Favorite Crock Pot Recipes for Fall!

Now that fall is fully upon us, I wanted to do a fall/winter themed recipe post! In my personal opinion, making food for the fall season absolutely screams crock pot (or slow cooker, if you prefer). I bought a crock pot last year before I moved into my first apartment, and let me tell you I freaking adore the thing. I’ve always loved to cook, but during school I don’t always have the time I wish I did to prepare meals for myself. This is where the crock pot comes in. You can literally throw together your ingredients, turn it on, and have a fabulous meal all ready to go by the time you get home from work/school/the gym/whatever. Super easy, it’s basically magic.

So in the spirit of crock pot season I figured I’d share a few of my favorite crock pot recipes with you guys! I found most of these through Pinterest or other blogs, so I will link the recipes and sites where I found them. The majority of these recipes are meant for multiple people, so I’ll either modify them for 1-2 or freeze the leftovers!

• Chicken Tortilla Soup (from Table For Two)
• Turkey Chili (this one’s a video, from the “Candidmommy” Youtube page)
• Minestrone Soup (from Eezy Recipes). This one wasn’t designed for the crock pot but I just throw everything in, cook it on low for 8-10 hours, and add some cooked pasta into each individual bow when I’m ready to serve!
• Mexican Shredded Chicken (from Paleo Perfectly).
• French Dip Sandwiches (from Six Sisters Stuff). If you want to make it extra delicious, try topping the sandwiches with some of these caramelized onions!

Let me know if you give any of them a try, and what you think of them! Bon Appétit!

xoxo,

Lauren

Inspiration For The Week

Have a great week everyone!

xoxo,

Lauren

Life Is Short

Earlier this week I got an unexpected call from my dad with some not-so-great news. My beloved grandma had a massive stroke and was in critical condition due to complications from it. Now before I go any further I want to clarify that she is okay and is doing great considering the circumstances. We are so proud of her!

Even though she will be fine, this whole ordeal came as a huge shock to me. My Grandma turned eighty-one this year, but is in great shape and is fiercely independent. She’s lived alone for almost twenty years (since my Grandpa passed), hates to have anyone help her out or take care of her. Instead she loves to take care of others, and is always doing favors for her friends and family. With the exception of college, I’ve lived within 15 minutes of my grandma for my whole life, and I am extremely close to her.  I am very lucky to have such a close relationship with her, and that she is such a great role model for me.

After I heard about her stroke, I drove home as soon as I could to be with my Grandma in the hospital. I know this meant the world to her, and it took everything I had in me not to burst into tears once I got there. Seeing her in that condition was really difficult for me, and was also a huge wake up call. Because she has always been a big part of my life, I guess that I never really imagined a time where she wouldn’t be.

Though I wish this had never happened, I guess it’s just another reminder that life is short and that we shouldn’t take it for granted. I often forget that tomorrow is not promised to anyone, and this has definitely reminded me of that. I am so thankful that my Grandma will be okay. The progress she’s already made has surprised all of us, and I know that she will continue to recover and blow everyone away!

“The Fault In Our Stars” Book Review

Today I wanted to do a review on a book I read recently. Unfortunately (and self-admittedly) I am not typically a big reader. It’s not that I don’t like to read, it’s that I really feel like I don’t have the time. Some of you may say that that’s a horrible excuse (my mom does at least), but I read so much for school that when I finally get some down time I usually like to spend it doing something other than reading. You get that, right?

Anyways, in the last week I had some extra time and decided I wanted to read something. That alone was a big step for me! I was given a Kindle a few months ago, and really hadn’t yet utilized it. So I downloaded a few books, and decided to read “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, first. My mom read the book over the summer and recommended that I read it, but I also found it on a Buzzfeed post about books you should read before they are turned into movies (The movie-version of it has already been filmed, and is set to be released mid next year!). So I started reading, and before I knew it I was hooked.

This book is about 16 year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, a stage IV-cancer survivor who also happens to be clinically depressed. In order to help her cope with this, her mom urges her to attend weekly support groups for young cancer patients/survivors. Though Hazel does not necessarily enjoy these meetings, she goes in order to appease her mom. At one of these group meetings, Hazel meets Augustus Waters, a fellow cancer survivor. The two are kindred spirits, both very intelligent, and share a wicked sense of humor. Without giving too much away, the two eventually fall in love. Instead of being just another dinky teenage love story, this book looks at some of life’s greatest questions, including how will we be remembered after we are gone?

This book was extremely touching. Though it may not be the most light-hearted read, I was captivated and couldn’t put it down. I loved the perspective it was written from, and could appreciate the dry humor and sarcasm it was infused with. It was a great combination of humor and heartstring tugging, and I have yet to meet someone who’s read this that didn’t absolutely love it.

So this perhaps is more of a book recommendation rather than a review (and I would indeed recommend everyone to read it!), but I wanted to share just how much I loved this book! If you’ve read it, comment below and tell me what you thought! Let’s just hope the movie-version doesn’t ruin it 😉

xoxo,

Lauren

15 Random Facts About Me!

Hi there! So I thought that this might be a fun blog post to do. Also probably a little embarrassing, but hey, maybe it will be entertaining for you. I always love when bloggers who I follow share things like this, and I fell like it can help the readers to get to know them better. So, without further adieu, here are 15 random facts about me!

1. I am terrified of rats. I hate them, and I think everything about them is gross. When I was a little kid, I stepped barefoot on a dead/split open rat that a cat had so graciously left on the doormat outside my house. It scarred me for life.
2. I have to make my bed everyday. Not necessarily every morning, but at some point in the day I have to. Maybe it’s a little OCD, but I hate going to sleep if the bed’s not made and if the covers are all messed up. A lot of the time I’ll even make my bed right before I go to bed. Weird, I know.
3. I am obsessed with tomato basil soup. I’ve always liked it, but in the last year my love for it has gotten a little out of hand. Now I’m a sucker for the more “gourmet” kinds of this soup, but in a pinch a can of Campbell’s Tomato, some dried basil, and milk will also do just find. (Tip: it’s extra yummy if you top it with some croutons! Try it, I dare you.)
4. I’ve already made a post about this one, but I notoriously have bad luck. Seriously, the weirdest stuff happens to me.
5. I really hate guacamole. I can barely even look at the stuff. Everyone thinks I’m nuts for this, but I just can’t stand it. Why? Four words: food poisoning in Mexico. Enough said.
6. I love dogs, and am especially crazy about my pup Lexi. I’ve had golden retrievers my whole life, and probably too obsessed with them (especially puppies!).
7. I’ve never been to Europe, and am dying to get over there. Top places on my to-visit list are Italy, Spain, and Greece.
8. I’m a pretty average height (5’ 5”) but for some reason have this idea that I’m the shortest person alive. Maybe it’s because my younger brothers are both taller than me now, and they never let me forget it.
9. If there’s something I want to know/learn about/learn how to do, it will bug me until I figure it out. This usually results in an extensive Google or YouTube session.
10. I’m a Leo, and I feel like the zodiac description of Leos is strangely close to my personality.
11. I’ve never broken a bone, needed stitches, gone to the ER, or anything like that. How I’ve managed to escape any of those is beyond me, especially considering how much of a klutz I am. (I should probably knock on wood right about now…)
12. I love to cook and bake. I swear that I should have been born Italian, because it’s my favorite food to cook!
13. I absolutely love fruit and will eat pretty much any kind, but I’m not a huge fan of veggies. I wish I liked more, but the list of vegetables I’ll actually eat is pretty limited.
14. My car hates me. I’ve owned it for 3 years and it’s been in the shop approximately 16 times since then. We have a love/hate relationship.
15. My favorite/lucky number is 15 (How appropriate for #15 on the list!)

So that’s it! At least for now! This was a pretty fun list to compile, so maybe I’ll do another post like this again soon!

xoxo,

Lauren