Curried Chicken and Vegetables

Branden and I made this chicken and vegetable dish the other day and it was so good! I saw the recipe and I knew it was venturing out of my comfort zone since I am so picky, but I decided to give it a try. For one, I'm not a huge fan of curry, and for two, I've never tried brussels sprouts and have heard they are either a love or hate kind of food. I decided to give it a try since it wasn't a huge amount of curry, and, if I didn't like the brussels sprouts, there were plenty of other veggies I could eat.

I HIGHLY recommend giving this a try because we both LOVED it!

Ingredients
- 1 lb. butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 lb. brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 large red onion, cut into thin wedges
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
- 1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger (we used 1 tsp. ground ginger)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tbsp. curry powder
- 2 lbs. skinless, boneless, chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- warm Naan for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°
2. In a very large bowl, toss the butternut squash with the brussels sprouts, onion wedges and 1/4 cup of the canola oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on a large, sturdy rimmed baking sheet
3. In the same bowl, combine the cup of yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.
4. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Roast for about 40 minutes, until the vegetables are nearly tender and the chicken is nearly cooked through.
5. Pour off any accumulated liquid in the pans and roast for about 20 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is lightly browned
6. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a platter and serve with warm naan and yogurt.

Don't forget to buy the naan! We both agreed the meal really needed it and added to the amazing flavors. Oh, and by the way, I ended up really liking the brussels sprouts. I don't think I would like them without any seasoning, but since the chicken cooks on top of the veggies, it added a really nice flavor.

Organizing the Kitchen

Our kitchen is SMALL and it has really proven itself to be difficult to store all the crap stuff we have. We have cabinets above our stove to put all of our glasses and dishes, one cabinet under the counter to put all of our pots and pans, and one very skinny cabinet under the counter to put our tupperware. We also have a fairly large pantry (thankfully) where we keep our food and some of the larger pots and pans.

Even though we have a spot for almost everything, it was always disorganized. Trying to put our pots and pans away was seriously a pain because it's so low and our cabinet is very deep. My parents' kitchen have built-in sliding drawers throughout their kitchen, and I knew I wanted something similar.

I am so glad I went on the hunt for roll-out drawers because I found this roll-out drawer, and it has made life so much nicer! I chose the one I did because the measurements were almost perfect for our deep cabinet and it had great reviews.

It is so smooth rolling it in and out and I no longer despise putting away our pots and pans.

Our pantry is a pretty good size, but our bottom shelf has a lot of room between the base and the next shelf up. I was always digging for my baking stuff and taking things off that were piled on top. I knew we needed something that would allow us to easily pull things out of there as well as give us an extra shelf.

Thankfully, I found this double shelf that rolls out. If you decide to go this route, make sure you do your research on brands. There are other brands that allow the top shelf to come out separately from the bottom shelf, but for the price we figured the one we chose was good enough. In addition, once you choose which one you like, make sure to search the internet for places that might sell it cheaper. I actually found the double shelf to be cheaper on Amazon, but the single pull-out drawer was cheaper at Wayfair.

Here are the before and after pictures of what our pantry looks like:

I couldn't be happier with deciding to make these purchases! I feel so much more sane in my kitchen and a lot more calm now that things are organized and easily accessible. We have more ideas for our kitchen and hopefully in the near future I'll be able to post more organizational changes we've made.

Breakfast Biscuit Casserole

Branden and I had a relaxing weekend at home again. We rode our bikes to this adorable park near our place and played tennis for almost 2 hours. We had to take advantage of the beautiful January weather. I can't wait to go back again. It was especially nice because we were the only ones there playing tennis and didn't have to worry about our terrible hits.

On Sunday we went to lunch at a German restaurant and we definitely want to go back. The food was delicious and the beer was even better!

I tried a new recipe for breakfast and Branden and I both agreed it was a keeper, with a few modifications. We figured there wasn't enough eggs so next time we will add more. Here is the recipe which includes what we are going to do next time.

Ingredients
- 5 eggs + 3/4 more eggs
- 1/4 cup milk + 2 tbsp milk
- 16 oz refrigerated breakfast biscuits (I used the Pillsbury flakey kind but I might try homestyle next time)
 - 4 green onions
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 7 slices bacon (optional)
- 7 sausage links (optional)
- 9x13 pan

Directions

1. Mix 5 eggs and 1/4 cup milk in a large bowl. Cut each biscuit (feel free to use kitchen scissors) into fours and add it to the bowl. Gently mix around so the biscuits can soak in the eggs. Do this before you cook the bacon/sausage, shred the cheese, or cut the green onions.
2. Cut up the green onions, shred the cheese, and cook and break up the bacon and sausage (if using)
3. Mix it all up in the bowl.
4. Mix the additional 3/4 eggs with the 2 tbsp. milk.
5. Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the eggs, then top it with the biscuit mixture.
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, making sure the eggs aren't runny and the biscuits are cooked all the way.

The recipe we tried only used the 5 eggs and we thought it was too bread-y. We had plenty for leftovers the next morning and added more eggs which helped a lot. If you end up trying this and have suggestions I'd love to hear them!

Chicken à la King

A staple in my house growing up was to make chicken à la king (also known as creamed chicken to me) with leftovers. I absolutely love it and find it to be a comfort food.

We made a whole chicken and already cooked tacos with it, so I wasn't sure what to do. Then I remembered creamed chicken. I called my mom and got a quick recipe. There is so much more you can add, but here is a quick and simple recipe to follow:

Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup milk
- leftover chicken (or turkey), shredded or cubed
- frozen peas
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- toast

Directions
1. Melt butter in a medium-sized skillet
2. Sprinkle flour over melted butter and pour in milk
3. Whisk a few minutes until it begins to thicken. Add more milk or flour until you get the consistency you want
4. Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste, while continuously whisking
5. Throw in the chicken and as many peas as you'd like and whisk until heated
6. Put your bread in the toaster and serve the chicken mixture over the toast


I've also seen people add mushrooms, bell peppers, pimientos, and more. Add whatever you like! We always have all of these ingredients in our house so it makes for a perfect quick meal and change of pace when trying to figure out what to do for dinner.

Another Weekend Gone

I'm sure it's no secret that the older you get, the faster time seems to go. I can't believe it's Monday already. The weekends always go by way too fast. 

Branden and I stayed home this weekend and it was really relaxing. On Saturday, we rode our bikes to a local park to play tennis. There were only 2 courts at the park we tried and they happened to be occupied, so we rode our bikes to the next park with tennis courts. They were pretty full, but thankfully there was one court open.

We used to play tennis a lot (we taught ourselves, so we aren't very good), but haven't played in years. It was a lot of fun being outside in the nice weather and enjoying each other's company. We played for at least an hour, and then rode our bikes over to Trader Joe's to pick up a few things for the evening.

Saturday evening we made tacos and watched Wolf of Wall Street. Neither of us had seen it and we both thought the movie was great.

On Sunday we went and played tennis again and then watched football and UFC the rest of the day. That Seattle vs. Green Bay game was crazy! I was really hoping the Packers would win, but oh well. It looks like I'll be rooting for the Patriots in the Super Bowl!

I hope everyone had a great weekend as well and enjoys the rest of the week.

Appreciating Where You Live

Remember when I said I got a bike basket in hopes I would ride to work more? Well, I've ridden twice so far and my ride home from work was so peaceful and beautiful! I wanted to share a few photos I took on my way home.

One thing I realized is that I don't need to rush all the time. Taking my time and enjoying the beauty of where I live is a necessity. I'm so fortunate to be able to live close enough to work in a beautiful area that I can get views like this on a normal basis (the only downside I've seen so far is the smell of low tide). It really allows me to appreciate where I live and makes me want to take advantage of it.

I'm really hoping to ride my bike to work more often and get even more beautiful photos on the way to/from. Maybe I'll use riding as an excuse to invest in a better camera!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

It Feels Like Home

Happy Wednesday everybody! I hope everyone had a great weekend and is making it through the week. I'm excited to show you some decoration Branden and I finally put up.

A little decoration goes a long way in terms of making your place feel like home. I'm not a very creative person and I've been wanting some kind of decoration, but really couldn't think of what I wanted. I went to TJ Maxx a few weeks ago and I saw some decorations that I thought "I NEED those".

Our engagement pictures were taken in Hawaii, and we have a large canvas that was hanging in our room of one of those photos. The decorations at TJ Maxx were beach theme and they seriously go perfectly with our photo. Even better, they were at TJ Maxx, which means they weren't too expensive! Here is the final product above our bed:

I found this mirror at Kohl's and used a gift card to buy it. I added it to the side of the bed.

Having the decoration above our bed really does make our place feel more like home. I absolutely love it! Especially since we live right next to a beach :-).

I'm so glad we finally have something and can't wait until something else catches my eye and inspires me.

Tortellini with Butternut Squash and Sage Brown Butter

I'm always looking for new recipes and love trying new things. When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try it because I not only love butternut squash, but I'm a huge fan of pasta.

This recipe is seriously to die for. I could eat it every night and not get tired of it.

Here is how to make it:

Ingredients

- 1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes (or use a 12 oz. bag)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 10 whole sage leaves, 5 shredded sage leaves
- 1 10 oz. package cheese tortellini
- olive oil
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese for sprinkling.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown. You can also steam the squash if you prefer
3. Meanwhile, start the water for the tortellini. When the water boils, put in the tortellini and take out a medium saute pan. Place the butter into the pan and melt over medium-low heat. Set the 10 whole sage leaves around the pan and do not stir.
4. Slice the remaining sage leaves and just when the butter begins to brown (see tip at bottom on browning butter), sprinkle the sliced leaves in the pan.
5. Remove the tortellini and drain. Once all the water is removed, return to the pot. The butternut squash should be done. Take it out of the oven and use a potato masher to squish it up.
6. Place the butternut squash and sage brown butter into the pot with the tortellini and toss.
7. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Stages of browning butter: butter will first melt, it will become lemony yellow. After a minute or two it will begin to splatter a bit, then foam and begin to smell nutty. Next, little brown specks will begin to appear in the center of the golden foamy bubbles 0 this is when you add the slices of sage. Color-wise it should go from a yellow to a golden tan to an orange-y / toasty golden brown.

Happy 2015!

I started off 2015 trying to be more organized and healthy! I don't really believe in New Year Resolutions but I'm always trying to stay healthy and keep my life in order (which I am terrible at by the way).

For Christmas, Branden got me a bike basket so I would be more likely to ride to work. Well I haven't ridden to work yet but I did ride my bike to the store twice over the weekend instead of driving. If I'm not in a rush and am just going to pick up an item or two, I see no excuse to not ride my bike. Our town is even putting in a new bike lane on my street which I loved being able to use. It was actually a really nice ride and I even got to make use of my bike lights the second day.

In addition to riding my bike, I also organized my closet! Our apartment has these built-in closets from Ikea which I love, but it turned out to be a place for me to pile all of my makeup and other random stuff. I decided to go to Target and buy some organizational drawers and let me say, it made a huge difference. I think I want one more bin, but for a start I think I did a pretty good job! The top is before and the bottom is after:

I did a bit of cooking this weekend along with organization. We had a friend over to watch football and the UFC fights and figured it would be the perfect time to try a somewhat healthy appetizer I saw and let me tell you, it was delicious! I made some Spinach and Brie Topped Artichoke Hearts! Here is the recipe:

Spinach and Brie Topped Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients:
- 9 oz. box frozen artichoke hearts
- 2/3 cup chopped and cooked spinach
- thin slices of brie (enough to top all the hearts)
- lemon juice
- parsley
- salt
- pepper
- minced garlic

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler
2. Prepare artichoke hearts according to package
3. Saute spinach until wilted
4. Mix spinach, about 1 tsp lemon juice, about 1 clove garlic, and salt, pepper, and parsley to taste.
5. Place spinach mixture on top of artichoke hearts
5. Top artichoke hearts with brie
6. Place in broiler until cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes

Both Branden and our friend loved them as well!

I know I said I was trying to be healthier, but Branden did make some homemade pizza. It was so amazing! I'm sure it's healthier than from a pizza place though. We bought the vegan Trader Joe's dough along with their organic pasta sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good it tasted.

So far 2015 has been great and I can't wait to see what the rest has in store! I've got a few more posts planned for the near future so check back every so often!