Chipotle-taste-alike Bowl with Spaghetti Squash

April 4, 2014: During football season, Andy and I have a Sunday tradition- order pizza or pick up Chipotle. We have each others' Chipotle orders down pretty pat, but we always complain that one of the two of us has to drive to pick it up. We'll start offering deals like, "I'll pay if you go get it," but neither of us ever want to drive the whole (ready for it?) 7 minutes down the street to pick it up. Man, we are LAZY on Sundays. As a side note: since April, Andy and I have stopped with the pizza tradish. As it turns out, eating a large pizza by oneself can make one deeply regret the impulsive quick-to-order online Domino's moment. Sunday's pizza and Chipotle have mostly been replaced with slow cooker soups and homemade meals. This one is not to be left out, as we are having it for dinner tonight! (1/04/15). 

Chipotle Spaghetti Squash Bowl

Now, I've been going to that Chipotle ever since I bought my house back in 2008. I hadn't ever really had any complaints about my Chicken Fajita Bowl until this year. Suddenly, it was like every single Sunday there was something wrong. One day, they forgot my guacamole and I didn't realize it until I was back home, comfy on our couch. Another time they told me they were OUT of guacamole, and it would take 15 minutes for them to make the next batch. 15 minutes! Yeesh. I make damn good guacamole and it does not take 15 minutes out of my day. This was a problem- we all know that Chipotle is just not complete without guac. 

At least we forget the time when they were out of rice. Excuse me say what? How do you run out of rice? Aren't you a burrito company? Well, needless to say, I was becoming quite dishearted at my Chipotle experiences, when I came across a Pinterest recipe for a Chipotle-like bowl, but with spaghetti squash in lieu of rice. This lower carb, healthier version intrigued me, so we gave it a shot on a lazy Sunday evening. Wowzers! As much as I love Chipotle, and I will probably not really mean this later, but this was almost BETTER than my weekly bowl obsession. Not to mention, I felt pretty good about eating it because instead of 16 Weight Watchers Points Plus like my bowl, this bowl only has 6 PPs! Another side note: since the completion of the Chisolm Trail Parkway, enabling us to get to the other local Chipotle in 5 minutes, we have not returned to the "always out of everything" Chipotle. 

So no, this will never replace my "Chicken fajita bowl, brown rice, fajita veggies, black beans, medium and hot salsas, lettuce, and guac on the side" order, but it is a nice substitute to save money, carbs, or your blood pressure when you hear your burrito will be consisting of hot sauce and beans. 

Chipotle-taste-alike Bowl with Spaghetti Squash

Servings: 4; Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 6

Chipotle-taste-alike Bowl with Spaghetti Squash

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cubed. When you cook the chicken, I suggest preparing it with Chicken Fajita Seasoning or something of the like
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (leave appr 1/2 of the seeds in, de-seed the rest)
• 1/2 can (appr 5 oz) Rotel 
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper as desired
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c corn, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 c freshly torn cilantro, plus more for garnish
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 c grated fat-free cheddar cheese

1. Poke holes in your squash with a fork like you would for a baked potato, to prepare to let out steam
2. Cook the squash in the microwave for 16 mins total- rotate at 8 mins, halfway through
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. 
4. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and bell pepper. Sauté 2 minutes. 
5. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder, red pepper, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. 
6. Sauté 1 more minute. 
7. Stir in beans, corn, chicken, half of cilantro and lime juice until well combined
8. Cook everything an additional 5 minutes or until corn and beans are cooked
9. Cut your squash in half and pull out the seeds
10. Scrape the insides from the squash out- it will come out like spaghetti in strings
11. Add the “spaghetti” from squash to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. 
12. Serve as one big mixed up bowl!

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Chile Pork Verde

Me, Michael, Becca, Elise, Mallory, Lani, Amanda, Ryan, and Ray
at Guitars and Cadillacs at the FW Kickball End of Season Party for the Winter 2013 season

One night a few years ago, Andy and I went on a double date with our friends, Michael & Becca to Salsa Fuego. It is an old drive-through restaurant (what it use to be escapes me now), and it is a little hole in the wall here in Fort Worth.

Andy, me, Becca, and Michael at the American Aquarium show at Magnolia Motorlounge in May 2013

Andy ordered Chile Pork Verde, and he couldn't stop raving about it. He was bound and determined to figure out a recipe so we could try it out ourselves. So the day came when (shocked face- in awe) Andy went to... wait for it... the grocery store!! Usually I do all of our grocery shopping, but Andy took charge so he could figure out how to make the mysterious pork.

Michael, Becca, and me with Jesse, Will, Chris, and Chelsea on the 4th of July 2013 at Cabana #3

He bought all of the ingredients to make the pork, and started cooking about 5:00. About 7:00, my stomach was a-rumbling, and I asked Andy when he thought dinner would be done. "Well, the recipe says 6 hours." What! Turns out, Andy thought the 6 hours included prep & cook time, but it did not. The pork was suppose to cook for a grand total of 6 hours. Meanwhile, my stomach was eating itself. Alas, we conceded to go grab take out from Pei Wei and have the pork the next time. Good thing, too, because it was done about midnight that night.

Becca and me (and Andy and Me) celebrating my first two runs in kickball

Despite having it the day after we cooked it, the Chile Pork Verde was crazy-good. Another mishap- Andy thought the rice he'd bought was "plain white rice" but it was gumbo rice and pre-seasoned. "Not white like the picture on the box!" Andy disappointedly told me.  Oh well, we now know for next time- start cooking it early! And the rice turned out to be much more tasty than any plain white rice would have been anyway. I saved the leftover ingredients to make my own Verde Salsa the next night, and we scarfed down the long-awaited Chile Pork Verde. And, yes, I think it was much better than Salsa Fuego's!

Chile Pork Verde
Servings: 6; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value:

Chile Pork Verde

1.5-2lb pork shoulder, fat trimmed
1.5-2 tbsp of oil for browning pork (coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil recommended)
2/3 tsp chile powder
2/3 tsp dried oregano
1/3 tbsp salt
1/3 tsp garlic powder
1/3 tsp cumin

1/2 onion, chopped
.75-1lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 1/3 medium garlic cloves
1 Serrano pepper, minced (leave seeds for some spice)
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime, squeezed juice
2 cups water

1 small can chopped green chiles (with liquid)
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped and seeded
1 Serrano pepper, chopped and seeded
Rice
Tobasco


1.  In a small bowl, mix chile powder, dried oregano, salt, garlic powder, and cumin.  

2. Rub spice mixture into pork shoulder and let sit at room temperature 20-30 minutes.
3.  Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and Serrano pepper into a pot.  Season with oregano, cilantro, cumin, and salt; squeeze lime and pour in water.  

4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10-15 minutes.  

5. Press tomatillos against the side of the pot to crush and stir often while simmering.
6.  Brown the pork in oil over medium-high heat for approximately 10 minutes.
7.  Using a blender, or immersion blender, carefully puree the tomatillo mix until smooth consistency.
8.  Drain meat and add to pot.  

9. Add chopped green chiles, jalapeño pepper and Serrano pepper.  

10. Continue to simmer for next 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, or until pork shreds easily.
11.  Serve the pork chile verde warm in bowls with steamed rice. 

12.  Season with cilantro, Tabasco, lime wedges, and salt and pepper to taste.  

Keepn on cookin'!

-Katherine and Andy

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

October 6, 2013: Happy CROCKtober, slow cooker lovers!! *Note- I wrote this almost a year ago... I have REALLY fallen behind on my posting!** Today we got back from one of my top two favorite vacations- to Costa Rica! We have spent the past week hiking to waterfalls (and kissing under them!), drinking coconut milk straight out of a coconut, monkey watching, zip lining, hot tubbing, laying out, and taking in some of the most amazing views I've ever seen. 

The sun rose about 5:00am every morning, but don't worry, I wasn't awake to see the sunrise. Many other people in our house were, though. We were so blessed to join Keri & Bradley, Bradley's cousin, Keely, and their other couple-friends, Cori and Jeff, on our trip. The four bedroom, two story home was incredible, and we had plenty of room for the seven of us to spread out and have both our private time with our significant others, but also all hang out together, too. 

Picture this: We went ziplining through the rainforest with howler monkeys hootin' and hollering' as we put our feet up and zoomed through the forrest upside down or superman style. 

We hiked down a hidden dirt road for 30 minutes, only to come across an oasis with three waterfalls feeding into it. And not just trickles on the side of a Colorado mountain waterfall- we're talking roaring, knock you off your feet, hundreds of feet tall waterfalls. 

We went to a wildlife refuge where we were a foot away from jaguars with only a chain link fence between us and their baring teeth. Well, this one doesn't look so malicious, but trust me, many of them looked like they could take me out in one fatal chomp!

We had a Kudamundi we named Mr. Wiggles who greeted us on the other side of the sliding glass door every day. We ate lunch with monkeys swinging in the trees 10 feet away. We had a personal golf cart to take to our meals in an open-air cafe where we were often the only patrons because it was the rainy season. We had Mixology class, Costa-Rican style and took over the bar for the afternoon. And, of course, we cheered on the Rangers and cooked out to the sound of parrots squawking and another storm rolling in.

When we came home, we were spent. We were exhausted from traveling, hungry for burgers, and feeling very very lazy. I wanted to make something that was as easy as possible, so I could focus on getting laundry done, re-organizing my life, and getting ready for the upcoming week. 

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
•  15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts (16 oz total)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• fat free sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. 
2. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. 
3. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. 
4. Add cilantro and remove from heat. 
5. Pour into crock pot.
6. To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir.
7. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
8. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. 
9. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. 
10. Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. 

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

3,000 hours- done!

March 21, 2013: Welp, my four years of college, two years of graduate school, extra qualifying classes, studying for the NCE, and 3,000 hours of supervised hours as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Intern all paid off today. Today, I logged my 3,000th hour, and I am, paperwork aside a LPC!! This is definitely my biggest accomplishment to date. I had been meeting with my fabulous supervisor, Phil, once a week since August of 2011, and I was ready to send off my paperwork to get my official title. 

Ryan, me, and Holly at dinner at Shaw's to celebrate Ryan & me finishing our LPC hours

March 22, 2013 my co-worker, Ryan, had also finished his LPC hours recently. We decided to have a joint happy hour celebration get together. Or a "stress reduction" as I like to call them. We Nantes to go to the patio at Live Oak but it was really cold, so we decided to convene at The Usual. Many of our co-workers joined us, and we toasted to being done with our licensure. After drinks, a handful of us went to dinner at Shaw's for some sweet potato fries and burgers.  

Holly and me at The Usual to celebrate finishing my LPC!

I received my official license in the mail a few weeks later after all of the paperwork was processed in Austin. I promptly framed the most important piece of paper I have yet to receive and put it next tour diplomas in the sports room. Thank you to all of my amazing friends and family for your support- you've been my cheerleaders, and I have you to thank for my success!

Andy and me at celebratory dinner at Bonnell's with my parents

For dinner the weekend after my LPC triumph, I made Salsa Verde Enchiladas. I made my own salsa verde, which was much easier than I ever assumed. I always like to celebrate with a margarita, so I figured enchiladas would pair quite well with an El Grado margarita to cheers to my license. 

Salsa Verde Enchiladas

Servings: 8; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 4

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (7-ounce) bottle salsa verde (or make your own!)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/3 cup (3 ounces) fat free cream cheese
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 lime wedges
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)
• 1/4 c queso fresco

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. 
3. Combine chicken and cream cheese in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa mixture. Reserve remaining salsa mixture.
4. Warm tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in paper towels for 30 sec in microwave
5. Flip tortillas, microwave additional 30 seconds
6. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla; roll up. 
7. Place tortilla, seam-side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
8. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
9. Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas
10. Sprinkle evenly with queso fresco and chili powder. 
11. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated. 
12. Serve with lime wedges. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas and Mexican-Style Asparagus

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Red Sauce

July 1, 2012: (Weird that this was written a year ago- so much has changed since this!!) It's official- my status at work changed from "PRN" (as needed) to full-time! Considering I was already working an average of 36.6 hours per week anyway, not much has changed scheduling wise.  However, changing into full-time status does mean that I now get to receive benefits such as PTO (paid time off), health insurance, and a retirement plan.  Since I turned 26 on June 10, 2012, my health insurance under my dad's job at the District Attorney's Office terminated on June 30, 2012, so the timing couldn't be any better!

Wendy, me, Melissa, Holly, & Dr. Murphy representing
Cook Children's Psychiatry at the American Heart Association's Heart Walk 2012

Working full-time has been more tough than I planned, since I'm also balancing an over active social life right now with 9 of my girlfriends getting married in the span of 5 months. However, having benefits, paid time off (PTO), and an ensured 36 hours of pay each week are all well-worth it. I've also been taking on a lot of mini-projects at work, as well. For example, I was asked to be the Psychiatry Team Leader for the American Heart Association's 2012 Heart Walk. A few emails later and psychiatry was teamed up with Psychology and the Tarrant County DA's office in our fundraising efforts.  We raised around $2,000, and I am so proud of our fund-raising efforts!  The day of the Heart Walk, it was pretty chilly, even for September in Texas, but we walked and talked for the whole three miles.A huge shout-out and thank you to our team, and especially those who came out to walk that morning!

Jason, Holly, me, & Andy at the American Heart Association's Heart Walk 2012

I've started attending the monthly Mental Health Connection meetings with both our Director and Nurse Educator to learn about other mental health resources available to families in our area. I also have been representing our department both with and without our Nurse Educator at the hospital's monthly Patient Education Council meetings. I have taken on the role of Parent Education Coordinator at our Partial Hospitalization Program and have worked with a team to successfully revamp the parent education program at PHP. We have brought in guest speakers on safety, playing and relaxing with your children, and water safety. Attendance and satisfaction have both appeared to increase!

Our Cook Children's Team for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk 2012

SO, my plate has been very VERY full lately! The day I officially changed status from PRN to full-time, I made Andy and myself a little fiesta celebration dinner of Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce. I order chicken enchiladas a lot at restaurants, usually with green sauce, so I thought it'd be a fun one to try out. They were very spicy but were better than many restaurant enchiladas dishes that I've tried!

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
Pinterest.com
Servings: 8; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 3

Filling:

• 9 tortillas
• 1 1/2 c chicken breast meat, cooked & shredded
• 1 c onion, chopped
• 1 c bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 c non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c low-fat  4 Cheese Mexican cheese

Sauce:

•  3/4 c salsa
• 1/4 c non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c low or non-fat shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray
3. Sautee onions & bell peppers in a small skillet using cooking spray until onion are lightly brown
4. Mix sauteed veggies with non-fat Greek yogurt, chicken, and cheese
5. Spread 1/4 c chicken mixture in middle of each tortilla & roll into a small burrito
6. Place seam down into baking dish
7. Mix salsa and Greek yogurt in a small bowl & spread evenly onto top of tortillas
8. Sprinkle with cheese
9. Cover with foil, bake at 350 for 15-20 min

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Mexican-Style Asparagus

In January, I got the following text from my best friend, Whitney. 

Needless to say, I was crying tears of joy right in the middle of a presentation at Fort Worth ISD. I was under strict instructions not to tell anyone, so I had to keep my mouth shut about Baby Creel until Todd and Whitney formally announced their +1 on March 24th. I did, however, immediately send the Creels a care package in honor of their baby-to-be. I included a few pregnancy magazines for momma, a sign, a book, and a baby blanket. 

We found these cute shirts for the dogs at a boutique in Ruidoso when we went in February. They made for a perfect baby announcement! 

A month later, as I was going through our cabinets to make sure we had the ingredients for this Mexican Style Asparagus that night, my phone next off with another text. On April 23rd, the Creels found out their bundle of joy was going to be a boy. Whitney had suspected it was going to be a boy, but the sonogram confirmed it. A healthy, happy baby boy would be joining the Creels in September 2013. 

I could see it already: an Aggie football player with Creel printed across the back his jersey. The kiddo will have no choice but to whoop and gig 'em like his mom, dad, and numerous other family members. But don't worry, I'll do my best to brain wash him with all the burnt orange that I can sneak into his nursery!

Mexican Style Asparagus

Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 2

• 1 bunch of asparagus cut and washed
• red pepper flakes (to taste)
• cumin (to taste)
• chili powder (to taste)
• dried cilantro (to taste)
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Coat asparagus with EVOO
2. Sprinkle on red pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder, and dried cilantro
3. Grill for 5 minutes, turning occasionally

Keep on cookin'!

Katherine

Chicken Enchilada Tacos

Sloane's baby wreath

Andy's sister, Carly, had his nephew, Greyson, the day after our first date (May 5, 2010). Carly has always wanted more than one kiddo, and when Grey was a little over two, she got her wish. She was pregnant with a baby girl, and was due May 1, 2013- four days before Grey's third birthday.

Her friends in Wichita Falls threw her a baby shower that was pink and girly- all things baby girl.  Carly did not want to reveal Baby Girl's name though until she was born, so part of the shower was spent trying to convince her to spill the beans, but we got nowhere.  This presented a slight hiccup in my baby gift, though. I made her a wreath, but without knowing Baby Girl's name, the wreath was going to have to be incomplete until she arrived. I joked with Carly that I was going to show up to the hospital when Baby Girl was born with a hot glue gun and wooden letter to slap on the wreath.

Sloane's baby gifts from me

The shower was held at the Jennings' church, First Christian, in Wichita Falls. This is the same church where my cousin's grandma, "Nanny," took care of Andy when he was a baby.  There were baby-themed snacks, a delicious punch, and a diaper cake as the centerpiece. It was very prissy and very fun!

A lot of the women who have had children at the shower commented that "Baby girl showers are just so much cuter than baby boy showers!" and "Baby girl clothes are so much cuter than baby boy clothes!" Needless to say, we were all pretty excited about Baby Girl Westbrook.

Sloane's wreath that matches her crib bedding

Well, on April 30th, a little before noon, Carly texted Andy that she was in labor. No less than two hours later, Andy got a message from his brother-in-law, Slate, that said "Sloane Sawyer Westbrook was born at 12:31pm, weighing 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20.75 inches long." Unfortunately I couldn't miss work that afternoon, but we headed up north to Wichita Falls the next day to see sweet Sloane and Andy's family.

We weren't sure if we were going to get to go to Wichita Falls the night Sloane was born, and, like I said it turns out that we weren't able to because of work. However, being the meal-planner I am, I went ahead and planned our dinner for that night. We had Chicken Enchilada Tacos, which are now in our top five favorite meals. The actual dish can be served sans-tacos if you're watching your carbs, and using fat-free cheese keeps it lightened up.  Although I had to work, the Chicken Enchilada Tacos were easy to throw together once I got home, and clean up was quick, too. Perhaps you'll be celebrating good news when you have them, too!

Chicken Enchilada Tacos
Servings: 8; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 3

Chicken Enchilada Tacos

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
• 4 ounces fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions, chopped

Chicken Enchilada Taco filling

1. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with taco seasoning
2. Grill or sauté the chicken
3. Cut the chicken into cubes
4. Place in a greased 8x8" baking dish
5. Season with salt to taste
6. Add the enchilada sauce and toss to coat the chicken
7. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken
8. Bake at 350º for 10-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly
9. Scatter the green onions over the top.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Salsa Chicken

Michael & me before going out for Michael's 25th Birthday, July 2011

The night before Andy and I left for Hawaii was also our friend, Michael's (who introduced Andy and me) birthday.  During the day of July 10th, we were invited to join Michael and some of our friends at Baker Street for drinks to celebrate Michael's 26th.  Since we were still busy readying ourselves for Maui, we knew we would need a quick, inexpensive, and easy dinner, so Salsa Chicken with Black Bean & Corn Side it was! 

Michael (a penguin) and me (Sookie Stackhouse) at Katie Fenn's Halloween Party, October 2011

Tuesday, July 10th, was one LONG day at work.  I constantly found my thoughts wandering to the beach and visions of frozen concoctions and succulently prepared exotic fish were swimming through my head.  Luckily, I was already packed (since I have such a to-do list obsession), so I was free to let my thoughts float to the waves and not to my suitcase.  I finished an admission at our partial-hospitalization program, and I was returning crisis phone calls when I got a text from Andy suggesting we go to Baker Street for Michael's birthday.  Now I knew Andy was far from packed, and I had a staff meeting after work, so I knew it was a hard-press, but that it would be fun to say hi to our friend for his big day.

Andy, me, Jesse, Will, Brian, & Michael at St. Patrick's Day in Dallas, March 2012

I could barely sit through the staff meeting- they said "Restraint and Seclusion" and all I could hear was "secluded island."  They said "new hire" and I thought "new adventure."  They said "Happy Birthday to the July birthday people" and the only celebration I could think of was Erin & Alex's fast-approaching wedding celebration.  It was tough!

Michael, me, and Andy in New Orleans, February 2012

I raced home and threw the oven into pre-heat.  I had pulled the chicken breasts out and marinated them with the taco seasoning and salsa the night before, so they were rarin' to go.  As soon as Andy came home, I popped the chicken in, dumped the cans for the side in a pot, and in 30 minutes we were scarfing it down.  As our last home cooked meal before our big trip, I'd say it was quite the easy preparation and cleanup.  After dinner, it was off to Baker Street.  We met Brian, Mallory, Sean, Elise, Ray, Laney, and (of course!) the birthday boy, Michael.  We only had a few beers, but it was fun catching up and watching the crazy rainstorm that hit Fort Worth out of nowhere.  Seriously- It was pouring so hard, I couldn't even see across the parking lot- it was white outside!

Thomas, Andy, Abbie, me, Michael, and Chris at my house watching a TCU game, September 2011

I was glad when we came home to not have a ton of dirty dishes and kitchen cleanup on my to-do list, and it was off to bed to dream sweet dreams of Maui sunsets and wedding shenanigans.


Salsa Chicken
All Recipes
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 5

Salsa Chicken with chips and Black Bean & Corn Side

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup fat-free shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts
4. Pour salsa over all
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 mins, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
6. Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Salsa Chicken with Black Bean & Corn Side

Grilled Mexican Lime Chicken

All of the girls at Leo & Katie's engagement in October 30, 2011 at Mira Vista Country Club

My friend, Leo, who I met my senior year of high school, called me on October 28, 2011 and asked me if I could "keep a secret."  Having so many friends who have recently gotten engaged, I knew immediately what his secret must be.  I teared up right there in the middle of Chick-Fil-A on Hulen as Leo told me the plan.  He was going to go play golf with his girlfriend, Katie, that Sunday.  On the Mira Vista golf course, the 18th hole is back up at the clubhouse, and Leo wanted all of their friends and family to be waiting at the clubhouse to surprise Katie.

Checking out what the flag said

When they got to the 18th hole, Leo asked Katie what the flag on the hole said.  "What? What are you talking about?  Just play!" was Katie's response.  Uh oh.  Well, after asking Katie repeatedly to look at the flag, suddenly Katie put two and two together and read the flag that said, "Katie will you marry me?"

Leo and Katie right after he proposed

We all greeted Katie & Leo back at the clubhouse and toasted to their future life together.  Two of my girlfriends and I decided we wanted to throw a wedding shower for Katie & Leo and immediately started planning.  A fiesta theme was chosen and the planning began.  So far (as I write this, it is a week and a half before the shower), I have most of the decorations finished and ready to be set up.  The two other hostesses are coming on Tuesday to help me finish with some decorations and setting up, and we are definitely ready for some "chippin, dippin, and margarita sippin" to celebrate Katie & Leo tying the knot!

The Future Mr. & Mrs. Sumner!

My other change that will have a longer-lasting result comes from the many house improvements that Andy and I have made.  We took down the awful florescent light in the kitchen, the 80's style brass and glass bulb light above the sink, and the chandelier that was falling out of the ceiling.  We now have a modern Tiffany-glass style light above the sink, and a very cool, vine-looking light above the kitchen island.  The chandelier was replaced with smaller, softer lights that accent the paintings in our sitting nook.  We rearranged the guest room to allow for more space and make room for my elliptical that I bought myself for my birthday.  And lastly, I framed out the builder-basic mirror in the master bathroom.  I'm not sure that any of that would have gotten done if it weren't for hosting the shower, so I'm extra-glad we volunteered!

Katie, Leo, and me at Fiesta themed Kickball

Wanting to eat-in a lot this past week due to all of the work on our plate, I was able to cook a few different meals.  Monday we had Mediterranean Chicken and Chicken Rice (recipe will come soon).  Tuesday we had Summer Beer Pork Chops (recipe to come soon) with Barbecue Grilled Asparagus.  And Wednesday, we had Grilled Mexican Lime Chicken with Wild Grain Rice and my Black Bean & Corn Side.  The rices were just from a box, nothing special, but it was great getting to use the grill so much! The oven just makes the house so dang hot, so it was nice to leave the cooking up to my Grill Master of a boyfriend!  This is a lot like my KITK Mexican Lime Chicken but with a little less tart, and a little more spice.

Katie & Me at Hawaiian Kickball

Katie & me at Michael's 25th Birthday at Little Bit of Texas, July 2011

Grilled Mexican Lime Chicken
www.food.com
Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 4

Grilled Mexican Lime Chicken with wild rice and Black Bean & Corn Side

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 c oil
• 1/4 c fresh lime juice
• 2 chicken breasts

1. Combine first all ingredients for marinade.
2. Marinate chicken in mixture for at least 2 hours.
3. Drain chicken well and grill until done (appr 6 mins each side)

Keep on cookin'!
Katherine