So. Here I go again taking another hiatus. So many things have been happening lately it's hard to have the time to sit down and document my culinary adventures. It's going to get even harder to do so when I start my three day a week class for a month. Now three days a week doesn't seem like much but when you work 40 hours a week plus freelance... m/t/w 5:30-9:55 can be a lot. I am going to have to meal plan like crazy because there is no time to go home and eat dinner before class which means bringing double the amount of food to work!

I am trying to devise a plan to cook a few meals on Sundays, enough for three days... which doesn't seem like a lot, but I am trying to eat a lot healthier. Cut down on some carbs, fats, sodium, calories... that whole bit. I mean it's almost summer and I plan on being on the lake a lot so it's time to kick it into high gear and get that beach bod I've always dreamed of.

I started mission beach bod yesterday. My mother lent me her Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 dvd, plus I am still going to be doing my regular work outs: yoga 3-4 days a week, zumba once a week, rollerblading 2-3 times a week. This means two-a-days! So as you can see all of the above mentioned, work, freelance, class, and two-a-day work outs?! I think I might be insane. Let's hope I don't push myself too far! And luckily for me the gym is right across the street from my work, lunch time is always utilized.

The first meal I decided to make for my healthier diet were these quick and easy chicken flautas from spoon fork bacon.

I swapped regular sour cream for lite sour cream, and didn't use any extra after the flautas were baked. I also swapped white flour tortillas for a honey wheat tortilla. This gave the flautas an extra bit of sweetness that was just absolutely delicious. I highly recommend using an ear of corn for this and not canned corn. By using canned corn you are adding extra calories and sodium that you don't really need.

Next time I make these I will most likely add a couple more veggies in here like bell pepper, maybe some black beans. I enjoyed them as they are but I love packing in more veggies where ever I can.

I had 2 of these for dinner plus a 60 calorie cup of dark hot chocolate from my keruig.

Wait for these to cool a lot before you start eating them, I kind of burnt my tongue... okay not just kind of, I really burnt my tongue!


Makes 6

Ingredients:
filling:
2 cups roasted chicken, shredded or chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 ear yellow corn, kernels and milk removed from husk
1/3 cup prepared salsa
2 tablespoons lite sour cream
2 ounces Mexican Blend cheese
salt and pepper to taste

6, 8 inch whole wheat tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Shred or chop chicken and place into a medium sized bowl and set aside. Make sure your bowl is big enough to mix all of the ingredients in.
3. Pour oil into a medium sauté pan and place over medium-high heat.
4. Saute onion, and corn for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Pour onion mixture over chicken and toss together. Add remaining filling ingredients to chicken and onion mixture and stir together until mixed together. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Place a heaping 1/3 cup of the filling into one of the tortillas and spread into a log.
7. Tightly roll tortilla and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down.
8. Repeat until all of the tortillas and filling have been used.
9. Bake flautas for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tortillas have crisped up and turned golden brown. Slice each in half and enjoy!

goat cheese drop biscuits

Most of the time on Saturday or Sunday I wake up craving biscuits and eggs. There is something about slowly waking up on your own, without an alarm, and wanting a good hearty home made breakfast that just makes you feel all fuzzy inside.

Since my days to sleep in past 7:30am are far and few between I think about biscuits and eggs a lot less.

After class Saturday morning I was dying for biscuits. I decided it was time to try a recipe that had been sitting in my binder for far too long. Goat cheese drop biscuits. And guess what? I had an unopened pack of goat cheese just screaming to be digested in someone's stomach... in biscuit form of course.

Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

a marriage between Joy The Baker and Art Smith

yields 9 Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes (I cut this into cubes and stick in the freezer while I measure out the other ingredients)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for your skillet

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for the top of your biscuits

4 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 

1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F, and place your rack in the upper third. Take your cast iron skillet, I didn't have a 10in so I just used my 12in, no big deal, and place it in the oven to preheat.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers blend the butter and goat cheese into the flour mixture until it is a pebbly mixture. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. With a fork, mix together the ingredients until all of the dry spots disappear.

3. Remove your skillet from the oven and place the tablespoon of butter and move around to cover the entire surface of the skillet. Drop biscuits by 1/4 cup fulls into the skillet. If they touch it is okay.

4. Brush with two tablespoons of melted butter and bake for 14-16 minutes. When they come out of the oven let them rest for a quick few.

Serve with lovely jam or butter. I used strawberry/raspberry jam and it was the perfect combination! 

Enjoy! 

tans and yellows

So this is my first go at polyvore and their amazing boards you can create! love, love, love it. Totally obsessed... and still totally not studying.. okay for reals now.. I'm getting off the internet... I'm getting my flashcards out! I promise. 

tans and yellows by thepixelparlor featuring boat neck tops

belated easter cupcakes

So remember how Easter was last weekend? Yeah, me too... Some how my life was so crazy busy this week that I had zero time to post anything. So now, nearly a week after I made these delightful cupcakes I am now showing you. I could always just rename these to springy cupcakes. There are no bunnies or any specific Easter symbol on them. They are just grassy little cupcakes with some eggs that may or may not hatch chocolate.



I found this awesome yellow cake recipe from King Arthur Flour, why do they have the best recipes? They are full proof I swear... and a simple butter cream via William Sonoma. Yes I am being lazy and not writing out the entire recipe because to be honest I have a test tomorrow morning and I should really be studying and not typing non sense on here! Hopefully there will be something super delicious to look at next week. I've been working on a new scone recipe that should be out of this world! I hope!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Big and exciting news coming from me to you very soon!

deep dark mocha cupcakes

I finally got around to using my Enjoy! gift from Miss Joy over at Joy the Baker. I seriously love her, she is amazing. Her Enjoy! gifts are amazing, especially when they make these cupcakes. Better yet especially because I made them with my friend Amanda at apenderful.

We had a lovely little afternoon chatting with Amanda's mom, and making these tasty treats.

Decorating these was the best part because immediately after meant we could try them out!

Deep Dark Mocha Cupcakes
via Joy The Baker

makes one dozen!

Cupcakes:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup double-dutch cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Coffee Buttercream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoon hot water
1 teaspoon instant espresso

1. Preheat oven to 350 degreen
2. Line cupcake pan with paper liners and set asie
3. In a large bowl sift the dry ingredients together and set aside
4. in a medium bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being careful not to over-mix.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups and place in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cup comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack until completely cool before topping with espresso buttercream.

7. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or just a regular bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter and one third of the sugar. Beat until thick and incorporated.
8. In a tiny bowl stir together vanilla, hot water, and espresso powder. Stir until the powder is dissolved.
9. Add the remaining sugar and espresso mixture to the bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly fluffy
10. Spread on cooled cupcakes and top with goodies! (sprinkles and such)

Enjoy!

wish list wednesday

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

This round of wish list Wednesday has some awesome typographic goodies. I am constantly inspired by the things I hang up on my walls, or the accents I set up around my house. I love a lot of bright color, lettering, and patterns. There are a few items shown above that I would die to have! Those large zinc letter from Anthropologie would look amazing on my walls!

Enjoy!

black bean & sweet potato soup and quinoa corn bread

This is a super food meal.

The kind of super food meal that contains every single vitamin, protein, and nutrient packed all into one bowl and one piece of corn bread.

How, you may ask?

Well....
red quinoa, chia seeds, sweet potatoes, black beans, celery root, cilantro, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, leeks, tomatoes, onions, carrots, and more!

AND the best part?

Gluten AND dairy free. Well except for the fact that I only had regular skim milk in my fridge and not almond milk (for the corn bread).

I super highly recommend each of these separately and together. So many flavors! A healthy meal that is far from bland.

So on this monday, the start of the week, I suggest you make something that makes you feel good. Something that doesn't affect your waist line, and will still make you feel super full.

So give it a try! and while you're at it read this super awesome blog I found the recipes from. I just found My New Roots on Friday and I'm already in love. Check it out!

black bean & sweet potato soup, here.
quinoa corn bread, here.