EASY Chili Recipe

One of my favourite things to make lately is chili. I don't know if its the cooler weather, but I find myself craving warm, spicy chili all the time!! Although I don't cook often, I thought I would try a really easy chili recipe and seriously...its so simple!! I now make this almost every week because it will last you for a couple of days and it costs me under $20! What's nice about cooking for yourself is you see everything you add, which means you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you want. Anything I pick up I just make sure its unsalted or has zero sugar, and this recipe is fairly healthy.

Chili Recipe

• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes (zero sugar added)
• 1 can of kidney beans (unsalted)
• 1 can (or bag) of corn
• 1 cup of water
• 1 package of chili spice mix (or add chili or garlic powder if you don't want to buy a spice mix)

I like to use a large saucepan for the entire process. I throw my lean ground beef and chopped onions in the saucepan. I make sure my onions are sautéed and ground beef is officially brown before adding anything else. 

Once that is complete, throw in a can of crushed tomatoes, can of rinsed out kidney beans, a cup or two of corn, and a little bit of water. Make sure to mix everything together as you go. Mix your chili spices in with everything and let it simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. It's honestly that easy and tastes delicious. Feel free to melt some cheese on top once you place in your bowl or dip with some bread!!

Happy cooking!!!

-Sydney Hoffman

Fall Fashion

It's no surprise I'm obsessed with all things fall, Halloween and of course fall fashion!! I've been posting a ton over on my Instagram-@sydhoff3 so I thought I should share some of my favourite fall fashion outfits this year on my blog!!!

-Sydney Hoffman

Pumpkin Spice Muffins Recipe

Today is a gloomy, rainy day and I instantly had a craving to get some fall baking done. I did have to battle the wind and the rain to get these ingredients, but it was so worth it. I was posting as I was baking through my Instagram-Story @sydhoff3 and a lot of you were asking for the recipe. 

I will say this is definitely a more healthier version of Pumpkin Spice Muffins, so feel free to add more sugar or change it, if you don't care for the calories and just want a good treat.

I'll be completely honest I had no idea I made a more healthier version, but I'm really happy about it because I'm home alone with a dozen muffins and it's making me feel a bit better about eating so many.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins Recipe

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon (I would suggest adding more)
• 2 teaspoons of nutmeg (I only used cinnamon, but if you have nutmeg I would definitely suggest adding some)
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (I added a little more)
• 1/4 brown sugar (I added more, and if you want them to taste more sweet, definitely add more)
• 2 cups unsweetened apple sauce (I would suggest adding a little less)
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C)

In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a large bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly add everything in the medium bowl into the large bowl.

Mix together until everything looks like this...

If you want an even more sweeter treat, I think this would be great with semi-sweet chocolate chips!!

Add batter into nonstick muffin cups. Bake for about 28-30 minutes and voila!!! These are so moist, delicious and have a subtle sweetness! I added some butter with mine, but honey or any jams would pair perfectly with these as well.

-Sydney Hoffman

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Matrix - Biolage R.A.W.

I'm always excited to try out new products as a blogger, and I get even more excited when I find more R.A.W. natural products to try. I'm slowly, but surely trying to change my life and products I use everyday to more natural ingredients. I was thrilled to receive the Biolage Matrix R.A.W. shampoo and conditioner which is a R.A.W. and more natural based. 

R.A.W. stands for Real, Authentic, and Wholesome...

• 95 % Natural Origin
• No Artificial Colorants
• No Parabens
•  No Silicones
• No Sulfates
• 99% Biodegradable 
• 100% Recycled Plastic

My favourite thing is how Biolage R.A.W. compares itself to regular shampoos and conditioners.

Traditional shampoos are made of...

• Sulfates (for cleansing)
• Cationic Polymers (for thickening and Care)
• Silicons (for conditioning)

R.A.W. shampoo is made of...

• Plant-based surfactants (for cleansing)
• Natural origin thickens (for thickening and care)
• Natural origin emolients (for conditioning)

Traditional conditioners are made of...

• Cationic polymers (for thickening and care)
• Silicones (for smoothness and shine)
• Fatty alcohols (for thickening and stabilizing) 

R.A.W. conditioner is made of...

• Fatty amines (for thickening and care)
• Natural oils (for smoothness and shine)
• Clays and waxes (for conditioning and thickening and stabilizing)

This was the perfect thing I needed to see, to truly understand how different the R.A.W. shampoo and conditioners are compared to traditional ones. Aside from these products being more natural, they lather and feel almost identical to other shampoos and conditioners. I loved how light-weight and shiny my hair looked. My ends having been looking real dull lately and these made them look more alive than ever. I tried out the Nourish line, but now I'm excited to try out the Recover and Uplift lines too.

-Sydney Hoffman