Fab Friday Faves 4.29.16

Happy Friday!  Who less cannot believe that April is over?  Where have the last couple months gone? Our weather here is back to crap, on Tuesday it was in the 80s and yesterday it was like 60 and poured rain all day.  It's supposed to rain now until we leave to go to Florida on Wednesday and then of course get nice.  I can pretty much guarantee that it won't be as nice here as in Florida though ;)  I missed last weeks Friday again, I have not had much going on for the most part and I am on a new preventative for my migraines, which I hate but I will try it for a bit.  Anyway it makes me painfully exhausted at all times and that makes me need to do things other than blog and sit around or else I'm asleep.  Josh and I had a great weekend though out and about, check out my blog (probably Monday) for that!  Alright, everyone enjoy your weekend and I will probably be doing to you next weekend from the lovely abode in Florida!

1. On Sunday, Josh and I went to just outside of Haymarket, VA to Burnside Farms where they have almost a million Tulips and Daffodils that you can cut and buy.  It was beautiful and a lovely morning and my flowers were gorgeous!

2.  A few weeks ago, I ordered a new pair of running shoes from Dick's.  They were so pretty and fit amazing and seemed really comfy until I actually tried to run in them.  They made my shins and legs really hut after a couple runs.  So sadly, I took them back.  They were one of the top rated shoes so I know they are good, just not for me.  So I then ordered these Asics Gel Cumulus 17.  They didn't have the colors I wanted but these were my second ice for shoes and I love them!  Still super happy with them after a few runs!

3. I started going to to Mom's Nutrition here in Waldorf, a really great grocery store in the area.  I finally got to try these Epic Jerkys that I have been wanting to try for ages and they are awesome!  I have tried a few different ones and love them.  They have some unique types of flavors and meats and are also all grass fed humanely raised meats.  They make me feel a little better about my love of jerky haha.

4.  For anyone that hasn't watched Schitt's Creek, you should.  It is currently in it's second season in the US on POP, and I believe the second season just finished in Canada as it is a Canadian show and airs on CBC.  It is set in small town Ontario with an awesome Canadian cast including Eugene Levy and his two children, Catherine O'Hara and some other funny Canadian Actors that most Canadians will recognize from other shows.  It is about a super wealthy family that loses everything and has to move to a small town that they had purchased as a joke years earlier.  It is kind of the dry Canadian style of humor but is hilarious and the actors are perfect.

5.  I thought I would share my favorite coffee drink of the moment, the Dirty Chai.  I started drinking them a few months ago in Florida and am addicted.  It is basically a Chai Latte with a shot of espresso.   I get mine with skim milk and sometimes an extra shot or two of espresso when I need it.  They are a delicious drink with some kick, and something different!  I tried this Celestial Lattes version and it is pretty good for a grocery store one.  Starbucks also makes a great one too.


Today I'm linking up with:

Jennie @ The Diary of a Real Housewife
Narci @ Grace and Love Blog
Tif @ Bright On A Budget
Christina @ Carolina Charm
Amy @ The Farmer's Wife

*Recipe* BBQ Chicken Potato Skins

Another Facebook recipe strike again!  I knew Josh would love this one when I saw it, and I happened to have the leftovers of most of a rotisserie chicken in the fridge.  This would be a really great party snack but also is a great way to use up the chicken that you might have kicking around.  We had them as a main course with a salad and it was plenty of food and delicious!

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
1-2 cups cooked chicken (leftovers work)
3 tbsp BBQ sauce of your choice (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
2-3 slices bacon or real bacon pieces
1 scallion finely chopped or finely chopped purple onion
1 tbsp ranch dressing (optional)
1 tbsp Sriracha (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Clean potatoes and dry.
Pierce the potatoes with a fork several times and lightly brush with olive oil.
Bake for about an hour or until the potatoes are cooked through and the outside is slightly softened.
Slice the potatoes in half and cool until they are easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. 
Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh from the potatoes and refrigerate for a future use (mashed potatoes,  breakfast potatoes etc)
Brush the inside of the skins with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  
Bake the skins for about 5-10 minutes to crisp them up.

While the skins are crisping, mix together BBQ sauce and chicken.

Scoop the chicken evenly into the skins.  Top with cheese and bacon.  bake for about 10 minutes and then broil for 2 or 3 to crisp them up.  

Top with scallions or purple onion.
Drizzle with ranch and Sriracha if you want and serve immediately. 

Thanks to What The Fork Food Blog for the recipe!

*Recipe* Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Coconut Bites

I find that lately, a late portion of my Facebook feed is recipes, which I'm totally fine with, because most of them look amazing.  Every now and then I try one out, and this recipe is one of those ones that I had to try.  My mom shared it last week and right away it was on my list.  It combines two of my favorite things, Coconut and dark chocolate (if you don't like dark chocolate I'm sorry but I think something is wrong with your head lol). They were actually a little more work than I was assuming they would be, not hard just a bit time consuming but totally worth it!

Ingredients

-1- 14oz bag flaked sweetened coconut 
-1- 14oz can Sweetened Condensed milk
-1 and 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
-1 cup whole almond, toasted (I bought a can of Blue Diamond roasted almonds with sea salt and       they were great)
-12oz dark chocolate finely chopped (one 10oz bag of dark chocolate chips was just enough)
-1 tbsp coconut oil
-flaky sea salt for sprinkling (buy some good stuff, not just the stuff   in your shaker)

Directions

-in a bowl, combine shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract.

-line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.  using a small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop, scoop out mixture and roll into even balls.  After about every three balls you will need to rinse your hands or dip them in a bowl of water or they get to be a sticky mess.
-once the balls are rolled out, put them in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm them up.
-once they are chilled, place an almond on top and push down.  Form back into a ball and put back into fridge.  While they chill, melt the chocolate.

-Now I'm supposed to tell you to use a double boiler and and melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, but I microwaved it for about two minutes and it worked totally fine.

 -remove the balls from the fridge and dip them in the melted chocolate.  Use a fork and to lift them out and shake off the excess.

-place each one back on the sheet tray and while still wet, sprinkle with sea salt.  This is totally up to your preference as to how much you use.  I didn't use much.

-leave them in the fridge or freezer for a while and enjoy!  Thanks to Tastemade for the recipe!

Fab Friday Faves 4.15.16

Happy April 15th, darlings!  I don't have much to report this week, it has been pretty quiet.  Josh and I had a good weekend, well actually it snowed a huge amount on Saturday, I swear I have never seen flakes that big!  So that was a bit of a downer, but Sunday turned out okay at least.  Josh went mountain biking with the guys in the morning and then we went for a drive in the afternoon out to a winery and then to Chesapeake Beach where we had a nice lunch and did some wandering.  The weather has been improving as the week has went on which is a nice change and makes it easier to get out and get some fresh air.  I spent some time with the girls and did some errands as well, nothing crazy.  We have no big plans this weekend, but you never know what can happen!  everyone enjoy your weekends and enjoy my Five!

1. I received Jinx's memorial back from Rainbow Bridge Hearts on Friday.  It is made from glass and some of Jinx's cremated remains and turned out even more beautiful than I could have imagined.  It looks just like his coloring and has some green in it just like his eyes.  They did an amazing job and had the best customer service I think I have ever experienced.

2.  Monday was National Pet Day, so I have to take a chance to recognize my little princess, Smudge. She is an amazing kitty and the best cuddle bug we could ever ask for.  

3. I got my nails done on Monday, and it was about time!  It had been exactly a month.  I wanted some thing different and some spring colors and they turned out so pretty!

4. I donated blood on Monday as well, my first time since New Jersey. I really psyched myself up for some reason, I think because I almost passed out last time I donated and I was nervous.  It was a breeze (well, it is always really hard to find my veins and when they do it goes really slowly), but they best part other than helping other people is the homemade cookies and treats from the Waldorf Lions Club!

5.  Our lunch at Chesapeake Beach on Sunday was at the Rod N' Reel in the Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa, a really nice hotel right on the water.  I got the Jumbo Gulf Shrimp stuffed with Crab Imperial as well as a bowl of Maryland Crab soup that Josh and I shared and everything was DELICIOUS.  I can't wait to go back and spend more time in the area when the weather is warmer!


Today I'm linking up with:

Jennie @ The Diary of a Real Housewife
Lauren @ Style elixir
Erika @ A Little Bit of Everything
Tif @ Bright on a Budget
Amy @ The Farmer's Wife

*Recipe* Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

Here's another quick, easy, cheap and DELICIOUS slow cooker chicken recipe.  Seriously, like the easiest!  The original recipe called for chicken thighs, which might be more flavorful.  I used boneless skinless chicken breasts because it is what I had in the freezer and it cooked up so tender and really absorbed the flavor.  I would suggest adding more Pepperoncinis than the original recipes six, because they really make the dish.  They lose their spiciness and just have a really nice flavor.  Enjoy, this is a great one!

Ingredients

-3 Lbs  skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts

-8-10 Pepperoncinis

-1 envelope Au Jus Gravy mix

-1 envelope Ranch dressing mix

-1/2 stick of butter

Directions

-Lay chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker

-Sprinkle both mixes on top

-Slice butter and place evenly on top

-Add pepperoncinis

-Cook on low for 4-5 hours

That's it!  So easy right? This dish would go great with potatoes and some roasted veggies or salad, its very versatile and delicious!  Thanks to recipesthatcrock.com for the recipe!

Fab Friday Faves 4.8.16

Happy Friday my darlings!  I skipped out last week because I didn't have much to say, but mostly because I was lazy and didn't feel like it.  It has been a quiet couple weeks, well not really, I seem to have kept pretty busy, but not with anything crazy.  Mostly appointments and errands and all that kinda stuff.  The weather here has once again been terrible, the warm we had for a couple weeks was such a tease.  It's been crazy windy (like Saskatchewan windy), freezing cold and rainy.  It froze the last few nights so I had to bring my plants in and its supposed to get down to a very hard freeze this weekend.  There were also some bad storms on Thursday at the house in Florida tornadoes all around the area.  Sounds like we made out okay though!  We are all doing well, Smudge's hyperthyroidism is under control, and all her levels are back to near normal, but she got put on an even more strict diet, because she lost a whopping 1oz over the month.  She is thrilled with that!  Alright, everyone enjoy your weekend and my 5!  

1. This past Saturday, Josh and I went out for dinner to a place called The Foxy Fish in Mechanicsville.  The reviews were great and when we got there we had about a 20 minute wait which is usually a good sign.  Turns out the food was amazing!  We both got a seafood platter, mine with crab legs and steamed shrimp and Josh's with a crab cake and Rockfish.  That stuff was delicious (I would say the best of both I have ever had) but the Hush Puppies were the best thing ever!  We aren't sure what is was but wow!  Highly recommend this place if you are in the area!

2. We seem to have been getting a lot of fitness equipment lately, new running shoes, tennis rackets and of course me and my new Fitbit Alta that I love.  We also both got sweet new Mountain Bikes on the weekend.  We do a decent amount of hiking and we thought mixing that up with some mountain biking would be a nice change.  I got the beautiful Trek Skye SL that is my favorite color combo purple and mint.  Josh got a very similar one but in Men's of course.  We went for a ride on Sunday and I really need some endurance, but it was fun!  Hopefully the weather gets decent soon!

3.  I have mentioned before how much I love succulents and making arrangements of them.  Miranda sent me this "Life is better at the beach" planter for my birthday and I got the concrete one at Target so I decided to get some succulents and plant them.  They are so easy to look after and so cute!  I also brought back a bag full of airplanes from the house and am working on making some cute little arrangements with those as well.  more to come but these ones turned out pretty awesome!

4.  Trader Joes is one of my favorite grocery stores and Nicole and I went last week to stock up on some favorites.  This was most of my haul.  The Chèvre here is my favorite anywhere and the smoked salmon is amazing and well priced.  We also randomly went on one of the 3 days a year when they have their "Kringles" available.  They are a Danish like pastry (thats how they describe it) but I think it is very similar to the PoppySeed Rolls from the Co-Op bakery in Canora, SK except instead of poppyseed it was a pecan filling.  Regardless, amazing, and now I have to find out when the other days are!  I also love the precooked lentils that they have.  They are great for me for lunch with some roasted veggies.  Everything here is great, try it all!

 5.  On Wednesday, Nicole and I went over to Imelda's for homemade Mexican lunch.  I first met Imelda and had her amazing cooking in Alaska.  Everything is from scratch and unbelievably delicious and Imelda is just the sweetest!


Today I'm linking up with:

Jennie @ The Diary of a Real housewife
Erika @ A Little Bit of Everything
Tif @ Bright On A Budget
April @ A. Liz Adventures
Lauren @ Style Elixir
Amy @ The Farmer's Wife

*Recipe* Cheesy Mustard Chicken

Facebook has a lot of uses, but one of my favorite is recipes.  Yesterday I was on Facebook and I saw this recipe and since I had chicken out and no plans for it I thought i would try it.  It turned out delicious and is great paired with some roasted veggies or a salad.  

Cheesy Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 large chicken breasts for the 2 of us)

-1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used a Colby Cheddar mixture that I had)

-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

-3/4 cup whole milk (I didn't have milk so I used 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup water)

-3 Tbsp Butter

-2 Tbsp flour

-2 Tbsp whole grain mustard

-1 tsp garlic salt/powder or fresh garlic

-salt and pepper to taste (I used a ton of pepper and it fit with the dish perfectly)

Directions

-Preheat over to 375

-Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in baking dish (I cut the chicken into smaller reasonably sized portions)

-cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 20-25 minutes.  they can still be a bit pink as they get cooked more.

-In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and whisk in flour.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until smooth and golden in color.  

-remove from heat and gradually whisk in whole milk.  return to heat and bring to a boil.  reduce heat and let simmer for 5-7 minutes or until thickened.

-Stir in cheeses, mustard, garlic and more salt and pepper.

-Remove chicken from oven and drain a bit if it is really watery.  Pour sauce over top.

-Return to the oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes.  I baked for 25 and broiled for the last 2 or 3 to crisp up the top a bit.  

-Remove from oven, serve hot and enjoy.

This is a super quick and easy dinner, thanks to 12tomatoes.com for the recipe!