Spring Cleaning: Hall Closet

This past weekend was a rare winter weekend with temperatures in the high 50's. So I guess you could say I caught the spring cleaning bug and decided to help David get organized! David's house has limited storage so I was excited when my sister introduced me to the Iheartorganizing blog. I was inspired by her fun closet colors and great use of containers. Here is the hall closet we began with.

Although it isn't too full it is unorganized and could use a nice coat of paint. We decided to go with a lighter blue paint to help brighten the space and make it appear larger.

David surprising me while painting. I was definitely the painter this weekend.

While the paint was drying we made a trip to target. We picked up a shoe organizer and 3 bins for the top shelf to store our hats, gloves, and outside toys.

Here is our final product. Much more inviting and organized! Very excited to start utilizing the space in this closet!

We even add a leash hook for Grace!

 



Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite desserts to make is the basic chocolate chip cookie. I follow the Nestle Toll House recipe with just a few tweaks to make it my own. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (dark)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

12 oz pkg Nestle Toll House Semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels.

5. Bake in oven 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.

To make my chocolate chip cookies my own I make sure to use dark brown sugar instead of regular. I also really pack the brown sugar. Lastly, I make sure to take the cookies out the second they start browning or a minute before. It makes them crispy on the outside but still gooey on the inside.

Chicken Tandoori

Once again we tried a recipe out of the Food Network Great Easy Meals Cookbook. Tonight we tried Chicken Tandoori which I was skeptical about but it ended up being delicious.

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tbs vegetable oil

1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 2-in piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 tsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 3/4 tsp hot paprika

2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.

2. Pulse 2 tbs yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

3. Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees, 5-6 minutes per side.

4. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 tsp paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

We didn't like the large pieces of cilantro so we used the food processor. It did change the consistency but the taste was delicious.



This dish is delicious and low in calories. Only 230 calories per piece of chicken! We will definitely be making this one again.

Feta-Crusted Salmon

I am so thankful for my wonderful family who has been supporting me and my healthy eating goals. A few weeks ago my cousin Laurie sent me a great recipe for Feta-Crusted Salmon. It was very easy and quite delicious.

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon fillet (bones removed)

1/4 cup feta crumbled

1/6 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 tbsp light cream cheese

1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika (ground)

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/6 cup panko

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil. Place salmon onto foil and set aside.

2. Mix together feta cheese, mayonnaise, cream cheese, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a bowl until smooth. Spread mixture over salmon, then sprinkle panko over top, covering completely.

3. Bake in preheated oven until easily flaked with a fork, about 25 minutes.

Simple and delicious! Enjoy!

A Healthy Start

I must make a healthy eating confession....I do not eat healthy breakfasts! Now I do eat breakfast but this usually consists of a bowl of Special K which doesn't usually last me through the morning. So I will now try to eat atleast 3 protein filled breakfasts every week. My new breakfast this week is below:

Morning Star Farms Veggie Sausage Pattie on a Thomas' Triple Health English Muffins

The veggie pattie only has 80 calories but 10 grams on protein!

And the English Muffin only has 100 calories and 5 grams of protein!

So my total breakfast is 150 calories and 15 grams of protein. Hopefully that will help fuel my body after my morning workouts and keep me full until lunch. I am also trying to drink a lot more water at work. Hopefully with the help of a little crystal light I will be able to drink atleast 32 ounces a day. Here is to a healthier morning! If anyone else has some low calorie high protein brekfast options please let me know!

North Carolina BBQ

One of the easiest and most delicious recipes from my North Carolina family is North Carolina style BBQ. It is a crock-pot recipe that makes enough to last for days! 

Ingredients

4-5 lb boneless pork roast (shoulder)

2 jars BBQ sauce

3/4 cup white vinegar

salt

pepper

liquid smoke (optional)

Directions 

1. Add pork, BBQ sauce, white vinegar, salt, pepper, and liquid smoke to crock-pot. Turn the crock-pot on low and leave for approximately 8 hours. 

Adding the meat

I like to turn the meat throughout the process to ensure it is cooking evenly. This is a few hours into the process. 

When the pork has completed cooking it should have fallen off the bone. Here you can see some of the meat I am pulling out. 

The meat should literal pull apart. You should not need a knife at all. 

Yep, that is it! One step...add ingredients and let it cook. It is a great home cooked meal that can be ready when you get home from work. Again, this is North Carolina style so it is very vinegary but delicious. Enjoy! 

Homemade Pizza

A few months ago David and I had a chef come to the house for cooking lessons. During the lessons he taught us how to make homemade pizza dough and pasta. Since our lesson we have had some leftover dough in the freezer and decided this week would be a perfect time to use it. 

David rolling out the dough

We also decided to make a sauce using a tomato puree and adding our own seasoning. We began by cooking some garlic in olive oil and then added the puree. We then seasoned to taste using Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt. 

Roasting the garlic in olive oil

Adding the puree and herbs

Once we completed the sauce we moved the rolled out pizza dough onto a pizza stone that has been preheated to 450 degrees. We quickly added the sauce, cheese, and toppings we had prepared earlier. 

Our healthy toppings

Adding the sauce

Cooking the pizza

We cooked the pizza at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese and edges were a golden brown. 

Our delicious pizza straight out of the oven

Our pizza turned out fantastic. Although this isn't one of the healthiest recipes it is a fun splurge every once in a while. And with a whole wheat crust, veggies, and low-fat cheese it isn't the worst meal ever! So enjoy! 

Tomato and Olive Penne

I have been looking for a quick but healthy meal and came across this tomato and olive penne on Martha Stewart's website. It was very fast and super delicious. 

Ingredients:

Salt and Pepper

1 pound penne pasta

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups (2/3 pound) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne according to package instructions. 

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring until just golden, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to low, cook, stirring, until tomato juices run, about 3 minutes. 

3. Add penne, olives, parsley, and Parmesan to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with more cheese if desired. 

This would also be a great base for additional vegetables or a meat. David even said this can replace our quick spaghetti meals where we use the jarred sauce. Bye bye additional preservatives and hello fresh veggies!