Thanksgiving Weekend

 October has been a hectic month... 

A lovely month, but a hectic one! I've been mostly busy with studying for my med school midterms, which are finally over!!! YAHOOOO! Time to pawty. 

A few weeks ago, I managed to make it back home for Thanksgiving with my family. I usually spend this weekend sleeping and eating, hiding in a cocoon of rest and relaxation lazy. But not this time! My first day back, Mama Bear and I hit the highway northbound to Lake Superior Provincial Park. She wanted to go for a hike, and show me her newly discovered "secret spot". Now I can't tell you where my mama's secret spot is (she'd killlll me), but I can show you a few photos from our day ;)

I think I may have missed the peak of the autumn leaves by about a week, but the colours were still so pretty. 

Of course Bailey came with us! Such a good girl. The way she sits with her legs spread open kills me. 

This is my favourite shot of the day. Bailey is so fuzzy yet so serious! (She's normally so silly!)

I normally don't get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with my mama, so this day together was special. I think it's something we'll both always remember. 

Thanksgiving Sunday, my BFF Christine and I headed out to Mocking Bird Hill Farm, a.k.a. Farmer Bob's. Where I come from, Farmer Bob is a local celeb. The guy's a bawse. Every resident of my hometown has at one point been out to his farm for a school field trip/sleigh ride/pick your own Christmas tree. For the fall he puts on a corn maze, so Christine and I decided to get our country on and go check it out. 

After 2 hours in this mother, we ended up hitting 5/6 check points! Proud of us. 

We finally escaped the maze and wandered around the farm. Is it just me, or are pumpkins super photogenic?? I couldn't get enough of them!! I think it's the pop of orange against the natural farm background that I'm obsessed with. So seasonal! Luvs it. 

There's also a small petting farm on site. If only these photos could convey the smell of this place! But it was adorable, so it was worth it. 

This baby goat stole my heart. Look at him trying to steal some snacks from the vending machine! Such a sneaky lil fella. 

Definitely a Thanksgiving weekend for the books! Saw everyone I wanted to catch up with, ate........ everything. Now time to get back to the real world. 

Ribtoberfest

On Sunday, Allison and I headed downtown to check out "Ribtoberfest" - the second Ribfest for Ottawa this year (the first was in June), in October. Ribfest + October = Ribtoberfest. 

Obviously I was so. there.   

Unfortunately, it started raining around noon. Like REALLY raining. Did that stop us??? YOU KNOW IT DIDN'T!!  

On a completely unrelated side note: I am OBSESSED with my new French Connexion sweater!! Bright orange and camel, two colours I NEVER would have put together on my own, but it just works! Who says fall fashion has to be all dark colours and beige!? Werk it, girl. 

After a quick walk up and down Sparks Street to check out all the vendors, we decided to grab our grub at Gator BBQ. (Allison has a really intense rib-fan friend who recommended it). 

We scurried away to take refuge from the rain at a nearby mall, and got right down to bidness! Allison had a half rack of ribs, with beans and potatoes. 

I had a half rack of ribs with a pulled pork sandwich. 

Opening up our take-out containers was kind of like opening up your first gift on Christmas morning. Except more pork! And we paid for it ourselves :( haha. 

The ribs were just O.K. Not enough sauce and the meat didn't exactly "fall of the bone", but still enjoyable.

However, I fell in LOVE with the pulled pork. True, beautiful love. 

I know people go to ribfests for the ribs, but I think I might actually prefer pulled pork!!?? Is that normal?? Juicier meat. More flavour. Way easier to eat. None of the mess. I feel like a big cheater saying it, but it's the truth! Am I the only one who feels that way? 

I said goodbye to Allison, and headed home for a glorious study session rib induced nap. 

The perfect Sunday Funday! 

The Easiest Turkey Chili

Nothing warms up my belly quite like a hot bowl of chili, on a cool fall day. 

It's basically the perfect food. Super easy to make. Healthy (with ground turkey substituted for the traditional ground beef, and lots and lots of veggies). It fills you right up, and did I mention how easy it is to make?? 

After a long day at school, I am hungry like the wolf. When I finally get home, cooking a meal from scratch is not an option. Making a big pot of chili on a Sunday night is fabulous, because it lasts me all week (and tastes even BETTER re-heated), and I can always freeze some for later if I ever get tired of it (I never get tired of it). 

To make your own batch of turkey chili, you will need: 

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 & 1/2 tsp canola oil 
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (no salt added if you can!)
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (ditto with the no salt rule)
• 1 (14oz) can red kidney beans (no salt added... see what I'm doing here??) 
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped 
• 1 cup corn (frozen or canned)
• 1 cup carrots, chopped 
• 3 heaping spoonfuls of chili powder 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• A few sprinkles of crushed chili peppers (I like my chili SPICAAAY. If you prefer milder chili, leave these out, or use with caution.) 

Optional toppings: 

• A dollop of sour cream
• Green onion, chopped 
• Cheddar cheese, shredded 
• Tortilla strips 

1. In a medium frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and turkey. Cook until the turkey is browned. 
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the turkey and onion. Mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer (simmer for an hour at minimum, I usually let mine simmer for around 4. The longer, the better!) 

And that's all she wrote! How easy is that???

I'll usually put a pot on around lunch time, go about my day, and come home to the most delicious aroma wafting from my apartment. Making chili is great because it's no fuss - you just mix it all up, and let the spices do the work. 

Turkey chili is good for you. Think about it. You're essentially just eating turkey, veggies, and beans. You health nut, you! 

...But if you're feeling rebellious, go ahead and add some sour cream on there.  

Maybe a bit of green onion. 

A little cheddar cheese never hurt anyone. 

And top it all off with some tortilla strips. 

Enjoy!