing.

Mental illness is not something you can pray away. It is not something that you can throw money at. And it certainly isn't going to go away on its own. Mental illness affects both men and women. You can be 18 or 85. Rich or poor. Single or married. Mental illness does not discriminate. Until we educate our society on the types of mental illness, the symptoms, and how to deal - we are going to continue to see days like this one. A day where someone is incapable of dealing with his emotions and it ends in tragedy.

I have been off of medication for four years now. I am confident in my ability to manage my stress levels and I know when it's time to get a "check up." I know what depression is. I know how it manifests itself and now I know how to deal with it.

Please know that my heart aches for these families and friends and even the complete strangers that are affected by today - another mass shooting. But my heart also aches for the forgotten victim, the person struggling with his or her mental illness that thought this was how to deal.

Please, please, please - if there is a war inside you, if you are questioning your own desire to live, tell someone. Tell anyone. Tell me. This is not something you have to deal with on your own. And it is certainly not something you need to be ashamed of.