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

Island Grilled Chicken

Maui Sunset #5 at The Four Seasons Resort Wailea

7/07/13: To be quite honest, I have absolutely no idea what I was doing the day that I decided to make Island Grilled Chicken. I mean, really, that was about two months ago and, let’s be honest, sometimes recipes and ideas all start to blend together at some point.

Maui Sunset #1 at Kamaole Beach across the street (South Kihei Rd) from our hotel

At any rate, I figure I would take this opportunity to tell you about my most memorable island adventure: Maui, Hawaii. As I’ve mentioned before, my college roommate, Erin, asked me to be a bridesmaid in her Maui wedding. Of course, I was thrilled, and it ended up being the most beautiful place I have ever been. I asked myself repeatedly throughout the trip (YouTube’s After the Dentist style), “Is this real life?”

Maui Sunset #2, Happy Hour on the Bensons' lanai at mana Kai Maui Resort

Maui Sunset #2, Happy Hour on the Bensons' lanai at mana Kai Maui Resort

And the sunsets. Oh. My. Gosh. The sunsets. I have never- not at the lake, not at the river, not in Alaska, not on either coast, not in Florida or Mexico- never EVER seen a sunset like a Maui sunset. Holy. Moly.  They were absolutely breath-taking.

Maui Sunset #3 at Erin & Alex's Rehearsal Dinner at the
Plantation House Restaurant at the Plantation Golf Course

Maui Sunset #3 at Erin & Alex's Rehearsal Dinner at the
Plantation House Restaurant at the Plantation Golf Course

We watched the sunsets every night that we were there- from the beach, from a luau, from the Kapalua golf course, from Erin’s family’s hotel room- but the last sunset of the trip had to have been the most spectacular. Everyone had recommended that we try to get to the Four Seasons for happy hour to watch the sunset, and I would give anything to be able to do that just once a year for the rest of my life. We had fun, fruity drinks on the patio and watched the most blazingly beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my whole life. As you can see by the pictures, it completely changed color schemes and phases numerous times in the short time it was setting. We were in awe.

Maui Sunset #4 at Erin & Alex's wedding reception
The Grand Luau at Honua'ula

Maui Sunset #4 at Erin & Alex's wedding reception
The Grand Luau at Honua'ula

I always think of Granny when the sunsets. For more on that, read my story for Strawberry Shortcake. She loved sunsets, and I am sure that I inherited my love for the blazing orange beauty from her.  While it makes me sad to think of her never getting to see a Maui sunset, I had no doubt she was watching right alongside of Andy and me on the Four Seasons patio- and knowing Granny, she probably had her own fruity drink in hand, too.

Maui Sunset #5, Four Seasons Resort Wailea

Island Grilled Chicken

Pinterest.com

Servings: 2; WW PointsPlus Value: 5

Spaghetti Squash & Island Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons)
• 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 chicken breasts

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour, up to overnight
3. Grill chicken over medium heat, appr 15-25 mins depending on thickness

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

April 27, 2014: The first meal I ever made Andy was my King Ranch Chicken. I was SO crazy nervous about having him over for dinner that I thought it'd be best to make something that I knew well. I had no doubt that the iconic star of my blog and one of my top hits on Pinterest would make a fabulous first meal to serve this cute new boy I liked.

Andy and me on the bench at Cabana #3 where he proposed a few months before this picture

         

Well, I flopped. I was so nervous that I forgot to drain everything- the peppers, the tomatoes, I just dumped in the whole can and kept on going. It turned out more like King Ranch soup. Womp, womp- I was embarassed, and Andy probably thought he was stuck with take out for the rest of this, what was sure to be short relationship. Good thing I was wrong about a lot of things that night. Andy, being the sweet guy that he is, smiled, scarfed it up, and even asked for seconds. It wasn't until months later that I had the conversation with him about the soupy meal, and he admitted that it wasn't the best thing I'd ever made. Well, phew, luckily I was also wrong about my flop being a relationship deal-breaker, because here we are, almost four years later and getting married in a few months!

Andy and me at our surprise engagement party right after he proposed on October 26, 2013

                                     

I found this recipe on Pinterest for a big ol' King Ranch casserole-type meal, but it was based in mac n cheese instead of tortillas. It was like your side and a main course all in one. I made the King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese about two years after I'd made my King Ranch soup, and it was definitely more of a hit than my first King Ranch experience with Andy. Lucky for me, I have a pretty sweet fiance who would probably grin and bear just about anything I put on a plate in front of him. At least now he isn't embarassed to tell me when something is "not the best thing" I've ever made, but let's be honest- I think he's just thankful to be marrying a gal who knows her way around the kitchen!

Andy and me at Martin House Brewing Company

                                       

If you like King Ranch Casserole, you're sure to like the mac n cheese version of it. It makes enough to feed a small army, and it freezes and reheats very well. 

King Ranch Macaroni & Cheese

Pinterest.com
Servings: 20; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 6

King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

• 13 oz whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chiles (like Rotel)
• 8 oz Velveeta or other packaged pasteurized cheese product, cubed
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- cooked & cubed
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced fat cream of chicken condensed soup
• 1/2 c fat free sour cream
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 c fat free cheddar cheese

King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prepare pasta according to package instructions
3. In a large, deep saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat
4. Add onion & bell pepper, sauté 5 mins or until tender
5. Add tomatoes & green chiles and Velveeta- stir until cheese melts
6. Add chicken, cream of chicken, sour cream, chili powder, and ground cumin- mix until well blended
7. Add cooked pasta- mix until all is well blended
8. Spoon mixture into a non-stick cooking spray coated 11x7 baking dish
9. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese on top
10. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins

Keep on cookin!

-Katherine

Lemon Pepper Chicken

April 7, 2013: I have always had a few TV shows with which I have decently kept up. Before dating Andy, these shows were Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Glee, One Tree Hill, Entourage, and Californication. But Andy takes TV watching to a whole new level. Between Showtime, HBO, FX, and AMC, our DVR light is constantly lit up in record mode. 

Grey's Anatomy

 Throughout the year, the shows change since some are fall series, spring series, etc. Some if the shows we have watched together from the beginning have been: The Borgias, The Walking Dead, Magic City, Boardwalk Empire, House of Lies, Homeland, Girls, The Newsroom, The Americans, and American Horror Story. 

Gossip Girl

Other series, Andy insisted that I catch up on on Netflix and HBO Go in order to be able to watch them with him. These shows were Dexter, Weeds, True Blood, How to Make it in America, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men. One of Andy's favorite shows, Lost, ended right when we started dating, but he highly recommended that I watch all six seasons so we could talk about it. And Andy was cute, so I did it, and fell in love with Jack, Sawyer, and Charlie all while falling for Andy, too. 

Lost

Last, there are the shows that I missed the first season of, Shameless and Nurse Jackie, but they are on my to do list to go back and watch (in all my free time...) And yes, I still watch Grey's Anatomy and recently while I was sick took a trip back in time to become immersed in Downton Abbey. Andy doesn't watch either of these "girly" shows, nor does he appreciate my singing along with my guilty pleasure, Glee. 

Mad Men

I don't think I could pick a favorite out of all of these. Each one is very different with plots that keep you on the edge of your seat. After having watched five seasons of Mad Men, on April 7th I was eager to see who Don Draper was going to swoon next and what strides Peggy Olson would make for women's rights.  I made Lemon Pepper Chicken, and poured Andy a glass of scotch to sit back and watch 1962 unfold at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price. 

Nurse Jackie

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (plus 2 tablespoons, if roasting) EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 lemons, divided
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely grated or pasted
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt
• 1 3- to 4-pound chicken, skin removed and cut into 8 pieces

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl
• Marinate chicken in the mixture for at least 15mins, up to overnight
• Grill over medium heat for appr 15 mins or bake at 350 for 35-45mins or until juices run clear

Lemon Pepper Chicken

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

Lovers' Chicken

April 1, 2013: Andy and I have gone to the Texas Rangers opening day together since we started dating. The past two years, Opening Day has been a home game in Arlington. We've spent the days grilled out, drinking some beers, and last year jamming out to Josh Abbott Band. This year, however, the season opener was in Houston, Texas, against the Astros.

Andy and me at Rangers Season Opener- Houston, Texas

Andy and I decided to make a weekend out of it. He found us a great hotel within walking distance from Minute Maid Park. We left on Friday, March 29 for Houston. We used Andy's Yelp app, and had a Mexican dinner down the street from our hotel at a fun, hip place called Guadalajara del Centro. They had yummy margaritas, and the walk was nice in the cool weather.

Michael, Becca, me, and Andy at Rangers Opening Day- Houston, Texas

Saturday we met my friend Hayley and her fiance for lunch at Cedar Creek- Cafe, Bar, and Grill. It was very Austin-like, and a beautiful day to be on a patio with my old friend.  We were lazy for the rest of the day, and had a sushi dinner date night at Azuma Sushi & Robata Bar, which happened to be in the same place as where our friend, Emily's, wedding was last year. After dinner, our friends Michael & Becca who were in town met us in Rice Village to go to a few bars.

Andy and me at the Rangers @ Astros game

Sunday was the big day. We had lunch at Barnaby's Cafe- another eclectic restaurant with fun decor and delicious food. We headed over to Minute Maid Park a few hours before the game started. Right when we got there, the sky unleashed absolute insanity. It began pouring rain so hard, blowing in all directions, and drenched us to the bone, even under the covered area where we stood.

We made our own kiss cam :)

When we got inside, we met up with my DG sister, Elaine, and her boyfriend, Brant. I hadn't seen Elaine for three years, and I was ecstatic to catch up with her. We finally met up with Michael and Becca and headed to our seats. Becca is an Astros fan, so she was much happier with the turn out than we Rangers fans were. The Rangers lost 8 to 2, but we had a blast.

Andy and me watching the Rangers home opener at The Pour House- Fort Worth, Texas

After having so much delicious food for the weekend, I wanted to stick with the Houston/Austin vibe we had going. I found a recipe for chicken from Austin's The Salt Lick, and it was some of the best chicken I've ever made. It was super spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. It was juicy and fresh, and a fabulous way to end our fun weekend!

Lovers' Chicken
Adapted from The Salt Lick
Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 8

Lovers' Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 serrano chile
• 1 tsp shallot, finely diced
• 1 tsp roasted garlic
• 8 Tbsp butter, unsalted
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano, fresh finely chopped

1. Season chicken with salt & pepper
2. Preheat your oven or a grill set up for indirect heat to 400
3. Mix all other ingredients together
4. Smother chicken with mixture
5. Bake at 400 for 35-45 mins or until juices run clear

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ryan Bingham and me at Magnolia Motor Lounge

March 11, 2013: This past weekend, Andy and I went to see Ryan Bingham play at Billy Bob's Texas. When we were in Ruidoso with our friends the Hickmans, Bradley asked us if we wanted to get a group together to go. Heck yeah, Andy and I love Ryan Bingham! We were in.

Andy and me at Ryan Bingham at Billy Bob's Texas
March 9, 2013

If you haven't heard of Ryan Bingham, Google him then download some of his songs on iTunes. Andy compares his sound to a modern-day Bob Dylan. While we have liked his music for a while, Bingham's career really took off in 2011. He co-wrote and performed the movie, Crazy Heart's, theme song, "The Weary Kind" that won Bingham an Academy award, Golden Globe award, Grammy award, and Critic's Choice Award- not to mention winning many hearts with his charming looks.

Ryan Bingham on stage at Billy Bob's

On Saturday night, just as we were getting in Andy's truck to head to the Northside, it started pouring rain. Not just sprinkling, but slow-the-car-way-down-streets-are-flooding-I-want-to-turn-around-and-go-home kind of rain. But we made it to Billy Bob's just in time for the show. Bradley had gotten us great seats, and we all had a great time.

Keri and me at Ryan Bingham at Billy Bob's

After Billy Bob's, we went to the White Elephant Saloon for a bit, and then saw on Twitter that Ryan Bingham was going to Magnolia Motor Lounge. We figured he was just going to play a bonus set, so off to 7th street we went. Turns out, Bingham wasn't playing at Magnolia- he just went to dance and have fun with his wife. Well, of course I hunted him down for a picture, which would have taken 45 minutes to get had I waited in the autograph line at Billy Bob's.

After our busy weekend, I wanted something easy to fix for dinner on Monday night. Preferably, I also something for which I didn't have to get out of my pajamas and go to the grocery store. I found this recipe for Parmesan Crusted Chicken, and was able to make it after a few tweaks of my own. It is very similar to my OMG Chicken, but this one has garlic in the mix. If you aren't a fan of garlic, try OMG Chicken instead. Maybe next time we make it, we can watch Crazy Heart in memory of our fun Bingham-filled weekend.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Modified from www.kalynskitchen.com
Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 8

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• '1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, reduced fat

1. Mix together garlic, sour cream, and poultry seasoning
2. Marinate chicken in mixture for 30min+
3. Preheat oven to 425
4. Mix bread crumbs and cheese
5. Immediately before baking, coat chicken in bread crumb/cheese mixture
6. Bake in foil lined pan for appr 30 min at 425

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Pollo & Patate (Chicken & Potatoes, Italian Style)

Andy and me at the Roadhouse, Rodeo 2013

On Saturday, January 26th, Andy, me, our friends, Paige & Kyle, and their friend Kenny adventured out to the rodeo grounds for the day.  We rode a few rides, checked out the chickens and goats, and walked around the exhibit halls.  The exhibit halls are, afterall, my favorite part of the rodeo.  After rodeo-ing all day, Andy and I met our friends Jason & Holly for dinner at Fireside Pies. 

Andy and me at Bulls Night Out 2013

Over the course of dinner, my voice started getting more and more hoarse, and I just figured it was from walking around in the cold all day, surrounded by dust and hay.  I woke up on Sunday morning, voice still hoarse, but with the most intense sinus headache I've ever had.  Keep in mind, I've had sinus surgery, so I know sinus pain, but this was like nothing else.  It felt like someone had cracked open my face, poured concrete in it, and was then jack-hammering the concrete out.  My body was aching and sore, and I was coughing and congested.


Brittney and me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

I googled my symptoms, and my symptoms kept coming up as symptoms of the flu.  No way... I got the flu shot. In October. We are required to get it at work.  But, nonetheless, I felt terrible.  I called in sick to work on Monday, and I hadn't called in sick in over a year and a half.  I went to the doctor who stuck a cotton swab up my nose and confirmed my Flu Type A. Ugh. 

Andy and me at the midway, Rodeo 2013

Prescription cough syrup and Tamiflu were called in to CVS, and I was sent to bed.  My doctor told me Type A Flu was "highly contagious" so I quickly texted Andy, and I suggested that he call his doctor for a Tamiflu prescription, too.  His doctor called him in the preventative little pack of pills, and he never did get sick.  I had been wanting to get into watching Downton Abbey, so Netflix and the humidifier were both turn on and into bed I went.  When I picked up my prescriptions, I grabbed a bottle of Pedialyte (which is my best friend when I am sick & dehydrated), and whipped out my neti pot. 

Katie & me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

Andy insisted on cooking dinner that night so my germy hands wouldn't get all over his food, but the next night I made this recipe.  I already have a recipe called Italian Chicken & Potatoes, so I wanted to come up with a clever twist to differentiate.  According to google, "chicken & potatoes" translates to "pollo & patate" in Italian, so that's where the name comes from.  I tried to use ingredients that I already had, and I found this recipe on Crock a Doodle Do, a cute blog with a lot of crockpot recipes.  Hopefully when you make it, you'll be flu-free, but it is a great dish if you're craving comfort food.

Me, Candice, Brittney, Jenny, and Kirsten at the Roadhouse for Josh Weathers and Brittney's birthday

Pollo & Patate
By Crock a Doodle Do
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 11

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 16 oz bottle non-fat Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 c reduced fat parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• 4-6 potatoes scrubbed, sliced thin
• 1/2 lb mini carrots

1. Squirt a small amount of Italian dressing at bottom of crock-pot.
2. Place two chicken breasts in crock.
3. Pour some of the Italian dressing on the chicken.
4. Sprinkle half of cheese onto the chicken.
5. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken.
6. Place next two chicken breasts into crock-pot, if possible not directly on top of the first breasts.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of chicken.
8. Pour carrots on top
9. Pour more of the Italian dressing on top of chicken and carrots.
10. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken and carrots.
11. Place potatoes on top.
12. Pour the remaining Italian dressing on the potatoes.Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the potatoes.Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine