Recipe & More Lochte Love

One of my favorite things about summer is grilling out.
There's something about those grill marks on food that make it taste
that much better. mind game? whatev.
I've been trying a few Pinterest recipes over the past couple of weeks and
they've all gotten the thumbs up.

I apologize for the poor photography. 

One thing that I want to get better at is learning how to photograph food. 

Anyway, here's the original recipe so you can see how good it's supposed to look 

haha

Ingredients-

- 3 Tbsp of soy sauce

- 2 Tbsp of honey

- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

- juice of 1 lime

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1-2 tsp of siracha*

- red pepper flakes, to taste

- 2 Tbsp cilantro

- 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Directions-

- In a small bowl, combine ingredients (except cilantro). 

Mix thoroughly.

- Pour marinade over chicken breasts and turn to coat. 

Cover and allow to marinate for at least an hour. **

- Grill on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side. 

* I don't really like siracha so I used Chili Garlic paste instead, 

which gave it a really good flavor. 

** I didn't marinate it for more than 15 minutes and it was still

rich in flavor.

enjoy!

******************

Remember me mentioning the party that Ryan Lochte was bringing a fan to yesterday?
{If you didn't read the article, one 'lucky' fan would have to write a letter explaining
why they are his biggest fan} One of my friends posted this on facebook yesterday and
I just about d-i-e-d! This girl hit the nail on the head.
You can go here for the original link to the story.

Dear Ryan Lochte/Prime Minister of Lochte Nation,

I am hands down, without a doubt Lochte Nation's biggest fan, and am so confident in my supreme fanaticism that I'll even admit some seeming super-fan fallacies, like: I do not own the glasses with the mesh lenses that read "REEZY JEAH"; I also do not own all the products you endorse, including but not limited to a Nissan and swimming trunks by Speedo. However, I DIYed my own perforated "LOCHTENATOR" shades out of a mason jar and jegging trimmings left over from BuzzFeed's ultimate DIY jorts contest, and I wear them constantly — to sleep, Tweet, type, work out, watch you on TV, swim, shower, and text. (I put a rubberband on the glasses arms so that they don't fall off when you excite me at work and I burst out of my desk chair to scream "REEZYYYY!!!" and throw green glitter around.) Another sign of my terrifyingly strong affection for Lochte Nation are the green Swarovski crystals I have glued on all of my possessions, including but not limited to: my Beyoncé poster and Blue Ivy doll, my nails, my cat's nails, my teeth, the laptop BuzzFeed lets me write things like this from, and ALL of my shoes (which should go without saying, really).

You have also inspired me to be as much like you as possible. For example, I think about practicing swimming laps — which is certainly what you spend most of your time doing — basically all the time. I am also training myself to become less grate at spelling because it's SO adorablewhen you do it, and I am SERIOUSLY dialing back on the number of facial expressions in my emotional repertoire and perfecting the one where my eyes go just a little bit lazy and my lower jaw hangs limply from my upper jaw, like I'm stoned and waiting for someone to feed me a slice of pizza.

Lastly, I have been told by a real British person that the Brits don't know who you are and don't care about your flawless, extraordinarily charming existence. To remedy this gut-wrenching humanitarian crisis, I have already begun planning a street art campaign to get your face plastered on the sides of buildings across the U.K. that will make Banksy look like last season's harem pants and the cat artists in Arizona look like Maria Sharapova getting creamed by Serena Williams. Because I know in my heart that the best way to get the Brits (and all the other crazy people in the world who don't know who you are) on your side is to let them see you before they let them hearyou.

Also, though you (or whoever reads this aloud to you) may feel afraid to be in the presence of someone as rabidly N 2 U as me, know that it will be cool — I won't touch you unless you initiate contact for some good Facebook pix, but I also won't be like that person on a date who's so shy they can't think of anything to say and force you to make all the painfully awkward conversation. In fact, you won't have to speak at all because I'll bring a swatch of sparkly green tape to put over your mouth.

ALL KISSES NO HISSES!!!

Amynator

happy hump day!

xoxo.

::Recipe:: Cilantro-Lime Jalapeno Chicken Salad

Mornin' chicas!

I know it's early but let's talk lunch.

I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to find something I like

enough to bring numerous times for lunch during the week.

Let me rephrase that-

It's hard for me to find something I like enough to make

me want to stay in the office to eat during my lunch break.

Now don't get me wrong, there are days when I do have to eat at

my desk, but more often than not, I'm outta there.

Trust me, I need it for my sanity.

Anyway, as you know, going out gets expensive so I've been 

trying to think of some healthy/yummy alternatives to eating out. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest months ago and had been wanting to make it.

I finally decided to give it a try for lunch this week and I was not disappointed.

I altered it a little from the original but it still tastes really good!

Ingredients-

- 3 large chicken breasts

- 1 jalapeno, diced

- 4 Tbsp cilantro, coarsely chopped

- 1 lime, juiced

- 1/4 red onion, finely diced

- 1/3 cup mayo (little more if desired)

- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

- 1 tsp cumin

- salt and pepper

Directions-

- Season chicken with salt and pepper and poach. (I decided to bake my chicken)

Remove chicken from oven/stove and shred with a fork.

- Once chicken has cooled, add mayo, mustard, cumin, lime juice, salt & pepper and 

incorporate.

- Mix in red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.

- Cool in fridge for several hours to let flavors absorb

and serve.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did :)

xoxo.

Ravioli with Roasted Zucchini

Let's talk about what should've been an embarrassing moment this weekend.
I've been wanting to try a new recipe out each week for a while now.
But life gets in the way or I get lazy....
and that doesn't happen.

Well, this past weekend I decided enough was enough and it was time for me to
step up and try something new.
I made Ravioli with Roasted Zucchini.
Sounds simple and easy enough right?
Well, it was.
I was so excited to finally sit down to eat when my mom noticed that the
ravioli that I left on the counter all afternoon, was supposed to be refrigerated.

...........

ooops.
We ended up throwing the entire thing out.
I swear they weren't cold when I picked them up from the store,
but now that I think about it, they were in the refrigerated section.

total blonde moment.

lesson of the day -
raviolis need to be kept in the fridge.

thankfully dad stepped in and saved the day with five guys
and ice cream :)

I made the raviolis the next night and it was a huge hit.
This recipe will definitely be going in 'the drawer'

Ingredients-

- 4 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

- 2 cloves garlic, crushed

- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan

- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 2 tablespoons kosher salt

- 1 pound cheese ravioli

- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water

to a boil. Place the zucchini in a baking dish in a single layer. 

2. Drizzle with the oil. Top with crushed red pepper, garlic, 3 tablespoons of the

Parmesan, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

3. Roast zucchini for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender

and just golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, add the ravioli and remaining salt to boiling water. 

Return to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent ravioli from sticking.

5. Cook ravioli for 3 minutes after they begin to float.

Drain and place in a large bowl.

6. Toss the ravioli gently with roasted zucchini, half the parsley, 

and half the remaining Parmesan. Serve immediately

with remaining parsley and Parmesan.

Serves 4.


Happy eating!
*and don't forget to put em in the fridge!*


go here to enter my yummy giveaway!
xoxo.

Recipe ::Baked Gnocchi::

mornin' girls!

today I wanna share one of my fave new recipes with y'all.

My mom found this recipe back near the beginning of the year

and it's been a hit with our family since then.

You guys know who Giada is, right?

via

how could you not?

gorgeous Italian chic who makes amazing food?!

I've never met a guy who doesn't know who she is....

or that didin't want to marry her. ha

Anyway, she came up with this recipe and it's so so so good and I 

just knew I had to share it with you all :)

Giada's Baked Gnocchi

Ingredients- 

- Two 17oz packages of potato gnocchi

- 3 cups heavy cream

- 1 cup chicken broth *

- 1/4 cup flour *

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

- 12oz baby spinach

- 3oz goat cheese (about 1/4 cup)

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Place uncooked gnocchi in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cream, chicken broth, and flour over 

medium heat. Continue whisking until the cream is simmering and thickened, 

about 5 minutes.

4. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir to combine. 

5. Add the spinach and toss to coat in the cream. 

6. Pour the cream and spinach mixture over the gnocchi and 

spread the spinach out to cover evenly.

7. Crumble goat cheese over spinach then sprinkle with parmesan.

8. Bake until top is golden in places, about 30 minutes.

If you wanna make the recipe a little healthier, see substitutions below.

*substitute regular chicken broth for low sodium chicken broth

*substitute white flour for whole wheat flour

Serves 6. 

I hope you enjoy!!

xoxo.

Cake Batter Rice Krispies

I totally stole this recipe off Erica's blog last week and I knew I had to make them.
Apparently I can't keep rice krispy treats in the house. lesson learned.

anyway, these bad boys were ahhhh-mazingly delicious so I suggest you hit up the store on the way home :)

Is your mouth watering yet?

Now go home and make these bad boys! 

I promise they won't disappoint. 

xoxo.

Dad's Birthday Recap & a Recipe

A week ago today we celebrated my dad's birthday.

It's been so crazy since then that I haven't had a chance to post about it yet. 

It was a crazy week and of course my sister and I were busy getting ready to go out of town. But birthdays are big in our house. We always have a big family dinner, usually on a Sunday night so the grandparents can come. Since last year, we decided to celebrate on the actual day. I mean, why the heck not?!

Anyway, we're Italian and any chance we get to eat Italian food, we do.

So of course, for my dad's birthday dinner he wanted a pasta dish. Unfortunately I didn't actually get a picture of the pasta cause it was so yummy and we ate it all too fast.....ooops! 

The menu looked a little something like this -

- Wedge Salad with blue cheese & balsamic drizzle

- Rigatoni with Artichoke Tomato Sauce

- Sherbet Cake (recipe below)

The food was delicious. 

The conversation was fun.

The gifts were opened.

(of course we didn't get any pics of us....shame on me)

Overall I think he had a pretty good day :)

(we kind of got halfway through before realizing to take a picture....so sorry it looks a little torn up- ha)

Don't forget to enter my blogiversary giveaway!

And I still have just a few spots left for June sponsors so if you're interested, email me here

xoxo.

Ole!

Happy Monday girls!!

I'm so excited because I have a four day weekend to look forward to; 

all of which will be spent at the lake :)

This weekend was perfect. 

The weather was beautiful.

We cooked out.

Went for ice cream.

Sat on the patio and enjoyed pitcher after pitcher of lemon water.

Did a little shopping.

Wore a little neon....

1. Little man relaxing on the patio

2. Nothing like grilling out during the summer

3. Little bro aka grill master

4. Neon shorts love

I made the below recipe last summer for girl's night and it was a huge hit.

They weren't only super delicious but they were really easy to make.

If you love mexican (which, let's be honest, we all do) then you should definitely try this recipe.

* for a healthier alternative, you could always skip the white sauce and use salsa :)

til' tomorrow!

xoxo.

Cheesy Quinoa Cakes

mornin' chicas!
say hello to my new addiction.

this stuff is delicious!

Y'all will probably hate me before this month is over with.

I figured I would continue with my bikini bootcamp madness and share a healthy recipe I made last night. I found this on Pinterest, of course, and have been dying to make if for a week now. 

They were really delicious and pretty easy to make.
I can't take credit for this photo though, I got it off the original site.

The original recipe called for a lemon garlic aioli to put on top but I was trying to be healthy so I didn't make it. It tasted good without it but we agreed next time to make some kind of aioli.

Do you have a favorite healthy recipe you make?

Only 1 more day lovelies!!
xoxo.

Recipe Timeeee

mornin' y'all!

I posted this picture Sunday night and got a lot of requests for a recipe.

ask and you shall receive :)

Here's what you'll need-


1. Whole Grain Pasta - (Rotini works best)
2. Light Zesty Italian Dressing 8oz.
3. Sun dried tomatoes (I got the kind not soaked in oil because it's healthier that way and the salad dressing softens them)
4. A handful of shredded cheese
5. Half of a red onion (diced)
6. 1 red pepper (diced)
7. Salt & Pepper to taste

It's super easy to make.
Boil pasta.
Combine all other ingredients in large bowl.
Drain pasta and add to bowl.
Mix all together.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Bam! (in case you're feeling all emeril like)

I was debating on adding a couple of chicken breasts to it just to get some added protein but I totally forgot! So maybe next time. Either way, it's delicious without it. I hope y'all enjoy! :)

Don't forget to enter our BIG summer giveaway!!
happy tuesday!
xoxo.

Instagramin' & a Giveaway

happy monday girls!

did y'all have a good easter weekend?

I spent mine with lots of family time and delicious food. 

If you follow me on Instagram, then you got a play by play

and if you don't (hint hint) 

you should - my username is mispris04 :)

Are you drooling yet?

The cinnamon roll waffles were to die for! So good. 

Y'all see now why I had to be so good last week! 

And on the other side is a lemon orzo salad. I saw it last week on this girl's blog and knew I had to make it. It was a big hit with the fam so I'll definitely be making it again :)

and one of my very good friends got engaged and has asked me to be a bridesmaid!!
I couldn't be more thrilled for them! :)

So since it's Monday, and I know most of you are at work, I have a little surprise for you to make your day a little better :)

Today I'm having a giveaway courtesy of sneakpeeq

Sneakpeeq is the largest and fastest growing social shopping company on facebook. You earn points by joining, inviting friends, 'liking' items and you can use those points to get free stuff. Who doesn't like free stuff?! Check out some of the deals they've been offering this week.

cute bags

 fun watches

raw food bars & snacks

passport holders

 jewelry

chocolates

reusable candles

What they are offering to one lucky reader is a $15 gift card. 

All you have to do to enter is - 

Be a follower of my blog (mandatory but it doesn't count as an entry)

Also, you must enter the giveaway by clicking on this link below. If you go through the main site it won't work.

http://bit.ly/FQ8Xnz

They are also giving ALL my readers 20% off just for entering! 

This giveaway ends Thursday and the winner will be announced Friday. 

Good luck! 

now, tell me about your weekends. :)

xoxo.