Just call me Nik-y Rozay...

...If you're into hip-hop music, you'll get it. haha

Current obsession--cloth, knit, crochet wide headbands. Great look for Fall/Winter. All I need is my peacoat!

Headband from F21

xoxo,

-Nik

In the Kitch: Mexican Chicken Chili

Just thought I'd share with you all this Mexican Chicken Chili dish that I make about a couple times a month.  It is actually made in the crockpot, so it is easy and ANYONE could make this.  It's a perfect dish to make regularly during these soon to be cooler months.  I'd gotten the recipe out of this mini-cookbook of slow cooker recipes I'd bought a few years back from the grocery store.  You know how when you're checking out, the magazines are usually right there in your face?  Well, they usually have these little cooking pamphlets/mini-cookbooks for sale right there along with them.  They usually have a specific theme.  Anyway, if you're someone who likes to try new recipes, I suggest you pick one of those up from time to time.  The recipes are usually pretty simple, and it's a great way to discover new dishes!

SLOW COOKER MEXICAN CHICKEN CHILI

Ingredients:

 1 ¾ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 medium stalks celery, sliced (3/4 cup)

2 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained

2 cans (15 to 16 oz each) pinto beans, undrained

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 scoop-shaped corn chips, if desired

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Directions:

1. Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix all ingredients except sour cream and cilantro.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.

3. Stir mixture to break up chicken. Top each serving with sour cream and cilantro.

Tips & Mods:

-If you can't find stewed tomatoes with garlic & onion, just use a regular can of stewed tomatoes and mince a clove of garlic and throw that into the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients.

-You can find the Old El Paso Enchilada sauce in your grocery where all of the taco kits and paraphernalia can be found. 

-Sometimes I switch up the beans. This time instead of 2 cans of pinto beans, I used a can of pinto and a can of black beans.

-I add about a teaspoon or two of salt.  Make sure to salt this to taste.

-And lastly, I also buy a package of corn tortillas (the authentic kind) from the Mexican section of the grocery (not always in the same place as the taco stuff).  I cut them into triangles and then fry them up to make homemade chips.  Tastes 10 times better than bag tortilla chips.  I top it with those chips, sour cream, shredded cheese and avocado! Yummy!

Recipes like this and more like it can be found HERE.

Enjoy!

The A to Z of Nik!

So I got this idea from another blog, Georgia Mae, and I thought it would be fun to do. So here goes:

Age: 30-something (You'll have to dig through my blog posts to find it! lol)

B. Bed size: Queen, but updating to a King now that we have 2 kids who want to be in it.
C. Chore that you hate: Washing dishes (hate with a passion!)
D. Dogs: Couldn't even imagine owning a dog now that I have two kids to look after.
E. Essential start to your day: Two words....CUBAN COFFEE.
F. Favorite color: To look at--orange or yellow, To wear--Green
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5'9 barefoot! Most who know me through the internet are surprised to hear this.
I. Instruments you play: The flute in junior high school. Not sure I could actually still play though.
J. Job title: Wife & Mother--which is a full-time job with no days off, and overtime is always required.
K. Kids: Maxim and Cruz.
L. Live: ATL Shawty!
M. Mother’s name: Tessa
N. Nicknames: Niki (as a youngin'), and Nik
O. Overnight hospital stays: Only 2--I birthed 2 kiddos.
P. Pet peeves: People that drive the speed limit or less. lol
Q. Quote from a movie:   "Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here." ~As Good As it Gets.
R. Right or left handed: Right-y
S. Siblings: A brother and 2 sisters.  I'm second to the last.
U. Underwear: boy shorts & bikini or none. lol
V. Vegetable you hate: Eggplant, that may be the only one. I luv veggies!
W. What makes you run late: Always having to drag a kid (now kidS) along with me.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental?
Y. Yummy food that you make: I have lots, but I'm making this Garlic Jalapeno Tilapia dish on Friday that I LOVE.
Z. Zoo animal:Flamingos.  I've always been obsessed with flamingos, and to think I married someone from the Bahamas and that's their national bird!

So what's your A to Z?

xoxo,

-Nik

In the Kitch: Today's Breakfast

Spinach & Cheese Egg Scramble:

This is so easy, I doubt I really need to explain how I made it--but I will, just in case....  Basically, I put little butter in a skillet that is heating on the stove, throw in a handful of spinach and sautee for about a minute or two.  Next crack 3 eggs and throw them in and scramble it all up with a spatula.  When the eggs are almost done, toss in a handful of shredded cheese (whichever kind you like or have) and cook until eggs are done and cheese is melted.  Now you have a healthy breakfast that happens to be low-carb, if you're into that kind of thing.

Have a Happy Monday!

xoxo,

-Nik

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention. 
-John Burroughs

Stopped me in my tracks.

 Have you ever had a moment when you heard someone say something or you'd come across a quote that just shook your spirit?  That happened to me the other day, while I was watching (don't laugh) The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  I'm assuming that most of you have seen on the news that Taylor's husband Russell committed suicide a couple weeks ago.  So this whole season, we will probably get to witness the full breakdown of their marriage, which is pretty sad.  Anyway, at the end of the season opener on Wednesday, they showed clips of what's to come in future episodes.  One of the clips, Taylor is distraught and crying and she says to someone (I think it's Kyle), "You don't have to be my friend, but please don't be my enemy."  Talk about a powerful statement. That made me want to cry for her!

What she'd said, got me to thinking about how people in general are just so aggressive these days.  Everyone is so extreme with feelings and opinions.  We either love a person or hate them (think, Beyonce).  Why no more in between?  One thing I've learned through the years, is the POWER OF INDIFFERENCE or what I also call, the power of IGNORE.  It's healthy for both parties--the person's feeling we are talking about and the subject of those feelings.  Why spend the energy hating or disliking someone, when you can just be indifferent?  Learning to consciously use indifference does not happen overnight.  It does take some practice.  But we all have the ability to exercise control over our emotions.  We're human, we all feel jealousy or envy at times (hopefully fleeting), we've all been offended or insulted by someone, or just plain turned off.  The most powerful thing a person can do in any situation like that is learn to hit that "indifference/ignore" button, and bam!, no drama, no lingering feelings, no hate, etc.  And boy, when that person sees or realizes that you are indifferent to them or ignoring them, it takes the power they have over your feelings back and they know it.  Well, in the case of my example of Beyonce, I'm sure she's indifferent herself to her backlash and it probably doesn't bother her at all. haha

So the point I'm making is, in reverse of that.  If it is YOU who does not like someone, or hates someone, or even jealous of someone---that doesn't mean you have to be their enemy.  If anything, remove that person from your HEAD.  I could have said "life", but that's not always possible.  You don't have to carry ill feelings, do mean or vicious things, etc. to that person just because you don't like them, especially if they have never done anything really to you.  Learn to let some things roll off of your back.  Learn to turn the other cheek, learn to control feelings of jealousy/envy and not allow it to become a compulsion....and I'm telling you, you will have a more peaceful existence, and your emotional well-being will thank you for it.

xoxo,

-Nik

Places: "Do" (as in pizza "dough")

 This past weekend, I'd happened to attend an event at this new restaurant/lounge spot here in Atlanta called "Do".  It was a Heineken Light promotional event and I thought "Free food, free drinks...why not?".  To make a long story short, it is quite an interesting place.  You don't order off of menus here.  No sir.  Instead, the menus at this establishment are iPads and iPod Touches.  Also, if you are an iPhone owner, you can also jump onto their WiFi, connect to the music system and request songs and videos that you want played.  I said "videos" because there are music videos being projected all over the walls.  So yes, it is a cute little space age-y kind of spot, complete with modern decor, all white furniture and a bar that glows.  Even the bathroom is space aged, complete with iPads as mirrors and door that slides open and shut like a spaceship.  You can take pics of yourself in the bathroom with the iPad "mirror" and even email them to yourself.  I have to be honest, I'd be a little nervous about actually USING the bathroom knowing there is an iPad glued to the wall.  That's just a voyeuristic situation waiting to happen. haha

Oh yea, the food was pretty good too. ;^)  If you're in ATL--check it out.

Bruschetta

Interior

Nice couches--see the iPad?

iPad bathroom "mirror"--let me demonstrate. haha

Another interior shot

Bathroom photoshoot

The homies

For more info (menu, address, etc.) Go here: http://www.doattheview.com/

Quick "Updo"

So I stumbled upon this "updo" on Pinterest (yes, another social networking-esq site for us all to get hooked on), and thought I'd try to recreate it.  I actually liked it and wore my hair like this for the rest of the day.  It is very similar to what us girls who have been on the hair boards call the "SouthernTease bun".

This is what I was attempting:

 Pics and instructional video found here:  http://saralynnpaige.com/blog/style/simple-gibson-tuck/

Never forget.

So Now I'm done...

I'm pretty much done growing hair.  This will most likely be the last "length check" style photo.  I'm actually like an inch from waist length and that's far enough.  I guarantee my hair will not get any longer. haha  I plan to either maintain this (for now) or possibly cut a few inches to get a super blunt look.  Ahhh...*LIBERATED*

My favorite things. Vol. 1

So, I got this idea from another blog (Delighted Momma)  that I follow--basically, periodically posting a list of what has been put on my mental "favorite things" list recently.  It's just a nice & quick way to keep you all abreast as to what I'm into currently.  So here we go...

Green smoothies. My current mix: almond milk, mango, banana,
vanilla protein powder, and spinach

Body butters from The Body Shop.  My favorite flavor is Mango, but these were on sale. :)

My  E.L.F.eyeshadow palette.  Only 10 bucks!  And it has awesome pigment for a novice like myself.

Brown babies (especially one in particular) *wink wink*

xoxo,

-Nik

Epiphany...

I happened to be in the shower this morning thinking about how when I was in my mid-20's, I'd look back on how far I'd come and how comfortable in my own skin I'd become since my teen/early 20's years.  Then more years would pass and in my late-20s, I'd reflect and realize how different I am and how I've become a happier, healthier person since my early-20's.  And now, at age 34 years old, I was thinking on how much I've matured, and am even more happy, more well-rounded and more comfortable with myself, my thoughts and convictions since just my late-20s/early-30's.  The point I'm trying to make, is that we never stop improving and learning, and as result, life always gets that much better.....if we let it.  Looking forward to how I will see myself at 40 yrs old! haha

                                  Have a happy holiday, everyone.

xoxo,

-Nik

Making Progress...

Over the past couple of weeks, my sister seems to be the only person who has been able to get me to hit the streets it seems.  She came by to see the kiddos and then we decided to go to Rosa Mexicana to have drinks and made-to-order-right-at-your-table guacamole (my fave).  It's happening a bit slower this second time, but I'm making progress in getting back to my pre-preg weight.  I'm not really sure how many pounds I've lost, as I don't have a scale at home--but I use my clothes as a guide.  I still have a few (or more) pounds to go is what my favorite pair of jeans are telling me. haha  I'm quite pleased, though.

Almost 6 weeks post-preg (and yes, I love this baby blue leopard tank--you've seen it before)

Started off with 'ritas and ended with sangria!

My lovable sis, of course!

xoxo,

-Nik