Like a lot of people, fall is my absolute favorite season.  I look forward to it all summer long and always get excited on that first day when you can feel a chill in the air.  Over the last couple of weeks the weather in Denver has finally cooled off and I was able to start wearing some new fall outfits.  

I might end up writing another post about my fall capsule wardrobe in case anyone is interested in seeing how it works.  I basically weeded out 75% of the clothes in my closet and have less than 30 pieces hanging in there now.  I am really enjoying the cleaner, more streamlined set of options I have. You'd think less options would make it harder to pick an outfit, but it actually makes it much easier! Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see a post on that.

But for today's post, I wanted to share my fall bucket list with you.  I started this list a full month before it was officially fall, back when the weather was still 95+ degrees outside and I was already daydreaming about it being cool enough to wear cozy slippers and drink hot tea.  The full list has 41 items on it, but I'll be sharing the top 10 with you today.  

​Without further ado, here is my 2017 Fall Bucket List:

• Buy honeycrisp apples and eat them with caramel dip
• Wear an outfit with a leather jacket, scarf & boots
• Start a gratitude journal or jar to go through on Thanksgiving
• Make homemade applesauce in my crockpot
• Watch Hocus Pocus
• Make a cup of tea, put on a robe & slippers, and spend the morning reading on my lounge chair
• Write a fall reading list and try to read all the books before winter officially starts
• Find a new pumpkin recipe to try from Pinterest (here's my Pumpkin Everything board if you want to check it out)
• Go on a morning walk to look at the colorful leaves
• Get a new haircut before my birthday

I've already started a few of these and I'm loving every minute of it.  Another post I might write is my fall reading list.  Comment below if you'd be interested in seeing what I'll be reading over the next couple of months.  Also, share in the comments what you've got on your fall bucket list.  I'd love to hear what you're up to!

Ever since starting the 21 Day Fix I have been searching high and low for vegetarian protein sources.  I used to always rely on fake chicken breasts in order to customize recipes, but I haven't been able to find them lately.  

​So instead, I went out on a limb and bought some vegetarian kielbasa the other day.  I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to prepare them or if I'd be able to find a healthy recipe to use them in, but I figured I might as well give it a shot.

Thankfully, Pinterest came through once again and I found a clean eating recipe for a healthy hash made with kielbasa, pepper, onion, and potatoes.  The recipe is from a site called The Two Bite Club.  You can follow this link to see the original post and the amazing photographs.  

Here are the quick & easy instructions on how to make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 small or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a heavy bottomed skillet (I like to use my cast iron), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, around 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning.   
2. In a separate skillet, brown the sliced kielbasa for around 5 minutes in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.  Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside.  Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.  
3. Add the cooked potatoes and kielbasa to the skillet with the onions and peppers and mix everything together.  Serve nice and hot!

Notes

• I use two skillets to make this recipe.  I used to make it in one, but something always came out wrong.  I've learned that when I cook my potatoes in a separate skillet they cook more evenly and stay nice and crispy when they're added to the other ingredients right before serving.
• Sometimes I'll add some minced garlic to the peppers and onions, but it tastes just as good without it.
• Source: The Two Bite Club

So that's what I ate earlier this week.  It made a lot of food, so I had leftovers for a few days.  For the 21 Day Fix I counted a serving as 2 red containers, 1 green container, and 1 yellow container.

I hope you give this recipe a try.  If you do, let me know in the comments below if you liked it!

If you follow me on Instagram (@besidebeth), you've probably noticed that my posts have been trending towards working out and eating healthy.  Hopefully you're not sick of me already because I'll be continuing with those types of posts as I follow my journey towards losing weight and getting healthier.  

You might be asking yourself, "Didn't she just do one of those programs a few months ago?  What ever happened to that one?"  And yes, it's true.  I have started and stopped a number of different programs in the past.  Like most people, weight loss has been a challenge for me for a long time.  So of course I've tried everything I can do to make it work.  

What's different this time around is that I'm also starting to work on becoming a happier, healthier person on the inside.  I'm working on personal development every day in hopes that I can get one step closer each day to being happy, healthy, and confident.  It's not going to happen overnight, but I am going to stick to it and try my very best to share my experience along the way.

My plan is to use this blog as a way to share healthy recipes, weight loss tips & tricks, and lots of personal development ideas.  I'll be continuing on with my Something For Yourself series so that you can learn something new about how to take care of your own wellbeing, whether that be spiritual, physical, or any other way you take care of yourself.

So now that you've heard about my plan, I'll share a healthy recipe with you that I just tried for the first time.  I was skeptical about making a recipe with brown rice because I've never liked it in the past, but amazingly I loved this recipe.  I don't know if it's the type of rice I bought (which was Safeway brand long grain brown rice) or if it was the other ingredients, but whatever it was, I loved it!

No surprise, I found this recipe on Pinterest, just like most of the other recipes I make, but it's originally from a site called Skinny Ms.  Check out their site for the original post.

Mexican Rice
​
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small sweet onion, diced 
• 1 cup long grain brown rice (recommend Uncle Ben's Long Grain Brown Rice - not the quick or instant kind)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petit diced tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles (optional)
• 2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium (optional, chicken broth)

​Directions
In a large skillet or sauce pan add oil, turn to medium-low heat and saute onion until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute one additional minute. Add remaining ingredients, cover, reduce heat and simmer on low for approximately 45 minutes or until rice has soaked up the liquid and is tender. 

NOTE: The time it takes to cook the rice will depend on the brand. Some brands take 35 minutes, while others take up to an hour. We prefer Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice because it is tender in approximately 35-45 minutes. 
​
Remove from heat, leave covered and allow to set 10 minutes before serving.

I hope you make this recipe and tell me if you like it in the comments!

It's been a few weeks since I have written a Something for Yourself post, so I figured it was time to do another one.  This week I'd like to talk about making your house a haven, which can mean different things to different people.  To me it means that you have created a space for yourself where you are comfortable and relaxed.  

Home should be a place you look forward to returning to, and these are some of the ways you can make your home a haven for yourself:

• Make sitting areas more comfortable with pillows and blankets
• Install dimmer switches for your lights or use low wattage light bulbs for more serene lighting
• Decorate with low-maintenance plants and flowers
• Hang beautiful artwork or motivational quotes to give depth to each room
• Use candles to provide a relaxing warm glow to any room
• Have diffusers or plug-ins to give each room a nice scent

And here are some other ideas from Pinterest on making home feel cozier.

The best way to feel relaxed the minute you walk through the front door is by having a a great entryway.  This type of entry provides organization as well as comfort to your home.

After a long day at work there's nothing better than curling up with a good book and a glass of wine.  This reading chair looks like a perfect place to relax after a long stressful day.

Another great way to relax is by taking a bubble bath.  This tub would be ideal for a long soak because it is so deep.  All you would need are some candles and you would be all set to go!

Of course, the best way to unwind is to have an amazing bedroom to rest and relax in.  I love that this room has soft lighting and a lot of comfy touches to make the room more cozy, like the warm colored walls and the soft throw pillows on the bed.

These are just a few ways you can make your home a haven.  If you have any other tips and tricks, please leave a comment below to share your ideas.

Lately I have been experimenting with healthy dessert recipes that I have been finding on Pinterest.  It's amazing the things you can find on there, isn't it?  

The best part about the recipes I have been finding is that they are quick and super easy.  This recipe, for example, has two ingredients total.  The original post I found was on a blog called Sweet Verbena and it called for using either a yellow cake mix or devil's food cake mix. First I made this recipe using devil's food cake mix and the muffins turned out delicious.  Weirdly enough you can't taste the pumpkin in them at all.  

Next, I found the same recipe with a twist on a site called Meg's Every Day Indulgence.  She followed the same two ingredient instructions but used spice cake mix instead.  I thought these were even better than the chocolate muffins, which hardly seemed possible since chocolate is my all-time favorite flavor.  But there was something about the spice muffins that made them that much more amazing.

Next Thursday I'll be sharing another easy recipe that only has three ingredients.  Stay tuned for more!

Every Monday I plan on posting some motivational quotes that have to do with a specific theme.  This week's quotes all have to do with fitness.  It seemed like a fitting topic since I am spending so much time and effort on getting in shape and becoming healthier.  

These are some of the quotes that have given me the most inspiration over the last couple of months as I've gone on this journey.  I like the one above because it reminds me that my body is a gift to be cherished.  I need to take care of it in a loving way instead of feeling like I'm working against something that I have hatred towards.  Loving your body the way it is will allow you to love and accept yourself, which I think is the first step towards any journey.

Keep reading and I'll explain below what the rest of the quotes mean to me and how they can hopefully help you as well.

I've seen a few different posts on Pinterest for using Bento boxes for packing snacks or lunches, so I decided to get some containers and make my own version.  I also put together a list of some different types of food you can combine together to make a well-rounded snack.  My plan is to pick one item from each category to make sure you get a healthy combination:

Fruit:
Grapes
Apple slices
Mandarin orange
Blueberries
Watermelon
Strawberries
Cherries
Cantaloupe
Nectarine
Peach
Plum
Kiwi
Pineapple
Boxed raisins
Dried mango
Apple chips

Veggies:
Cherry tomatoes
Celery sticks with peanut butter
Carrot sticks
Sugar snap peas
Sliced bell peppers
Cucumber
Broccoli florets
Cauliflower 
Mini salad
Edamame

Protein:
Hard boiled egg
String cheese
Jif peanut butter cup
Hummus
Rolled lunch meat
Yogurt
Laughing Cow cheese wedges
Almonds
Veggie dip
Olives
Cashews
Pistachios
Pumpkin seeds
Roasted garbanzo beans

And here are some of the ones I put together for myself:

I have pre-packed enough snacks to last me the week, so now I can just grab and go without preparing anything.  Let me know in the comments if you have any other healthy snack ideas!

Most of the recipes I try are found on Pinterest.  I currently have 184 recipes on my "Ones I've Made" board.  Of those 184 recipes, very few have disappointed.  Usually I try a recipe for the first time and enjoy it.  Sometimes I like it so much that I continue to make it over and over again.  Dragon Noodles is one of those recipes.  It can be found on the Budget Bytes website, which has figured out how much each ingredient costs and therefore can tell you how much a recipe will cost per serving.

The recipe calls for lo mein noodles, but I find it works just as well with fettuccine noodles.  I also really enjoy the egg in the dish, so I use two eggs instead of one.  Other than that, I've stayed true to the original recipe.  Here it is:

Ingredients

• 4 oz. lo mein noodles $1.13
• 2 Tbsp butter $0.20
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper $0.02
• 1 large egg $0.25
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar $0.02
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.02
• 1 Tbsp sriracha (rooster sauce) $0.08
• 1 handful fresh cilantro $0.22
• 1 sliced green onion $0.06

Instructions

1. Begin to boil water for the noodles. Once the water reaches a full boil, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions (boil for 5-7 minutes).
2. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha.
3. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper to the butter as it melts. Whisk an egg in a bowl and then add to the melted butter. Stir gently and cook through. Once the egg is done cooking, turn off the heat.
4. When the noodles are tender, drain the water and then add them to the skillet with the cooked egg. Also add the prepared sauce. Turn the heat on to low to evaporate excess moisture, and stir until everything is coated well with the sauce. Sprinkle the sliced green and cilantro leaves (whole) on top and serve!

If you get a chance to try the recipe, please let me know what you think in the comments!

One ingredient.  Ten minutes.  Awesome recipe!  

Today I tried a recipe for cheese crackers from healthylivinghowto.com.  I already had some pre-cut pepper jack squares on hand, so I decided to bake them and see how they turned out.  Oh my goodness, they were so good!!  I couldn't even wait until they were totally cooled off before I ate them all, so they may be even better when they are crispy.  The best part is that four crackers were only 80 calories, so I could easily see myself making these as a healthy-ish afternoon snack.

Here is the recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Add cheese slices leaving about 1/2 inch between.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned.

Using a paper towel, dab each cheese slice to absorb the oil.

Leaving cheese on parchment paper, transfer to wire rack to cool.

Will crisp once completely cool.

Enjoy!

I'm sure these would be great as an appetizer served with some kind of dip or as a side to soup like healthylivinghowto.com recommends, but I honestly enjoyed them all on their own!

I am always looking for new recipes, especially ones as quick and easy as this one.  Send me your favorite easy recipe so I can try it out!

I just hit 10,000 pins on Pinterest!  I'm not sure whether to be proud or ashamed.  It's taken a long time, but is it bad that I've spent that much time going through pins?  Honestly though, I don't really care if I've spent a huge portion of time on Pinterest because I feel like my life is more interesting because of it.  

Here are some examples:

• Making almost 200 new recipes (with some great successes and epic failures)
• Visiting places I never would have known about
• Using a huge collection of inspirational quotes to guide me through tough times
  
• Designing my dream home
• Having all kinds of interested facts to share with friends
• Laughing out loud at some of the hilarious stuff you find
• Getting inspired by amazing photography
• Spending way too much money on re-creating outfits from my fashion boards
• Learning all kinds of life hacks
• Making some really cute crafts
• Giving unique gifts that I never would have thought of myself

I'm sure there are more things I could list, but you get the point.  As much of a time-suck as Pinterest is, it really does add value to my life.  So now I might just go pin some more and work my way towards 20,000!

If you'd like to follow me or check out my pins, here's a link to my profile.

Finding things to pin is the easy part.  What I haven't mastered yet is the art of getting followers.  I see people with hundreds of people who follow them and I always wonder how they do it.  Do you have any tips or tricks on how I can grow my list of followers?