Wednesday, August 25, 2010

My New Favorite Recipe

I have been attempting to expand my horizons and try a new recipe each week. Things are going pretty good so far. I have only had one recipe that failed. Oh, and what a failure it was. Needless to say, I won't be attempting to make spicy chicken lettuce wraps with peanut sauce again!

I am still at the beginning stages of my cooking journey, but I have found a new recipe that I absolutely adore. My husband loves it, and I even made it for a group of friends! They gave it an A+! This recipe came courtesy of my friend Alison. She is an in real life friend, and also has a great cooking blog.

Enjoy!!!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Shopping List:

Pork or Chicken (1.5 pounds)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese*

Shredded Cheddar Cheese*

Flour Tortillas

2 (10 oz) cans of green enchilada sauce

Honey

Lime Juice

Chili Powder

Garlic Powder

*Instead of mozz and cheddar cheese, I sometimes just by the shredded Mexican cheese mix.


Sauce:
1/3 c honey
1/4 c lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce


Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese (equal parts mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.



Thursday, August 19, 2010

A Gift for Him

Before I get started, I wanted to thank all of you for the anniversary comments! Y'all are so sweet, and I appreciate all the anniversary wishes!

One of the most challenging things in my marriage is trying to figure out what to buy my husband for those gift giving occasions. I always love when bloggers share their gift ideas for the man in their life, so I thought I would share the gift I gave my sweet husband on our anniversary.

This anniversary was our fourth anniversary. The traditional four year wedding anniversary gift is fruit or flowers. No help there. Although I did draw a pear in his card for tradition sake. He he he!


Abandoning the traditional route, I decided to go with my husband's love of fine alcohol. Since two of our low ball glasses broke recently, I purchased a set of four low ball glasses and a matching ice bucket. Much to my surprise, the glasses match our existing wine glasses and even match a decanter we purchased at an antique store. Along with the glasses, I got him a nice bottle of scotch and a tray to display the set.


He loved his gift, and I was so excited I was able to surprise him with it. Now, if I could only figure out what to do about Christmas! :)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Four Years of Wedded Bliss

Four years ago today I married the love of my life and my best friend. I was wrong to think that our wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life because the days just keep getting happier and sweeter. My sweet husband fills all of my days with love and laughter. I never imagined I could be so happy. Here's to nine years of love and four years of marriage!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Shop Easy!


CSN Stores has graciously offered to let me do a product review, and I am so excited! CSN has become a favorite of mine. With over 200 stores, I can always find what I am looking for at a good price. They offer everything from Le Creuset to home decor to outdoor products! Your shopping options are endless!

I can't wait to share my product review with you, so make sure your come back and visit me! Also, make sure you check out CSN stores and all the fun products that they have to offer!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Pulling a Princess

I don't often take the princess path in life, but some days just call for it. Monday was one of those days. I woke up to a sore neck and back. While getting dressed a random bug happened to be in our bathroom and it stung me on the arm. Ouch! And without getting into too much detail, let's just say that work was not going my way that day.

My day was not looking great. In fact, it seemed rather comical all the things that were going wrong, so I decided to take charge! I pulled a princess! I took half a day off, got a massage, and finished my day off with a bubble bath. My husband thought it was hilarious and a little over dramatic! I thought it was perfect! :)

Have a Happy Tuesday and don't forget to treat your inner princess every once in a while!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Pink Chick in the Kitchen

It's no secret that cooking doesn't top the list of things that I am good at. Unfortunately , it doesn't even make the list. This little sign that hangs in my kitchen tells the story! (He He He! I love my little sign!)


I always tell people that I do know how to cook, but I never know what to cook. I'm not very adventurous in the kitchen, and I rarely try new things.

Well, I am proud to report that I have a new goal for myself. I want to try one new recipe every week. I want my main focus to be on healthy recipes, but non-diet options will also be thrown in the mix.

I tried my first new dish last week. It was a "clean eating" recipe that I found on sparkpeople.com. It was super easy to make. It was healthy and yummy! Overall, it was a success. The recipe is below if you want to try it out. You can also find the recipe here and see comments people have left on how they changed/improved the original recipe.

Clean Eating Chicken, Potato and Veggie Bake
Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
2 Skinless Chicken Breasts, chopped into 2-inch cubes
1 lb Red Potatoes, chopped into 2-inch cubes
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (OR Red & Green Peppers, OR Vegetables of your choice)
1/3 c fresh basil, chopped
4 garlic gloves, thinly sliced
1.5 TBSP Olive Oil
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Ground Pepper to Taste
1/2 cup Chicken Broth (if desired)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Add chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, vegetables, basil, garlic, chicken broth, and olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary. Add pepper if desired. Bake for approx. 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender. Serve.

Number of Servings: 4

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Pink Chick Goes to Court

Several weeks ago I received a little gift in the mail. This little gift I am referring to was a jury summons. That's right! I had been chosen for jury duty.

Most people think jury duty really stinks (and it does), but I was excited since I had never been called for jury duty. I was also excited because my husband is an attorney, and it would be like getting a peek into his world.

My letter told me I should report to the courthouse at 8:30 am on Monday, so Sunday night I carefully picked out a cute outfit (while channeling my inner Elle Woods) and packed my purse with all the essentials one would need when reporting for jury duty.

Monday morning went smoothly. I looked cute. I parked in the appropriate parking deck, and I arrived to the court room on time. We had to wait a super long time for the judge and the attorneys, so I made a new friend while we waited.

The time finally came for them to select the jury. The judge, the lawyers, and the defendant were all in place. That's when the defendant decided it was time to be creepy. He turned around, peeked over the podium and began to stare. I wasn't sure if he was staring at me or the girl behind me, so I uneasily assumed it was the girl behind me and shifted my gaze away from him. He kept staring and then started waving. This went on for a really long time. It was super creepy, and that's when I decided that jury duty wasn't fun anymore and I wanted to go home.

Thankfully, it wasn't too long after the uncomfortable staring incident that my panel of jurors was released. Both I and the girl behind me happily left the court room and the creepy defendant behind. (insert huge sigh of relief here).

When I arrived home, I couldn't help but google the name of the defendant. I don't want to give any details away since the case is still pending, but let's just say my knowledge gained from google made him even creepier!