maybe it is just that time of year, but i'm struggling this week. i've been grinding pretty hard both physically and creatively since twenty-seventeen started and i believe it is starting to wear me down. i tell my students all the time, when you are tired, rest. when you need to recharge, listen to your body. listen to your mind. so i gave myself yesterday off.

today, i continued my recharge with an epic yoga class with friends and now i'm hunkering down on my couch with this warming cocktail while stormageddon rages outside my window. i suggest you get home asap and do the same! 

pomegranate + mint hot & cold
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 1 green tea bag. 1 cup hot water. 2 oz gin. 1 oz pomegranate simple syrup (recipe to follow).1 oz lime juice. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig of mint for garnish. 2 lime slices for garnish. muddler. strainer. mug of choice. 

start by combining your tea bag and water in your mug. allow the tea to steep for 3 minutes. 

while your tea steeps, muddle your mint in the bottom of a glass. add the gin, simple syrup and lime juice to the glass and shake or stir well to combine. 

remove the tea bag from the tea. 

using your strainer, pour the gin mixture directly into your tea. 

stir well to combine. 

garnish with lime slices and mint and serve. 

pomegranate simple syrup
serves: 1 cup liquid
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 5 minutes
inactive time: 20 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup sugar. 1 cup pomegranate seeds. 1 cup water. 1 small sauce pot. 

combine all the ingredients in the sauce pot. 

bring the liquid to a boil.let the liquid boil until the sugar is dissolved. about 3-5 minutes.

remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temp.

strain and use or store in the fridge for up to a month.

xo, a

pomegranate + mint hot & cold
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 1 green tea bag. 1 cup hot water. 2 oz gin. 1 oz pomegranate simple syrup (recipe to follow).1 oz lime juice. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig of mint for garnish. 2 lime slices for garnish. muddler. strainer. mug of choice.
start by combining your tea bag and water in your mug. allow the tea to steep for 3 minutes. while your tea steeps, muddle your mint in the bottom of a glass. add the gin, simple syrup and lime juice to the glass and shake or stir well to combine. remove the tea bag from the tea. using your strainer, pour the gin mixture directly into your tea. stir well to combine. garnish with lime slices and mint and serve. 

pomegranate simple syrup
serves: 1 cup liquid
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 5 minutes
inactive time: 20 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup sugar. 1 cup pomegranate seeds. 1 cup water. 1 small sauce pot.
combine all the ingredients in the sauce pot. bring the liquid to a boil. let the liquid boil until the sugar is dissolved. about 3-5 minutes. remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temp. strain and use or store in the fridge for up to a month. 

there are many reasons i wanted to go into business for myself, but one of the biggest reasons was my schedule. i detest living on someone else's schedule. while i'm a hard worker and work most of my waking hours, i want to work on what i want to work on, when i want to work on it. if that happens to be at eleven at night on a tuesday, so be it. it's on me. 

of course there are downsides. there is never anyone to cover for me, there is no "vacation" time and i work most holidays. but i do have control over my days off. so this sunday i scheduled myself off so i could actually ATTEND a party. 

naturally, i'm bringing some food (it is my bestie's house, i can't not contribute). and when she suggested i make chili, i knew exactly where to go searching for the perfect recipe... 

last year when i stopped working and was finalizing all my wedding planning, i went DEEP into chili recipes. i tried at least a dozen recipes and used wes and my mother as test subjects to hone in on the BEST chili. i was looking for a classic, go to chili you count on for events just like the super bowl. 

after flipping through pages of scribble recipe notes covered in oil droplets and sauce stains, i found just what i was looking for. the page with a large note at the bottom. "WES REALLY LIKES THIS ONE." winner, winner. 

super bowl chili
serves: 5-6
prep time: 20 minutes
active time: 40 minutes
inactive time: 2 hours
total time: 3 hours
ingredients: 1 lb ground beef. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 brown onion, diced. 1 bell pepper (your choice of color), diced. 1 jalapeno pepper, all but about 10 seeds removed, and small diced. 5 garlic cloves, minced. 1 chipotle pepper, seeds removed and small chopped. 1 tbs fresh chopped oregano. 1 tbs cumin. 1 tbs brown sugar. 1 bottle of beer (i used new castle but use what you like to drink). 1 14oz can diced tomatoes. 1 14 oz can kidney beans, rinsed. 1 14 oz can pinto beans, rinsed. 4 cups chicken stock. 1 tbs salt. .25 tbs ground pepper. 1 cup mexican blend cheese. handful of cilantro for garnish. lime wedges for garnish. 

in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. add in the onion, jalapeno and bell pepper. 

season with one fourth of the salt and pepper and cook until the onions are translucent. about 7-10 minutes. 

press the veggie mixture to the sides of the pot. pat the ground beef dry and season the meat with half the remaining salt and pepper. turn up the heat to medium high. 

add the beef to the center of the pot and allow the meat to sear on one side before flipping it. about 5 minutes. 

allow the other side of the meat to sear before breaking it up with a wooden spoon. 

when you have broken up the meat, add in the garlic, oregano, brown sugar, cumin, chipotle and stir well tog combine. 

continue to cook the mixture, stirring every minute or so until the garlic is fragrant. about 2-3 minutes.

pour in the tomatoes. 

and the beer. 

bring the mixture to a simmer. allow it to cook down for about 5 minutes. 

add in the last of the salt and pepper, chicken stock and beans. 

stir well to combine and bring the chili to a boil. once boiling, reduce the heat till the liquid is gently simmering. simmer on low for 1-2 hours for the liquid to reduce a bit and the flavors to meld. 

serve hot, topped with cheese, lime and a couple of cilantro sprigs. 

xo, a

super bowl chili
serves: 5-6
prep time: 20 minutes
active time: 40 minutes
inactive time: 2 hours
total time: 3 hours
ingredients: 1 lb ground beef. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 brown onion, diced. 1 bell pepper (your choice of color), diced. 1 jalapeno pepper, all but about 10 seeds removed, and small diced. 5 garlic cloves, minced. 1 chipotle pepper, seeds removed and small chopped. 1 tbs fresh chopped oregano. 1 tbs cumin. 1 tbs brown sugar. 1 bottle of beer (i used new castle but use what you like to drink). 1 14oz can diced tomatoes. 1 14 oz can kidney beans, rinsed. 1 14 oz can pinto beans, rinsed. 4 cups chicken stock. 1 tbs salt. .25 tbs ground pepper. 1 cup mexican blend cheese. handful of cilantro for garnish. lime wedges for garnish.
in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. add in the onion, jalapeno and bell pepper. season with one fourth of the salt and pepper and cook until the onions are translucent. about 7-10 minutes.
press the veggie mixture to the sides of the pot. pat the ground beef dry and season the meat with half the remaining salt and pepper. turn up the heat to medium high.
add the beef to the center of the pot and allow the meat to sear on one side before flipping it. about 5 minutes. allow the other side of the meat to sear before breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
when you have broken up the meat, add in the garlic, oregano, brown sugar, cumin, chipotle and stir well tog combine.
continue to cook the mixture, stirring every minute or so until the garlic is fragrant. about 2-3 minutes.
pour in the tomatoes.
and the beer.
bring the mixture to a simmer. allow it to cook down for about 5 minutes.
add in the last of the salt and pepper, chicken stock and beans.
stir well to combine and bring the chili to a boil. once boiling, reduce the heat till the liquid is gently simmering. simmer on low for 1-2 hours for the liquid to reduce a bit and the flavors to meld.
serve hot, topped with cheese, lime and a couple of cilantro sprigs.