A homemade bowl of chili is kind of like a hug. It wraps itself around you, comforts you, and is there for you at the end of a long day. Using common pantry items and a slow-cooker technique, you can assemble this easy chili recipe in the morning. By the time you get home, it’s ready to go — simply add toppings of your choice like sour cream, thinly sliced jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips, avocado, fresh cilantro, or shredded cheddar cheese (or all of the above!).
Our favorite part about this chili is that it tastes even better after a day or two. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to let the flavors marry together, then enjoy a bowl for lunch the next day, use it as a topping for chili dogs, or make late-night nachos with the leftovers.
Before you get started, take a look at some of our other ideas for weeknight cooking, like these 5 healthy ingredients or these 10-minute dinner ideas.
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 6 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Transfer browned beef to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Add chuck-eye cubes to the skillet, and saute them for 6 to 8 minutes, or until brown on all sides. Then, add the chuck-eye cubes to slow cooker. (Note: You can brown the meat the night before, sealing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, to save time)
Add the remaining ingredients into slow cooker except the stock. Then, pour in the stock and stir. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours, or until beans are tender. (Note: Using pre-soaked or canned beans can shorten the cooking time)
Remember when you were a kid and all you wanted was to do something “all by yourself”? Now that you’re grown up, it can be hard to harness that same can-do attitude, especially when it comes to interior design. However, there are plenty of easy, DIY home decor ideas for every single room of your home that can make a big impact. You’ll save money, and you’ll be proud of the results — tell everyone you did it all by yourself!
Colorful, Customized, No-Sew Placemats: Placemats aren’t just for the dining room. Use them in the kitchen beneath a mixer as you bake, or for those moments when “sitting down to a meal” really means standing at the counter as you check your email on your phone. The colorful placemats below couldn’t be any easier to make: simply find a home decorating fabric you like, then purchase iron-on vinyl topper (available at most craft stores). Cut the fabric into neat rectangles of 12 inches by 17 inches. Then, following the vinyl topper instructions, apply vinyl to each side — watch this video for a step-by-step tutorial. For added flair, you can trim any rough edges with scalloped pinking sheers.
A Chic Tray: We’re probably all guilty of enjoying a meal in front of the TV every now and then (or maybe even every night!). Create a tray to transport your meal from kitchen to living room seamlessly — it’ll also be a handy surface to eat on. This DIY tray comes from a salvaged kitchen cabinet door destined for the trash bin. Sand it down, paint it any color you like, then drill handles at each end as pictured. If the cabinet door has any holes, be sure to fill them with wood filler and let dry overnight before painting.
Thumbtack-ular: Use metallic-finish thumb tacks to add instant polish to furniture and upholstery. If you have an upholstered headboard, try adding thumbtacks around the border to mimic a nailhead finish. You can use thumbtacks to jazz up plain or painted wood furniture, too — trim side tables, desks, or chairs with a neat row of thumbtacks, or get creative with swirling patterns.
Pretty, Practical Hamper: Use a patterned pillowcase as the basis for a beautiful, no-sew hamper that will look chic displayed from a hook in the bathroom — it’ll also be super practical for catching dirty duds at the end of the day. Simply use a 12-inch embroidery hoop (available at craft stores) and about 10 inches of ribbon. Clamp the case into the hoop, then use the clamp as a spot to tie on the ribbon. Good Housekeeping shows you the end result, below:
Need more ideas? Our blog is here to inspire. Check out these helpful posts:
A common challenge for renters is space constraints. It may seem like your apartment can’t fit all of your stuff, but there are ways that you can make everything fit comfortably with the space available that you may not have thought of. Enter these awesome storage ideas.
Maximizing the space you have is key. One of our favorite solutions for storage in a small apartment is making use of vertical space.
It’s easy to use up the available horizontal space in your apartment, but often times there is a lot of leftover vertical space that can be utilized. Here are the best ways to use vertical space in your apartment.
Free standing shelves are not only portable, convenient, and rental-friendly, but also a great space saver! They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be used in any room in the apartment, including the kitchen for extra dish or appliance storage, the bathroom for towels and toiletries, as bookcases, or in the closet to store shoes or clothes that won’t fit in drawers.
Punctuate a blank wall with a leaning, ladder-style bookshelf. (Photo via Woodstock Furniture Outlet)
A ladder-style leaning bookshelf can be an easy, modern way to add some extra storage furniture to a bare wall – use it to display decorative items or store books.
Another great way to use vertical space especially in your kitchen is with under-shelf storage baskets. If there is a lot of room between the shelves that are already built in to your cabinets, simply attach an under-shelf basket to create more storage space for additional items.
Under-shelf baskets are a great way to harness vertical space and add more storage. (Photo via ApartmentTherapy.com)
If you need more space to store glassware, there are also under-the-shelf stemware holders that are a convenient solution.
One thing we sometimes forget is that we have plenty of space on our walls for storage. This can be easily and safely used by placing shelves along the walls to use that vertical space to its capacity.
There’s more to storage than meets the eye with these clever items.
Give storage a lift when you use bed risers — they’re affordable, easy to use, and add valuable inches to store items under your bed. Adding height is also a great way to give the illusion of more space: your bed will look and feel more regal, and you’ll benefit from the added storage beneath.
Storage beds have built-in storage within a hollow portion of the bed frame. Many feature drawers along the bottom for a look that is both attractive and incredibly functional. Use the added space to store bedtime essentials like blankets or pajamas.
Ottomans are a great addition to a living room — you can bring in new colors and prints at an affordable price, and if you choose a storage ottoman, you can also add a little more practicality. Storage ottomans are hollow on the inside with a removable lid for easy access. Stock yours with living room items like games, remotes, or blankets.
Looking for a new apartment? We have many excellent and spacious choices for metro New Orleans apartments and in Mississippi!
Whether you know a certain Tuesday as Mardi Gras Day, Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, there’s another name for it, too: National Pancake Day. In New Orleans, you’ll probably find us eating king cake or Popeye’s (or both) on Mardi Gras, but many people use the day to honor that humble, fluffy breakfast-time favorite.
Pancakes are an easy and affordable way to feed a crowd, and they’re also useful as a make-ahead breakfast — seal them in individual plastic baggies for a quick, grab ‘n’ go breakfast that heats up in the microwave in seconds.
If you’re looking for a delicious pancake recipe, take a look at one of our all-time favorites courtesy of Bon Appetit. It’s just as simple as using a boxed mix, but so much tastier! Craving something else to eat? Check out our other cooking tips on the blog.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and melted in a separate, medium-size bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix! It’s OK for the mixture to have some lumps.
Next, heat up a griddle or large skillet using medium heat. Brush with oil or add a pat of butter to coat the surface. Cook the pancakes in batches by scooping small cupfuls (about 1/3 cup should do) into the skillet. Cook them until bubbles form on top — usually just about 3 minutes. Flip, and cook the other side until golden brown, which usually takes another 2 minutes.
Serve with syrup of your choice!
No buttermilk? No problem! Common buttermilk substitutes include watered-down plain yogurt or watered-down sour cream, but you can also make your own buttermilk using this easy recipe:
Though we think even our studio apartments are spacious (and full of awesome amenities), space is always a concern. You don’t have to sacrifice style for space, though! Read on for a few easy ideas for home decor for small apartments below.
Try a folding chair. You might think of this piece of furniture as one suited only to outdoor spaces, but think again! These folding chairs are ideal for small spaces and look so gorgeous you might not even want to fold them up and put them away. Whether you use them at the dining table or as extra seating for surprise guests, folding chairs are a chic space solution.
Let there be light. Opting for decor in light hues like white, cream, or rose quartz creates an optical illusion that a space is larger. Since the walls at our 1st Lake Properties are already painted in light hues, we’ve already assisted with half the battle!
Mirror, mirror on the wall. Incorporating mirrors into your home decor for small apartments is an easy way to create the feeling of more space. Mirrors — particularly full-length mirrors — add dimension to a room and are an interesting visual focal point.
Raise the roof. Try hanging floor-to-ceiling decorative curtains to create a lengthening, heightening effect. You can also use this same approach for a DIY curtain headboard.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
