Crockpot Chronicles: Three Bean Chili

What better way to warn up in this cold weather than with a nice tasty bowl of chili? Mmmmhhhmmm! But who really wants to stand in the kitchen all day when you can be laying on the couch with your honey watching Netflix?  [Making a murderer is so good by the way] Throw it in the crock pot and forget about it! 

Ingredients 

2 diced tomatoes

3 chopped garlic gloves 

1/2 purple onions diced

1/2 yellow onion diced

1/3 red pepper chopped

1/3 yellow pepper chopped

1/3 orange pepper chopped 

1 table spoon cumin 

1 table spoon black pepper 

1 table spoon chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt 

1 pack of McGormack mild chili seasoning 

1 lb lean ground beef

1 sweet canned corn

1 can black beans

1 can  red kidney beans 

1 can chili (pink) beans

1 can of diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano 

1 can of chili tomatoes

Directions

1. Turn crock-pot on high (or 350) and allow it to heat up for about an half hour.

2. Wash all veggies and set aside

3. Open canned corn, tomatoes and all beans. 

4. Drain corn completely. 

5. Drain beans half way. 

6. Add  all spices, chopped veggies, corn, canned tomatoes, ground beef and beans with juice into crock pot.

7. From the can of "diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano" only add the juice.

8. Cover crock pot. And relax.

*Be sure to stir occasionally 

Cook for about 5 hours. Garnish with cheese and chopped scallion.[or chives] [The Jamaican in me just loves scallion lol]  Serve with a side a roasted garlic and butter crostinis. 

                                                     

A Mom in College: How to be a successful student and parent a toddler

With the Spring semester right around the corner, I thought Id share some tips on how to be a successful student and parent at the same time. Being a college student and parent is truly a balancing act. Like me, I'm sure many of you are often faced with the choice between being attentive to your child or completing your assignments. [I guess this is why you should complete your degree before having a baby. But so what, lets turn lemons into lemonade] So, here are my top 5 tips on how to study with a toddler!

1. Creative Play

Watching TV is nice but honestly folks there are many better ways to stimulate those young growing minds. You don't have to spend much either. You can buy legos, blocks or puzzles. Or simply your kid some play-dough or finger paint. If your child still likes to put things in there mouth, flour, sugar, food coloring makes a pretty decent and non-toxic paint. Grab a poster board from dollar tree and let them go to town.  Not only will your child be occupied but activities like this help develop motor skills and have many intellectual benefits as well. Creative playing activities enhance "thinking" through planning, problem solving, and aids in the development cognitive skills. The most obvious benefit of creative play is CREATIVITY!!!

2.Go Outside

Living in New England the weather is so unpredictable! However, when its nice out; grab your laptop and text books and study while your child runs around. Bring a ball outside and kick it, throw it and have them retrieve it. [Sounds a little like, fetch lol sorry]. You'll be playing with them but still able to study.

3. Bedtime Story

If you have a course that requires a lot of reading then this will be very helpful to you. Read your text to your child for a bed-time story. When I was taking employment law, I would read the various cases to Alivia. Of course, it did not have any pictures which was actually beneficial. Picture this:black and white text, snuggled up close to mom, mono-tone voice. Shed fall asleep in no time. This was also a pretty cool way to introduce your child to words and sounds that they don't generally hear.

4. Study with Mommy

You heard it right! Study with your child. My major is accounting so I am always using a calculator, pencils and a lot of legal length paper. So what do I do? I give Alivia a calculator, a pencil and legal length paper. [Go figure lol] She bangs on her calculator, huffs and puffs like I do when I cant figure something out and she jots down her answers. Of course shes not really computing any calculations but she has a lot of fun pretending. I encourage her by reviewing her work [She really loves that], telling her shes doing an awesome job and thanking her for helping me. 

5. Just say F*ck It

Yea I know, this post is suppose to be all about balancing motherhood and student life. The harsh reality is sometimes your homework will just have to take a back seat and/or your child will have to watch 2 hours of television. You will literally say "f*ck it" and skip the assignment or plop your child in-front of the TV. Its not what we want but its what just has to be done. I've missed assignments and Alivia has watched 6 Doc Mcstuffins episodes back to back. And guess what, everything is okay!!