Grandma Lena's Infamous Thanksgiving Stuffing

This recipe is my Grandma's stuffing. She used to make it every Thanksgiving until it got to the point that she couldn't. One of her favorite things was cooking. I'm glad to have shared that with her and now that she is gone I am glad to have the memories and recipes in her cookbook. This stuff is a family tradition and is well worth sharing. Incredibly moist and full of flavor. Melts in your mouth!

Saving Money and Having Fun With Your Dog

I love my dog and want her to live a long and healthy life, that will keep her active. Going natural and doing the extra little steps to insure your pet gets the best quality care is what matters to me. I'm not saying sacrifice all your money for it, not all things healthy have to be expensive. Just like these "pup" cakes, much more reasonable to make them than buy at a specialty shop.

Food Recommendations:
Blue Buffalo has been phenomenal for my dog's digestion and coat.
It is pricy, so an alternative is Diamond Naturals, just as healthy and high in protein, but $20 less per 30lb bag.
I also do greek or probiotic yogurt. 2 Tablespoons each day in my dogs food.
Another thing for bigger dogs is adding glucosamine to their food (buy any tablet and crush one up in their food). This will really help them stay active down the road, which will also save you on vet bills for hip problems.

Bathing: 
Use hot water (not too hot, but where your dog can still stand it). Why? Hot water will kill any fleas, but will dry out the skin quicker so make sure to use a dog conditioner. I add a few drops of tea tree oil in the conditioner, this keeps fleas away and aids with continued moisture....

DIY Snow Globe

So I've always loved snow globes and figured why not make my own?!

Super Simple. First make a run to Dollar Tree or Family Dollar (Hint: Dollar Tree is cheaper).

Buy Yourself a couple of Mason Jars there if you don't have any. Also buy village figurines and the fake Christmas trees with the white base. You will also need glitter (silver or gold- I like the big glitter) and fake snow. 

One snow globe will hold 1 tree, 1 or 2 figurines of your choice, 1 teaspoon of glitter, and 2 teaspoons of fake snow. Glue objects to inside of the mason jar lid. Let dry for 30 min-1 hour.
Fill with water (you can add a couple of drops of glycerin if you have some, if not it still works. Glycerin just slows down the falling process). Now shake and enjoy!

Turkey Crockpot Chili with Beans

Super Simple Recipe, much healthier than regular chili, but just as good if not better!

What you will need:

• 16 oz Tomato Sauce
• 16 oz Diced Tomatoes (with garlic) Undrained
• 15 oz Can Kidney Beans Undrained
• 15 oz Can Pinto Beans Undrained
• 15 oz Can Black Beans Undrained
• 1 Pound Lean Ground Turkey
• 1/2 Small Chopped Onion
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 3 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon (Brings out the flavor of the other spices)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Tablespoons Cooking Sherry

Combine everything in the crock-pot except the ground turkey and the 1/2 small chopped onion. Cook the ground turkey and chopped onion in a skillet until fully cooked. Put the turkey in with the rest of the ingredients in the crock-pot and let cook on high for 3 hours. 

Quick Homemade Granola

This isn't your typical store bought granola with a ton of fat and sugar. It's much better and healthier! It's incredibly easy to make, takes around 20-25 including prep and bake time. Don't trust me? Try my recipe for yourself!

Mini Egg Breakfast Muffins

I came up with this recipe as a different breakfast food item. It's similar to a quiche just without the crust. Which also makes it healthier. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 Eggs
• 1/8 Cup Almond Milk
• Shredded Cheese for sprinkling on top (Optional)
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Spinach
• 1/8 Cup Finely Chopped Red Onions
• 10 Chopped Turkey Lil' Smokies
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Avocado Egg Salad

If you like Avocado, this way of making egg salad will change your life. The greatest thing is you can follow this exact recipe and add a can of natural chicken to it and make Avocado Chicken Salad. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Light Mayo
• 1 Tablespoon Spicy Mustard
• 1 Small Avocado
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Red Onions
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

A New Year is only the next chapter

It's funny because so many expect New Years to change their lives or to erase the past. The truth is New Years is just one night, just like any other.

Telling yourself to make a change and move forward is what makes a new year. Growing with the changes and taking on new challenges. The past can't be erased, but it can be made better. There comes a day and time where we all just need to sit down and breathe. Life keeps going with or without you. If you spend it working and ignoring everything and everyone outside of work, the moment you turn around and realize, it might be too late. Everything that was a true life will be gone. This year and every year going forward, don't take for granted the ones who stick around for you. 

The thing about New Years is it brings unrealistic expectations to the surface. Don't set goals for yourself that you know you don't want to achieve but you feel like you have to, to make some sort of 'resolution.' Set goals that you would want to complete, that challenge yourself to be the best possible version of who you are. Don't change yourself into someone you're not.

 A new year doesn't guarantee a blank slate to start over. It does offer 365 new pages to the book that is your life. Every page offers something new, but only you can fill in the blanks. Write your story how you would want it to be read. For the possibilities truly are endless, if you keep your mind open. Don't flip back to the past. No one wants to read a book backwards. Moving beyond the past to get to the future requires acknowledgement of the present. Live the present and slowly you will flip forward to the future and what it holds for you.  Everyone has a story to write and journey that begins somewhere. Don't be afraid to get carried away or to do something out of the ordinary. Those tend to be the best pages of the book.