round two

Well here we go again...we are well into 2011 and I have yet to write since August...I'm attempting this blogging thing once again. I was re-inspired to write again in light of our "snow day" on Friday. Hooray for getting out of school for what turned out to be just a very very cold day! Josh and I have been staying very busy...celebrated Christmas with both sides of the family, then my birthday, and valentines is right around the corner!!! I finally unpacked our very last box...took me almost a year but hey it's done! Last night Josh and I discovered this wonderful restaurant...the Hubble and Hudson Kitchen, such good food and super cute. It reminded me of one of those adorable restaurants you would eat at in New York City. Well all for today...onto grilling some steak for dinner...will write again soon.....

Tonight I made a DELICIOUS dinner that I thought you may enjoy

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast
2-3 different types of bell pepper ( I chose green and red - do 1.5 total for every 3 pieces of chicken)
Italian blend cheese
Olive Oil
Toothpicks

Directions:
*Butterfly open chicken then cut in half
*Slice bell pepper
* Place 3 TBS Olive Oil in pan and warm on medium to high heat. Place bell pepper slices in the pan until edges are browned. About 6-7 Minutes.
* Place chicken in pan with olive oil for about 1 minute on each side-to brown it slightly
* On a cookie sheet covered with Foil (Shiny side facing you), lay chicken, 4 slices of bell pepper, 3 tbs cheese in the middle of chicken. Roll and secure with toothpicks
* Place in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes- or until chicken is done
* Add 1 tbs of cheese on top of chicken. Cook for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Pair recipe with some broccoli and or rice...Bon Apetite!

Well it's been awhile since I've updated my blog but here we are getting back in action. The past few weeks have been super fun but crazy busy! My brothers Ben, Jon, and Jared came to visit for a couple of days. It was so much fun! We went to Galveston, the infamous Lupes, and the typical drove around looking for sweet cars...it was their first road trip alone, so it was fun they came to see me!!! Then Rachel and Andrei came for a much needed and AMAZING visit!!! Rachel and I got to catch up on life, laughed alot, talked a ton, and got a ton of her wedding planning done....October 10 her and Andrei will become Mr. and Mrs. C...super exciting. While Rachel and I were busy shopping Josh and Andrei began their bromance...we are looking forward to taking family vacations together and many random trips in the future. 5 Minutes after they left Nathan came to visit Josh and I. Love that kid....it's crazy to me that he is grown and already starting his 2nd year of college....he is supposed to just be a baby, not grown up:(. The next day Josh and I went to San Antonio for a week where we went to none other than the San Marcos outlets, the lake, Par 3 golf, and hung out a ton. I got to see Lesli while we were home and catch up on her wedding plans....December 18 she will become Mrs. Pitts!!! While we were home we celebrated Josh's birthday. On Sunday the 8th Josh and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. I absolutely cannot believe it has already been a year. It feels like at most 4 months. What a great, amazing, life changing year it has been. So thankful for Josh and the man that he is. God is so awesome and has blessed us with so much! We celebrated by getting massages then went to downtown San Antonio and stayed in the same hotel we stayed in on our wedding night. It was so much fun! We are now back in the woods and I am enjoying my last week of summer. Next week the crazyness starts back up! Back to making more curtains for my classroom and looking for decorations...until next time...adios

Nothing says clean like vacuumed carpet and freshly painted trim...so I took the challenge. I found an amazing tip to making the much hated job of painting trim/baseboards a blast by dialing up a great friend and catching up while painting. Talking to my dear friend Lindsey was so fun and it was great to get caught up on everything she has been up to. Loved getting a chance to hear about all she has been up to. It makes me miss our times spent together in college and the sweet moments we have had after all while giving my kitchen baseboards a much needed face lift. Love Lindsey and how funny, sweet, and encouraging she is!

h

Sinful Indulgence Brownies

4 Squares Unsweetened Chocolate

1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup butter
2 cups miniature marshmallows
4 Eggs- Preferably at room temperature
1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 oblong pan. Melt 4 squares of chocolate and butter. Add sugar and then beat in the eggs. Mix in flour and Vanilla. Blend in the rest of the ingredients, except 1/2 cup Chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake for about 40 minutes (maybe less). When done sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate chips on hot brownies and drag toothpick through the melting chips to cover brownies. Let cool slightly before cutting. Enjoy!

Suzanne's Salsa Baked Chicken for 2

Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/6 cup all purpose flour
1.5 TBS cornmeal
1/8 ground red pepper
1 egg
1 TBS Water
1/2 can rotel
1/2 jalapeno (cut legnthwise)
1 ounce Monterey Jack cheese cut into four
2x1/2 inch sticks

1 TBS fresh cilantro or parsley
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 TBS melted margarine or butter
1 8 oz jar red or green salsa

Directions
1. Take chicken breasts, butterfly open, then separate. Place meat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound meat lightly into a rectangle about 1/4 of an inch think. Tip if you don't have a meat mallet find a block of wood and a hammer, go to town.

2. In a shallow dish combine flour, cornmeal, and red pepper. Place egg in another shallow dish. Add water and beat lightly to combine.

3. Take jalapeno, remove seeds, cut into four slices. Dice cilantro and prepare cheese.

4. For each roll, place a slice of jalapeno, slice of cheese, a handful of rotel, cilantro, and black pepper near the edge of the chicken. Fold in sides and roll up, starting from edge with cheese and chili pepper. Secure with toothpicks

5. Dip chicken into egg mixture; coat with cornmeal mixture. Place rolls, seam side down. in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with butter.

6. Bake uncooked, in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees). Meanwhile heat salsa; serve over chicken.

** Goes great with corn mixed with remaining rotel from the recipe. Sprinkle with cumin and black pepper.

This week was pretty good...worked all week at day camp but then on Wednesday my dear friend Elizabeth came to visit me. I love that we always have tons of fun and laughs together, great reminiscing times, and alot of truth spoken in love!!! I love her!!! So glad the weekend is here and my summer is in full swing. I have a ton of house projects to get done and I think I'm going to attempt sewing curtains for my bedroom...I'll keep you updated on that project!

Tip of the Day: When using limes, before cutting them open put them in the microwave for 10 seconds to maximize the juice