Devouring: Crockpot 3 Bean Turkey Chili

The rainy days of spring still often leave us with cravings for comfort food,

and Skinny Taste's Crockpot 3 Bean Chili hits the spot every time.

What you need
1.3 lb (20 oz) fat free ground turkey breast
1 small onion, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped chilies, drained
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, undrained
1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (15.5 oz) can small red beans, undrained
2 tbsp chili powder


Topping:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro for topping
shredded cheddar to top

What you do
Brown turkey and onion in a medium skillet over medium high heat until cooked through.
Drain any fat remaining and transfer to crock pot.
Add the beans, chilies, chickpeas tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili powder mixing well.
Cook on high 6-8 hours.
Garnish with onions, cilantro and cheese and enjoy!

What is your favorite rainy day comfort food?

Lovely Things {via Pinterest}

{lanaloustyle.blogspot.com via Hidden on Pinterest}

The hidden sisters are loving pinterest ~ "a virtual pinboard ~ a place where you can create collections of things you love and 'follow' collections created by people with great taste."

{bornmodernbaby.com via Hidden on Pinterest}

Once you have an account, you simply add a 'Pin It' button to your menu bar, and as you spot beautiful or inspiring images online, you 'pin' them, adding them to your virtual boards. You can create boards for anything you like...food, travel, fashion, crafts...anything you find beautiful. You can share these boards and follow others with boards you like, as well!

{thisnext.com via Hidden on Pinterest}

Do you use Pinterest? We'd love to follow you if you do!

DIY Inspiration: Bedding for Little Ones

{Dress, Throw}

My sweet little girl recently moved from her crib to a toddler bed. And with all big changes, we found a way to celebrate it.

On a recent trip to IKEA, she spotted these LUSY flowers...

And I loved them, too! So, we tossed in a few other things...

Two pillow cases. {$4.99}

Two pillows. {$0.99 each}

A twin sheet. {$1.99}

LUSY flowers. {$4.99}

{The Rit Dye was from the grocery store...$2.99}

And we got busy sewing!

I had planned to use the twin sheet to make a duvet cover for the toddler size comforter (similar) she already had. But, when I got home, I realized I had purchased a fitted (not flat) sheet...and though I tried to cut off the elastic and use it, it wasn't large enough. However, luck was on my side! I had a large piece of orange fabric with flowers that was large enough...and had a finished edge!

I used her old duvet as a guide and simply cut along the edges with the fold at the top (printed sides together). I then stitched one entire side and the bottom. For the second side, I stitched almost to the fold, leaving a 12 inch opening. Since the fabric had a finished edge, I didn't need to hem. Such a breeze! This opening is small enough to keep the duvet covered and just large enough to easily take the comforter in and out.

While sewing the duvet, I dyed the pillow cases the lovely lemon yellow, following the instructions for the washing machine mode. Then, I simply stitched the flowers onto the pillow cases.

She loves it. And, these bright, vibrant colors will sail right into summer with us...

Linking with these great parties at The Stories of A to Z!

{Green} Spring Cleaning

With the arrival of spring it's no secret we can't resist the urge to begin spring cleaning.

This year we were looking for a more gentle approach and

wanted to avoid the harsh {not to mention expensive} chemicals we so often rely on.

Turning to our own pantries we quickly realized that with two simple ingredients we had everything we needed...white vinegar and baking soda. Yep, that's it!

Baking Soda Scrub

With a sprinkle of baking soda and a damp sponge our sinks and tubs are sparkling like new.

Forming a paste and letting it sit for 10-20 minutes loosened up stubborn dirt and soap scum.

Green Clean Spray

2 cups water

2 cups white vinegar

spray bottle

{we rinsed and reused an old one}

We love how white vinegar is a natural deodorizer, absorbing smells rather than just covering them up.

{recipe source Organized Home}

We also love Hol : Fit's Gorgeous Green Cleaners list, with recipes for cleaning spray with essential oils, laundry detergent, silverware polish, dishwashing detergent and even oven cleaner.

After a good scrub we opened all the windows as a fresh spring rain fell outside.
The house has never felt so clean.

Listening: The King is Dead~The Decemberists

Enjoying The Decemberists most recently album on this rainy, spring Sunday...as well as hot coffee and a {large} slice of chocolate banana bundt cake. Hoping for a slow, mellow day...and one for you, too!

Inspiration: Chocolat

As grown ups, the hidden sisters are looking forward to some sweet treats this Easter...and hopefully fewer mini-Cadbury eggs...and more gourmet chocolate. We love this movie {and the main actors as well}. Here's to garden parties, dinners with friends, delightful music...and heavenly chocolate!

This Moment

This Moment - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment we want to pause, savor and remember. Share your moment in the comments! Inspired by soulemama

Just Couldn't Wait..Easter Eggs!

Easter is exactly one month away today...and those these eggs will be nibbled before then, the little ones could not wait to use the coloring packets we saw while grocery shopping.
There is something so exciting about seeing this...

And the joy of this...

And the laughter during this...

Turn into this rainbow of color!

There will definitely be more egg coloring in the coming days...hopefully with aunts and grandmas to enjoy the fun, too. But it joining the little ones in their to-big-to-contain excitement is always the best way to brighten up the early days of Spring!

A Fresh Start

Spring is in the air...and we are actually a bit giddy to start spring cleaning! Clearing out closets, donating to charity, packing extra things away, sprucing up and getting started (or re-started) on healthy routines sounds exciting. Here are a few things the hidden sisters love to use to help us clean and keep us organized:

• The 'All Out Of' pad from knock knock. This $8 pad of 60 sheets has lasted an entire year. It makes grocery shopping a breeze. Just check off things as you run out, and when shopping, all your items are arranged by department. Brilliant.
• Routines! We love this little list of routines for the day and for the week from the Fly Lady. Our days go so much more smoothly when we follow these simple lists.
• Project:Simplify from Simple Mom. 'Your home. Five weeks. Five hot spots.' Need we say more?
• Tutorials and Tips Tuesdays from The Stories of A to Z. A great place to find helpful and beautiful ideas for making your home (and yourself!) beautiful.

Are you getting excited to get your home ready for spring?

Beginnings::The Garden

It's still cold outside, but the signs of spring are everywhere...

The hidden sisters love the greens and pinks of spring.

These early little buds and blooms got us antsy to get out our gardening gloves and a shovel...

And work with the little ones on this year's garden. Though it was only warm enough to get the soil ready...it's ready...and we can plant our seeds just as soon as the sun comes! It will be our third year of doing gardening by the square foot. Though certainly not experts, we are happy learners. The past two years, we've planted tomatoes, beans, peas, corn, lettuce, cucumbers and peppers (the last two in hanging planters). The little ones love being outside, helping, planting seeds, digging, raking, watering...

And their eternal optimism and joy in all that they do is really what grows from this garden.
Are you growing anything this year?

Listening: Tennis~Marathon

{Source-Tennis}

Find more artists like Tennis at Myspace Music

The hidden sisters have been missing summer a bit a lately...and this sweet song takes us back to the beach. We love the sound of the 1950s pop and all the seafaring references!

The Pefect{ly Adorable} Proposal

The hidden sisters had one cat growing up...and neither has ever been able to love another since! But we do love this sweet, slightly campy commercial (we first saw it during the Academy Awards). Enjoying this little mini-movie and a picture perfect fantasy...

For Japan with Love...

Instead of blogging today, the hidden sisters are thinking of Japan and all those who are affected by this tragedy. There just really are no words.

Please consider donating to charities such as:
Shelterbox
Mercy Corps
Red Cross
UNICEF

Luck & Blessings

{From Wikimedia Commons}

The hidden sisters wish you a very happy St. Patrick's Day! As the Irish lasses that we are, we would also like to say...

May you have warm words on a cold evening,

A full moon on a dark night,

And the road downhill all the way to your door.

~

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,

May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

~

Walls for the wind,

And a roof for the rain,

And drinks beside the fire - 

Laughter to cheer you

And those you love near you,

And all that your heart may desire!

St. Patrick's Day Delights...

With just a few days until St. Patrick's Day...the hidden sisters have gathered some sweet and lucky ideas here for fun things to do with little ones and tiny treats for just you!

{Photo from andersruff shop}

St. Patrick's Day Printables

{Photo from Twig & Thistle}

It's Your Lucky Day Bags

{image from shopegreenlilydesigns}

Leprechaun Treasure Hunt

{Image from Whoopsies Shop}

Ultamint Whoopie Pies

Can't wait for to throw on our green and enjoy some good luck!

Blog Favorite: Skinny Taste

{Black and White Chocolate Chip Clouds found here; photo from www.skinnytaste.com}

We hidden sisters love to eat good food...and we are always looking for meals that are good for us and our families, too. When we found this blog:
www.skinnytaste.com
We were so excited...we have loved absolutely every recipe we've tried from Gina's site. A few added bonuses there: she lists the WW point values of all her meals, she uses really healthy ingredients and the comments for her recipes usually list great substitutions for special dietary concerns.
What are you going to whip up today?

Listening:Julie Peel~Once More

Just listening and loving this little tune...hope your Sunday is filled with something sweet you do for just yourself!

Wishing You a Little Bit 'o' Luck

The hidden sisters hope your weekend is filled a little green grass...

A four-leaf clover or two...

Something amazing in the most unexpected of places!

We hope you remember to eat your greens today, too!

And that a visitor brings you happiness.

Here's to hoping you find some sunshine...or make your own!

Travels: Ireland Revisted~1999 {Part 3}

{Near Torc Waterfall, 1999}

The freedom of traveling without reservations lead us down so many unexpected paths...

{Rock of Cashel, 1999}

The history...and the idea that people had stood exactly where we were for over 1,000 years...gave us goosebumps.

{Postcard-Rock of Cashel}

{Rock of Cashel, 1999}

We've shared some of our photos from a trip to Ireland (see here..and here)

{Rock of Cashel, 1999}

Do you have any upcoming travels planned? We hidden sisters have a few that we can't wait to share...

Travels: Ireland Revisted~1999 {Part 2}

{Hore Abbey, 1999}

We spent over ten days in Ireland (see our first post here) and flew there with no reservations for anything...we simply let the cool, celtic breezes blow us were they may.

{Hore Abbey, 1999}

{Waterville, 1999}

The beauty and *green* of everything around us was truly breath-taking!

{Malahide, 1999}

These beautiful reminders of past travels have us wondering what adventures await us this year...