Impromptu Pot Pie

I love to cook and can usually nail a recipe, but sometimes the universe has other plans.  I intended to make slow cooker lemon chicken, but when I uncovered it after 6 hours it broke apart into pieces.  But not to worry, it was salvageable.

However, friends were coming over for dinner and had to spring into action and get this meal back on track.  So I threw in some frozen peas and carrots and ta-da we have pot pie!  Now it was on to the flaky crust…no time for traditional pot pie so I tossed some biscuits in the oven and it did the trick.

Moral of the story here, cooking doesn’t have to be perfect and sometimes recipes just don’t work out the way you planned.  But, with a little creativity you can turn it into something delicious.

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Here’s the (sort of) recipe below…

Ingredients

  • 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Kosher or sea salt to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup chicken broth (fat free, low sodium)
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾ cup capers
  • Small bag frozen peas and carrots
  • Pre-made biscuit dough

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle chicken thighs evenly with salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add half of chicken. Cook about 3 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and repeat procedure with remaining chicken.
  3. Combine broth, juice, flour and cumin, stirring with a whisk. Pour broth mixture over chicken.
  4. Top with capers and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours.
  5. Add frozen peas and carrots and cover to heat through before serving.  Note, depending on the consistency you like you may need to add in a little extra chicken broth.
  6. Cook biscuits in the oven as directed on the package.
  7. While biscuits are warm, cut in half and scoop chicken mixture and serve.

 

Friday Top Five

Happy Friday!  I’m still trying to shake off my jet leg – hoping a nice relaxing weekend will help.  London was amazing and I was sad to come back, but now it’s time to plan the next trip.  I’ll be sharing my full recap next week so keep an eye out.

Now on to my top five…Here are the things I’m loving and lusting after this week.  I’m swooning over this lush tote and it’s currently in my shopping cart.  Also, I wore these booties almost everyday on my trip and loved them.  And, they’re on sale so even better.  Happy shopping!

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DRESS//TOTE//TEXTURE SPRAY//BOOTIE//COAT

 

Out of The Office

adventurers

Today is the day!  As of 7 PM, I’m off on a much needed vacation.  I’m going to do something I haven’t done in a long time: unplug from work and the blog. We’ll be spending the next few days exploring London and enjoying every moment.

If you want to keep up with my travels and tomfoolery, follow me on Instagram.   Look forward to sharing my adventures with you when I return!  Till then…

Packing the Perfect Carry-on

I loathe packing – I never know what I want to bring and am a notorious over-packer.  I’ve vowed on this next trip I would get my act together!

Today starts the official one week countdown till I touchdown in London town.  I’m so excited to go back to one of my favorite cities for a much needed vacation with girlfriends.  Since it’s a long flight so packing the perfect carry-on is a must.  I’ve included my essentials and a few tips below for your next trip.

First, lay out all of the things you need to pack so you don’t forget anything…

  1. Travel documents
  2. Snacks
  3. Tablet filled with movies and/or TV shows
  4. Over sized scarf
  5. Make-up and toiletries
  6. Headphones
  7. Reading materials
  8. Chargers
  9. Change of clothes
  10. Jewelry/valuables

Travel items

COCKTAIL KIT//COSMETIC BAG//TRAVEL DOC CASE//BAG//EAR BUDS//WRAP SCARF

Tip #1:

Utilize smaller pouches and bags to help you organize everything from your chords for charging to your toiletries.

Tip #2:

Pack the things you don’t need to get to right away at the bottom of your bag.  Sounds obvious, but I’ve been guilty of digging around in my bag having a panic attack that I’ve forgotten my passport.

Tip #3:

Sit back and relax.  I’ve discovered these adorable Carry On Cocktail Kits and they are fantastic for travel.  They have everything you need to craft a delicious cocktail in one cute container – all you need to do is purchase the booze.

 

 

Reset and Refresh

After a long summer of overindulging on rosé and BBQ, I recently decided to give my body a reset.  I’ve done a few juice cleanses and admittedly wanted to give up after day one.  Knowing the three day cleanse was just a little too long for me, I made the decision to embark on a two day cleanse.

Cleanses are controversial to some people and I’ve read both the good and the bad.  I see both sides of the coin, but ultimately drinking organic fruits and veggies for a few days was a good thing for me.

Now, if you’ve ever done a cleanse before you know there are always a few of those juices that are tough to put down.  The green juice has always been a struggle for me, but I know it’s packed with nutrients.  After researching my options, I chose JuiceRx in my neighborhood.  I’ve tried their juices before and like the flavor and options they provide.  Before we go any further, JuiceRx did not pay me to do this post or offer me free product.  But, after doing this post I will gladly accept if they do 😉  Anyway, they offer a variety of options and you can customize your own cleanse which is a great option.

Here’s my line-up of juices I selected…

IMG_0677 Okay now let’s get real about what really happens during a cleanse people…

Day 1:  Here we go…

I woke up thinking I’m going to own this cleanse!  Took a nice 4 mile walk before cracking open my first juice.  My first three were awesome and I was feeling pretty good as I had meetings throughout the day to keep my mind off of food.  My favorite was the “Liquid Lipo”.  As the day went on, I started to fade and start thinking about food.  Confession, I had to pop a few mints just to chew something- phew that felt good to admit.  Then came the kicker, I had to meet friends out and watch them eat and drink while I sipped on my evening green juice.  Note to self, don’t make plans to go to a restaurant your first day of cleansing.  At the end of the night I was just plain hangry!  But, I came home and drank my delicious coconut milk and all was right again.

Day 2:  Suck it up…

I felt great when I woke up and packed my juices for the day.  As soon as I got to work I had my first juice to kick start my system.  My goal for the day was to drink as much water as possible in between juices.  I didn’t do a great job of that day one and wanted to get the most out of the cleanse.  The day went on and I got to my 4th juice which was a different green one and I hate to say it but it was not good.  I had to put that one over ice and suck it down with a straw – like I said, some of the green ones are tough for me.  By the end of the day I was feeling pretty good.  The constant bathroom breaks were annoying through out the day with all of the liquid consumption, but can’t really complain.  I ended my day and cleanse with a cheers to myself.

All in all, the juice was worth the squeeze!  Two days isn’t bad, but I decided that a straight juice cleanse just isn’t for me.  I think supplementing a few meals with juice is a good combination and would like to try that moving forward.  However, I enjoyed ridding my body of the bloat and giving myself a little reboot.

If you’re looking for a juice cleanse I would recommend JuiceRx.  I like supporting local businesses and just love their friendly staff.  They’re always so helpful and let you sample their juices which is great.  And if you aren’t in the area, you can also get them delivered if you’re up for the challenge.

 

Babes Brunch

I love me a good brunch and enjoying making it even more.  I surprised my dear friend this weekend with a brunch to celebrate her recent engagement.  We had such a great time and whipping up brunch was a breeze.  While the ladies enjoyed the mimosa bar, I made a frittata, candied maple bacon and breakfast potatoes.  Everything was a hit and super easy to pull together.

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Candied Maple Bacon

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb thick cut bacon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Scoop the brown sugar into a shallow long pan.
  4. Pour the maple sugar into another shallow long pan.
  5. Take each strip of bacon and dunk it into the maple syrup, then the brown sugar. Place each strip on the cookie sheets.
  6. Place in the preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through.
  7. Check the bacon and if it’s how you like it remove from the oven. If you like yours a bit crispier you can add 5 minutes or so. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
  8. Pull each piece off the parchment paper and place on a plate to cool.

Frittata 

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Ingredients:

  • 8 eggs, beaten
  • 1 lb baby spinach
  • 1 lb ground breakfast turkey sausage
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
  • 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Spray a cast-iron skillet with non-stick spray and set to medium heat, add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally. Once the sausage is cooked through, add sweet peppers and continue to cook until tender yet crisp. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Add beaten eggs, swirling them around the pan. Continue to cook for about 1 minute or until eggs are set on the edges but still loose on top. Sprinkle top with cheese and transfer skillet to oven. Bake at 400 F for about 10 minutes or until frittata is slightly golden and set in middle. Cut into wedges to serve.

Breakfast Potatoes

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Ingredients:

  • 2.5 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, garlic, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, olive oil, butter, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper.
  3. Pour potatoes onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing twice during baking.
  4. Raise the heat to 500 degrees and bake until crisp and brown, 10-15 more minutes, tossing twice.

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