Hannah Morrison

The Best Chili

 

I am unashamedly as nostalgic as they come, and a serious traditions keeper. Okay… stickler. I don’t like for things to change, because why change things up that seem to be working just fine? If it were up to me, I would happily be running out of the back bedroom of my parent’s home on Christmas morning with my siblings where we all crashed together in our sleeping bags the night before (and, of course, we would let our spouses join in now…) to see what was left for us in the living room from Santa. What can I say? I am a hopeless romantic and I love family traditions. I love Saturday mornings with bacon, eggs, and biscuits with gravy made by my daddy because that’s what Mamma made every Saturday morning for him, and Sunday mornings getting ready for church together and piling into the truck. Ahhh, and quite possibly my favorite tradition- the ceremonious pot of chili when the first cold front of the year pushed through the stickiness of summer and brought hope for the holiday season just around the corner. It was like a sigh of relief that blew in, replacing the lingering heat that with it came the giddiness of what was to come over the next couple of months. Cooler Friday night lights, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the absolutely perfect and special Christmas season my parents provided us with year after year. We didn’t make chili until that cold front came each year, and it was anticipated. Mom’s chili tasted like comfort, cozy blankets by the fire and a bowl of goodness and cheddar cheese on top while watching something on television all together at night before bedtime. Likely to be some Saturday night movie on ABC or a special movie we rented from Blockbuster that was on our “must watch” list. Now, with that same giddiness and excitement, I still make chili when fall rolls in. Although, I will say, I married a chili loving fool who wants chili year-round, so I have had to compromise a bit on “chili can only be eaten when it’s 60 degrees or less outside.” I remember I was legitimately appalled the first time he asked me to make chili for dinner in the dead of summer. Marriage is all about compromise, right? But, for the most part, I really do try to keep chili special- for fall and winter only unless very specially requested by Paul.

 

So my chili recipe? It’s really simple, and to be completely honest… I don’t measure anything out. I just toss seasonings in until it tastes like mom’s. But, for sharing a recipe’s sake… I will attempt to give you some measurements for a massive pot of chili that will last you all weekend long.

 

1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey- but, beef if you’re going all in)

1 can of red kidney beans

1 can of black beans

1 can of Rotel (momma’s secret game changer!)

2 cans of tomato sauce

1 can yellow corn (drained)

1 Green bell pepper chopped

2tbsp Chili Powder

Finely diced onion to taste

Garlic, salt, pepper to taste (I say to taste… because… well, I toss and taste)

You can seriously add just about anything into a pot of chili, and it’s good. But this is a classic red chili recipe that never fails. If you’re a pumpkin fan… add some pumpkin puree for an extra taste of fall. My hubby, however, is not a pumpkin fan so I have to make my own pot when I do that. 😉 Or… just not tell him. SHHH- he literally never knows when I sneak it in.

Love y’all and happy fall!

xoxo- Han

All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

Dress is from Pink Blush Maternity #Sponsored 

 

 

My Favorite Fall Color

From the crisp red apples growing in the orchards to the chili my mom always ceremoniously made on the first cool weekend of the new school year that said “fall is coming.” The leaves that drifted softly to the ground as the wind picked up while the temperatures dropped, and the color that coursed through my veins from birth because well…  football season + Aggies.

There is no color that encompasses all of my favorite things about fall quite like a deep red or burgundy hue. I just feel right, as though I am a part of the season and setting when I am in a pretty burgundy in the fall. Naturally, when I saw this amazing dress from the brand new Rachel Parcell fall collection, I knew it was a must for my brother in law’s wedding and other upcoming fall fancies. (It’s totally dressable with booties and a denim jacket, too, for a slightly more casual look!) I love the delicate pleats and the chiffon sleeves that feel elegant and almost Elizabethan. Plus, come on, it fit my bump perfectly without having to buy something “maternity.” Unfortunately, this dress literally sold out in a week and my plan to post about it today has all but failed.

BUT, fear not- I found dresses incredibly similar that are also gorgeous fall options for dressing up or down!

Shop them below.

Now, if fall would like to ACTUALLY show up here in Texas, that’d be just wonderful. Tomorrow might be the first day of fall, but it is certainly still 90+ degrees here and slightly depressing… I believe in you cooler temps! I know you will prevail!

As for this whole pregnancy thing, let’s just say I am feeling… pregnant finally. 😉 I may or may not have yelled at the man working the Taco Cabana Drive-Thru at 11 PM when I was so hungry I didn’t even know what I was doing…. haha. Maybe… it’s all hypothetical… The countdown is on, though, and we are tackling the nursery this weekend.

xoxo- Han

Shop my heel and make-up:

All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah in partnership with Rachel Parcell

    

 

Hey Hey, 3rd Trimester

My toes are disappearing, my belly has rounded out, my back is most certainly starting to ache, and tying my shoes is a task. It must be the third trimester, y’all!

It’s unbelievable how quickly pregnancy has flown by, and I am both anxious and thrilled the closer I get to my due date. The cooler the temperatures drop, the more my mind starts to wrap around the idea that this is all actually happening and that December is fast approaching.

So, how am I feeling and where are we on the whole “prepare for baby boy” thing?

Great question… we are REALLY behind. We have so far built a crib, almost finished one dresser, and failed to start the second dresser. KILLIN’ IT, you guys. Our entire set is from DaVinci Baby, which I will be showing more of here in the near future when I do our official nursery reveal! We need to paint the walls, add shiplap to one wall, and we have zero baby items other than some cute onesies and Solly Wraps. Being I am a very scheduled and timely person, it is both shocking and stressful to me that our nursery is nowhere near being done… haha. But, I know it will be (right, P Mor?) 😉 We have, however, as I mentioned last week picked out our stroller, carseats, and all that jazz. Which, I will say, has made me feel more prepared and educated on this whole baby thing. Before picking them out, I had no clue what I even am supposed to buy or what goes on what, or how to transport a baby.

We started our birthing classes last Monday, and those are every week for a few hours for the next 6 weeks. I am extremely happy with our decision to do this class, and highly suggest it for first time mommas. Especially so if you’re aiming for a non-medicated birth like I am doing. Paul and I go together, and they speak to a lot of questions that we both have. Paul will be trained as a coach how to help me through labor, and I am getting great advice for pushing through the contractions, how to achieve the type of birth I want, etc. It is scary, for sure, but also exciting.

We have our registry just about finished, which is great because all of our showers are coming up in October! We used Baby List for an easy-access, online universal registry. We also will have a Babies R Us registry for our people who would rather touch and pick out things in person.

How am I feeling? Well, I have gained 13 pounds so far from my pre-pregnancy weight, and I feel really good! We are 81 days to my due date which is NUTS, and I can feel the anxiousness that comes with that. But other than the third trimester aches and pains, and insomnia setting in (me and 3 AM have become good friends as of late), I am feeling pretty darn good.

xoxo- Han

Dress: Pink Blush

 

We Fasted from TV for 21 Days

Phew, I feel like it’s been a hot minute since I have been in “my groove”, and I wanted to check-in with you guys to say “Hi, I am here,  I am working on a lot of new content for you, and I promise this whole MIA thing on the blog isn’t/won’t be the norm.”  Thank you for your grace and patience with me as I have tried to figure out a new rhythm. If you’re new around here… here’s a quick update for you: A few weeks ago, I was hospitalized for contractions, and we aren’t talking Braxton Hicks. I was having real deal pre-term contractions (holy moly, that pain though!), and they had to keep me over night. Essentially, sedating my uterus to keep me from going into labor at 22 weeks. The Lord moved and worked in my body in ways I truly can only say “That was the Lord”, and I honestly believe I got to be part of a miracle through the power of prayer and God’s grace on my body. We went from them telling me “You are a worst case scenario right now” and “Let’s just make it to 24 weeks where he can, in theory, live outside of the womb with a lot of help” to being completely healed. Measurements they had made day 1 of my cervix were completely different day 2. Now, at 26 weeks and a week out from the third trimester, Baby Boy is still cooking nicely, moving around a whole lot, and though my contractions are still happening, they aren’t frequent or near as painful. PRAISE THE LORD. Although, I will say, I am kind of thankful for the test run we had. I have the personality of someone who likes to know exactly what she is in for or about to do. I ask a million questions to prepare myself mentally, and I do not do well with walking into any situation blind or off the cuff. So now, I know what is in store for me with contractions, and we got to experience exactly where we will need to go when I am in true labor… It honestly, in a weird way, has made me feel a little more prepared. I am thankful for my contractions I have had, particularly the ones that made me fall over in the middle of downtown Mckinney… haha. But, no really, I feel like I got to prepare myself for how to cope with them and fight through them. Anyways, so after I returned from the hospital, I was on bed rest for a week (and, at the time, we thought I might be put on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy). Clearly, my schedule has been way out of whack for a few weeks, I haven’t been able to shoot much for you guys, and I have to take things a little slower than before. Thank you for walking with me in it all.

Alright so fast forward, though, and here we are! Paul and I just came out of a 21 day fast with our church, and we chose to fast from TV together. We had known about this 21 day fast way before what happened with me, which ended up to be funny timing. We decided the only thing we were allowed to watch all 21 days was our summer show Big Brother, because it is something we do together and it’s a weird time of bonding for us. I honestly wasn’t sure how hard it would be to keep the television off, but it proved to be extremely tough. I work from home all day, and I didn’t realize how often I turn the television on just for white noise in the background or to feel less alone. The struggle was even more real being on bed rest… what the heck am I actually supposed to do when I am confined to my sofa on my side? Which, let’s be real, I sucked at bed rest. My mom stayed with us a few days to help out and I got in trouble every 10 minutes, it felt like. After she left, Paul had to get on me all the time. I would mindlessly get up, clean, rearrange things… I am totally my grandmother. And, every time I would go to pick up the remote, I would catch myself and pray (and giggle at how mindless routine can be). I was forced to prayer, silence, and rest.

With my bed rest, I felt helpless and worthless… I feared being called lazy (which is crazy, I know)- but, just being honest, being called “lazy” is one of my greatest fears in life and I was being forced to feel that fear and face it head on. (Ugh, we are baring it all this morning aren’t we? Ha) I had a really hard time with being told to sit, do nothing, don’t work… and not only was it good for me, it was expected of me. I was being forced to face a major idol in my life and there was nothing to distract me. No Gilmore Girls, no Friends, no news… just silence. Wait, what? Don’t work? But, I have worked a job and done “things” since… well, forever. I have always worked. You are telling me not to be productive in any way? I can’t even COOK? I tried to cook one night, and I almost was hospitalized again. Clearly, there was a lot to pray about. And, with the fast, that kind of was all I was able to do. We were having trouble with our wifi in the middle of all this, so even after my week of bed rest was over, there were days I couldn’t work because my wifi wasn’t working. We only have one car, so I couldn’t hop in the car and work from a coffee shop… I was stuck. Finally, one day I had a melt down. What in the world was God trying to teach me?! Hadn’t I given up enough? (That’s literally what I asked him… oy.) I have always known that I can easily fall into a trap of being defined by my performance and work ethic, and I was being forced to look at my idol straight in the eyes. Like I said, funny timing. But, of course, God’s timing is perfect timing and there was no doubt purpose to the timing of my bed rest being in the middle of our fast.

What was great about our fast as a couple was Paul and I didn’t get to sit down after a long day of work to a screen where we were “spending time together” … but not really. We had to be intentional with conversation and time. We played board games, read books, cooked and baked, played with Presley outside, or went on drives. We went to bed less frantic feeling and woke up more rested. My biggest fear with Baby Boy on the way, along with some other life changes before he gets here in the coming weeks, is losing my time with my husband. Like, y’all, I wept on the sofa the other night thinking about how my time as just us is about to be over in a few weeks. It will never be just us in our home ever again. I grieved what was, and though excited beyond belief for what is to come, I don’t do change well and I have a hard time allowing my comfort to be tested. Having a baby certainly rips up and tosses out the window routine and comfort. Then, in my grief, I have felt a little guilty… like how can I be sad when we are about to be crazy blessed? But, a friend and fellow mommy told me this yesterday:

No matter the sweetness of a change, it is still change and it means there is time to grieve the loss of something. 

I cried immediately when I read her words, because I felt the guilt of grief lift from my shoulders. I felt validated in all of the emotions I was feeling. And, as she is now the happy mommy of a beautiful boy, there is hope on the other side of the grief and change. This is why we have Godly community. It’s so necessary.

So here we are, week 1 out of our fast, and trying to keep a rhythm of intentionality. The TV is there, but we are aiming to keep it minimal. I really loved the time we had together with no television, and I don’t want to lose that intentionality especially in these final weeks of just us. Fasting is hard, but it is a beautiful thing. As believers, we are called to fast from time to time. Sometimes, we fast for something specific for God’s intervention. Other times, we fast because it’s an act of obedience. Whatever your reason for a fast, there is always fruit. Keep your fast between you and God while you are in it, and pick some community who can keep you accountable. See what he is teaching you, what obstacles arise for you to face without distraction, and how you can pray more in it all.

I love you guys so much, and I am so grateful for you!! Like I said, there is so much new content coming to the blog. We have been hard at work over here creating and shooting, and getting back in step with things. I can’t wait to share everything I have in the works with you. I took note of every single thing you sent me for content suggestions, and we will be rolling it all out in the coming months.

xoxo- Han

My Most DM’d Questions ANSWERED

Happy happy Thursday, y’all! You did it, you made it to the ALMOST weekend.

(#treatyoself)

Today I am answering in one spot my most asked questions I get through DM’s. They range from what my glasses are (literally, my most asked question!), to what make-up I wear, to what my dog is, to what Paul and I ACTUALLY do (lol)… I am answering it ALL for ya today. This is fun, right?

Let’s get started!

(scroll to the bottom for links to any products I mention in this post!)

  1. Hey, Hannah, so like what do you actually do? But actually… this is a real question I get a lot and fair enough- I have a trillion different job titles! I am a full-time blogger, shop owner (The Cake Shop), worship leader at my church, and pastor’s wifey (so I have lots of events throughout the week I am at for the church and I have some roles with admin for students). Every day looks COMPLETELY different and I thrive off of that. I was not made to work from behind a desk- props to my friends (you know who you are) that LOVE their office and desk environment. Thank God he made us all different- amen?
  2. How old are you and Paul? I am 25 and Paul is 27!
  3. What does Paul do exactly? Other than be a RAD Instagram husband… Paul is a Youth and Young Adults Pastor at Anchor Church. We moved to Mckinney, TX two years ago in September to help plant Anchor Church, and it was the best decision we ever made in our marriage/for our careers/for community… literally the best. Literally every single day we say “can you believe this is our life?” to one another. I love working alongside him and collaborating together all day long. We don’t take it for granted!
  4. What are your glasses? Arguably my most asked question, my glasses are from Warby Parker. They are the Laurel, Tea Rose Fade.
  5. What make-up do you use? I always go back to my Bare Minerals. I love love love their Bare Skin line, and it’s 1000% what I wear the most. Although, recently, I have been test reviewing Adele Natural Cosmetics, and I am a BIG FAN of their cream foundation. I use that and their translucent powder as of late with my Bare Skin concealer by BM. I use the BM Lash Domination mascara, too. My eye lashes and brows are tinted and shaped by @southernchicwax. 
  6. How do you get your curls? What’s craziest about this question is that my hair is naturally board straight, and all growing up I couldn’t curl my hair to save my life. Like… when I was captain of my dance team in high school I finally got to make every one straighten their hair for performances instead of trying to get my hair to curl… ANYWAYS. I use the Sultra Curling Wand, 1.5 inch rod. It’s AMAZING and their warranty is also really good. I take thinner strands, and I don’t curl to the end of my hair- this gives the beachy mermaid look. Then I spray and brush out the ends.
  7. What kind of dog is Presley? I know, I know- she is the cutest dog in the whole wide world. 😉 Presley is an f1b Goldendoodle. There are three different generations of Goldendoodles, and the f1b is the gen who sheds the least (they are all hypoallergenic and shed minimally). But, Presley virtually doesn’t shed… like at all. It’s amazing. Every doodle I have every met has a similar, goofy, very human-like personality, and I cannot suggest the breed enough.
  8. Where is your coffee table from? Our coffee table was actually a wedding gift that a very good friend of ours MADE for us. We painted it white recently to go with our new furniture. If you want one, you can DM @alyssaemilyfurr. 🙂 Our sofa and love seat are from Nebraska Furniture.Someone also asked as a “last minute q” what I would define my home decor style as. I am a mix of farmhouse meets glam. I love gold and copper accents, but definitely gravitate toward white, white, white with pops of color and metallics. Our cowhide rug and gold Moroccan inspired media stand in the living room mixed with neutrals and white wood is the perfect example of my style. Soo… If I came up with a name for my style?… “Glam Farmhouse” (??). Sure, that sounds pretty right. Writing that out is really funny, because it’s actually totally who I am as a person who loves nice things but grew up in the country with goats and way too many cats… lol.
    9. What is it that you are allergic to? What kind of doctor did you see? Last July, I opened up about my journey of getting healthy and how a crazy Bio-magnetic (I swear, it’s a real thing…) scientist doctor found out that I was allergic to YEAST (like, have been since I was a baby) and was never diagnosed. Up to that point, I knew I couldn’t eat gluten- I had been gluten free for almost 5 years. But this was a whole new level of food restrictions I had no clue I needed. The undiagnosed allergy has caused a slew of issues in my life over 24 years of eating things I shouldn’t be, like a swollen brain for starters, but he completely changed my diet, gave me tons of supplements to boost my healing process, and a year later I can say I feel AMAZING and strongly believe I got pregnant so easily when we decided it was time to start trying for a family because of my diet and health changes.
    10. When is your baby due? December 9th!
    11. When did you start your shop? The Cake Shop launched November 3rd of LAST YEAR. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year. I flipping love you guys and your support!

Shoes Pictured in Blog Photo:

Seriously LOVE YOU GUYS, and I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Thanks for following The Cake by Hannah and being part of my life.

xoxo- Han

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