Winter Solstice- a 2013 reflection

It's been 4 weeks since my last post. Let's face it, I'm not the best at keeping up with my blogging, but today is a special day in Alaska: the winter solstice. I think this day is special to us up north because after today, the days can only get lighter. For those of you in the lower 48, you may think of this as a metaphor, however I'm meaning this in the most literal sense. Today, we get maybe 5 hours of total sunlight. I think it's actually somewhere around 4 hours and 45 minutes, I'm not 100% and the darkness is a drag. The idea of longer days is what's going to get us past that holiday bump and through the next 4 long months of winter. 

Yesterday in yoga class, our instructor did use the winter solstice as a metaphor. She said, "what better day to rid of the darkness from 2013 and start a new beginning" and it made me think. I really don't have any dark days of 2013. None. It was a fantastic year. 

In 2013, I had the wedding I've always dreamed of having, and then some. G and I got to go to Hawaii for the first time, go camping, lots of hiking, it was a warm summer, great Thanksgiving with some amazing friends, we got a new puppy, I learned to ski (which was probably my "darkest day", though it was still something I got to to cross off my bucket list), saw my friends and family multiple times, had a bachelorette party back home, met my future in-laws, saw my first dog races, turned 26, gained my first Zumba class, and then some, took a group fitness certification course, and realized what a strong person I truly am when my husband is gone. 

That list is huge and it's going to be hard to beat next year! I mean, what can really beat a wedding and 7 days in Hawaii? Well, let's find out! I made some New Years resolutions for next year. I'm sure a million people are rolling their eyes because resolutions are usually only good for the first week. Well, to all you uncommitted haters, you should know I make a list of resolutions at the beginning of every month. So there. Okay, my list goes as follows:

1. Stop wasting money on crappy foods. This is something I'm going to have to work on with my husband. I go out of my way to create menus for each week so we have food to each for each meal, so when G and I go out to the movies, a hockey game, a fair, or even dinner, we splurge on crappy foods. Not just one treat, but multiple. For example, we spent $40 on nuts, corn fritters, chicken tenders, and a beer at the hockey game two nights ago, after I made us dinner beforehand. I think we eat out of boredom or awkwardness of not having something to do with our hands, and I want to work on that. It also applies to eating at home or ordering appetizers at dinner. 

2. Focus on more natural sugars in my diet. I'm a sugar addict who loves to bake and try out new recipes. That's a recipe for disaster right there (no pun intended, heyo!). In fact, my breakfast this morning was a christmas cookie with coffee and pumpkin spiced creamer. Not healthy at all, but do I feel pumped for the day? Yes. Today is an example of what needs to be resisted next year. 

3. Budget, save, and shop! I don't have a huge income, so the small bills I do get, I want to start saving for a trip I'm planning in 3 years. right now, 10% of every paycheck goes to that cause, and another 10% goes to a basic savings account. I want to make sure I stay on top of managing my money to save, get out of debt, and of course, have enough to shop when I need to do so. 

4. The move. Our lease ends June 1, which means we'll probably be moving either on base or to ER this summer for our last year. I just want to get this accomplished with as little stress and damage to our belongings as humanly possible. 

5. Stay productive while G is gone. He leaves me for a month next year for training. I just want to make sure I don't use this as an opportunity to sugar binge or overspend like I usually do when he's gone. 

6. Get my dental work done. I can't guarantee all of it, but I want to save up to get another crown in my mouth next year. And I want to stay on top of flossing!!! If there's anything people need to do to prevent cavities, it's to floss. I'm going to add to this making sure my husband stays on top of this too. He tends to not care so much about what goes on with his teeth. Enter Molly. 

7. Juggle the dogs. This includes shots, grooming, dental, exercise, and not going crazy when they decide to be incredibly hyper at 6 in the morning. 

8. Run a 5k. I've never ran one before. Not so much because it's hard, I just haven't really had the funds to sign up. This time, I'm going to use the money I save by not eating junk food (see resolution #1) and get involved in multiple races. I want to eventually get my time down to 25 mins or less and also I want to start building up to 10k or half marathons. Probably not this year, but in the future. I teach so much Zumba and I still need my body in working order. 

9. Donate money. Last year, I donated only a little bit to the ASPCA and that charity that protects the pandas and other endangered animals. I want to donate more. I know resolution 8 often times automatically helps with this goal, however I want to try to start my own fundraiser. Maybe a Zumbathon or something that will go to a local charity or more towards animals. 

10. I want to finish the next Game of Thrones book (4) before season 3 comes out on DVD (right after Valentine's Day). And then I want to finish book 5 sometimes before 2015. 

11.   Stay positive and communal. What I mean by this is keeping that Christmas spirit alive throughout the whole year by being nice to strangers for no reason (not in a creepy, call the cops kind of way), giving compliments and being sincere with conversations at the check out counters. I think this country needs to build a foundation of trust within each community through everyday interactions. Sure, you may think you don't steal or cheat or do anything bad, which relatively is helping the world out, but when you're the a-hole speeding down the highway every day in heavy traffic and pouring rain, that's making a dangerous situation for the community. You have this amazing thing called a brain that actually allows you to think about every situation you're in an react to it. How awesome is that? 

12. And of course, continue to learn about the person that I am and the person that I want to be.  I think the biggest impact 2013 had on me was the realization that I'm a lot stronger of a person than I originally thought. I don't know if it's because I'm so far away from friends and family, but I feel like there is nothing out here that can negatively impact my life. We started from scratch and got to pick and choose what kind of people we want in our lives. With that, I feel like I've gained patience (my biggest area that needs work), kindness, and I've become wayyyy less judgmental than I used to be. I realized that yes, one day I do wants kinds and when I do, I will be an EXCELLENT mother (mostly because these dogs have given me practice of cleaning up nonstop poop, waking up a million times throughout the night, constantly revolving each day around their schedule on maybe 4 hours of sleep, and a ton of other things moms on Facebook constantly bitch about. Of course, children will be way harder and last longer, but I think the biggest shock will be the idea of something popping out of my area. That, and them growing into adults who will one day get up and have their own lives away from me.)

13. Write a book. I've started about 3. No more than a chapter. I'm not going to have it published, but I at least want the option if I ever felt that I wanted to. 

14. Become less attached to FB and texting and more on actual person-to-person socialization. 

Why did I decide to make my resolutions a blog this year rather than jot them down on a piece of paper like I usually do? Maybe to give insight. Maybe to encourage people to make their own resolutions. Maybe to encourage people to make my resolutions their resolutions. Or, maybe because I really like to write. 

Either way, these are my resolutions. If you read them, that means you probably are someone close to me who actually cares about what I'm saying. If we aren't that close and you did read this, well, let me know. Maybe I should re-evaluate our friendship since you stuck through each word that is personal to my life, unless you were reading this for unkind purposes. But still, you took time out of your day, so I thank you nonetheless. 

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my life in 2013. I wish you all a cheery winter solstice, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub

Make sugar a HEALTHY habit...

... as a body scrub!

Now that winter is upon us and the weather is cold and dry, the chances that I fell upon an at-home sugar scrub recipe was a gold mine! I'm obsessed with exfoliating scrubs (I use them usually no more than once a week) so constantly stocking up on scrubs can get kind of pricey. When I skimmed the recipe, I realized I already housed all of the needed ingredients in my pantry and I got to mixing, and let me tell you, my body felt so good after I used this!

Some tips about this scrub: 

1. The recipe I found online was a little dry. I had to add more oil to keep the mixture from looking like a pile of sugar. 

2. You can use any oil in your recipe, however beware of the scent. It's supposed to be a pumpkin spiced aroma, but if you use stronger smelling oils such as olive oil, it can smell a little funky. I used 1 TBS of olive oil and immediately regretted it, resulting in me dowsing more vanilla and pumpkin spice to the mix. I used canola oil for the remaining TBS. 

3. Caution if you have very sensitive skin. It's a rough scrub due to the small sugar follicles. I have sensitive skin, but I felt okay even using it on my face. I'd recommend starting off small and seeing how it feels before gunking it on all over your body and having an after burn. I don't think that'd be the case because the oils in the scrub neutralize the skin and the ingredients are without added dyes or fragrance.

4. If you have someone around willing to rub this all over your back, DO IT! It did feel like sandpaper, however it felt so good on my back-like a newly manicured hand was scratching me. ahhhhh-maaaaah-zing. 

5. Like any exfoliant, you don't want to over do it. I wouldn't use this more than once (or maybe twice) a week. It may irritate your skin to be consistently taking layers off. 

Okay, and here's the recipe. Make it for your self, or as a gift to friends or family :)

Recipe

Mix together:

3/4 cup white sugar

1 TBS brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

2 TBS pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

4 TBS oil (canola, olive, coconut, sunflower, etc.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour mixture into a jar for easy use. 

Click here for the original source! 

Acts of Kindness

This post has nothing to do with the flow of my other posts, but I get urges to write when I have a lot of emotion. 

Last night I did something so udderly stupid. I still feel like the biggest jerk in the world thinking about the ridiculous of this mistake. I lost my iphone 5 on top of a mountain. My mistake gave me some insight into my life: not only do I have the most incredible husband in the world, but we are blessed to have another couple in our lives who will drop what they're doing to bring flashlights and climb a mountain to look for white phone in the snow on a Sunday night. I still feel bad about this situation, but I'm not mad because I know that this phone can be replaced and I've been given a greater gift of love and friendship that can never be purchased. 

With that being said, let me explain some background info. My iphone was a Christmas gift from my husband last year. It was my first smart phone (I'm a little behind the age of technology, okay?) and the excitement of having internet on my phone was incomparable. However, to me, it was more than a smartphone. My husband knew I'd been wanting an iphone for the past couple years, I just never had the money to buy one and keep up with the monthly payments. When we went home to visit my family in Chi-town, we went shopping along the Magnificent Mile and my husband disappeared. While he was gone, he went out and bought me the phone, went to AT&T and had it activated and surprised me at lunch with it. To me, this is the importance of my iphone-not it's ability to download apps, take pictures, and check FB every hour. It represents the generosity of my husband and always makes me think back to this day.

It hadn't even lasted a year and I lost it. I LOST IT! I'm usually so responsible with all of my goods and electronics. I brought the same purse I always bring when I do this hike, and never before had I had any problems. The worst part was that I usually do continual phone checks throughout my hikes to make sure I haven't lost keys, phone, wallet, etc. and this time, I didn't do a single check until we were nearly at the bottom. Such a sinking feeling when you get to the bottom of the mountain and realize you're missing something of importance up by the top. At least, I think it was by the top because I fell a couple times at the steep parts. I have no frame of reference though because I didn't do a stupid check! UGH. 

What we thought was going to be a calm, Sunday evening hike (with three dogs, mind you) before going home and cooking dinner turned out to be a 4 hour event. The dogs were wiped by the time we got to the bottom of hike #1 and sunlight was already depleting by the minute. I felt terrible that the dogs hadn't eaten dinner (and due to daylight savings, it was already an hour past their regular dinner time) but the good news was that they were so exhausted from their adventure, we were able to let them sleep in the car while we did the hike AGAIN. 

At the top of Mt. Baldy, round 1.

I had already done Zumba right before the hike: I taught my 1 o'clock class to come home and get ready for a hike that I knew was already going to wear me out. I ended my day yesterday with one hour of Zumba and a back-to-back double hike up a very steep mountain. Let's just say I went to bed with muscle contractions every 15-30 seconds. The hike was no joy ride for my husband neither. He has asthma so intensive cardio+high altitude=out of breath husband. Yet with no complaints, he went back up a second time. In fact, he told me he'd go up there alone so I didn't have do the hike again, but I told him there's no way I'd let him do this. He is such a stud.

The sun was setting and we only had 25% charge on his phone so light source was an issue. We called our friends who lived in the area asking if they had any flashlights. They dropped everything that they were doing and drove up, and not only supplied light, but hiked with us up the mountain. Talk about friendship. I wanted to just call it quits so we all could go home and eat pizza, but they stuck with us to the top and back. This hike wasn't just steep; it was dark, icy, and had 60mph winds at the top (according to another climber we talked to earlier). AND they had just returned last week from a Hawaiian vacation-I'm sure hiking through the snow was something they were planning to put off for at least a couple months, so the fact that they were there by our sides was something I am very thankful for.

I am so incredibly appreciative that, even though we didn't find my phone, I have people in my life who are there for me even though my task seems near impossible. I don't feel like I failed by losing my phone because I feel like I gained something more. But I do still feel like an ass for the following reasons:

1. I lost the Christmas gift my husband bought me last year. 

2. I made my little angel pups wait until about 8:00 before eating dinner.

3. I lost a WHITE phone in the snow-worst game of Where's Waldo? ever. 

4. I brought two other people into such a crazy cold conundrum.  

It was an experience that I'll never forget, because I not only learned that my body CAN do 5 hours of cardio in one day, but I know in the future (once my new phone is reloaded with my contacts and music) we will look back and laugh at what a crazy adventure last night was. 

Spicy Cashew Chicken

Fact: My chicken looked nothing like this. 
Fact: I left out three ingredients. 
Fact: I added pineapple thinking it would give it a sweet flavor; it did not. 
Fact: None of that mattered, this was delicious. 

This cashew chicken was kind of iffy for my family because 1. I wasn't sure if my husband even liked cashews 2. when it comes to asian dishes, he usually doesn't like half of the things he orders and 3. I left out three ingredients. In the end, it was really good! The texture of the cashews gives that "fried chicken crunch" but without the excess calories. 

The forgotten ingredients remained as follows: cooking sherry (the original recipe said it made no difference in taste), green onions, and sesame seeds. I left out the green onions because I knew for a fact that my husband would pick around them and as for the sesame seeds, I honestly couldn't find them in the grocery store and really wanted to go home so they got nixed as well. I'm sure the onions would have added extra flavor and the seeds even more texture to the dish. 

As I mentioned earlier, I thought adding pineapple to the dish would add flavor, but I was wrong. It was a battle of the strongest acid. The pineapple only soaked in the vinegar making it taste sour. I'm sure it would have tasted better on the side. 

Anyway, this dish was really good and surprisingly easy. I tweaked the directions just a bit to make it easier to follow. I'd recommend serving it with rice. For me, it was pineapple and sugar snap peas. Enjoy!

Spicy Cashew Chicken: 
Ingredients (for the chicken)
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want it)
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup cashews, unsalted
toasted sesame seeds

Ingredients (for the sauce)
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp corn starch
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp white vinegar

1. Marinade cubes of chicken in soy sauce for about 30 minutes (if you don't have 30 mins, marinade it while you prepare the rest of the ingredients).

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, corn starch, sugar and vinegar). Set aside. 

3. Heat oil in a wok (or cooking pan) over high heat. Add red pepper flakes. Drain chicken from marinade and add to the wok all at once. Cook until golden brown then flip. 

4. Add garlic to the chicken while chicken cooks all the way through until golden brown. Drain oil if there is a lot remaining. Add cashews and remove from heat. 

5. Add the sauce mixture to the chicken and fold all the way through until the chicken is completely covered. The sauce should thicken as it mixes. If you'd like it thicker, put back over a medium heat. 

6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions and enjoy :)

Click for the Original Recipe 

HOCUS POCUS BITES

I stumbled upon this recipe and thought the name sounded perfect for Halloween. When I clicked on all the links connecting me to the recipe, I discovered the source called them "Resurrection Rolls" for Easter and the directions gave a story of how Christ had risen from the dead. It was interesting but kind of put a damper on my Halloween idea. I decided that I will keep the name Hocus Pocus rolls since the cinnamon and marshmallows scream fall season. 

This recipe only requires 4 ingredients. How much easier can that get? I served these when another couple came over and they were a hit. They are best served warm, so I'd recommend heating them up in the microwave for about 10 seconds each before eating to get the gooey marshmallow effect, if not eaten right out of the oven. 

Tips: When you do roll them up, make sure to pinch them TIGHTLY shut. If you have ever put a marshmallow in the microwave, you know that they will more than double in size, which means if there's an escape, they will force their way out of the roll. 

Recipe

Ingredients: 
2 tsp. melted butter
8 large marshmallows
3-4 tbsp cinnamon sugar (or you can make you own mixture)
1 can of crescent rolls (8 rolls/can)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Roll marshmallow in melted butter and completely cover. Then roll through cinnamon sugar to coat marshmallow. 

3. Wrap one marshmallow per crescent roll. Pinch all holes to make sure the marshmallow is completely enclosed. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

The original Resurrection Rolls recipe with the Easter interpretation. 

Why I Decided to Become a Licensed ZUMBA Instructor

Growing up, I was always an athlete; I played soccer, tennis, volleyball and even a year of basketball. Weight loss was never an issue because I was an energized stick who could outrun all the boys. However, once high school rolled around, I dropped all sports except volleyball and thanks to emerging hormones, I put on some love handles, and those strong soccer thighs because jugs of jello. I didn't understand why I put on pounds, and why my teammates could run the mile in record time while I was one of the last girls to finish. Believe it or not, I went through four years of high school having NO IDEA that girls my age went to gyms and worked out. 

I always thought that working out was something older people did when they wanted to lose weight. I was blind to the idea that people looked a certain way and excelled in sports because they maintained and toned themselves after school rather than going home and eating an entire box of mac n cheese as a snack. When I got to college, I made friends with sorority girls who all made use of the free campus gym memberships, and my eyes opened up to the world that I had been missing out on. And let me tell you, it was not easy to get into the swing of working out. 

I started off on the elliptical. That was exhausting, and 20 mins made me feel like I was really pushing the limit. I emerged into some treadmill work and realized how hard running fast was. I tried to keep myself going for 15 minutes, and I probably looked at the time at least 18 times. As the years passed, I worked my way up to 3 miles in 30 minutes, but running became boring. I switched it up by trying cross fit, which was a great workout, but it built my body up in ways that made me feel uncomfortable with how I looked. 

I was in a rut. I was in a dead end job after college, I was broke and tired, and the few times I went to the gym to work out, I was so bored with what I was doing that I would cut my times short until I eventually stopped going. I gained 20 pounds in 3 months. I went from a size 6 to a 10. I was miserable and I knew I had only myself to blame. 

That summer, I moved back home and my sister introduced me to Zumba Fitness. At first I was incredibly annoyed. I couldn't get the moves, it was hard to see the instructor, and, being the overachiever that I am, I was irritated at the thought of looking stupid. Even though I probably spent half the class rolling my eyes, I left there out of breath but I realized that I actually had fun working out. I knew I had to come back. I went to four different instructors classes and I when got to know the moves, I was able to really get into the songs and up my intensity to get an insanely amazing, sweaty, beyond belief exhausting but enjoyable workout.  

My mom, whom I had been going to water aerobics with, was also trying to lose weight and I knew I had to get her to a Zumba class. She was hesistant at first due to knee problems and the fact that she's not an athlete, but we went to class together, stood in back, and like me, she was hooked. That year, we encouraged each other to attend classes. I lost those 20 pounds and went from that size 10 to a 4. My mom lost over 35 pounds, dropped from a size 14 to a 6 and had more energy than I had ever seen her have in my whole life. I was so proud of my mom, as well as myself for sticking to our routine and getting in shape. 

Not only did Zumba strengthen the mother-daughter bond, but we were able to bond with our instructors. They truly became inspirations to us; always showing up to class positive, energized, and excited and that got us pumped to work out. They made it fun. FUN! No boring treadmills, no exhausting ellipticals, no instructors down your back urging you to lift more weights. They never pushed you when you were tired, never made you feel stupid for not knowing the moves, and even though I was in a room full of 20 other women, I always felt I had individual support from my instructor to aim beyond my limits and achieve an amazing workout. 

Zumba hasn't just changed the way I look, but it changed my attitude. I had more energy, I felt healthy, and it could completely flip a bad mood upside-down. I was addicted and I knew that as I moved across the country, I could never give up Zumba as part of my lifestyle. But I wanted more. I wanted to be the person that could give people what my instructors gave me; that feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment.  

I have currently had my Zumba license for over a year and I quit my job to start up 6 classes this fall. I love what I do and I love my class regulars who I can tell depend on me for their fitness needs as I did on my instructors. I am constantly listening to Zumba music in the house or in the car to the point that my husband can recognize the songs and sing certain parts. Zumba is my passion, and I encourage everyone to at least try one Zumba class. It doesn't have to be my class, but do not be afraid to walk in, find the instructor and tell them you have no idea what is going on, but you're there to give it a try. Worst case, you don't like the class and you go back to your regular routine, or you can gain a whole new perspective on your abilities to work out, have fun, and find out what the Zumba bond is all about. 

Boneless Baked Daytona Bites

I originally found this recipe claiming to be a replica of the "special sauce" used on the wings at Hooters. I have been to Hooters a  number of times and I am familiar with the fried pickles, quesadillas and Caesar salad, but, I hate to say it, I've never ordered wings from Hooters, so I honestly can't tell you how close this sauce tastes. What I can tell you is that it's addicting, saucy (no pun intended) and mouthwatering. 

When I made this recipe, there is one thing I changed/would have changed more of the next time. Unless you are a die-hard BBQ sauce wing lover, I would cut the BBQ and increase the portion of hot sauce each by 1/4 cup*. In this house, we're all about the hot and spicy wings.

Lastly, when we baked the chicken according to the directions, they weren't even close to done. I edited this recipe to fit how I normally cook my chicken so it bakes all the way through, keeping it quick and easy!

Boneless Baked Daytona Bites
Ingredients:
 Bites
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces 
3/4 cup flour
1 TBSP paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Non-stick cooking spray

Sauce
3/4 cup BBQ sauce*
1/4 cup hot sauce* (Franks Original is a staple in our house)
1/4 cup honey
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch (add a few drops of water to it before putting it in)
a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper flakes (optional for an extra kick)

Preheat the oven to 425 F. 

Combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag or into a bowl. Add in the chicken bites and shake or mix until each piece is fully coated. 

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and spray it down with your cooking spray so bites don't stick. Put your coated bites in the pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. 

While chicken is baking, mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and cook for 15 minutes on medium-low. 

Once chicken is finished cooking, toss into the sauce until they are fully coated. Serve and enjoy. 

Click for the original recipe. 

Pizza Dip

Warning: This recipe is NOT healthy. I recommend stopping here right now if you are concerned about your health before I begin saying how delicious this dip is. 

I found this dip on Pinterest a while back, but I refrained from making it due to 1. the ingredients are not healthy and 2. three of the major ingredients in this recipe I do not like. However, my husband is pizza obsessed and had to work for 33 hours straight so I thought it'd be nice to surprise him with something pizza-like for dinner, and we are both happy that I did. 

To start, you are mixing together cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream. I am not a fan of what I call the "white toppings" (although I am slowly warming up to cream cheese)so I thought this dip would turn out to be a disaster. The blend of these ingredients smothered in cheese and doused in pizza sauce made their individual tastes unidentifiable, in other words, TASTY! It was so surprisingly mouthwatering that I felt the need to share this recipe with everyone I know.

The only tips I can offer would be 1. adapt the toppings to your own taste preference (duh), double (or even triple) the recipe if you are serving a group, and serve the dip with warm bread, bruschetta, tortilla chips, or any starchy dough-like substitute. 

Okay, enough chit chat, let's get to cooking this amazing dish!

Pizza Dip
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 mayonaise
1 cup. shredding mozzarella (halved)
1/4 parmesan
1 cup pizza sauce
your preference of pizza toppings

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and the parmesan. Spread mixture at the bottom of a casserole dish or pie plate. 

2. Layer on the pizza sauce, followed by the rest of the mozzarella. Top with your favorite pizza toppings. 

3. Bake until cheese starts bubbling and browning, about 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite side to dip. 

**Click here for the original recipe.

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

I know I said I'd be better at this whole blogging thing. Well, I lied. But I tried this recipe for dinner last night and it was so surprisingly good and different from the kind of chicken we normally eat at home that I had to share it. 

The love of my life is a pain in the side when it comes to eating weird foods, but he's super good about trying things I take time to make at home, which I 100% appreciate. It even makes me more excited when my picky eater LIKES one of my meals! This chicken not only passed the test, but qualified for a round of seconds. So here it is!

Tip: There are a LOT of different seasonings in here. I had all of them already at home except sage, but I wasn't going to go and spend $7 on a tiny container when I only needed a small amount. My recommendation is going to a grocer that sells large quantities of spices that you scoop into a baggie. I ended up going over to Fred Meyer and paid $.89 for a scoop of sage. It allowed me to stay within my grocery budget for the week and I still have extra in case I need it again for another recipe. 

Also, I made this recipe for 2 people, so everything I measured out was 1/4 of the original recipe. ENJOY!

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken: 

4 large, boneless chicken breasts (I recommend buying chicken cutlets to cancel out the first step)

2 cups flour

4 tsp salt

4 tsp pepper + 1 tsp pepper for sauce

3 tbsp ground ginger

2 tbsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground thyme

2 tsp sage

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne 

4 eggs

8 tbsp water

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup honey

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, pound meat into an even 1/2 inch thickness. Alternatively, you can slice the breasts into horizontal halves on a cutting board. 

2. Sift together flour and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together water and eggs. In a pan, start heating up about 1/2 inch of canola oil (I used olive oil)

3. Dip chicken into flour mixture. Next, smother in the egg wash mixture. Return to flour mixture and make sure it is completely coated. Place chicken in the heated oil. 

4. Cook each side until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Make sure it is cooked all the way through before serving. 

5. While chicken is cooking, start your honey garlic sauce. Heat olive oil and garlic in a pan until garlic is soft, but not brown. Add in honey, soy sauce and pepper. Simmer about 10 minutes. The sauce will foam so watch out for any overflows.

6. Serve chicken with the sauce. It pairs well with veggies and rice/noodles. 

You can click here for the original website of this recipe. Thanks again Pinterest for another tasty find. 

S'More's Brownies
From the Food Network

Not just a campfire treat anymore! 

It's summer, so naturally, my favorite go-to dessert for any made up occasion is the s'more. I'll take my s'more any way: in the microwave, with a Reeses' PB cup replacing plain chocolate, as a fondue dip or as a martini. On Pintrest, there are tons of new recipes now making the s'more into a brownie or as a cake. I took a shot, and let's just say, I'd definitely read my side notes before attempting this recipe otherwise you'll end up taking the s'more from bonfire to on fire in your kitchen. 

*Tip #1: This recipe came out pretty good. The brownie batter was very sugary and cake-like (not that this is a bad thing). I'm sure you can honestly just use a brownie box mix for a more brownie-like appeal. It's safe to say my next batch will include box mix because 1. it's faster and 2. it'll accent the taste of chocolate over sugar. 

**Tip #2: With the marshmallows, less is more. Remember, they will melt and fill up any gaps. Also, marshmallows are incredibly sticky and messy. It makes it harder to cut, serve and store each square. This is a dessert I would serve with fork or spoon. 

***Tip #3: Unless you have a broiler that is separate from your oven, DO NOT broil the brownies unless you have let your oven cool down after cooking. Your broiler should not be at full heat when you put them in. In fact, I probably won't even boil them the next time, I'd turn the oven up to about 450 and then stick them in a minute. Why? The recipe says to put them in the broiler for no more than 2 minutes. After 1 minute of broiling in our kitchen, the marshmallows all caught fire in the oven. Luckily, after 30 seconds of blowing on the brownies, they stopped flaming. Although a little burnt, they still tasted yummy. 

Tip #4: This recipe is NOT in any way healthy. It's loaded with sugar and butter. Just throwing that one out there :)

Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 
Crust-
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
pinch of fine salt

Position rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven and pre-heat to 325. Line 8x8 in pan with foil so that it overhangs from the pan about an inch. Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Mix the rest of the butter with the crumbs, sugar and salt. Press into bottom of the pan and bake 20 minutes. 

Brownie- (*brownie box mix or..)
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, crushed
1 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fine salt
4 large eggs
1 c. all-purpose flour
4 cups large marshmallows

Meanwhile, combine butter and chocolate and in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave for 30 second intervals until fully melted, stirring in between. Stir in the sugars, vanilla and salt until mixed in. Add the eggs and beat until batter is glossy. Add in flour until mixed evenly. 

Pour batter on top of the baked crust and put back into the oven for 40-45 minutes. When finished, a tooth pick should be inserted into the center and come out clean. 

Remove from oven and carefully place the rack 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low.*** Assemble the marshmallows across the top**. Place in the broiler until golden brown-no more than 2 minutes. Cool on rack. 

Carefully remove the brownies from the pan. Unfold the foil from the sides and cut into 2 inch squares and serve.  

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

For me, pasta salads are either a hit or miss. They are either too salty, the dressing is bitter, the noodles somehow don't taste like pasta, or they blend perfectly and I eat the whole bowl. I consider this recipe a eat-the-whole-bowl recipe. 

Who: Unfortunately, my picker eater husband does not like this recipe bc 1. he does not like Italian dressing and 2. he doesn't like 3 of the 5 extra ingredients I add in, so I don't blame him. But for any of you who are as obsessed with caprese- like variations, this is as close as it gets, pasta-salad-style-wise due to the cubed mozzarella and fresh raw veggies.   

What: You can change this recipe to fit your needs and desires. Don't like black olives? Switch them to green. For me, I don't like red meat, so I use turkey pepperonis instead. It's easy to change up so you don't get sick and tired of the same old meals.

Where: Last summer, I made two batches of this for my going away party and it was almost completely devoured. It's graduation, picnic, and bar-b-que season. What better dish to bring or serve for a large crowd?

Why: It's cheap and easy and serves a lot of people with one batch. Plus, leftovers taste amazing and are easy to pack for lunches. (**Tip: the priciest ingredient on the list is probably the mozzarella cheese. Fresh mozzarella is a staple in my house, but unless it's on sale, it can cost up to $8 for a stick. If you belong to Costco, you get two full sticks of mozzarella for $7. Just freeze what you aren't using until you need it.)

This is another recipe I owe to Pintrest. I discovered it over a year ago and no longer have it on my board, so I can't trace the original site I found it from. Sorry if I'm stealing your recipe, but thanks for sharing!

My final tip: the Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Classic pasta salad mix is NOT in the pasta isle. The first time I made this (keep in mind, I'd never made packaged dinner mixes until this year) it took me forever to find this ingredient. It's located right by the hamburger helper meals and the instant rice packages. 
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients: 
1 box Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Classic pasta salad mix
1/2 c. Fat Free Italian dressing
1/2 c. sliced green pepper
3.5 oz sliced pepperoni (halved)
1 c. cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 c. cubed mozzarella
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives, drained

1. Empty pasta mix into boiling water. Boil uncovered for 8-12 mins, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

2. In a large bowl, stir in seasoning mix and Italian dressing with pasta. Toss in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or refrigerate. 

Voila! Can it really get any easier than that? 

My Latest Purchase: Fashion

I finally bought my first pair of Toms, and after wearing them once, I'm incredibly in love. With Toms, you have to be careful because if you wear them incorrectly, they'll turn into the ugliest things on your feet since Crocs. Here are my dos and don'ts for rocking this summer's beach shoe sensation. 

Toms are great for summer because they are lighter than air. They are comfortable and (at least the lace) they let your feet breathe. They are the perfect way to dress up your down. 

Where to wear them? 

These shoes are perfect to wear to the beach, picnics, fairs, bonfires, the zoo or any other summer outdoorsy activity that enables you walking around in a non-agressive setting. Do not wear them to the pool or other places where you put wet feet back into them (mold) or where hiking and climbing are constantly involved. I don't see them giving much support against sticks and stones. 

What to wear them with? 

Yoga pants, summer shorts, a casual skirt, a short beach dress, skinny jeans. Do not wear them with maxi-dresses or any combo of pants/skirts with a dressy shirt. They will dress up your dress down (casual wear) but they will completely dress down your "dress to impress" look. 

Be Cautious: When picking a colored lace or solid shoe pattern, be very careful what you wear them with. The "natural" color I picked matches almost anything, as will the white, grey and black. If you're picking a color, do not pair with a completely different color. I know this season's "style" is mixing your colored shirts with colored pants, but let's not go overboard. Keep the pants a solid, neutral color. If pairing with a summer dress, try not to contrast colors. For example, don't wear the teal shoes with a red dress. Again, with the wrong usage, you can turn your Toms into Crocs (and let's hope I don't have to explain why Crocs are never meant for public gatherings). You want to make yourself stand out, rather than have people's attention go straight to your feet. 

Shopping tip: When ordering my Toms, they cost $.05 less on Nordstrom.com than the Toms website. Five cents is no big deal when it comes to savings, but when I had to two sites up at the same time, clearly I picked the pair that was $57.95 v. $58.00 (both with free shipping). Also, before I ordered, I made sure to try them on in the store first. They run big so you need to go down 1/2 shoe size. 

Don't forget, when you buy a pair of Toms, shoes will be donated to children in need of footwear. Another plus :)

Lastly, these shoes aren't meant to be worn with socks, and with your feetsies surrounded by cloth against the summer heat, they are bound to get stinky. This tip is going to sound incredibly weird, but I tell it to everyone: PUT DEODORANT ON YOUR FEET and let it dry before putting your shoes on! Deodorant is mean to absorb moisture and eliminate stink. Makes perfect sense!