Hey there, friends! Happy Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m off to spend the day with my family here in North Florida, specifically Ponte Vedra Beach, near Jacksonville. I thought in honor of the holiday that I would share six things that I’m especially thankful for, although the list is really endless!
• MY HOME & FAMILY: This has been a year of extreme tragedy all throughout our country – and the world, of course, but especially our country this year, it seems, with all of the natural disasters. I know there are so many people who lost their homes and loved ones that are really struggling today, really struggling to find something to be grateful for. My parents were in that position last year after losing their home to Hurricane Matthew. My hope and prayer is that anyone who is sitting in that position this Thanksgiving is that they’re starting to see a silver lining, the beauty of new beginnings and God working in and through it all. My family was extremely lucky this year when we went through Hurricane Irma but we’ve surely known loss in other ways. I think it’s important to focus on what really matters, which is family. In addition to that, I think it’s important to not take the things that you DO have for granted and your home should be one of those things. You never realize what a blessing it is until it’s taken from you. So, I’m very thankful to have MY home to come home to and to have such a strong and healthy family.
• PERSONAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS: I’m thankful to be moderately healthy. I know I could probably do better and spend more time on myself whether it be getting back into the gym or invest some time into finding some healthier meals to cook but, in general, I’m thankful for my overall health.
• ASSISTANCE: This might sound weird but I’m SO happy to have the help of an amazing person day in and day out when it comes to running this blog. If you’ve never heard me speak of Justine, she is my assistant and has been working with me since early 2016. She and I have a lot of similarities, which is extremely comforting, but she is strong in every way that I am weak, which is even better! She has helped me achieve goals that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve by myself. She is one of my biggest blessings and this blog wouldn’t be what it is without her!
• MY BOYS: It’s no secret that my boys are one of the things I am most thankful for! They are responsible for so many of the smiles. They are spunky and funny. They are sweet and snuggly. Life is crazy with TWO, I won’t lie. It’s been an adjustment bringing one more in but I wouldn’t change it for anything!!! I love them so much!
• YOU: I love what I do. I love this little blog. It still blows my mind that I get to do this for a living and so much of the reason why I can continue is because of YOU. Thank you – to the ends of the Earth and beyond – for letting me into your world in even the smallest capacity that you do. It means the world to me and I do not take it for granted!
I could list so many more things like iced coffee, a working vehicle, clean running water, Jesus and the faith I have in Him, Pinot Gris & Vino Verde, close friends who might not live close by but always make it clear they’re close in heart, the ability to travel as often as I do, the experiences that I’ve had due to travel, the beautiful city of London [that it exists], etc. but those are the five that came to mind first so, now … it’s your turn! What are you thankful for this year?
One of my favorite things to cook this time of year is this Healthy Turkey Chili. It’s super easy and SO good! It what I make when I have friends coming over to watch This Is Us or The Bachelor. We all pour ourselves some wine and chow down! I’ll leave the recipe here for y’all:
Healthy Turkey Chili
My go-to chili recipe using lean ground turkey, kidney beans, veggies and a blend of spices. Seriously one of the easiest and yummiest recipes I know!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 lb extra lean ground turkey
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 2 15 oz cans dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can sweet corn rinsed and drained
- 4 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- avocado
- tortilla chips
- cilantro
- cheese
Instructions
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Put oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in onion, minced garlic and red pepper, and saute for 5-7 minutes.
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Move the veggies to one side of the pot and add in the ground turkey on the other side. Cook the turkey until no longer pink.
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Next, add in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt, stir to mix.
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Next, add in the full can of tomatoes with juice, the chicken broth, drained kidney beans and drained corn.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until chili thickens.
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Garnish with cheese, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, and anything else you want!
I found the recipe on Pinterest and belongs to Ambitious Kitchen. Thank you for making me a better cook, lovely!
I haven’t had time to do try-on’s for y’all of sale items that are currently on sale over on Insta-stories the past couple of days, so to end today, I’ll share 15 of my picks from ALL of the sales that are going on right now!
My Black Friday Sale Page has been updated so check that out! I’ll have THE FULL LIST and roundup tomorrow on the blog so be sure to head back to see the latest and greatest places to get your gifts or things you’ve been needing around the house but didn’t want to pay full price! 😉
Happy Thanksgiving, friends! xo.
