happy thanksgiving!

wishing all my family and friends a very happy thanksgiving!  it's important to take a moment to remind ourselves all that we are grateful for! 

i am looking forward to sharing a delicous meal with family and friends and i am very excited to have my in-laws join us this year, all the way from texas.

from when jarad and i first started dating, we started a tradition of going on a hike the day before thanksgiving.  we usually get off of work early and its a good way to counter balance all those calories we will be eating later on.  this year we went to del cerro and brought the dogs for an off leash adventure. 

mexican chicken stew...

this recipe is inspired by jarad's uncle dean.  he cooked this for us one chilly night in boston and it sounded good for a lazy sunday dinner and especially since i am a bit under the weather.

ingredients:

32 oz container of swanson mexican tortialla soup broth
3 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)
2 small zuchinni (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 medium potato (diced)
1 cup frozen corn
1 can rotel tomatoes

how to:

in a fry pan cook your chicken until mostly done, then cube into bite sized pieces.  prep your veggies so they are all the same size.  in a dutch oven combine all ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes.  you can serve with cheese, sour cream or tortilla chips.

big moves!

my husband is going through the process of making some big changes at work so that he can focus on his own company that he started last year.  i am so proud of him and for dreaming BIG! 

gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!!!

the other night i had a sweet tooth and i felt like trying a new recipe that i found on the "tone it up"website.  it was the perfect opportunity to try out these cookies and then bring them to girls wine night the following day.

ingredients:

3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t almond extract
pinch of sea salt

how to:

combine all ingredients and incorporate with a mixer.  bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

power of music...

i love music, and certain songs or artists can immediately bring you back to a time in your life.  sometimes happy, sometimes sad, but either way music is powerful!

chicken pot pie...

the weather is finally starting to cool down and it seemed like a good time to try a new recipe.  chicken pot pies seem like a great dish for chilly fall weather.

ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup + 1/2 can of cream of potato soup
1/2 bag of mixed frozen veggies (carrots, peas, corn, etc.)
1/2 medium onion (sauteed)
1 package pillsbury crescent rolls
1 t. crushed garlic
1 t. thyme
salt and pepper to taste

how to:

cook chicken and cube into bite sized pieces.  mix with soup, veggies and seasoning.  in a casserole dish place your pot pie mixture and cover the top with crescent rolls.  bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly and crescent rolls are golden brown.

when life gives you lemons...