WW's Mexican Style Pork & Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew

Here we go!  My first foodie post! 

Today's recipe is coming from Weight Watchers!  I recently became a member and I am in love with their recipes!  Everything I have made has been really good!  Yeah - diet food - really good - trust me!  Try this first recipe for yourself and let me know what you think!

This recipe is great because it's a crock pot recipe!  SO EASY!  Put it together the night before, stick it in the fridge, the next morning plug it in and when you get home from work dinner is ready!

Mexican Style Pork & Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew
The following recipe includes changes/additions I made to the original Weight Watchers post.

Ingredients:
1 medium poblano pepper
1 pound uncooked lean pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 can vegetable broth
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 small onion, chopped
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Pictures Taken by Luckey

I roasted the poblano pepper in our broiler, about 3 minutes on each side.  I then placed the pepper in a paper bag and let it steam for about 5 minutes.  After that, I ran the pepper under cold water as I peeled away the skin.  The pepper then gets chopped like the rest of the fresh ingredients.

I throw everything into the crock pot and stick the dish in the fridge for the night...

The next morning I take the dish out of the fridge, put it in the crock pot and set the cooker on low.  About 8 hours later I come home and VOILA!  Dinner is ready!  (To be honest I actually just switched the pot to warm because we have homework and waiting for Matt to get home before we are ready to eat!)

I garnished the stew with some sour cream and dried cilantro.  This is a great stew!  A bit spicy (probably even spicier without the sour cream added in), and even easier to make.  This is definitely going into the Luckey-Meyer regular dinner rotation!  Another great Weight Watcher's recipe up my sleeve!

If you try it, and you should, let me know what you think!  The mix of tomatoes and sweet potatoes, along with the heat of the pepper, it makes for a great combination!



Turkey Day

Photos Taken by Matt M.

When:  Thursday, November 24, 2011 (THANKSGIVING!)

What:  Brown short sleeve cardigan; Brown Cami; Green & Brown Love Your Size, Love Your Style silky skirt; Brown SWAK Havana belt; Brown tights; Brown heels; Gold, Copper & Brown beaded necklace; Silver & Orange bracelet; Brown & Silver cuff watch.

Where:  Thanksgiving at the in-laws!

This year we went to Matt's parents for Thanksgiving.  We always do an every-other year thing with Thanksgiving and Easter, as we have found this is the easiest way to keep everyone mostly happy!  (The hardest part is remembering where we were the year before which usually means we are searching old emails to help determine!)  Diane, my mother-in-law made dinner this year and it was absolutely delicious!  Oh my gosh - I ate so much that about an hour after dinner I had fallen asleep on Matt's shoulder while sitting on the couch!  My favorite parts of dinner was corn pudding and the sweet potatoes (guess that's a little bit of the old vegetarian coming out in me?)  I MUST get her recipe for corn pudding.  Matt told me it's actually an old recipe that has been passed down his Dad's side of the family - so I'll definitely have to keep that tradition going!

This skirt I just recently purchased online from Kmart's Love Your Style, Love Your Size collection.  You can get one too here (and it's on sale for $9.99 right now!  HECK YEAH!)  It's an absolutely great skirt and I would highly recommend it!  The belt came from Sealed with a Kiss Designs (here).  That website has many things I would love to own, but at the moment my budget doesn't really allow me to buy much more.  My shoes are actually from Payless and are probably about 8 years old!  I have had them forever and because they are some of my favorite I don't wear them too often as I want them to last as long as possible!  I'm not exactly sure where the necklace came from one...  But it's another oldie but goodie of mine.

It was a wonderful day and I truly am grateful to have such awesome in-laws - all of them, from my new parents to Matt's aunts, uncles, and cousins!  I hope everyone had such a great day too!

  

Weekly Recap in Photos

Wow!  The holiday weekend sure did fly by!  I was busy with family and friends every day!  I do have an outfit post and my first recipe post to catch up on.  But for now I want to fill you all in on a little Sunday project I've been planning:  My week in iPhone photos.

1.  Sunday, November 20: Painted my nails Nut Brown by Sally Hansen.  Love this go-to color!  //  2.  Monday, November 21: One of my truck drivers made this awesome homemade chex mix.  He brought it into work to share and I couldn't eat enough!  I gotta get that recipe.  //  3.  Wednesday, November 23:  ACK!  I got stuck in traffic!  Don't you hate when you're the first one stopped and you end up waiting for FOREVER!  I was there so long (almost 10 minutes) I had to snap this picture!

4.  Wednesday, November 23:  I made this fantastic Weight Watcher's recipe, Mexican Pork and Sweet Potato Stew.  This is actually the recipe I'll be posting soon!  It's a slow cooker recipe that was easy to put together the night before and quite tasty that evening for dinner!  //  5.  Wednesday, November 23:  Matt and I had a couple of friends over that night for a game night.  We played Lord of the Rings, the Living Card Game.  It's a great game where everyone plays together to try to beat the quest.  //  6.  Friday, November 25:  Since we bought our house we have always had a pretty big day-after-Thanksgiving party.  Living in Cincinnati, we just recently had the opportunity to by Yuengling beer.  We bought a keg for the party and it hit the spot!  //  7.  Saturday, November 26:  The Thanksgiving leftovers!  There are plenty of them and I helped myself to a piece of late night pumpkin pie.  Yum...

Almost Turkey Day

Pictures Taken by My Tripod

When:  Wednesday, November 23, 2011

What:  Black drop-waist dress; Navy, White & Black sheer tunic; Navy 3/4 sleeve jacket; Black tights; Black knee-high boots; Pearl necklace.

Where:  Work, home to make dinner, and then game night with a few beers and a couple of friends.

YAY!  Pictures outside!  There was no rain yesterday, so I took my tripod and camera outside in the backyard. 

This look is something I've been doing with a few of my dresses to get an extra mile out of them, I wear the dress with a top so the dress looks like a skirt!  It's like an instant doubling of your wardrobe!  Try it and see what new looks you can come up with!

They aren't featured here, but I wore my new, favorite knee-high boots again with this outfit.  This sheer tunic is one of my favorites as well.  I love both the color and the patterns and wearing it over a dress means I don't have to wear a cami!  The long pearl necklace was another purchase from Premier Design many years ago.  I like this pearl necklace because the style doesn't make me feel like an old lady.  Also, because it's so long, I can wear it as shown, or a little longer when making it only two strands.

So as I mentioned before, last night we had a game night.  You'll come to learn that I'm a bit of a nerd.  A few of my friends really like to play the nerdy comic book store games (myself included).  Last night we played the fairly new Lord of the Rings living card game.  It's a really neat game where all players actually play together to get through quests, defend, and attack against monsters.  Other favorites of ours are Settler's of Catan, Game of Thrones LCG, Chrononauts, Arkham Horror and many more!  These games are an awesome way to spend an evening in with friends, especially in the winter when the weather gets crappy!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  It's time for me to head to shower and get ready to visit the in-laws!

Since starting this blog (obviously) not too long ago, these are the different ways I have worn the black drop-waist dress.

Hippie Chic

Photos Taken by My Tripod

When:  Tuesday, November 22, 2011

What:  Royal Blue cardigan; Peachy-Orange embroidered top; Olive Green linen pants; Black skinny belt; Silver & Black paisley flats; various arm and neck love.

Where:  Work and then home to make dinner and work on my blog!

WOW!  Only a couple days in and I already have some comments!  How exciting!  Thanks so much for the early love!  This outfit is a go-to for me.  Easy, comfortable linen pants and a more structured top half that makes me look like I'm put together still.

 

It rained again yesterday...  So these pictures are once again (obviously) inside.  I think I like the bar pics better than the living room pictures though.  What do you think?

So I played around with Picnik to make a collage of the details.  I think this looks nicer than individual photos.  Oh the joys of having a blog and working out the details!  My watch and bracelets were my attempt at a wrist party.  (Is that what they call it?)  And the skinny belt, or any belt for that matter, is quickly becoming my favorite accessory.  I love the way it can define my waist!  The necklaces are both from a jewelry party I attended about 4 years ago.  Premier Design was the name, but I'm not sure if they are still around?

Tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I wanted to wish everyone safe travels and a wonderful day with family and friends!  It's now time for me to eat dinner and relax with my men before the holiday officially begins!

Black & Brown - OH MY!

Photos Taken by My Tripod

When:  Monday, November 21, 2011

What:  Black & Brown printed shirt dress; Brown long sleeve t-shirt; Brown tights; Black knee-high boots; Amber & Silver turtle necklace.

Where:  Work, dinner out with the boys, and Ronnie's 2nd-grade conferences at school.

For my first "official" & "true" outfit post I went with the sometimes forbidden black and brown combo.  (I know I'm such a rebel...  Or am I?)  If you talk to my fashionably challenged husband (love you hon), yes, I am making a total mistake with my color choices here.  Yet when browsing blogs and stores one will find quite the mix of one complete outfit that boasts both black and brown, at the SAME TIME!

As you can see I am no longer in my living room.  I was actually trying to muster up the courage all day to head outside to take my pics, but the rain kept me inside!

This turtle necklace was actually my very first ebay purchase many, many, many years ago.  It's one of my most cherished pieces (my son's nickname is Turtle) and I get compliments on it all the time.

When I think about it, this dress is very old.  I'm thinking it was at least 3 to 4 years when I bought this at Lane Bryant?  It's actually a dress that I didn't wear too often when I first purchased it.  But this past 6 months or so I have been wearing the heck out of it.

Finally, THESE BOOTS!  Obviously I'm a plus size girl...  Finding boots that fit up to my knees, around my big 'ole calves is pretty much impossible...  Then one day returning boots that didn't fit around my calves, I found these!  I purchased them from Kohl's earlier in the Fall.  When I got them, they were 40% off PLUS I used a 30% discount coupon (I love Kohls - I shop there a lot as you'll come to notice).  They are made by Trusol Tara.  They are really comfortable and are super easy to slip on and off.  I wish they were leather....  But I didn't really pay a leather price, so I can't complain too much.

So there we go.  My "first" official fashion post to my new blog!  How did I do?  I am thinking the more I do this, the better I'll get...  I hope so anyway! 

And if anyone was wondering, Ronnie's school conference went well yesterday!  Gotta work on a few things, but nothing too major!

The Sun Comes Out

My first few posts are going to be mini posts. I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia. In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Photo Taken by My Tripod

When: Wednesday, November 16, 2011

What: Turquoise beaded tunic; Brown cardigan; Navy jeggings; Animal print belt; Bronze heels; Bronze bag.

Where: Work and more homework... (My life is FULL of fun at the moment...)

I. Love. Jeggings. There I said it. I was so nervous about buying them and actually wearing them! I have found with the right top (just long enough to cover the bum) I feel really comfortable and stylish. This is another easy-breezy outfit! And I also like my added touch of the oh-so-trendy animal print!

T-Shirt Dress Take 2

My first few posts are going to be mini posts. I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia. In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Photo Taken by My Tripod

When: Thursday, November 10, 2011

What: Navy t-shirt dress with corded belt; Green cardigan with ruffled detail; Brown tights; Brown sweater boots; Silver multi-strand necklace; Silver cuff.

Where: Work and out to dinner with my men (with the usual homework in between).

This was my second attempt at this dress, this time with tights. I am (again) wearing a green cardigan but this one is much shorter. I LOVE this outfit. One of my favorites! It's just a fun look! Can't you tell how happy I am in the pic?

Grandpa's Reception

My first few posts are going to be mini posts. I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia. In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Picture Taken by Matt M.

When: Sunday, November 6, 2011

What: Deep Purple jersey dress; Brown Havana belt; Brown tights; Brown backed-lace boots; Green necklace; Silver cuff.

Where: I wore this cute outfit to my Grandfather's wedding reception. A while back him and his new wife were married out of town so they had a get together for everyone in town once they got back.

This is one of my favorite outfits. The colors, the belt, the boots, the necklace. I love it all! Not only is it stylish, but the dress and boots are ultra comfortable, making it oh so easy to wear!

Grey with Black All Over

My first few posts are going to be mini posts. I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia. In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Photo Taken By My Tripod

When: Thursday, November 3, 2011

What: Black drop-waist dress; Heather Grey sweater cardigan; Black tights; Black heeled oxfords; Silver turtle cuff; Black and Grey beaded necklace.

Where: Work and then more homework with my son and studies for my state boards.

Both this dress and sweater are SUPER OLD. I was trying to bring the two together and wear in a new way - a sort of expanding my closet with the old thing. I liked how this turned out. It was really comfy on the dreary day that was November 3 too!

It's Kind Of Funny...

My first few posts are going to be mini posts. I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia. In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Picture Taken by My Tripod

When: Tuesday, October 25, 2011

What: Purple cowl neck short-sleeve sweater; Blue flare denim jeans; Silver and black paisley flats; Silver chandelier earrings.

Where: Work and then home to do homework with Ronnie and then work on my studies for the state boards.

The title of this outfit came to me because I had just recently organized my closet. My favorite colors are brown and green, so you would think my closet would be filled with the two colors. To my surprise, most of my tops are a violet shade. Kind of funny how that works out sometimes!

Also, I LOVE cowl necks. I just think they a simple way to look stylish and put together. I own two different cowl neck sweaters and both get a lot of action!

Pirate or Witch?

My first few posts are going to be mini posts. I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia. In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Picture Taken by My Tripod

When: Friday, October 21, 2011

What: Red and black striped maxi dress; Black cardigan; Black skinny belt; Black high heel boots.

Where: Work and then out to dinner with my two men (my husband and son).

I have a 7 year old, whenever I wear this dress he says I look like either a pirate or a witch (hence the title).  This is a summer dress that I tried to winterize for the fall. I think it came out pretty good.  As you'll see I changed the angle of my picture. The lighting was still off (my face is BRIGHT), but they do get better.

Fall Is My Favorite!

My first few posts are going to be mini posts.  I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia.  In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Picture Taken by My Tripod

When:  Thursday, October 13, 2011

What:  Purple banded t-shirt; Brown pointelle vest; Blue flare denim jeans; Brown ankle boots with buckle: Silver multi-strand necklace.

Where:  Work and then home to do homework with my 7 year old (it's kind of crazy how much homework this second grader has compared to when I was in second grade) and then my study time for the state boards.

My first attempt at the tripod....  Awful lighting...  Bad angle...  But hey - it's my first time!  It can only get better right?!?

Looking Good on Game Day

My first few posts are going to be mini posts.  I will be sharing what the Internet already knows, my pics from Chictopia.  In the future, I will be giving a much more detailed look at the clothes I am wearing for the day.

Picture Taken By Bree H.

When:  Saturday, September 10, 2011

What:  Navy t-shirt dress with corded belt; Green short-sleeve cardigan; Deep purple studded flats; Gold and Navy football tailgating necklaces.

Where:  First Annual DCFD (Drunken College Football Day) at my house. 

(A little background, my husband graduated from Notre Dame, so every Saturday during college football season I have a houseful of college football enthusiasts). 

This outfit was like my "Hey people - I'm going to be doing something slightly different now!"  While everyone else is in jeans and t-shirts, I upped the fashion factor that day.  I also managed to stay mostly within the team's colors.  I felt great all day and I knew this was the start of something good.

How It *Mostly* Started

I have always liked fashion.  I have always tried to look my best (for the most part).  But there came a time this past summer when I started to feel really down about myself.  So, looking for inspiration, I started following fashion blogs.  It all started with What I Wore 2Day.  Kasmira is actually in Cincinnati like me, and blogs these wonderfully creative outfits almost daily!  But...  I wanted something to look at that, well, looked more like me...  So I did a google search on "Plus Size Fashion Blogs".  I found a wide variety of blogs, many I still follow daily.  After spying some blogs I came across Chictopia, an online fashion community where you upload pics, earn and give points, and comment on people's style.  It's actually really fun and I feel like I have connected with a few people on there.

That being said, after reading blogs daily and posting on Chictopia about once a week, I have decided to start my own fashion blog.  I have blogging experience, as most of you know.  I started a vegetarian food blog Luckey's Lunch, a few years ago.  But I haven't updated in a year and I want something new to keep me accountable for my looks. 

I love food though - both cooking and eating (and blogging about it!).  So every once in a while you'll find food posts.  I think it will bring a fun and fresh twist to the blog!

So - here goes nothing.  I don't know how long this blog will last.  I don't know often I'll be able to post (especially when I start wearing scrubs every other day).  But we'll see what I can come up with.

Test For Layout, But Also The First Post!

This is a test.

This is only a test.

Matt and I at the Steel Wedding.  (August 2011)

My name is Justine and I am a Safety Director waiting to take my RN state boards.  I have recently become very interested in fashion and I have always loved food.  After reading about 75 blogs daily for the past few months, I decided to start my own fashion blog.  Of course it will be *mostly* about plus size fashion, since that's what I'm about.  Also, if you know me, you know I love to cook and eat out.  So to combine my two favorite things in one, I am also making this a foodie blog.  Food and fashion?  Who wouldn't be happy?

More To Come...