How to Avoid Madness with Yogurt and Sushi

Ohhhhh Bridge Run weekend. There are times when I miss living downtown, but this weekend is not one of them.

While more than 50,000 people woke up extra early this morning to push their way through crowds of people to find their place in line, then run a 10K over the Cooper River Bridge, I opted out of the madness this year. A solo run through the quiet trails and neighborhoods of Daniel Island sounded much better (although they are not as quiet as normal this weekend on the island, because the Family Circle Cup tennis tournament is taking place right next door).

Even though I didn't run the race, I still got one perk from the event. Lindsay, a Chobani rep from NYC, was in town for the expo and other race festivities. She met some other local food bloggers and me for breakfast at Charleston's Cafe.

I was so excited, because this was my first blogger meet-up! It was so much fun to meet Erica, Amy (and their adorable babies!) and Lindsay.

Erica has had plenty of experience at this restaurant and only had good things to say about all of the food, which didn't help my indecisiveness one bit. I intended to keep my breakfast relatively light, so I ordered the Blueberry Breakfast Parfait and a sweet potato biscuit (!!!!!!!!).

Both were sooo good and filled me up much more than I was expecting. Everyone else's food- pancakes, french toast, and oatmeal - looked delicious as well. I can't wait to go back to try more!

Here's the group afterwards. It was a great way to start the day!

The end of the day wasn't too bad either. I was on my own for dinner and spontaneously decided to make the short drive to Publix to see what pre-made food I could quickly find. The big sign for sushi outside of the entrance made my shopping easy.

California Roll. Don't mind if I do.

Today I'm hoping to soak up some sun and relax, because by 9pm I won't be so relaxed! I'll be watching the Ohio State game with Greg and some friends and it's not going to be an easy game. It is most likely going to be a stressful couple of hours, but I'm hoping we pull off the win. Go Bucks!

Simple Stuffed Mushroom Caps

What a week! It's been quite eventful for me, mostly work-related things. But I also got to catch up with a friend from college that I haven't hardly seen since graduation. We went to a bagel shop for sandwiches earlier this week and I am now hooked! I didn't get a chance for pictures, but there is not a doubt in my mind that I won't return to the shop soon, in which case I can catch you up on my experience. I loved my sandwich to say the least!

Then, I was invited to a blogger meet-up with some local bloggers! SO excited! More on that later this weekend ;)


Now let's talk about a more controversial subject: Mushrooms. Do I like them? Do I not? I can't make up my mind.

On the plus side, they are extremely low in calories. They are versatile, able to be incorporated into about every meal- mixed in omelets, pasta, or casseroles, grilled like a burger, or as I have done here, added to a salad.

On the minus side, well, they just don't always taste that great to me. And they are a type of fungus. Ew. That's kind of weird. And sometimes I just can't get past that idea.

I told you this was controversial ;)

But there is one way to enhance the flavor and cover up the fungus-ness.

Stuff the giant cap with cheese! 

These may be the simplest stuffed mushroom caps ever. When I bought the caps, I had a much more elaborate plan for the filling. Then happy hour got in the way and I was too hungry when I got home to devote more than five minutes to preparing dinner. 

I can see the potential in stuffed mushroom caps. This quick little dish was tasty, but leaves a lot of room for growth! Let's be honest, it's hard to go wrong when you smother something with cheese. But I can only imagine what I could with a little more patience...bacon. ham. breadcrumbs. garlic. 

Ok, maybe I really do like mushrooms.

Simple Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Makes two servings

Ingredients:

2 large portabello mushroom caps, rinsed and stems removed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Colby jack)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place mushroom caps, bottoms up, on cookie sheet. Season each with half of the salt and half of the pepper. Top each with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.

2. Place on top rack of oven and bake about 5-6 minutes, or until cheese is melted and almost bubbly. 

3. Remove from heat. Serve immediately by itself or atop a bed of leafy greens (like spinach). 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I've been reading fellow bloggers' "What I'm Loving Wednesday" posts for some time now and this week I feel extra compelled to jump on the band wagon. I have been obsessed with a couple foods recently and it only feels right to let you in on my indulgences.


1. What am I loving most, you ask? At the top of my list is this...

Publix Premium Frozen Yogurt. Last week it was strawberry. This week? Homemade cinnamon - made by stirring about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into the plain vanilla. This humble tub of simple vanilla yogurt is seriously my new favorite thing. 

I wasn't expecting much from the generic brand of fro-yo, but Publix deserves an award for this. The stuff is so creamy, and with only 100 calories per serving, I don't feel the least bit guilty for eating two servings at a time. The strawberry flavor was awesome, but I felt like switching it up after cleaning out that container so quickly. Sprinkling the cinnamon into the vanilla was the most genius thing I have done in awhile. 

2. Lucky Charms. 

Disclaimer: Photo is not an accurate portrayal of grain-to-marshmallow ratio. One could only DREAM there were actually that many marshmallows to fill the bowl. 

I was stuck on Kashi Go Lean Crunch for a good part of the past year. Recently, I discovered Cinnamon Burst and Peanut Butter Multi-Grain Cheerios. But there's nothing like a good ol' bowl of Lucky Charms. 

I do prefer to eat more nutritious cereals (more fiber, protein and whole grain), but what can I say? They really are magically delicious. 

3. Ok seriously? Look at this thing...

Photo pinned from here.

Chocolatey Red Velvet Pull-Apart Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze. 

I could die. Right now. Just DIE for a piece of this. 

This might be the first thing I make when Lent is over and I can dig myself back into some cocoa and chocolate chips. Until then, I must make-do with just loving the pictures and imaging how good it tastes. 

4. I love that I have three once beautiful yellow bananas that have turned ugly and brown. This only means one thing.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread (or muffins) are in my very near future.

Can't wait!

What are you loving this week?

Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Potatoes

Hey Friends. My Monday flewwww by and I'm counting on the same for today, and the rest of this week for that matter!

I'm really proud of this recipe today. It's so versatile, which is one of my favorite qualities in a dish. Plus, and more importantly, it's healthy and delicious. Winner, winner...potato dinner!

I'm trying to eat as much of the food in my fridge and cabinets as possible before going grocery shopping again. It's impossible for me to go to Publix to just grab an item or two. I always coming out spending more than I intended. To avoid this problem, I'm trying to ignore the lack of meat or fresh produce for just a couple of days longer. If only I can make use of what I already have on hand...

Like a bag of redskin potatoes! And a random container of ricotta cheese! (Well, not so random actually. I bought the container to make these pancakes last week, but now I'm desperate to cook with the rest of it.)

It was quite the successful experiment if you ask me. Go ahead and try for yourself. 

Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Potatoes

Makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:

2 small-medium redskin potatoes, washed and sliced

1/2 tablespoon margarine or butter

1/4 of a whole green bell pepper, sliced

1/4 cup water

3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon dry basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat margarine in large skillet over medium heat. 

2. Add sliced potatoes and cover skillet. Allow to cook about four minutes. Remove lid and flip potatoes. Add water and shake skillet so potatoes are constantly moving and evenly cooking. Add green pepper sliced. Re-cover skillet and allow to cook about three to four more minutes. 

3. Remove lid and turn off heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese and spices to the skillet. Stir to evenly coat potatoes.  Serve immediately.

Sunday Blessings - More than Salvation

I put off writing my Sunday post first thing this morning, mostly because I was needing a little inspiration.

How about some blueberry ricotta pancakes for inspiration? Those would have been nice, but breakfast actually came in the form of magically delicious Lucky Charms and an apple (the pancakes made an even more magically delicious dinner last week). 

Anyway, I figured some hymn-singing, Bible verse-reading, sermon-listening time at church would give me the inspiration I actually needed to write today. 

And I was right!

"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home."

-Matthew 25:35

Our preacher gave a very thought-provoking sermon about how life as a Christian is so much more than our own salvation. It's about seeing God in every person and giving what we can to help the hungry, and the thirsty, and the homeless. God does not judge us based on how often we go to church or how much we spend time reading the Bible (although those things are important too), but He pays closer attention to how we "walk the walk" and serve others. 

Are you one of those who are hungry? 'Cuz you can have some toast and eggs with me! (Over-easy eggs with toast are my current favorite breakfast.)

And cupcakes. You know I can always provide some cupcakes!

In all seriousness though, our preacher's words made me think about how I can do a better job of seeing God in others. The sermon also touched on materialism and how so many earthly things can get in the way of what we really need to focus on. I have said it before, but I'll say it again. I am so blessed to have everything I do and to be able to live as comfortably as I do. I know it is time I step-up and make more of an effort to recognize God in the hungry and homeless. No matter how much or little I have, I can always afford to give in one way or another. 

And with that I say, have a great rest of your Sunday!

A Restaurant Review - Bistro 536

Did this week just drag on and on and on for anyone else, or was it just me?

By the time I got home last night, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch under a blanket and shut my brain off until Monday. Then I realized it was dinner time and there was no hiding from my growling stomach. I compromised with myself (and Greg) and got back up off the couch to go get some food. I have had a Groupon to Bistro 536, a lesser-known restaurant in Mt. Pleasant. It's right by my office and happens to be the place my manager took me to lunch on my first day. I had the Fried Green Tomato BLT that first time. Then, I went a second time for lunch with yet another Groupon and briefly talked about that salad here.

This time, my Groupon was only good for dinner. It had been burning a hole in my wallet for quite awhile and I wanted to put it to use.

Greg and I walked into the almost-empty restaurant at 6:30 on a Friday night, I don't think that's a good sign. It did mean great service though. I had the Grilled Salmon ($17), which is served with a risotto cake, grilled zucchini and then covered in a roasted red pepper pesto cream. 

Great choice on my part. The salmon was tender and the sauce was even better than I expected. I was really excited to try the risotto cake, but unfortunately that part didn't live up to my expectations. The breaded rice was lacking in flavor, mostly because it was over-breaded for my liking. I ended up breaking the cake apart and eating the rice out of it. 

Greg had the Breaded Porkloin ($15), served with garlic whipped potatoes, caramelized apples and a balsamic reduction. I only snagged a bite of the apples, so I can't comment much, but Greg did say it was good overall. 

Then it was time for dessert. I was stuffed from my entree, so I opted for the Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake to go.

We all know how important a good dessert is to me, but this just didn't cut it. The cheesecake was essentially three layers- cake, cheesecake, and lemon whipped cream (that may not be 100% accurate, but that's what it seemed like to me). The bottom cake layer totally took away from the rest of the cake. I ate about half of the slice before deciding it was not worth it. Overall the flavor was very bland. 

I got myself a bowl of vanilla frozen yogurt from my freezer to compensate for the bad cheesecake experience. Problem solved.

I am glad I gave Bistro 536 a try for dinner and I was very happy with my salmon, but lunch has proven itself to be better. The dinner entrees are slightly overpriced, while their wide variety of salads and sandwiches (not available during dinner hours), are much more reasonable. If I do make it back someday, I doubt I'll be ordering dessert either.

Brown Sugar Coconut Chocolate Cake Bars

Mmmmm chocolate. 

Not just chocolate. But brown sugar and coconut too. 

So many flavors! While they might seem like a random combination, you might be surprised at how well they all tasted together. Trust me, I realize how random it sounds. It all just happened so fast and before I knew it, this is what I came up with. 

I didn't hate it. Not oneeee bit.

I made these cake bars a few weeks ago to bring to a get-together at a friend's house. In fact, it was several weeks ago now, because it was before Lent had started. Before my chocolate deprivation had started. I have never craved chocolate more in my life. And looking at these bars again is only making it worse! 

If I can't make them for myself, you should make them for yourself. At least one of us will get to enjoy the cakey goodness.

Brown Sugar Coconut Chocolate Cake Bars

(Adapted from Funfetti Cake Bars, adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff)

Makes about 16 bars

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2/3 cup vanilla

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract 

1/4 cup brown sugar, for topping

1/4 cup chocolate sprinkles, for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9x9 inch cake pan by coating with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium/large bowl, prepare cake mix by beating together cake mix, oil and egg. Slowly beat in milk until just combined (batter will be thick). Pour batter into pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from edges of pan.

3. While cake is baking, mix frosting and coconut extract in a small bowl until well combined.

3. Remove cake from oven when finished. Let cool in pan. Frost and top with brown sugar and sprinkles. 

Cranberry Muffin Bites

I made these baby tarts last week when I had had an abundance of cranberries. By abundance, I mean one bag. But I quickly realized I didn't care for them as much as I thought I did, so it felt like it took me forever and a half to get through the seemingly small bag. 

I will say, the Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad was a great, tasty use of the berries. But when it came to trying to bake a sweet dessert (or breakfast treat), I just couldn't get past the tartness. 

Even though this wasn't my favorite recipe, I figured some of you may have different tastes and really like cranberries!

What you don't see in the pictures is a white chocolate drizzle overtop of each mini muffin. The addition of the drizzle was an afterthought, but helped to play down the tartness. I think it could be great to even mix white chocolate chips into the mix before baking.

All gone :) And now I can move onto better fruit-filled things.

Cranberry Muffin Bites

Makes about 12 mini muffins

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup oats

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons applesauce

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup white chocolate morsels, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill mini muffin tin with liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine first four ingredients. Stir well.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk applesauce, melted butter and the egg. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in cranberries.
4. Use a small spoon to fill muffin cups with about 2 teaspoons of filling. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until tops become golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.
5. Allow to cool for about ten minutes before drizzling with white chocolate.

Sunday Blessings - Beach Day

I hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day, whether you celebrated or not. I fit in with the "or not" category there. Actually, I did intentionally wear green so maybe that counts. Greg and I woke up yesterday and fit in a good workout first thing. We came home for a quick breakfast of whole wheat toast, an over easy egg and grapes.

We ate quickly, changed into bathing suits and grabbed a towel, because it was Beach Day! Knowing it was going to be beautiful outside (not to mention a holiday weekend), we hit the road early to beat the traffic to the beach.

It really was a gorgeous day on the beaches of Sullivans Island. Being our first trip back to the beach since last summer, I was reminded of how blessed I am to live within 10-15 of it everyday. God really is an artist of the earth and the beach is just one of his many masterpieces.

We returned home just in time for lunch. I had my leftover dinner from Friday night: Carrabba's Ensalata Johnny Rocco.

This was a Carrabba's 'first' for me. Being Friday when I ordered it, I had to pick something without meat. I also wanted to choose something decently healthy and we all know oversize plates of creamy pasta, no matter how many vegetables involved, just is not healthy. I took a chance with this salad, filled with shrimp and scallops, and was more than satisfied. This was the best thing I ate all weekend...

Then there are these...

Oh yes. Girl Scout Cookies. 

Greg spotted the troops selling them outside of Publix yesterday. I was surprised he even suggested it, but I wasn't about to oppose. His first choice were the Thin Mints, while I picked Somoas. I haven't actually been able to have either yet because of the whole "no chocolate for Lent" thing. I fully intend to take advantage of being able to munch on a few of these cookies today though. 

For breakfast this morning I baked some Cinnabon inspired Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese frosting. 

As you can tell, between the girl scout cookies and cinnamon rolls, my sweet tooth is in full gear. Better find myself another salad for lunch!

Off to church now then another day of this so-called March Madness. I'm hoping to catch some pool time too!

What's going on in your world today?

Banana Nut French Toast

Did you make the overnight oats I shared with you yesterday yet? If you haven't, that's okay. Just save that for next week when you need something quick and easy before heading out the door early in the morning. Weekends call for something a little more indulgent. A little more...delicious.

Like this Banana Nut French Toast. 

In the survey I took earlier this week, I predicted french toast was in my future for dinner. Once the thought entered my mind, I couldn't let it go! Usually I ask Greg what we should have for dinner. That night, I told him, "I'm making myself french toast. Want some? You're either with me or against me!"

Needless to say, he was with me on this one. 

Smart man.

Banana Nut French Toast

Makes about 2 servings

Ingredients:

4 slices whole wheat bread

3 eggs

Splash of milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 whole bananas, sliced

1/4 cup pecan halves or pieces

Syrup as desired

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk and cinnamon. Whisk until eggs are beaten.

2. Heat large skillet to medium-low. Once heated, dip bread (one slice at a time) into the egg mixture to coat completely. Immediately add to skillet. Cook about 1-2 minutes, flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm in oven set to 250 degrees if necessary. Repeat with remaining bread slices. 

3. Once all bread has been toasted, turn off stovetop. Add sliced bananas and pecans to skillet while it is still warm. Use a spatula to gently move slices around. Let cook about 30 seconds, then flip banana slices over. Let cook about another minute then remove from skillet.

4. Layer french toast slices with bananas on plate. Top with pecans and syrup.

5. DIG IN!

Quick and Easy Breakfast - Overnight Oats

Oh boy, do I have a lot of recipes to share with you! I felt like I had nothing to share earlier this week, and all of a sudden I have almost more than I can handle.

Let's take it slowly though, ok? Today I want to share an extremely easy recipe for an extremely easy breakfast. Have you heard of overnight oats? I have been reading about them on other blogs (most commonly Julie's blog) and have always been curious to try them for myself. Somehow I didn't realize that this magical breakfast doesn't even require cooking until just earlier this week. Overnight oats are actually eaten cold.

With the temperature rising outside, this is a win-win for me. I love oatmeal, but find it difficult to eat a hot bowl of oatmeal when it's hot outside. Especially when I work out in the mornings, I am usually still hot and sweaty when I eat breakfast. So hot oats aren't so appealing. 

Overnight oats allow me to still get my oatmeal fix, but also have a cold, refreshing breakfast.

From what I have seen, these are usually made with a mixture of milk and yogurt. I don't have any yogurt at the moment, so improvised with a little cottage cheese. I had mixed feelings after the first bite, but kept eating and realized I actually liked the concoction. A lot. 

Just like hot oatmeal, you can also add just about anything you like for some extra texture or flavor. Blueberries were my fruit of choice on this attempt. But I also see bananas and peanut butter in my future!

Fruity Overnight Oats

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry oatmeal
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup fruit of choice (blueberries, bananas, strawberries, etc.)

Directions:
1. The night before you plan to eat the oats, stir first three ingredients in a bowl (mix in fruit if desired, but note that they will be mushy in the morning). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in fridge overnight.
2. The next morning, stir all ingredients and add fruit as desired. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

A-Z Survey

Last weekend, Erica did an A-Z survey for a blog post and I thought it would be fun to try it out too! I don't think I have done a survey like this on here before so maybe you'll learn something new about me :) Please pick a letter or two and share something about yourself in the comments too!


A is for age: 23

B is for breakfast today: Overnight oats! (just made them for the first time and can't wait to share them with you later this week!)

C is for currently craving: Chocolate. Gave it up for Lent and I just miss it so dang much.

D is for dinner tonight: Hmmm, that's a good question. BFD maybe? Banana nut french toast has been on my mind.

Picture from here.

...okay it's settled. BFD it is.

E is for favorite type of exercise: Outdoor morning run, temperature about 55 degrees. Perfect.

F is for irrational fear: Brain tumors. If I have a headache, you can probably catch me convincing myself it's a brain tumor.

G is for gross food: Sauerkraut. Bleh.

H is for hometown: Columbus, Ohio, but Charleston, SC has been my home for almost 5 years now. Craziness!

I is for something important: My family and faith are the two most important things in the world.

J is for current favorite jam: Greg's got me listening to anything reggae to get in the Caribbean spirit (were going to St. Kitts in 66 days! ...But who's counting?)

K is for kids: ZERO. But I do love babies.

L is for current location: On my couch, about to leave for work. I really don't want to get up.

M is for the most recent way you spent money: Subway for Gregory on Sunday night. He's high maintenance.

N is for something you need: A maid would be nice.

O is for occupation: Marketing Representative. Fancy, huh?

P is for pet peeve: People wearing sandals, jeans or board shorts at the gym. Seriously? Get out.

Q is for a quote: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." --Proverbs 3, 5-6

R is for random fact about you: I'm kind of a math nerd. I used to love doing my math homework, even in college. Good thing I work for a math company now and get to work with a bunch of math nerds (Happy Pi Day, by the way!).

S is for favorite healthy snack: Sometimes I get really excited while eating apples. Ask Greg. I LOVE APPLES! I'll shout it in his face, but not too closely 'cause he's allergic!

T is for favorite treat: Ohmygosh. Do you really want to get me started? There are so many. Krispy Kreme Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled. Yes. I think that's gotta be it.

Picture from here.

U is for something that makes you unique: I have what I refer to as a "flat ear." The top cartilage part of my right ear is slightly flattened. There can't be many out there with this same phenomenon.

V is for favorite vegetable: Just like Erica, I think I have to go with brussels sprouts (never knew there was a 's' on the end of 'brussels' until I saw it on Erica's post. Thanks for the grammar lesson Erica!).

W is for today's workout: Exactly what I listed for my fave exercise- outdoor morning run, followed by some ab work.

X is for X-rays you've had: Ankle/foot, teeth...that's all I can think of.

Y is for yesterday's highlight: Greg joining me for my run for the first time in forever ;)

Z is for zebra your time zone: Eastern.

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

I have been making a conscious effort to use my crock pot more frequently. Yesterday, I had the intention of making a delicious apple and cranberry chicken breast dinner. I knew it would be risky, but sounded like it had a lot of potential. I would have tried something safer, but really just wanted to use the bag of cranberries in my fridge (I have no idea why I bought them in the first place...) Everything was thrown into the pot right after lunch and cooked the rest of the day. 

Around 6pm, I started taste-testing. That's when plans changed.

It's not that it was bad, but the chicken really didn't absorb much of the fruity flavors like I hoped. At that point I still wasn't quite hungry enough for dinner anyway, so I had time to come up with Plan B. What could I do that wouldn't put this chicken to waste?

Not too long later it hit me. Chicken salad. 

It must have been my subconscious telling me how much it missed Bull Street Gourmet's Chicken Salad Sandwich (made with cranberries and cranberry mayo) when I chose the burger instead the other day. Using this crock pot chicken gone wrong (for its original purpose), I knew I could pull off a successful chicken salad.

I used the last of my cranberries to make a sauce that was just what I needed to bring it all together. 

The result was a better-than-I-imagined sandwich. It would also be great on top of a bed of greens. 

This is not what I had in mind when I first turned on the crock pot, but I'm glad it worked out the way it did. 

The best part? It's PINK! A pink sandwich is always a good thing.

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the chicken-

1 pound chicken breast

1 apple, cored and sliced

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup

For the cranberry sauce (makes more than needed for salad)-

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup fresh cranberries

For the chicken salad-

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon mayo

1/4 cup cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons Craisins

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions:

1. To prepare the chicken, place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 4-6 hours.

2. While chicken is cooking, prepare cranberry sauce by adding water and sugar to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, add cranberries and return to boil. Turn heat to low. Let simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a bowl and let cool at room temperature. Refrigerate until needed. 

3. When chicken is ready, remove from pot and shred breasts in a medium bowl.

4. In a small bowl, combine mayo and 1/4 cup cranberry sauce. Add mixture to shredded chicken. Add Craisins and pecans. Stir until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate to chill at least 1 hour before serving. 

Sunday Blessings - Mini Stay-cation

Today I am very grateful for the chance I had to spend this weekend as tourist in my own town.

One of the perks of working at my company's conference this weekend was that I also got to stay at the hotel downtown since we had a few extra rooms. It was nice going out with friends on Friday night and not having to worry about driving 25 minutes back home. Instead, everything was within walking distance and I got to crash at the hotel. And boy did I crash hard. I slept in until 9:15 yesterday! Very unlike me. But very nice.

As much as I love the part of town I live in now, I loved getting to relive my downtown residency days.

Greg and I started our Saturday with a filling breakfast from Sweetwater Cafe, a diner-style restaurant I have always wanted to try.

I, of course, had blueberry pancakes.

Greg, of course, had biscuits and sausage gravy.

We both loved our breakfasts and especially loved it was relatively cheap! My short-stack of pancakes were $5.75 (including the addition of the blueberries) and the biscuits and gravy bowl was $6.75.

We strolled King Street and the Market for the rest of the morning before going back to the hotel. I worked at the conference until about 5, then went back to my room to watch the end of the OSU game (which they dominated, btw). 

Before I knew it, it was time to figure out what was for dinner! I thought about Subway for a split second, then decided I needed to take advantage of being downtown and get something I don't normally get to have. With a couple of possibilities in mind, I head out for a short walk before deciding on Bull Street Gourmet's new(ish) location on King Street. Besides sandwiches and salads, the shop has a wide selection of bottled wines and groceries. This King Street location is huge compared to the original one where I would eat during college. I was very impressed and jealous that I can't go there every single day. 

The only thing I have ever had from there is the Bull Street Chicken Salad Sandwich. Sooo good. But the Bull Street Burger on the specials board had me questioning my go-to sandwich. Jalapeno cream cheese, shaved red onion and arugula on top of a juicy burger? Ok, fine. 

Greg met up with me right as my food was served and grabbed himself a beer. I was debating buying a bottle of wine, but the burger distracted me until I finished every last bite. 

We checked out of the hotel this morning and made our way back home. It was a great mini weekend getaway, but I am happy to be home and ready for a day of watching basketball while dinner cooks away in the crock pot!

Stacked Parmesan Eggplant Marinara

Why hello there! My company is hosting our annual conference downtown this weekend and I am excited to see all of our hard work and planning come together. I'll be working late tonight and most of tomorrow afternoon, but it comes with its perks too. Like free food.

Except no meat for this girl. I'm hoping for some shrimp. Shrimp and grits maybe?

Or something reminiscent of this Stacked Parmesan Eggplant Marinara would be nice too.

Eggplant is such an interesting vegetable. When I hold a whole one, I feel like I should throw it like a football. Anyone else? No? Okay, moving right along...

I knew Greg might would definitely have to be convinced to go for a meatless meal, made with eggplant of all things. The eggplant medallions were lightly dipped in a parmesan cheese and bread crumb mixture to bring the dish more to his level.  

Maybe Greg was just extra hungry that night, maybe he was just eating quickly to get it over with, or mayyybeeee he really liked it :) Because he was almost done by the time I sat down with my plate. 

I think sticking with spaghetti noodles is best for this particular dish, and a good tomato-base sauce is key too. Serve the stack with roasted or steamed vegetables and I'll bet you don't miss the meat!

Stacked Parmesan Eggplant Marinara

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 whole medium eggplant, sliced into medallions

1/3 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 cups cooked spaghetti

2 cups marinara sauce, heated on stovetop

Directions:

1. Preheat indoor grill, such as a George Foreman

2. Combine parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Add flour to another small bowl and the egg to yet another small bowl. 

3. Prepare eggplant medallions by dipping each to coat in flour first, then egg, then parmesan/breadcrumb mixture. 

4. When grill is ready, add coated eggplant to the grill and cook until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from grill and keep warm in 200 degree oven if necessary. Continue to cook eggplant on grill in batches until all have been cooked.

5. Add one eggplant medallion to plate. Top with spaghetti and another slice of eggplant. Continue to alternate layers as desired and top with heated marinara sauce. Serve immediately.

Funfetti Cake Bars

Last night I picked up Moe's for dinner. Instead of chicken like I always get, I opted for tofu. Why? I don't know. I think I thought it would save me a few calories after snacking on pralines and birthday cake at the office all day (Mmmm, that was good)! Well, that mistake will not happen again. I learned my lesson. Moe's tofu=not good. It was unbelievably bland and I had to stop eating my "naked burrito" (no tortilla) half way through because it just wasn't worth it. Then I discovered if I dipped the tortilla chips in peach salsa (from Trader Joe's, not Moe's), then dipped that into my bowl to get some beans, rice and pico, that it actually made for a good meal. Bland/tasteless/boring/unsatisfying dinner disaster averted. 

If only I had a Funfetti Cake Bar leftover from the weekend for dessert. That would make it even better. I mentioned on Sunday that I had made a dessert while my mom and step-dad were here that I would be sharing. Now is the time. Are you excited?

I have unintentionally been stock-piling boxed cake mixes for the past year or so (by stock-piling I mean I have about 6-7 boxes...so not too bad actually. But more than I need or ever use). I came across a recipe using Funfetti mix that I knew would be great. After all, can you really go wrong with Funfetti? I think not.

Rather than following the ingredients listed on the box, modifying them to what is shown in the recipe below results in a dense, chewy cookie texture. 

The thin layer of frosting and sprinkles adds a bit more sweetness and makes them extra cute too (which is just as important). 

These didn't long at all. 

Seriously though, are you at all surprised? ;)

Funfetti Cake Bars

(Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff)

Ingredients:

For the bars-

1 box Funfetti cake mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/3-1/2 cup frosting 

1/4 cup sprinkles

For the frosting-

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x9 inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and egg. Add milk, a little at a time. 

3. Pour into pan and bake 25-30 minutes, or until edges just become brown and pull away from the pan. Be careful not to over-bake.

4. Let cool completely then frost and top with sprinkles.

To prepare the frosting, combing all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix with whisk or spoon until well-incorporated. Add more powdered sugar to thicken if needed.