Category: Savor Each Second

So I know this is a long name for a recipe…but it was not possible to leave a single flavor out!  They are all there!  These enchiladas are probably one of the most amazing mexican dishes I have ever made….I even made the comment to Alex that I felt like “they were pretty amazing for a white girl.”  lol  Anyways…when I saw some recipes on Pinterest  for chicken and avocado enchiladas I was sure I had to give them a try.  We have been doing so good on our new lifestyle change that I have been trying to find healthier recipes.  It is not a secret…but in case you are not aware of my love of mexican food, let me just say this again…I could live on Mexican food, Lucky Charms, and chocolate!  So this healthier lifestyle is going to have to involve still eating the same things I love…just in a healthier form.

One of our new favorite mexican places to eat is Fronteras on Blackbob and 135th.  They have this Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas that have this jalapeño cream sauce that is delicious!  It actually reminds me of the Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas from one of my other KC favorites which is Jose Peppers/Cactus Grill.  They are a lot alike.  I think the only difference is the ones from Fronteras have cream cheese.  This dish reminds me a lot of those and I will throw it out there that if I would have had black beans and rice I would have thought I was there.  It was really good!

 

Ingredient List:

2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup sautéed white onions (Alex’s suggestion for next time)
chopped green onions
fresh cilantro
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/2 of a fresh squeezed lime
1 cup salsa verde medium (salsa isle)
2 cups shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack blend cheese
1/2 cup plain greek nonfat yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
1 can green chiles (or 1 chopped jalapeño for more heat)
4 smoked chicken quarters without skin
8 medium size tortillas

Put chicken stock, chopped avocado chunks, garlic, cilantro, fresh lime, salsa verde, yogurt, and green chiles in a blender and puree.

In a bowl combine smoked shredded chicken with sauteed onions, 1 cup cheese, and half of the sauce mixture.

Fill tortillas and place in a glass pan. Pour the rest of the sauce mixture over the enchiladas and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 350° for about 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt and salsa!

Nutritional Information per Serving:

431 calories

34 carbohydrates

24 fat

25 protein

 

These enchiladas are amazing!  I could not believe how great they turned out!  I will definitely be making these a lot!  They are delicious!  I used My Fitness Pal to create the nutritional information for this meal.  I have been using iTrack Bites but have heard some good things about My Fitness Pal so I am going to give it a shot.  It is a social networking site that connects me to other people that are logging food and exercising.  I think I am going to like it.  I have never been one to count calories but with this app they do all the work for me!  I am just logging the food.  I love my iTrack Bites app but I really would like to be able to create recipe information like I can with this new app.  We will see how it goes!

 

 

 

 

 

To start off my post about my 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse, I must first say that I have tried hundreds of different diets and fads including and not limited to Slim Fast, Adkins, Right Size Smoothies, Weight Watchers, etc.  Weight Watchers has been the best system that works for me personally.  I must admit though, Shakeology is actually pretty good.  I like that I can incorporate these nutritious shakes in with my Weight Watchers daily allotted point system and that I am not choking it down because it tastes so horrible.  I remember when I did Slim Fast and I would add extra chocolate syrup to it just to help the taste out and that kind of defeats the purpose!  I like that I can add things like fruit, yogurt, and peanut butter to help enhance the shakes and switch them up a bit.  I have even found some recipes for snacks that I can make out of the Shakeology powder which I will be blogging about soon I am sure.

Alex and I have decided to do the Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse since we have a 3 day weekend.  I am interested to see how this works.  I get very cranky when I get hungry so we will see if I can stick it out.   I have never done any type of cleanse before so I am interested to see how my body reacts to it.  This is not one of those crazy cleanses where you just drink lemon water with honey or anything.  We actually get to eat a whole 4 oz of chicken for dinner!  I am being sarcastic but I really am interested to see how it feels to detoxify my system a bit.  I have been doing the shakes as my breakfast and eating healthier for the last 3 weeks and I can tell you I already feel a lot better than I did before!  It is funny how great I feel when I do eat healthy but that does not stop me from wanting to eat crap all the time.  (I can’t help myself…I love my chocolate and Mexican food!)

The Shakeology shakes do a pretty good job of curbing my appetite so I am thinking it won’t be so bad.  The only thing is that I have been mixing my chocolate Shakeology with almond milk and sometimes peanut butter or a banana.  A spoonful of peanut butter is probably one of my favorites!  I am secretly hoping to get through the cleanse and still want to have the shakes after the cleanse!  I will keep you posted on what I am thinking as the days progress.

Here is a breakdown of the cleanse schedule:

Shakeology Day 1 Breakdown

9:00 am…I woke up and had a cup of hot green tea…This was actually not that bad!  I am not usually a huge hot tea buff but it was a good substitute for my coffee…I am making myself nervous.  I was even starting to feel like I was going to get sick and then I had to remind myself that I had not even started yet! lol

10:30 am…Alex ordered a ton of Shakeology bags off of eBay.  We are almost through our first bag of chocolate and wanted to try some different flavors.  He ordered the greenberry which I had read mixed reviews about.  The only drawback today would be that I was wanting to try it with orange juice and frozen fruit but the cleanse only calls for the Shakeology mixed with water and optional fruit.  I chopped up a banana and it was ok but definitely not as good as my chocolate banana shake!  I look forward to dressing it up more when we are done with the cleanse.  It was drinkable but took me awhile to get it down.

12:00 pm…Snack time….One freshly cut apple….feeling ok so far.  I am not really looking forward to another shake for lunch so I think I am going to go for a chocolate one  here in a bit to switch it up a little bit.  I am trying to get as much water in as possible.  I read that you should drink at least 2-4 liters of water to have an effective cleanse.

1:45 pm…I could definitely tell that I was starting to get hungry.  I made a chocolate shake with water and lots of ice.  The more ice, the more it tastes like ice cream 🙂  Still trying to decide if I am going to use today as my off day or go ahead and try to get my long run in today and take tomorrow off.  I think we might do P90 Yoga later which I am excited about, just not so excited about the hour and a half that it takes to do it.  However, I do enjoy yoga and maybe it will be a good release to do along with this cleanse.

3:00 pm…I decided that since it was so beautiful out I would get my long run in since I could do it outside.  Today was my 5 mile run on my Couch to 13.1 and I was nervous about it.  I have been doing a good job on my running but I have n had to stop in between each 1.5 miles for a little breather.  The outside run was WONDERFUL!!  I ran the whole thing with only one stop!  To top it off I ran it in 50:21 which was pretty good considering it has been awhile since I have ran that far.

5:00 pm…I am starting to feel a little cranky but I know I get to eat soon so that is a plus.  I had a banana and a cup of green tea because I was feeling a bit light headed after my run.  I am not sure that I was supposed to have another “snack” but I figured since I left my banana out of my lunch smoothie it equaled out?!  It was probably a good idea and I am feeling much better now.

6:20 pm…Alex ran to get the greens for our dinner salad so I called my mom to talk to her about the cleanse.  I really started not feeling well and I told her I was not sure how long I was going to last.  I know that I will be eating soon but I also know that I have to down another Shakeology after dinner and the thought of that makes me want to puke…Then about 6:30 rolls around and I threw up!    I am all about cleansing my body and getting rid of the toxins but I did not picture myself getting sick.  Now I am scared to eat my salad because I am afraid I won’t be able to keep it down.

7:30 pm…I was scared to eat but I thought I would give it a shot…especially since I have been dying for some real food all day!  The salad was delicious!  Alex smoked some chicken on the Traeger and it turned out amazing!!  That Traeger  never disappoints!  My salad consisted of smoked chicken, leafy greens, red onion, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes.  I used 1 Tbsp of olive oil for my dressing which was really good.  If I could have I would have added some salt to it.  I am feeling SOOOO much better after eating my salad.  I do not plan on throwing in the towel yet.  Though I do not think I will be having my last Shakeology shake tonight.  I think my stomach has had enough for the day.

Reflection of Day 1

If you would have asked me at 6:30 if I planned on following through with this I would have said no…However after I finally got to eat my dinner salad I think I can make it through.  My sister Heather has done this cleanse a few times and has been very happy with it.  After I got sick I text her to see if that had happened to her too.  She did not have this problem but wondered if I had just started the shakes because some people start with only 1/2 a scoop of the powder.  I explained to her that I have been replacing breakfast with the shakes for the past 3 weeks so that couldn’t be the case.  She said that she splits her salad in half and does half for lunch and half for dinner.  I think I am going to try this tomorrow.  I felt like waiting until dinner was too much for my stomach.  Hopefully this will help and Day 2 will not be as rough! lol

 Shakeology Day 2 Breakdown

8:40 am…Woke up feeling pretty good, had my cup of green tea.

9:45 am…I am starting to get really hungry.  I know it is time for my breakfast shake but it does not sound appetizing at all.  I am starting to feel a bit woozy so I am going to have to eat something here soon.  I am thinking I might try a piece of fruit first just to get so something with some substance in my body.  I was on Pinterest this am and was browsing through the Everything category and saw some eggs that were looking pretty amazing!!  Ugh I hope I can do this.

 10:40 am…I decided as much as I wanted to not drink that shake for my breakfast that it was definitely not going to kill me to try AT LEAST one more day of this.  I am watching myself go back and forth on this thing and it is so funny but the thing about blogging is I have to tell myself, “Amber, you have made it public knowledge that you are doing this cleanse and you better do it….it is only THREE days!!!  You can do it.”

Then there is…Alex….I really want to make it through to prove to him that I can do it.  He is so patient with me even when I am not so patient with him.  I found the most hilarious picture on Pinterest the other day…I know I can be a handful but I hope I am worth it because I sure think he is 🙂 Anyways I know I can do anything with his support and encouragement even though its hard for me.  (All you teachers out there are probably proud of me for using I can statements! lol Sorry I had a BIST training the other day for school!)

I guess the tangent I am getting off on here is that I need to prove to myself and those around me that I can do something even if I don’t want to because I just wanna eat…It is NOT easy….my body is in shock saying….where is my food???  I cannot imagine doing a real cleanse where you don’t eat at all…I would never last!  My respects to those of you out there that have done a true Master Cleanse!  Of course here I am on day 2 doing something I said I knew I would never do….so I suppose it is possible.  Wait I have said that about a lot of things…another big one??  RUNNING.  I love running and I have never loved doing anything that much since I was a cheerleader.  Since I can’t be a high school cheerleader all my life (but maybe one day Teacher/Cheer Coach?? #dreamjob)…it is nice to finally find something to invest my time in that I enjoy.

I feel the same way about my new CRAFT STUDIO!!!

I know this post was supposed to be about my cleanse, but I feel like by making some life changes this year, they are going to help me start really living life again.  I have never been so happy as I am right now.  I have the best job…even though it is hard, stressful, amazing, and most rewarding job I think I could have…I still feel like it is where I want to be and though I wish I made enough salary wise to be comfortable.  I am finding a newfound love for crafts and blogging!

11:00 am…Well I decided enough talk and that it was time to get shake #1 in for the day.  I decided that even though the cleanse calls for shakes with only water and fruit, orange juice couldn’t be a horrible substitute…I mean its fruit and water right?!  It was not like I was mixing it with Sunny Delight (which would probably be delicious in this if I might say so myself!) and I can imagine that citrus taste would compliment the greenberry well…

And the verdict is….

Ugh I feel like I am at The Shot Stop in Manhattan, KS!  Except I do not know what they would put this one under.  It isn’t horrible but it isn’t good at all either.  It is taking me awhile to get through it…

Lets just say I felt like I was taking a bad shot and sipping it like my friend Katie! lol

1:00 pm…Well I am starting to get hungry again…I have been trying to down some water to help so I can wait a bit before my next meal (if that is what you want to call it!)  I had thought about doing my half my salad for lunch and half for dinner but then I am thinking I might just do the whole thing at once just in the later afternoon.  So now I am trying to decide if I want to do a shake or a banana.  I will definitely be doing a chocolate one because I am not sure a greenberry would be a good choice….though Alex made his with a little orange juice, strawberry, banana, and ice and it really wasn’t so bad.  Next time I will have to try that instead.  I just wish this cleanse would let us use milk….I am just a creamy kind of girl!  I need my dairy.  That has been a struggle for me throughout this cleanse for sure!  At least the chocolate Shakeology might give me the creaminess that I am craving!  Even though I would kill for a bowl of cereal right now!

1:45 pm…Decided on a banana.  I was just not ready to have another shake yet.  Alex just finished his 2nd shake for the day.  I am glad he likes the greenberry because until I can actually add some milk and maybe some yogurt I am not sure that I am a fan!  I am still craving something more so I am thinking that I will try having at least half of that salad here pretty soon.  I am holding off as long as I can since the schedule does say it needs to be dinner.  I find when I am keeping myself busy I do not think about it so much.  So for housework I would say this may be a good thing.  I have picked up around the house, cleaned the kitchen, and started laundry.  JaQue’ is coming over later this afternoon and we are gonna watch a movie and paint our tootsies!  I am going to show her the joy of Shellish “gel” nail polish! 🙂  Until then…

3:30 pm…Had my 2nd chocolate shake before JaQue’ came over.  We ended up watching Hall Pass and skipping the nails because it was so cold down in the basement.  It was fun…took my mind off food for awhile!

6:30 pm…JaQue’ headed home to try some new chicken recipe that I am hoping she remembers to send me because once I get through this cleanse my goal is healthy cooking!  It was finally time to eat!!!  I also did not split it in half like I was planning and I made it through another day!  It was good but I am definitely missing my dairy!

Reflection of Day 2

I am looking forward to getting tomorrow over with but I did ok today.  There were a few points throughout the day I was not sure I was going to make it through but overall I am still alive! 🙂  I have read on other blogs that the last day is the easiest since you know it is only for one more day.  I plan on keeping myself busy and cannot tell you how excited I am to pack my lunch for Tuesday!  A tuna wrap, some pickles, and an apple with whipped peanut butter sounds pretty mouth watering right now!  I was thinking today that other than milk I am really missing my peanut butter.  My favorite daily snack is an apple with peanut butter and I am soooooo excited to get that on Tuesday!!!

In the meantime I have been pinning like crazy trying to find new healthy meals to make!  The best pins I find are from people I follow!

 Shakeology Day 3 Breakdown

9:00 am…Woke up feeling pretty good.  It sure has been nice sleeping in a bit!  5:00 am is gonna hit hard tomorrow!  I started my morning off with a green tea and an apple.  I am DYING for a cup of coffee!  I am hoping to keep myself busy so I can get through the day as quickly as possible!  The dogs are in dire need of a bath so maybe today is the day!

10:15 am…I am starting to feel like I am going to get sick again.  My stomach does not agree with this cleanse but I can’t give up now its only one more day!  I know it is about time to have a shake but I am not sure my stomach can handle that right now.  I am going to down some water and see if this helps.  I was wanting to get my run in for the day before I do the shake.

11:30 am…I decided it was time to get my run in today.  I am on Week 4 of the training schedule and going strong.

I have been following an app that I bought for my iPhone:

I really like this app and have since Day 1!  I even emailed her with a question when I started and she emailed me back that night!  The app was like $2.99 and well worth it.  I love that she pumps me up in my weekly videos to get my run on.  Today she had a very inspiring talk about being thankful for your body and the importance of not comparing yourself to someone else.  It is so true…We need to be thankful for what we have and embrace our own abilities.  She has several YouTube videos and an amazing blog called Beautiful Body Bistro  that you should check out.  She has even wrote a book called The Skinny, Sexy Mind: The Ultimate French Secret, which is something I have always secretly dreamed of doing!  I am planning on getting my hands on that book soon.

1:30 pm…So I decided that it is 1:30 and if I keep putting that shake off…I am not going to do it….and I was getting really hungry but I didn’t want to to it.  I feel like I am hating these shakes right now but I really liked them before this cleanse…I mean I really liked them…My favorite is with milk and peanut butter!  I could drink that one everyday…but I am feeling like I am choking them down and I mean even the chocolate ones.  The chocolate ones are good with MILK.  They are not as good with water and there is just no other way to put it.  It is kind of like making hot chocolate…it isn’t as good without milk if you just add water…and sometimes I do make it with water to save the calories but I don’t enjoy it as much….I want to try my own “cleanse” which includes being able to eat more than 2 fruits (only a cup each) 2 cups of green tea, 4 oz of chicken on a leafy green salad with 3 servings of vegetables and THREE Shakeology shakes a day….

I was talking to Alex about how I am ready to eat something good but healthy and he said that he was not wanting to go back to eating shit….and I was like me either.  It is not a secret that if I could eat mexican food and chocolate all day long I would…but I want to embrace this newfound energy for making me the best me I can be.  I want to eat more healthy…I want to make this lifestyle change because when I am exercising and eating healthy, I just feel better.  I am more motivated…I have more energy to do all the things I always want to do but am too lazy to do when I am not eating healthy and plopping down to watch television every night.  I can still do those things but I can get up in the morning and run three miles before work.  I can drink a Shakeology (with MILK…of course) on the way to work and have fresh fruit on my break.  I can eat healthy lunches and feel better energized to be chasing around 23 second graders!  I can eat another piece of fresh fruit as my snack on the way home from work. And I can spend my days pinning and blogging about new healthy recipes to help Alex and I make the actual lifestyle change to a healthy, more enjoyable life.  I feel so blessed to have people around me that can help me through this journey.  It amazes me that everytime I have set out to start eating healthy and losing weight I have a few people that tell me I am inspiring them to do the same…isn’t that what it is all about??  I was inspired by Lorena Cates to get my goals going through her experience and her urge for me to understand the difference between bouncing back and forth and actually making that lifestyle change of living a healthy lifestyle.

 

 

Sorry Lorena for blasting our private messages on my blog but I just wanted you to know that I am so appreciative of your nudge to help me understand what a lifestyle change really is and that I am completely capable!  Plus I hope to get you some business since I was not able to join the challenge just yet!  I hope to be a coach right next to you soon!

I came across some pictures today….

I look at this picture and remembering being so happy.  Alex and I were just enjoying getting to know each other all over again and loving every minute of it….well I can’t speak for Alex but I was.  We spent a lot of time cooking together and eating healthy and sometimes even working out together.

And I was loving every minute of it!  I had never cooked with fresh vegetables or fresh garlic for that matter.  The closet thing that I knew about cooking good vegetables was a good ol’ green bean casserole, or maybe my Uncle Randy’s mashed potatoes…I never knew how delicious a can of green beans is when sautéed in a little olive oil was.  I only opened the can and threw it on the stove with a little salt and pepper.  I always liked green beans…but not as much as I do now!  I have even had a can of green beans as a snack before.  Now THAT is delicious!

Now this is where we really got off the wagon.  Chiefs Season Ticket Holders….Need I say more??  We would be tailgating 3 weekends in a row!  It was fun and I loved every minute of it but if I were to do it over again I would just go to a game here and there.  Maybe even just one or two in a season.  Alex and I both talked about how unhealthy that was for us…not to mention exhausting and EXPENSIVE!  I hate to say it but I doubt we renew this year…

I still see the same two people but I know that we are going to grow so much living life the healthy way together.  And I will thank you ahead Alex for the days I get cranky…just tell me to go have some hot chocolate in the corner 😉  I think everyone feels better when they are eating better and being more active but I think it is when we get out of habit that we forget about how good it feels to not feel disgusting after you have just ate yourself to a glutton…which I know we all do some times…I just need to learn this healthy lifestyle with all things in moderation.

We talked a lot about wanting to get back in shape and eat healthier and that it was something we were really going to make happen.  Alex is doing P90X along with the Shakeology.  We plan on cooking healthier and living healthier this year.  Alex always tells me “you make your own luck”…and I think that is true so we are ready to make the change even though it is going to be a long road.  I am starting my fourth week of training for my 13.1 that I am running with Laura in May and I have been tracking my food and feeling better already so I can’t wait to see how I feel when I am really back to being healthy and fit!  It is amazing what it does for the heart and soul!

3:45 pm…I decided it is time for my fruit snack….We are out of bananas and I had already an apple so the frozen fruit mix we had in the fridge was looking pretty good.  I sat some out to thaw while I got the big cleaning project for the day…Chloe & Mia are a bit over due for a bath so….

4:30 pm…Just got done with baths…now time for my frozen fruit.  They thawed out for 45 minutes to an hour and they were amazing!  I forgot how delicious frozen fruit is as a snack!  I feel like sometimes when you eat healthy things taste so much better because they are good for you.  I started off with a piece of peach thinking to myself….wow that is really good…made me think of the summer my Grandma and Grandpa Bloesser got some delicious Georgia peaches.  They were the most spectacular peaches I have ever had.  I would half the time eat them 2 at a time like an apple.  And anyone that has had my Grandma Bloesser’s famous peach pie wouldn’t have complained about eating that too!  But then again…all things in moderation right?!  These were a wonderful treat…I just need to remember to let them thaw a bit before chomping into them….they are best when they are frozen but not frozen solid!

7:00 pm…So I just finished my dinner salad and it was the best one yet…I tried a mixture of olive oil and honey dijon vinaigrette and it was DELICIOUS!  Don’t get me wrong I am definetley ready for some dairy tomorrow but it was good.  I thought I liked it with just the olive oil but it was way better half and half.  It made the vinaigrette go further when all mixed up together.

Day 3 Reflection

I still have one more shake to get through tonight but I am not hungry at all so hopefully I can get it down later…its still pretty early so we will see how it goes.  I got the upstairs bathroom all cleaned up and my shower taken so now I plan on relaxing.  It feels good to get a few “to do”s off my list that I have been wanting to get done in awhile.  I have ate good today, ran 3 miles, blogged, gave the dogs a bath, cleaned, and feel like overall it has been a pretty productive day! …..AND I have two hours before I need to get to bed to watch a movie or catch up on my shows?  I’ll take that!  I am looking forward to heading downstairs to make my lunch for tomorrow….

I was thinking a tuna wrap, some pickles, carrots & celery, and maybe a banana.  I am looking forward to a chocolate Shakeology with almond milk for breakfast and an apple with whipped peanut butter for my break!  I have never been this excited for a healthy meal in my life!  AND not to forget my cup of joe!  The green tea isn’t horrible but I love me some coffee!!

AND THE RESULTS ARE IN…

Well I did make it through and I did manage to lose 4 lbs in 3 days.  It was rough but at least I can say I followed through with it and that it did help me detox and shed a few.  I was happy that the next day when I made my shake with almond milk that it was still delicious as always.  However…I guess the first bag we had was the old formula.  Alex ordered some bags of chocolate that were the new “super-formula”.  I tried that this morning and it was terrible…which makes me really sad because the old formula was really pretty good.  I talked to my girl Lorena about it and apparently they had so many complaints about the new formula they now are on formula #3.  Make SURE if you order Shakeology to get it from a Beachbody Coach or at least if you get it off eBay make sure you get the one that has a bit sticker on it that says “CUSTOMER APPROVED New Formula”.

 

As soon as I get a new bag I will let you know if it is better.  I will keep you posted…I am scared to spend the money on it so I might just get the newest bag and it will be horrific.  These bags are not cheap people so make sure you know what you are ordering!  Luckily Alex LOVED that new bag of chocolate so ours won’t be going to waste.  I am going to try a scoop of peanut butter in mine tomorrow morning to see if that helps any.  Wish me luck…I am afraid I am going to have nightmares of that aftertaste that has been haunting me ALL DAY!!  lol

Tonight I am making one of my all-time favorites for a few years now.  I can’t remember where I saw this at.  I have made this one since I was in college.  I mean who doesn’t like fried chicken?  You would be crazy if you didn’t (seriously!) but it is not the healthiest dinner idea either.  In honor of my new 2013 health kick I decided it is time people in the Pinterest world become aware of this delicious main dish!  There have been a few Pinterest recipes that say I could use honey mustard instead of egg but I am not sure if that is a good idea.  However a bit of tangy flavor might be good so I am going to try it.  I will let you know how it turns out but usually I use 2 eggs beaten without honey mustard.  I got my original recipe off the French’s website.  After a few runs at it I always added more flour for more breading and sometimes I season my egg mixture up a bit.  So this one may vary since I am deciding to play with it.

As many of you know my man is an amazing cook.  He has been ever since the days I laid eyes on him in his backwards Applebee’s trucker hat 😉  He has taught me a lot about cooking even though I would like to think I wasn’t a terrible cook before we started dating.  I will admit that I never cooked with fresh vegetables or garlic before we got together.  I would never cook with dried onions unless it was an emergency now!  I used to go through garlic powder like crazy and now we always have fresh garlic on hand.  I will say I was shocked the night he had me over for dinner one night and made me instant mashed potatoes.  I was like people actually make those?!  I would NEVER!!!  I was disgusted…and he later learned why when I made him my uncle Randy’s famous mashed potatoes….See I can actually teach him a thing or two 😉

Anyways now I am way off track…so back to Alex teaching me things about cooking.  I am one of those people who cannot be patient with thawing meat.  Actually I always attempt to have an idea of what needs to be thawed out if we are cooking that night.  Lets be real though people…life gets in the way and sometimes we forget or we get home and are ready to cook something but we don’t have a few hours to let meat thaw out.  (I used to run to the store and buy meat that was not frozen)  Normally I would fill the sink up with hot water and wait for it to thaw out.

 

Fake-out Fried Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 egg

1 bag fried onions

3 tbsp all purpose flour

2 minced fresh garlic cloves

honey mustard

salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Crush up the fried onions.  Mix the flour in the crushed fried onions thoroughly.  I usually add some salt and pepper to the mixture just to give it some extra flavor.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg and a generous amount of honey mustard with the minced fresh garlic and some more salt and pepper.  Dip the chicken breasts in the egg mixture followed by the crushed onion mixture.  Place in a glass dish or pan and put in for 20 minutes.  I think the key to this is to pull it out after 15 minutes and turn the chicken over to make sure both sides get crunchy.  Then I put it back in for 5-7 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is.

While at Hyvee I grabbed a few sweet potatoes because after Alex introduced me to sweet potato fries I am all of a sudden OBSESSED with anything made of sweet potatoes!  I love them!!  I have been debating making sweet mashed potatoes with greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Then while browsing around on Pinterest (As I do most of the time!)…I found a really yummy recipe for these sweet baked potatoes with greek yogurt mash from a blog called Sense and Serendipity .  I tweaked it to my own liking because I am a firm believer in the power of olive oil!  I must say it was delish!

Sweet Baked Potatoes with Greek Yogurt

2 sweet potatoes

olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves

salt and pepper

1 tub plain greek yogurt

honey

nuts of some sort…walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, whatever you have in the house to add a crunch

I tend to see ideas on Pinterest and then I think I need to put my little tweak on it so hopefully it works!  I make sweet potato fries and steak fries all the time but they are frozen and I just follow the bag instructions.  So I looked at a few recipes and decided to try baking them in foil.  I cut them in half long ways and drizzled olive oil  all over.  Then I seasoned them with salt and pepper and I threw some minced garlic.  (Hopefully that doesn’t bite me but it sounded good!)  These took longer than I was expecting but I think it was because I was STARVING when I started cooking in the first place.  I cooked them at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes.  The best part about these sweet baked potatoes are how Weight Watcher “friendly” they are!  They are 4 points for one sweet potato 5 inches in length!  I could only do half and I was full so that was even better!