Life has been nothing short of crazy and exciting these last couple weeks. I landed two new jobs and had to work to adjust to longer days, no time to cook, and a lot of time spent away from Charles. Such is life and this is a choice we made for the season that we are in, but I would be lying if I told you that the transition was a breeze. Typically I plan out our week in meals and between Charlie and myself, we divide and conquer who will cook what. Last week, I was gone for almost every single meal, so I lived out of my lunch bag. Rather, I should say that I lived unsuccessfully out of my lunch bag.

I don’t know about you, but when the weather shifts from warm days to cooler temps, I tend to really hate cold meals. Sandwiches, salads, and the like are all things I simply don’t want when I’m cold. I want something that will warm me up. Something that will stick to my bones. So my “on the go” eating last week left me craving warmth, and in turn, led me to fall off the deep end with my eating. The carrots and hummus in my lunch bag simply weren’t doing it for me! 🙂

This week, cold weather and all, I plan to make it a FABULOUS week of eating well. The work days won’t be as long this week as last and aside from two nights, Charles and I will be able to sit down to dinner with one another…one of my favorite moments of the day. As a way to kick off the week and have leftovers for a nice and healthy WARM meal, I made a spicy cinnamon lentil chili. Perfect for a Meatless Monday OR you could even add a little spicy sausage crumbled up for some extra kick. This is a great crock pot meal, but since I was making enough for a second dinner tomorrow night, I had to resort to a giant pot on the stove. Either way, the dish is warm, satisfying, and SUPER FILLING. Charles kept saying how “thick” it was and neither of us could even stand up to go for a second serving. SCORE!!! 🙂

Spicy Cinnamon Lentil Chili

Ingredients

• 8 oz of lentils (I used green, but you can use whatever color you like!)

• 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce

• 2 15 oz cans deep red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

• 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 orange bell pepper, diced

• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds and ribs removed to your level of heat)

• 1 large carrot, chopped

• 4 tbsp chili powder

• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tbsp salt

• 1 tbsp pepper

• 2 cinnamon sticks

Directions

1. Place all of the ingredients in your slow cooker.

2. Cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 6 hours.

3. Serve with your favorite toppings (we used shredded cheddar, scallions, and greek yogurt) and cornbread.