Quick Freezer/Pantry Challenge Recipe

Here is another great recipe to use up some ingredients that you may have in your freezer or pantry. This recipe is for quick pesto salmon filets with spinach and cheese mashed potatoes.

The ingredients you will need are:

• fresh or frozen salmon filets (I buy these in bulk at Sam's Club or Costco and you can get 8 filets for about $23... a great price!)
• half a jar of premade pesto (or you could make your own)
• olive oil (I use extra virgin, but any kind will do)
• lemon wedges
• half a bag of frozen chopped spinach
• potatoes for mashing
• shredded cheese (I tend to use parmesan, but use what you have or a kind you like)
• spices out of the cabinet (use your creativity and play with what you have on hand instead of buying new, and often expensive jars of spices)

You will want to thaw the salmon and then baste with the pesto mixture and bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes until cooked all the way through. Garnish with lemon slices and enjoy! For the potatoes, make your usual mashed potatoes and then add the thawed frozen spinach until warmed through and garnish with shredded cheese (any kind you like). You can also add spices to your potatoes like garlic salt, fresh or dried parsely or thyme, or just salt and pepper to give them extra flavor. Hope you enjoy this delicious and easy recipe and start using up those ingredients in your pantry... you would be amazed by what your creativity can come up with and the money you will save!

Super Bowl Invite

With our Super Bowl Party just around the corner, I put together this adorable invite to send to our friends. We are planning a small get together with close friends, lots of food, and hopefully some great football and even better commercials. Check out this fun invite!

Changing a Challenge

I just took a look at the remaining list of my challenges to complete by March 23rd and I have decided to change one of the challenges. I have had the goal of learning how to sew on a sewing machine for some time now, but I have still not learned this crafty skill. Part of the problem is that I don't own a sewing machine and the other part is time, not enough time to learn a new craft when I barely have time to focus on my current crafting projects. So, I have decided to take this challenge of my list and instead replace it with another fun party to plan. Over the past few years I have found that I LOVE planning parties and entertaining in our home, which means time to plan another fun party. With the superbowl right around the corner, I have picked "planning a superbowl party" as my replacement challenge. The superbowl is on February 6th, which means I have less than a month to plan a great party with invites, decorations, food, and fun... stay tuned for my party planning details in the next few weeks. And maybe I add the 'learning to sew' challenge to a future list down the road...

Valentine Cupcake Party!

I can hardly believe that I am already planning a party for February, when we just started the new year a few days ago. I have been wanting to throw a themed valentine party for a few years now and the cupcake idea seemed like a perfect fit. The invites are going out tomorrow to friends and family and I can't wait to decorate our valentine cupcakes and spend some time together! Here is the invite:

Pantry/Freezer Challenge Recipe

I have a great recipe idea for you to use up some ingredients that almost everyone has at home and create a delicious and easy meal for you and your family. These are the ingredients you will need:

• fresh or frozen chicken (any kind... I use frozen chicken tenders or chicken breasts)
• canned bread crumbs or stale bread to make bread crumbs (if you do not have stale bread, just set a few slices out over night to harden up)
• parmesan cheese (the kind in the green can in the fridge)
• salad dressing (I prefer ranch, but you could use any kind of creamy salad dressing)
• and a few dried herbs from your spice cabinet (I use dried thyme, garlic powder, or italian seasoning... just choose spices you have on hand and ones that will pair well with your dressing choice)

Let your chicken thaw out and then create a breading station for yourself. You will coat the chicken in the salad dressing and then coat with the breadcrumb, cheese, and spices mixture and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degress for 25-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.

This recipe is a great way to use up frozen chicken, leftover bread made into bread crumbs, and those half used containers of salad dressing that we all have in our fridge. Some variations of this recipe include using real shredded parmesan cheese, crunched up fried onions, or the bottom of the cornflake cereal box. The salad dressing helps keep the chicken moist and tender and the breadcrumb mixture gives the chicken a nice crunch on the outside. Serve this chicken recipe with a rice or potato dish and a veggie and you have a complete meal put together!

Take an opportunity this week to look in your kitchen and see what recipes you can create, without going to the grocery store and without spending money!

Pantry/Freezer Challenge

With the new year finally here and my resolutions written down, it is time to save some money this month... which for us means a cooking challenge using up all of the ingredients and supplies in the house. We usually average about $250 each month on groceries and I am challenging myself this month to bring that number down to $150. I know that number sounds small, but my freezer is packed to the brim, we have tons of leftovers in the fridge, and my pantry is full of staples like cereal, rice, pasta, and pasta sauce. This month, I am challenging myself to get creative and use what we have in the house and therefore saving some money on the grocery bill. Now I am challenging you to do the same in your house... how many meals can you create with the ingredients you already have in the house? And how much money will you save this month on your grocery bill? Stay tuned throughout the month as I post unusual recipes and ways of using your pantry and freezer supply before heading to the grocery store!

Can You Believe It... 2011!

I can hardly believe that 2010 is over and we have started a new year. This past year has gone by so fast and has been filled with incredible blessings and so many great memories! I love the beginning of the new year, because it feels like a fresh start and new beginning. I have always been one to make tons of new year's resolutions and this year is no different. I have a list about a mile long of things I would like to accomplish this year, life changes I would like to make, and new things I would like to try. It would be impossible to write down all of my resolutions here, but I am going to post a few of my top priorities for 2011. Here goes:

• Stay Healthy- which means dropping a few more pounds, staying active, and focusing on good solid nutrition throughout the year.
• Save Money- my husband and I have some lofty goals this year and in order to meet those we need to keep saving our money, which means watching the budget, paying down debt, and putting any extra money away for our goals.
• Live Simply- pairing down life to what really matters, which for me means that I need to simplify my house, focus on experiences versus things, and maintain a sense of balance between work and play.
• Have Fun- this year is already full of plans to travel, exciting parties to plan, and fun experiences to share with family and friends.

I hope this year is as amazing as 2010 and I look forward to another 365 days of a truly blessed life. Happy New Year!

After Christmas Detox

Does anyone else feel like they need a week after Christmas to detox all of the food, sweets, and alcohol out of their system from the Christmas holiday? I sure do! I had one of the best Christmas weekends and loved spending time with family and induling in all of the great food and sweets and treats. We brought home so much candy, I think it will last all year. So... now the trick is to get back on track from straying from my diet and exercise for the past 4 days. I plan to drink loads of water this week, workout at least 4-5 times, and load up on fruits and veggies this week. I am making a pack with myself that there will be no alcohol this week until New Year's Eve where I am allowing myself 2 drinks, and I still want to indulge in the leftover sweets this week but I need to be careful. I had originally planned a weigh in day on Wednesday and we will see how I am feeling by then about stepping on the scale. Since I am currently at 171.0, I am shooting for the scale to read an even 170 by December 31st.

Vegas Invite!

I just emailed my girlfriends the invite for the Vegas trip from March 24-27th, 2011! I am so excited to celebrate my 25th birthday in Vegas and I hope my closest girlfriends will be able to join me. We are planning on carpooling and driving to Vegas (way cheaper than flying) and then staying 3 nights at a hotel on the strip. I can't wait for some relaxing and fun girl time and we can shop, have a few cocktails, and lounge by the pool! I asked the girls to RSVP by January 10th and then we can start planning our girl's weekend in Vegas!

Gingerbread House Party Recap

Yesterday afternoon I had a great time with my co-workers decorating adorable gingerbread houses for the holidays. We spent about 2 hours icing our little houses and covering them with all kinds of holiday candy. It was amazing to see how creative we could get and everyone had a blast with the party. This party was a great way to kick off the holiday season and celebrate with my second family, which is my team at work. We spend so much time dealing with stressful issues and it was nice break to get away for the afternoon and relax and enjoy each others company. Decorating these gingerbread houses is definetly not just for kids because we all had a great time!