Knotts Island: Peach Picking

His job was to carry the 15+ lbs. of peaches

Random blackberry bush I stumbled upon

Pony shirts are all the rage...

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes 

the whole world around you

because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. 

Those who don't believe in magic 

will never find it." 

Ronald Dahl 

6 Months

This little family is so cute! I mean, do you see that little girl's cute cheeks? Adorable! Had so much fun taking their pictures for Baby M's 6 months.

 

 

Recipe: Vegetarian Chili

Hey everyone! This recipe is brought to us by the awesome Meagan Thompson. Ever since I became a vegetarian a couple of months ago, I've had some trouble figuring out what to eat besides salads and carbs. Meagan is super inspiring because she's adapted a lot of her and her family's previous recipes to be vegetarian friendly. When I asked her to do this post and she said she was making vegetarian chili I was all over it. I don't post any recipes on my blog without trying them first and I absolutely love this chili. Plus, it's not too overwhelming and I could actually make it on my own. A big thanks to Meagan for sharing! Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili

 Ingredients 

• 1 can of black beans 
• 1 can of kidney beans 
• 1 can of white kidney beans 
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes 
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled and chopped 
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1 jalapeño, chopped (keep seeds if you want it spicier) 
• 1 anaheim pepper, chopped 
• 1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), chopped 
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 3 tbs. olive oil 
• 1 tbs. pepper
• 1 tbs. salt 
• 1 tbs. chili powder 
• 1/2 tbs. garlic powder 
• 1-2 tsp. cayenne powder (depending on how spicy you would like it) 

 Directions 

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil to heat up (when you flick some water in and it sizzles, it's ready). 

2. To the oil, add onion, garlic, peppers, and carrots. Sweat the vegetables for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Stir occasionally.  

3. While the vegetables cook, open the cans of beans, and rinse and drain them. Add them to the vegetables when the onions are translucent, along with the corn. Stir everything together.

4. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, and stir.

5. Add all the spices, adjusting depending on your tastes. (I like more pepper and less salt, and a heaping tsp. of cayenne.) 

6. Let everything simmer for 20-30 minutes, giving the beans time to cook. Stir occasionally.

Serve with a spoonful of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and fresh chopped chives. Cornbread is optional.

Adventure: Waynesville, NC

Last week I took sort of a leave of absence from blogging for a vacation to see my boyfriend. We're long distance. Usually he comes to see me, but I decided to go down to North Carolina and visit him. I was there for five short days and we had an amazing time. These are just tiny peaks into our time visiting together. We have a great time just being with each other, but he took me sightseeing because he must have known the photographer and girly-girl inside of me would have a blast.

Starbucks is necessary for long drives of course...

There were so many farmer's markets there! This is just one of the ones we visited.

At the top of a mountain

An old abandoned factory

Okay, I fell in love with this coffee shop called Panacea. Old brick building, roast their own beans, have a cat and stream in their back yard? Perfection...

Handsomest man I know! I love him!

He took me to see TFIOS. I read the book back in the Fall and I've gotta say that they did an amazing job of sticking to the book. Warning: you will cry your eyes out! It was an amazing movie though.

Blue Ridge Parkway...always gorgeous

Looking Glass Falls

Lake Junaluska

Our last breakfast at Panacea

In the back, by the stream at Panacea he gave me this promise ring a couple of hours before I left. He did such a great job! It's gorgeous! (ignore my messed up nails)