Stovetop Pinto Beans

Merry Christmas, friends! I took a blogging break to plan Christmas parties, shop, celebrate, and recover. We had a great Christmas with family, but sickness hit our house hard. Currently, the hubs is the only one not on antibiotics! We will persevere though...such is life.

Every Christmas, my mom brings a honey baked ham that is beyond delicious. And, it always makes for great leftovers. We are making some black eyed peas for New Years day as well as these yummy pinto beans. This recipe makes quite a bit so we will freeze half for a later date. So many options!

Ingredients (+ the ham bone)

Pinto beans
Leftover ham bone (or use bacon!)
Onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
Cilantro, handful chopped
2 cans of Rotel
Preferred seasonings

The Process

Rinse your beans and discard any broken beans and/or rocks that may arise.

Flash boil your beans - cover with water and bring to a boil. Let them boil for 2 minutes then turn off heat and cover for an hour.

After they have been flash boiled, drain and rinse. Return to pain and cover with clean water.

Add in your chopped cilantro, chopped onion, Rotel (drained), garlic, and preferred seasonings (the hubs loves his Cavender's Greek Seasoning).

Cover this goodness and simmer for 2 hours. Watch your water - we like ours a bit "soupy," but the consistency is up to you! The ham should fall off the bone. Discard the bone before serving.

We plan to serve ours with with homemade guacamole and sliced skirt steak. You can also top with cheese and sour cream or serve along side some warm cornbread.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year! Stay blessed, happy, and healthy as we close down 2015.

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Hi friends! One of my resolutions is to really invest time in my blog - I love this outlet and sharing my journey, but I want to be able to reach out to more mamas. If you're not on Bloglovin and you love some good reads, you should join. 

There's even an app for that! Hope to see you there!

Friday Finds {Vol. 21} - At-Home Workouts

My favorite workout is one where I am with people - the community involved with a good workout is so good for the soul. As we lift, squat, or run, we vent about our days and mom life. But, our schedules don't always allow for mom to get away to get that workout done. I use to be a gym rat, but even that was too hard. Enter the at-home workout. I NEVER thought I'd like working out a home - no way could it be challenging, and what if I got lonely?? Once I became a mom of two, I had to find a way to make my workouts happen.

I started with the 21-Day Fix and even did some Jillian Michaels to mix it up, and a routine started. I purchased Body Beast and fell in LOVE with strength training - all done in the comfort of my home. I do get out 1-2 times a week to attend boot camp, but the other days, I am sweating at home.

Why should you try an at-home workout? I created my top 5 list to share with you on today's edition of Friday Finds.

1. Time. It's that simple. Life is cray-cray, and we need to utilize our "free time" wisely. All you need is 30 minutes to get your sweat on, and the programs I mentioned do just that. You simply move to your designated space and hit play. No travel time needed - no need to find child care. Wake up early, complete during nap time, or get your husband to watch the kids for a bit for your me time. Boom and done.

2. Attire. I would lay my workout clothes out at night OR even wear them to sleep so I would be ready to get dressed and go in the morning. Not anymore, my friends. I can wear those shorts I would never wear in public and if I get REALLY crazy, I just wear a sports bra. Let me assure you, I am in NO place to wear a lone sports bra to a gym or boot camp, but at home? You betcha. 

3. Money. My gym membership was pretty pricey - not to mentioned sign-up fees too. My workout programs do not cost much at all considering how much I use them. Included in this price is a workout calendar and a nutrition guide with recipes. If you want this done at a gym, you have to consult with other professionals which again costs you more. It's an all in one thing when you work out at home. 

4. Sweat. I never thought I'd sweat like I do at boot camp, especially when I am alone in my sports bra at home. The programs I do always leave me panting and sweating - a sign of an amazing workout. I feel stronger, more tone, and tough just as I would if I were at the gym.

5. Results. I used the 21 Day Fix after baby #2 and felt invincible - such a great feeling for the tired, hardworking mama. I used the Body Beast program and gained muscle tone. I love that my routine of boot camp plus working out at home has given me results I never thought I'd see in my late 30s. Plus, when you workout with these programs, you have a community to push you and encourage your each step of the way. They are just as proud of your results as you are. 

I asked my husband for one thing this Christmas - the perfect workout combo for me. The 21 Day Fix and Body Beast trainers have come together for ONE great 60-day program called The Master's Hammer and Chisel. When you get this program, you are covering each of the 5 points I mentioned. 

With this program, you get:

• 12 workouts
• A workout calendar
• A nutrition guide
• Portion control containers
• Daily dense nutrition - Shakeology
• A community to support your journey

You can click HERE to see just how this program works. My results are a product of hard work at boot camp and what I do at home in just 30 minutes. Add this program to your Christmas wishlist and give yourself the gift of ME TIME, strength, and encouragement that you need to make you the best mama possible. 

Contact me at alwaysanewdayblog@gmail.com for more information. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a HEALTHY New Year!

With Love,

Kim

John's Cornbread Stuffing

We had a great Thanksgiving week - how about you? I do love all the food, football, and fun surrounding this holiday. But, to be honest, I am a huge fan of Christmas, so this holiday is like jumping into the jolly holiday season. 

We traveled this turkey day and made a quick stop to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas before heading to see family. If you are in Texas, go. The decorations and the atmosphere are perfect for the kids - and the giddy adults too. 

Our kids loved being with the "far away" cousins while the adults shared some libations and cooked up a storm. 

But, my favorite part of Thanksgiving is feeling close to my dad as he loved this time of year. The last three years, I have been in charge of his stuffing. And this year was the first I didn't have my mom right beside me to cheer me on - I did it solo. I have to toot my horn - it was PERFECT. Thanks, Dad, for guiding me as you always do.

We plan to have it again for Christmas so I wanted to share this top notch recipe with you all. And, this week is my dad's birthday - what a perfect time to share a part of him. May you enjoy it just as my family does!

John's Cornbread Stuffing

1 lb. breakfast sausage
4 packages of cornbread (we use Gladiola brand)
2 onion, chopped
2 green bell pepper, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery chopped
1 carton of low sodium chicken stock
1 stick of butter (hey, no one said it was fat free)
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Cook cornbread per instructions and let cool. While the cornbread is cooling, cook sausage and drain. Next, cook the veggies in butter until soft.

To assemble - crumble the cornbreads in a large bowl then add sausage and veggies. Mix thoroughly. Once these ingredients are fully mixed, pour in chicken stock until moist - I used about 3/4 of the carton.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Spread in a 9x13 pan and warm in the oven. If needed, add the remaining chicken stock before serving. You can also freeze or refrigerate until needed. You can then warm in the oven before serving.

I hope you all made special memories this Thanksgiving. We ended our holiday with our annual tree hunt and cut down our own. Wish us luck - there's a certain rambunctious toddler in our midst that is VERY curious about her tree. Happy Holidays!

And stay tuned for my Friday Finds this week - I am SO excited about my Christmas present, and I want to share that fun with all of you!

With Love,
Kim