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All Posts, Dear Diary, DIY, Frugal Ideas, Home Decor

DIY Recycle Bins

January 25, 2018 Comments : 2

It is so important to recycle. One of my personal goals this year is to recycle. Yes, this may seem like a minor goal, but it’s an important one. It’s also a more than attainable goal because recycle centers are not hard to find. Obviously, this will take a little more effort of consciousness on my part, but it’s an effort which helps our planet and will teach my children to do the same. When we moved into our house on base we never received a cycle bin. They had apparently ran out of recycle bins for any new residents moving in. Long story short, recycle bins are an easy way to keep recycling items organized. I thought to myself “why not make your own recycle bins?”

I wish I could say there was a lot of thought that went into this project but I was honestly going for easy and simple. Easy because the bins need to be functional for easy transportation to and from the recycle center. Simple because the bins need to not be an eye sore in my dining room/kitchen area. Oh, and I forgot to mention I wanted something frugal which means I naturally thought of the clear storage bins at Wal-Mart. They cost less than $5 each and can be reused for storage purposes when we move. (Being a military family means you’re always thinking about the future a.k.a. moving)

First, I looked up what categories recycling centers separate their items by. This helped me figure out how many containers I needed to buy and how they would fit into my kitchen area. My recycle bins are for: glass, metal, paper, and plastic. My glass recycle bin container is the smallest because we don’t use many glass products to recycle. To create my recycle bins I bought my 4 containers, a large black poster board paper, and a pack of metallic sharpie markers. I already had both tape and a hot glue gun at home to paste the designs on the containers. I took my items home and got to work! To create your own recycle bins you will need:

– Four 58 quart containers

– One 22×28 poster board

– tape and/or glue gun

– 2-3 marker colors

Once you have you necessary items for your project you will:

1) Measure and cut your poster board paper into what ever design or shape you want displayed on the front of your bins.

2) Write your recycle bin category on each of the poster board cut outs using your bold marker colors. (Try using marker colors that will stand out on whatever color poster board you are using)

3) Using your hot glue gun and/or tape, individually attach your poster board cut out label to the front of each of your containers.

4) Place your containers in whatever section of your home you want them and you’re finished!

If you would like to take the project up a notch: line your containers with a plastic or paper that can be recycled as well for easy clean up. You can also decorate the containers themselves with additional colors and designs if they are too plain for your personal liking.

I told you guys this is an easy project! Not only is it easy to do, but we get to help play an important role in saving the planet too. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. If you make your own DIY recycle bins please drop a picture in the comment section below!

Brie <3

All Posts, Dinner, Recipes

Roasted Red Potatoes

January 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

Winter time means comfy warm foods. This means a lot of crock pot recipes, oven baked recipes, and soups/stews. One of my favorite year round foods is potatoes. Idaho potatoes, red potatoes, Yukon potatoes, etc. they’re all my favorite. My usual go to comfort potato food is the universally loved mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are not only delicious, they are extremely easy to make. However, as much as I love mashed potatoes, I need to switch it up every once in a while. I’ve always loved roasted potatoes, but I’ve recently discovered how much my toddler loves them too. My husband loves potatoes as much as I do so I wasn’t worried about him loving this recipe too. Ha!

Despite the fact that this recipe is absolutely delicious, it’s an extremely easy and quick side dish for multiple recipes. Whether you’re making baked chicken, searing some salmon, or going strictly veggie, this side dish fits perfectly. Did I mention this dish is cost friendly too? A 5 lbs bag of red potatoes will last for a few different meals, and if you love an assortment of seasonings like myself, then you don’t have to buy any other ingredients for this dish. Who doesn’t love having all of the necessary ingredients for a recipe in the kitchen already?

Before getting started, remember for recipes such as this, you can be as generous with your seasonings (except for the salt) as you would like. You can also add any of your additional favorite seasonings you think will add more flavor to your potatoes. There really is no wrong answer when it comes to seasoning your potatoes. Let’s go ahead and get started!

Easy Roasted Red Potatoes

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author jamiesondiaries

Ingredients

1 lbs Red Potatoes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Grapeseed Oil for coating the pan
1 tsp Sea Salt or seasoned salt (Lawry's)
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Dried Parsley or 2 tsp fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Wash your red potatoes well and cut into 2 inch pieces. Pat the potato pieces dry.
Using a medium sized bowl with a lid (or a gallon ziploc bag), put your diced red potatoes into the container, drizzle your olive oil in, cover and shake to coat the potatoes in the oil.
Add your sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to the container, cover and shake again until the potato pieces are evenly coated in the seasonings.
Take your teaspoon of grapeseed oil to lightly coat a 9x9 baking dish. (We use grapeseed oil because it cooks better in high heat)
Pour your seasoned potatoes into the greased baking dish and place in the oven (uncovered) for 30 minutes or until tender.
Once your potatoes have baked to your desired crisp or softness, garnish with your parsley and serve!

All Posts, Dear Diary

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2018

January 15, 2018 Leave a Comment

Today we celebrate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 89th birthday. This is one of the few times the actual day of his birthday, and the day observed for his birthday share the same day. I could type a mini book about the accomplishments of Dr. King, but instead I will share the title of a book written by Dr. King in 1967 that has become one of my favorite writings, from him, to date. I will also share a few of my favorite pictures from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. monument in Washington D.C.

This is my favorite book to date written by Dr. King. I asked one of my friends for a book that shows us a more radicalized Dr. King, and this was his suggestion. (Thanks, Mo!) Although I’ve had the book for months, I thought January would be the perfect month to read this book, because of his birthday and to start the year off strong.

This is one of those books that somehow allows you to respect Dr. King’s fight and message even more. The hardest part to digest while reading this book is how applicable his words still are today. We have come a long way and have equally as much ground to cover before seeing true equality in this country. My absolute favorite aspect of this book is getting a non third grade history book white washing of Dr. King and his legacy. So many people who quote Dr. King don’t even realize they stand for and support the complete opposite of everything he fought for. Dr. King was definitely a non-violent man, but every bone in his body was controversial.

We traveled to Washington D.C. in October 2016. Naturally, we were to see Dr. King’s monument and park. There was a guy leaning on the wall while his friend took a picture. Once we walked up closer I noticed what he was doing and thought it was absolutely brilliant. To this day it’s one of my favorite pitcures, especially considering the circus happening in the United States government today. I also couldn’t help but to think how much Dr. King would’ve approved of this message if he were alive to see this foolishness taking place.

I snapped this picture of my husband reading one of the many beautiful Dr. King quotes in the park. There is something so poetic about my Black military husband not only seeing this quote in person, but being able to share the moment with his family. This quote is so important because as Dr. King said himself there are too many people “who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.”

Happy birthday, Martin Luther King Jr.

All Posts, Dear Diary, Family Love

Happy New Year!

January 5, 2018 Leave a Comment

Happy first Friday of 2018! We’re five days into the new year, and it’s already been a busy start for the Jamieson household. Being a military family always means constant changes in family life and schedules. However, this year, the changes will be a little more drastic considering we’re adding another baby girl to the Jamieson clan on, April 22nd! Yes, I am currently six months pregnant, with one very active and extremely loved baby girl named, Riley. We found out in late August about my pregnancy, shared the news with loved ones in October, and had our gender reveal in December.

As if my pregnancy isn’t enough change for the new year, the hubby will be gone for the first three months of this year for various work activities. The great news about the hubby is, he is officially Tech Sergeant Jamieson. He sewed on his new rank the 1st of this year. Hopefully, this new rank will finally bring us orders to an exciting state, this year. (Preferably orders to the DMV area. Prayers are definitely appreciated!)

The last few months of 2017 brought a lot of events and growth for, Jordyn. She is 90% potty trained (only wears pull-up to bed), was a flower girl in her godfather’s wedding, and started playing organized sports for the first time. She played soccer followed by basketball. Although she enjoyed both, it was very evident Jordyn is a “hands on” type of athlete, so she enjoyed basketball more. She’s extremely excited to be a big sister and hugs/kisses “baby Riley” all the time. She likes to ask in the sweetest voice “can I give baby Riley a kiss and hug?” Melts my heart every single time. Her vocabulary is quite extensive, she’s unbelievably intelligent for her age, and she’s turning into such an independent (head strong) child. I don’t know where the time is going, but I wish it would slow down just a little bit.

If I’m honest, this pregnancy hasn’t been the easiest. Especially considering how easy my pregnancy was with Jordyn. Riley, not so much. Ha! Kris and I have known for a while that we would only want two (biological) kids, so we knew this baby would be our last (planned- lol) pregnancy. I think Riley was listening because she’s making sure this last pregnancy is memorable LOL. However, no matter the amount of nausea, sciatica nerve pain, or tiredness, as long as Riley continues to grow healthy and strong, I’ll continue to be thankful for every second of this pregnancy and this baby girl.

With all of the craziness happening this year, I wrote my goals down, and broke them up into three categories for more organization, and easier accountability. Personal, financial, and blogging/business goals. I made a vision board for the second year in a row, but I hung this year’s vision board up in my living-room to consistently see for motivation on those days I need an extra push. The one goal that directly relates to you all, my readers, is my consistency with publishing posts and being active on social media. It is easy to get caught up in everyday life and lose sight of passions dear to us, but I’m going to actively be and do better, for all of you, but myself especially.

My hope and prayer for all of us this new year is to change and excel in ways we once upon a time didn’t think possible. Whether it’s expanding your family, taking better care of your health, repairing a broken relationship with a loved one, getting a promotion, having the courage to quit that job you’ve always hated, starting your own business, moving out-of-state etc. Let 2018 be the year you do so. We have a brand new, clean slate, year and should use this time wisely. Life is too short to not be the best version of ourselves.

Happy New Year to all of you and I look forward to this year of blogging and journeying with all of you!

All Posts, Dear Diary, Family Love

3 Years, 11 Months, & 13 Days..

August 8, 2017 Comment : 1

We brought Ares home August 19th, 2013 and had to say goodbye to him August 1st, 2017. We got to spend 3 years, 11 months, and 13 days with him. The time was way too short, but we have so many beautiful and hilarious memories. I could say it was by luck, but it wasn’t, it was destiny that Ares became a Jamieson. He was just as silly and crazy as everyone else in this household haha.

Kris and I had been talking about getting a dog once we moved into our home on base. I was at work when I received a text from, Krissy (my military BFF a.k.a Sister Wife), about a Facebook post she had recently tagged me in. The post was of a three month old German Shepherd named, Bentley, at the time. I couldn’t get over his adorable little face, and one big ole floppy ear. LOL. I sent the information to Kris and asked him to meet me at the guy’s house to meet the pup. No sooner than I walked across the street to greet him, he ran straight into my arms.

The guy told us we were the second couple interested in the pup, but after seeing Ares’ instant attachment to us, he knew Ares was meant to be ours. By 6 p.m. that evening we were the proud dog parents of a beautiful German Shepherd puppy. I remember so many of these details because Ares was our first baby. Before Jordyn, Ares was our fur baby, or our practice baby as we liked to call him.

It’s been exactly one week since we said goodbye to our fur-baby. I still haven’t found the perfect words to describe the type of sadness you feel after losing a furry family member. But it hurts more than I could ever expect. Even though we’ve known for months that the cancer would eventually come back, it completely catches you off guard when it does. Especially since Ares’ cancer came back SO soon after ending treatments and so aggressively.

There’s a strange silence that always follows me around the house. I never paid attention to how simple things like his breathing pattern while he slept was standard background noise for me while I watched t.v. on the couch or blogged late at night. Or how many every day habits revolved around him. Like, making sure the back door is locked at night, keeping his water bowl full, expecting his face to be in mine while I napped on the couch, etc. The silence and daily habits are constant reminders of how much the littlest of things count.

The hardest part of it all has been Jordyn not understanding that he’s gone. She’s only three years old and doesn’t understand the concept of death. Although it’s tough to hear her ask “is Ares at the doctor?” or “are we going to see Ares?” I’m thankful she’s young enough to not understand the sadness of death. Jordyn is an only child and Ares was her best friend. Whether they were playing fetch in the hallway or making each other crazy, she loved having her big fur brother around.

I’m thankful I’m the typical crazy picture taking Mom, because I have so many awesome pictures and videos of Ares over the years. Even some hilarious videos as recent as a week before his death of him and Jordyn having the time of their lives together. Pictures truly are worth a thousand words, and I’m SO thankful to have them.

Ares’ personality was as big as his heart. You never knew what type of emotion or dog talking you were going to get each day haha. It’s what made him so unique. He was this huge monster of a dog with the sweetest personality. A personality that is deeply missed and will never be forgotten. I’m sure one day in the future we will get another dog to join our family. But for now, we’re going to spend the next few months remembering him, and how special he was and always will be to this family.

Rest in peace, bud. We miss you oh so much. <3

All Posts, Dear Diary, Drinks, Recipes

Strawberry Iced Tea (Sugar Free!)

July 4, 2017 Leave a Comment

Strawberry Iced Tea

There is something so special about an ice cold refreshing drink on a hot summer day. This exact idea is what inspired this Strawberry Iced Tea recipe. One of my favorite drinks in hot and cold weather is green tea. Green tea is perfect because it tastes delicious weather served hot or cold. I personally prefer hot tea, but this recipe was the first exception I've made of tasting even better.

I always see recipes for fresh fruit flavored desserts and drinks that require a cup or more of white sugar. For those of you who are trying to eat cleaner these days, this is not the best ingredient for weight loss, or healthy living. When I make my green tea throughout the year I always use honey and lemon to sweeten my tea. This gave me the idea to attempt a similar summer drink recipe using honey instead of sugar for the natural strawberry flavoring. Not only was it a great idea, but this Strawberry Iced Tea is absolutely delicious, AND you feel no guilt knowing the ingredients are healthy and simple. It really is a win-win situation!

For those of you who have allergies to strawberries the best part about this recipe is you can use any fruit you would like following the exact same steps. I think I'm going to try mango next time! 🙂

Course Drinks

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 people

Author jamiesondiaries

Ingredients

8 cups water 1 cup off to the side
8 green tea bags
2 cups strawberries quartered
1 cup honey 1/4 cup to the side
2 lemons

Instructions

In two separate pots boil your 7 cups of water, and 1 cup of water, over medium high heat until both pots are boiling.
When your 1 cup of water begins to boil add your strawberries and 1/4 cup of honey to the pot. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
Once your large pot of water has started boiling, turn the pot off (to avoid a fire) and add your tea bags to the pot. Let them soak in the water for 10-15 minutes to be sure all of the flavoring has gotten in the water. (I used the Yogi tea "energy" brand/flavor for my tea).
Once your strawberries have cooked down, using a small holed strainer, pour the strawberry mixture in the strainer to separate the liquid and food. Throw the food away once all the liquid has drained out.
In your pot of tea, discard the tea bags, and pour your tea into a 2 quart pitcher.
Add your strawberry flavored sweetener to the pitcher, as well as, your remaining 3/4 cup honey. Stir until well combined.
Cut your lemon into halves and add lemon juice to taste. Stir well. (I love the lemon flavor in my tea so I used about 1 and 3/4 of my lemons and sliced the last 1/4 for garnish in the pitcher).
Fill a glass half way with ice, pour your strawberry iced tea over it, and enjoy your refreshing drink!

All Posts, Dear Diary, Desserts, Healthy, Recipes

Halo Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake

June 21, 2017 Leave a Comment

Halo Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake

Today is officially the first day of Summer. For those of you looking for a delicious and non-guilty dessert to cool you off this summer, try out this easy and yummy Halo Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake.

I've recently discovered how much I enjoy Halo Top ice cream. Not only is it delicious, but it's guilt free! Most pints are 300 calories or less. Yes, the entire pint is only 300 calories! It's like finding a small piece of heaven on earth. They have so many delicious flavors and my new life goal is to try them all. Ha! But in all seriousness, it's so nice to finally have an ice cream us clean eaters can enjoy, without the guilt that usually comes with it.

This recipe is perfect for a quick sweet tooth fix. You can even pour the milkshake into popsicle trays and make healthy popsicles for little ones. If you're wanting even more nutrients in this dessert, add a small banana to the ingredients list. I promise it's just as delicious!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 160 kcal

Author jamiesondiaries

Ingredients

1 pint Halo Top Chocolate Ice Cream
1 cup Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp PB2

Instructions

Pour your Halo Top ice cream, almond milk, honey, and PB2 into a blender.
Use the "milkshake" option and blend for 2-3 minutes.
Pour your milkshake into your glass and enjoy!
*If you want it with more ice, you can either add ice cubes to the blender, or place a freezer safe cup with your shake in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until ice chunks form.*

All Posts, Dear Diary, DIY, Frugal Ideas, Holiday, Toddler Activities

3 D.I.Y. Father’s Day Ideas for Kids

June 15, 2017 Leave a Comment

Father’s Day is this upcoming Sunday, June 18th, and most of us have procrastinated on buying a gift. For those of us who have little children we can still get away with the cute, handmade gifts, for Dad. My husband loves getting handmade gifts from our daughter, who actually turns three years old on, Father’s Day this year. While out shopping for the materials to make my husband’s Father’s Day gift I decided to come up with a list of, 3 D.I.Y. Father’s Day Ideas for Kids, to help out those of you struggling for ideas. Not only are the options easy, but they are cheap, and there is no wrong way to do them.

I bought all of these items from Michaels. For those of you, who like coupons like myself, I highly recommend downloading the Michaels app for awesome coupons and deals.

1) Painted Ceramic Mug:

This is a great go to option for creative gifts. Especially for Dads who love coffee and/or tea like my husband does. They even make these cute painted ceramic mug kits with all of the necessary tools for less than $5 each. This allows your little ones to not only have fun painting the mug, but they’ll get to see their artwork being used every time Dad drinks his coffee in the morning. Pretty awesome, right?

2) Canvas Painting:

This adorable idea allows Dad to display this masterpiece wherever he would like. Canvases come in many different sizes. Which allows you, as the parent, to decide how much mess you would like to clean up afterwards. Ha! You can find most canvases on sale at your local art store, and the paint, and paint brushes are also cheap. Canvas paintings also dry quickly when you use acrylic paint.

3) Handmade Father’s Day Card

This is the most classic and popular option of the list. We’ve been making handmade cards for special holidays since we were in Preschool. Honestly, they’ve been around so long because they never get old and are so adorable. You can use construction paper, markers, stickers, etc. Whatever is used it’s one of the easiest and most creative Father’s Day gift ideas. If you would like to take this craft idea to the next level, buy a gift card to Dad’s favorite store, and tape it inside the card. He will already love the card but a gift card is the cherry on top of the whipped cream.

What are some of your favorite Father’s Day gift ideas? If you haven’t procrastinated like the rest of us, what gift did you buy for your Dad, and why? Feel free to share with us in the comments below!

Brie <3

All Posts, Dear Diary

June Netflix/TV Show Season Premieres

June 9, 2017 Leave a Comment

*WARNING* Previous season spoiler alerts!

Today is June 9th, 201,7 otherwise known as the, “Orange is the New Black” season 5 premiere on Netflix, day. The way last season ended left all of us feeling quite heartbroken with the senseless loss of Poussey. However, what is a great show without a roller coaster of emotions? I’m currently watching the new season as I type this. So far I’m not sure how I feel about season 5. I’m only three episodes in so I won’t be sharing any spoilers. I also need more time to assess how I feel about this season. The excitement for OITNB made me think about the rest of my June Netflix/TV Show Season Premieres.. This month, in addition to OITNB, Queen Sugar, and Power all return too.

For those of you who easily forget the season premiere dates like myself, I figured a blog post sharing the dates in writing would be a goof reference, for those of you who forgot yourselves, or didn’t know about them at all. In case you all can’t tell by now, I’m somewhat of a Netflix/TV show junkie. We’re enjoying a time where there are an overload of quality shows to watch on both platforms. I remember a few years ago it was hard to find anything on TV that wasn’t a “reality” show. Ugh, what a terrible time for television. Thankfully we now have Netflix added to the mix of choices for quality shows too.

Queen Sugar: Season 2 airs Tuesday and Wednesday, June 20th and 21st, at 10pm EST. This is a two night premiere! I’m so excited about this show returning. If you remember how last season ended, Ralph Angel read the note his father wrote before his death stating he wanted Ralph Angel to run the farm. As we all know, Charlie was the last one “running” the show even though all three of the siblings equally share legal ownership.

Power: Season 4 airs Sunday, June 25th, at 9pm EST. This is honestly the show I’m most excited to watch this month. If you watch Power then you already know why this show is so damn good! If you recall, last season ended with Ghost in handcuffs. Angela showed up to his club and arrested him for the murder of Greg. Oh man, it’s about to get good!

What June Netflix/TV show premieres are you looking forward to this month? Or this summer for that matter? I’ll be back in a few weeks with more Netflix/TV premiere dates for the months of July and August. Until then, happy watching! If you find yourself missing me before then, follow me on Twitter for live play-by-play tweets of these shows in the mean time ;-).

Brie <3

[06.09.17]

All Posts, Dear Diary, Health & Fitness, Healthy, Meal Prep, Recipes

(Meal Prep): Mexican Quinoa

June 7, 2017 Leave a Comment

Mexican Quinoa

For those of you searching for delicious clean eating recipes this Mexican Quinoa is the recipe for you!

I've been meal prepping consistently for about a year and a half. Over time I have learned how to create my own clean eating meal prep recipes for taste and variety. This recipe was inspired by having a taste for scrumptious Mexican rice. Since rice isn't the healthiest option these days I decided to try quinoa in place of the rice. This was one of my best ideas yet! Lol.

If I'm being completely honest, it started off being difficult to come up with recipes on my own, because you can easily get discouraged with the amount of terrible ingredients we don't realize are in so many foods we love to eat. Once I got the hang of learning more about food and how my body reacts to certain foods and mixtures, creating delicious and flavorful recipes such as this delicious Mexican Quinoa, are no longer a challenge.

Although this recipe tastes perfect as is, the best part about it is, you can adjust and add your own ingredients to fit your unique Mexican palette taste buds. For example: I'm not a fan of tomatoes, but I'm sure for those of you who like tomatoes, they would be a delicious addition. (Whatever foods you decide to add to this dish, be sure they are healthy options such as fresh fruits and/or vegetables. You don't want to create a non-healthier dish with the addition of unhealthy ingredients.)

Let's go ahead and get started!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10

Author jamiesondiaries

Ingredients

2.5 cups Quinoa
5 cups Chicken Stock
1 lbs. Ground Turkey 99% fat free
15 oz. Black Beans drained & rinsed
15 oz. Corn drained
1 cup Cilantro
2 Jalapenos chopped
3 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning 1 Tbsp. separated
2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 Large Onion diced
2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
Sea Salt & Coarse Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook your quinoa by the package instructions. How ever many cups of quinoa, use double the amount of chicken stock, to cook in the quinoa in.
Heat your grapeseed oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and sautee your onions and jalapenos until slightly tender.
Add your ground turkey to the pan and break it up into smaller pieces as it cooks.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of your taco seasoning into the sauteed mixture and stir until well combined.
Pour your sauteed ground turkey, onion, and jalapeno mixture into the large pot of cooked quinoa.
On medium low heat, add your drained and rinsed black beans, corn, and the rest of your measured seasonings to the pot. Continually stir to throghly mix the ingredients together prevent the bottom from sticking/burning.
Add your cup of cilantro (you can chop it into smaller pieces if you wish) to the pot with your desired amount of sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste.