Smoothies Make the World Go Round

There's nothing I love more than a smoothie. Especially for breakfast. You see, I'm the type of person that lays in bed every morning until the last possible second before I scramble to get ready and look professional all before being at work at 8:00am. Getting ready so quickly has become one of my most perfected skills. You all might want to take notes.

I wanted to find a recipe for a healthy, hearty breakfast smoothie that would keep me full until lunchtime. So, like any other logical female, I took to Pinterest. That's where I found this recipe.

 

I had some random ingredients that I thought would be delicious together, so I took the general idea of the recipe and make my own. Of course, it was delicious. Follow the directions below to recreate my Orange Pineapple Banana Oatmeal Smoothie:

Ingredients

- 1 ripe banana

- 1/2c mandarin oranges

- 1/2c pineapple chunks

- 1/3c rolled oats {I prefer the non-quick oats}

- 1/3c Non-fat, plain Greek yogurt

- 1c Non-fat milk {add more if needed}

- 1Tbsp melted coconut oil

- Add a little bit of orange juice and pineapple juice for added flavor.

Blend all of the ingredients well and chill in the refridgerator overnight. The mixture will be more watery than your average smoothie, but that's okay! While you chill the smoothie overnight, the oats will soak up a lot of the liquid, making the smoothie thicker the following morning.

I am in love with how easy, filling, and delicious this smoothie recipe is. It's the perfect out-the-door breakfast. Get creative with the recipe! Experiement with different fruits, vegetables, or greens to create a variety of healthy breakfast smoothies.

What is your favorite smoothie combination?

Throw It In The Crockpot

I've been working on getting all domesticated these days, since I'm getting married and all. This domestication training includes making some bomb.com meals for my boo, almost all of which were made in the crockpot.

Ladies, if you don't have a crockpot, go out and get yo'self one. Your life will be changed. I mean, come on, what's easier than throwing a bunch of food in the crockpot and having a gourmet meal 4-6 hours later?! The answer is absolutely nothing.

I'm here today to share with you all a couple of meals I've made recently in the crockpot, and in my humble opinion, they all turned out delicioso. Justin agrees.

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

Source

I made this shredded buffalo chicken this weekend and it was a hit. The leftovers were even better -- I may or may not have had it twice yesterday. The recipe is super simple:
Ingredients:
Chicken, frozen or raw
1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix
A bottle of buffalo sauce
2 Tbsp of butter

Place the chicken in the crockpot and sprinkle the entire packet of dry ranch mix on top. Pour the buffalo sauce over everything (I used about half a bottle for four medium sized chicken breasts). Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. With half an hour remaining, shred the chicken. It should be so tender that you can easily shred it in the crockpot. Add 2 Tbsp of butter, let melt, and stir in. Let the chicken sit in the mixture for another half hour to soak up all the goodness.

You can serve this however you would like. I served mine on a toasted bun with some pepperjack cheese. You could eat this stuff using a ladle, it's that good!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

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 Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1c salsa
1 can of cream of chicken
Packet of taco seasoning
1/2c sour cream

Place the chicken in the crockpot and sprinkle the entire taco seasoning packet on top. In a bowl, mix together the salsa and cream of chicken. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken and taco seasoning. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. With half an hour remaining, shred the chicken (like above) and add the sour cream. Mix together and let cook for remaining 30 minutes.

This can either be served as a chicken taco or as a dip -- delicious either way! You can also take out the cream of chicken and add more salsa for a healthier option!

Chicken Taco Chili

Source

 Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 can of corn
2 cans of diced tomatoes with chilies
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
3-4 chicken breasts

Don't let all of the ingredients fool you, this chili is super simple. Put the chicken in the crockpot first and then add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Like the other two recipes, shred the chicken with 30 minutes remaining, stir the shredded chicken in with the rest of the ingredients and let cook for the remaining time. You can serve it over rice, as the picture shows, or with some cheddar cheese and sour cream.

If you have an ah-maze-ing crockpot recipe, please, do share! I will be forever grateful -- and I'm sure Justin will be too!

Boyfriend Brownies

Happy Monday, ladies! This blondie is oh so happy for a two day work week! And then it's on to food, family, friends, and shopping!

So, I've been on a bit of a Pinterest pinning spree. It's become an addiction really. I should probably seek professional help. But while pin-binging, I came across this delightful picture...

Ladies, feast your eyes on the Boyfriend Brownie (also known as the Brookster, I personally like Boyfriend Brownie better). I knew right away that this amazing concoction of a chocolate chip cookie nestled in a brownie would be heaven on my taste buds, so I clicked the link looking for the recipe. You could imagine my disappointment when the link took me to the Williams-Sonoma website. Buy an almost $20 mix to make these gems.... yeah, no thanks! So I took to the kitchen and brought out my Martha Stewart side.

And when I say my Martha Stewart side, I really mean I grabbed a box of brownie mix out of a cupboard and some Nestle Toll-house cookie dough out of the fridge.

I'm not lying when I say this is the EASIEST recipe everrrrr! Put in a greased cupcake tin one scoop of brownie batter and one scoop of cookie dough. Bake for 11-12 minutes at 350 degrees, and viola! You have yourself some delicious Boyfriend Brownies!

So, mine didn't turn out as perfect as the picture on Pinterest, but I can promise they were unbelievably delicious!

These would be the perfect dessert to bring to a holiday party, cookie exchange, or let's be honest...the perfect snack while watching a cheese-tastic Hallmark Christmas movie. I'll be making these to bring to Justin's family Thanksgiving.

What is your favorite non-traditional holiday dessert?