Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken

I made this Sunday night and used chicken legs instead. This was so flavorful and delicious, I'll be making this a lot more!


Everyday Food, June 2008
Prep Time
10 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 8
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Ingredients

2 cups ketchup
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 pounds chicken drumettes, patted dry
Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together ketchup, sugar, Worcestershire, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Set aside 1 cup sauce for tossing raw chicken; use rest for baked chicken.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds; line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Divide drumettes between baking sheets, and toss with reserved 1 cup sauce.

Bake chicken until opaque throughout, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating sheets and tossing chicken halfway through. Toss baked drumettes with 1/2 cup sauce, and serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Cook's Note

Chicken drumettes are actually part of the chicken wing -- just the right size for kids to nibble on. To store, refrigerate, up to 2 weeks.

Cucumber Water

Happy Tuesday!
We have been drinking this for the past few days and its delicious!

Sip Super Water Get your eight glasses a day the spa way by adding five mint leaves and 10 thin cucumber slices to a pitcher of water, suggests Pam Ouellet, spa director of the Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada. Mint oil helps flush away complexion-dulling toxins, and vitamins A and C in cukes keep skin healthy.

Green Lemonade

Im obsessed with juicing these days. I use an actual Blender for all my juices since a juicer can take away a lot of the juices from the fruits and veggies.
This one I made today and its very good! I've been sipping on it all day and feel very energetic!

Sun dried Tomatoe Chicken

Afternoon and happy Thursday!
I made this on Tuesday and it was so so delicious!! We ate the whole thing! I did use regular cream, but for a more healthy version you can use light cream.

This recipe is from Littlebcooks.com

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken (serves 6-7)

12 boneless & skinless chicken tenders
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt & pepper

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken then add them to the pan. Cook chicken until done, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, cover and set aside.

Add the butter to the pan along with the onion and garlic, and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes, and stir well. Add the flour, and with a whisk stir everything together to for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock & wine, whisking constantly until smooth. Add cream and continue to whisk for a couple minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the basil & stir to combine, then add the chicken back to the pan. Spoon sauce over chicken, and let it set for a couple of minutes to warm through before serving.

This can be served over pasta, but for us we just had a side salad with it. Enjoy!

Spinach Salad

Happy Saturday! Last night I made some Spinach salad instead of regular salad. I used some spinach, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and Balsamic Walnut Light Dressing.
My mother makes this but uses apples and walnuts instead. So good for you!!
Enjoy
Xx Mandi

Slow Cooker Lasagna

I LOVE my Crockpot and how easy it is to make almost anything in it. This is a great recipe and super easy.....ENJOY!

Easy Crockpot Lasagna
This lasagna tastes like you spent all day making it without all of the work.
Recipe by The Girl Who Ate Everything.com

Prep Time:
15 min
Total Time:
4 hrs 15 min
Servings:
10 servings
Ingredients

1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef
1/2 cup diced white onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 whole egg
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
Directions

1 In a large skillet brown beef and onion. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Drain.
2 Add spaghetti sauce and water and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3 Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, egg and parsley.
4 Pour 1 cup of spaghetti meat sauce into a 4 to 6 quart sized slow cooker. Place half of the noodles and half of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles (If the noodles don't fit exactly break them to fit) and cheese mixture and meat sauce.
5 Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until noodles are soft. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella and remaining parmesan. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
6 Do not overcook and don't try to speed up the process by cooking it on high.
7 *Works best with a 4 to 6 quart size slow cooker.

Juicing

Happy Saturday!!

I spent my Friday night looking up healthy, homemade juices and what they do for the body.
Those Suji juices are SO expensive so I want to start making my own. I'll be posting all my juice recipes and what vitamins and stuff are in them on here :)

First up is FUEL~

Carrots
Green apple
Pineapple
Orange
Lemon
Mint
Water

Mix all ingredients, as much as you like, in a blender (which I use) or Juicer.

Fuel is filled with Antioxidants, Calcium, Vitamin C and A for good vision.

This is delicious!! I also added a little Cayenne Pepper which is great for speeding up the metabolism.
Enjoy
Xx Mandi

Balsamic Chicken, Spinach, Tomato Pasta Salad

This looks delicious! Something to make come Spring and Summertime!
Also a perfect dish to bring to your Summer Bbq's :)


Chicken, Cheese tortellini, Spinach, Basil, Tomatoes, and Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.

Recipe by Multiply Delicious.com


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
- 1 (20-ounce) package cheese tortellini

- 1 pound skinned and boned chicken breasts, diced

- 1 ½ cup Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

- 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard

- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

- 2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach, chopped

- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

- 1 ½ cups fresh cherry tomatoes, halved

- 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced


Instructions:

1. Place chicken in a zip-lock bag and pour 1 cup of balsamic vinaigrette in bag with chicken. Marinate for at least 2 hour, but best if marinated overnight. Take chicken out of zip-lock bag and discard marinade.

2. In a grill pan, grill chicken breasts, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Place yellow bell pepper slices in grill pan and grill about 2 minutes on each side. Once cooled, dice chicken up in small bites.

3. Whisk together remaining ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing and mustard in a small bowl.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Let cool 10 minutes.

5. Toss together pasta, chicken, balsamic mixture, spinach, and remaining 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately, or, if desired, cover and chill 1 hour before serving.

Happy Snowy Friday!!!

Happy "Snowy" Friday all!

Woke up to almost a foot of snow outside. I love snow! But I don't have to ever really drive in it so I'm lucky. I get to watch it out the window all warm in my house with Bailey :)

Anyhow, here are some morning pictures of Bailey on his snowy adventures.

Xx Mandi

Snacktime!

Well, it's a snowy cold day here in Boston, kids are asleep (Nanny not Mom..yet) and today is an off workout day. So with some free time I decided to cut up some fresh veggies to dip in some Trader Joes Chipotle Hummus YUM!

I cannot say this enough, you are what you eat!! If you eat crap, you feel like crap!

Eating healthy is great for the body, mind, skin, energy, happiness!! And what is eating crap good for?? Well...NOTHING!!!

Do you want to live a longer healthier life??

Than do what I do...eat clean, eat green, try to go Organic as much as possible, exercise 3 to 4 times a week (even walking helps) and stay away from processed foods, food chains and most alcohols!! YUCK!!!!

I admit, I am a Wine O, but long gone are the days of beers, hard drinks and shots, partying and up until 3 am on the weekends! Waste of life at our age I truly feel. What good comes out of it? Fun? YES! God awful 3 day hangovers?? HELL NO!!!!! It's been 2.5 months since I had a little too much fun and I have never felt better!!

Trust me, in weeks you will be a whole different person inside and out :)

Xx Mandi

Baking Cookies Tip..

WOW why was I not told about this sooner?!?!

Bake your cookies in a Muffin pan they won't spread out and they'll stay soft.

Blueberry Breakfast!!

Morning!! This looks amazing!! I'll save this recipe for Sunday cheat days ;)


Blueberry Breakfast Grilled Cheese!
Cream cheese, powdered sugar, blueberries, bread.
Yum!
WinkChic.com

Vanilla House Refresher

This one is my FAVORITE!!!!


House smelling weird? Put two caps full of vanilla extract in a coffee cup, then place it in the oven at 300 degrees for one hour. Within twenty minutes the whole house smells like Heaven. Its actually a common realtor trick.

Green Tea

About a month ago I quit coffee cold turkey. After an 8 day headache from withdrawals, I finally started feeling more relaxed and even sleeping better at night.

Coffee can cause anxiety, sleep issues and moodiness which I had for a long time. But now I drink Green Tea every morning and have never felt better!

If your a coffee drinker and have and sleep issues, anxiety, mood swings, I highly recommend quitting coffee! The withdrawals aren't fun but they are over fast with a better nights sleep ahead!

Xx Mandi

Apple Dip

Came across this yummy apple dip recipe yesterday so I decided to try it out. It was delicious and perfect for some sliced apples!

You mix Greek Yogurt, Honey, Peanut Butter and some Cinnamon in a sell bowl, then dip away with some apple, banana, or whatever your favorite fruits are :)

St. Patty's Day

Here is what I'll be drinking come St. Patrick's day :) Found this delicious healthy drink recipe on Pinterest.

Broken Noodles with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta

Morning and HAPPY Tuesday! Although I eat healthy 6 days a week, I allow myself a "cheat day" which is Sundays for me. Sundays I allow myself to eat whatever I want and as much as I want. This recipe sounds delicious and I love everything that is in it!

Everyday Food, March 2009
Prep Time
15 minutes
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
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Ingredients

4 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce
1 package (9 ounces) pappardelle (wide pasta), broken into large pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions

In a large saucepan, bring sauce and 2 cups water to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add noodles, and simmer, stirring frequently, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt. Serve with a dollop of ricotta, basil, and pepper.

Many uses for Baking Soda!

This is amazing and who new!? Found this on Tip Mom.com

Link below :)

http://tipnut.com/household-baking-soda/

Healthy Breakfast

Made these this morning and they were delicious! Eating healthy when I wake up, sets the mood and energy for the whole day for me! Enjoy!

Flower Power Eggs by Fab Frugal Food;

Cut Bell Pepper into 1 inch rings. Crack an egg into it. Cook over low fire.

Healthy snacking

Slice a banana in about 3/4 inch pieces, fill a piping bag with PHILADELPHIA INDULGENCE and top each banana slice with a large dollop, followed by a fresh raspberry...WOWZA!!!

House Refresher

I do this every Friday and the whole house smells DELICIOUS!!! Found this awesome idea on Pinterest of course 😄


You know that wonderful smell when you walk into Williams Sonoma? Here’s how to get it: water, sliced lemon, 3 springs of fresh rosemary and about a teaspoon of vanilla. Simmer on the stove....this smells amazing! I used 2 lemons, 3 sprigs of rosemary and about 2 tablespoons if vanilla. It only took 5 minutes to make the whole house smell fresh!

Friday Friday Oh hello!!!

Happy Friday!!!! Gave my wine cork wreath a little Easter touch. Thanks to mom, two people have purchased wreaths from me:) woohoo!! Hope everyone has a great Friday & weekend! The moody fairy must have visited me last night..haha. Off to workout to get some energy and get my mood up!! Being a girl sometimes is super

Flaxseeds

Good to know!

Tip Tuesday!

Refill Your Swiffer Wet Jet; No Special Tools Required- Are you kidding me! I've just been buying new ones....Dip the tip of an empty Swiffer Wetjet solution bottle into boiling water for about 10 seconds and the lid twists off (use a towel). Refill with your preferred cleaning solution at appropriate dilution! and re-cap. Genius. No need to pay for more fluid... way overpriced. genius -

Fitness Apps I love!

Morning all. Hope everyone had a great nights sleep. Thought I'd share my 3 go to apps for Fitness and healthy eating. First up, Fitness Pal which is a free app. It's the easiest to use food diary on the web - Track what you eat with just a few clicks from anywhere. A searchable food database of over 2,488,000 items - and it's growing everyday!
Your own personal food database - add your own foods and recipes at any time and access them from anywhere with an internet connection
Free mobile apps for iPhone and Android - so you can log your meals and exercise even when you are on the go.
A personalized diet profile - customized to your unique weight loss goals.
Flexibility - our system can support any diet like Atkins, the South Beach Diet, the Zone, and more. I tend to gain between 5-7 pounds come December and January(holidays and winter blues) and I get off Fitness Pal during those months because its hard not to eat the Christmas cookies and comfort winter foods! But once I get back on Fitness Pal I lose the weight within weeks!


Next up is Fooducate. LOVE this app!! It gives what your eating a grade between A and F. I don't eat anything lower than a C+ Grade. You can automatically scan a product barcode
See product highlights (both good & bad)
Compare products
Select better alternatives
Dig deeper and learn more about food and nutrition
Features:

Created by dietitians and concerned parents
Uses your mobile's camera to effortlessly scan UPC barcode
Over 200,000 unique products and growing daily
Simplified information helps you make better choices
Works on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android OS version 2.2 and up
"... Fooducate is like taking your own personal dietitian to the supermarket..."

And last but not least, Yoga! I don't go to a gym since after the kids leave I have about an hour cleanup and have no desire to go anywhere.....exhausted!! So I do at home workouts during kids nap times and Yoga at night and on weekends. This Yoga app is the best!!!! It's not free, about $10 I think?! But the sessions are anywhere from 20 minutes long to an hour an a half. I do quick 20 minute ones and trust me I feel amazing after! I'm so flexible now and I feel amazingly relaxed after each session. Enjoy and health on...:)

LEMONS GALORE

LEMONS!! I put lemons in my morning and afternoon tea and with each cup of water I drink daily! Here's some healthy benefits using lemons..

Health Benefits of Lemon Water
Promotes hydration
Natural energy boost
Promotes an alkaline pH
Promotes Elimination
Aids digestion
Boosts immune system
Boosts hydrochloric acid production
Natural diuretic
Antibacterial properties
Aids with gastric upsets such as heartburn and indigestion
Purifies the blood
Promotes healthy liver enzyme levels
Promotes circulation in the liver
Helps dissolve uric acid in the joints
Acts as a natural solvent for calcium deposits, kidney stones, pancreatic stones, and gallstones
The vitamin C nourishes and rejuvenates your skin from the inside, bringing

Healthy Quesadillas

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 quesadilla • Old Points: 7.75 pts • Points+: 10 pts
Calories: 386.9 • Fat: 18.6 g • Carb: 31.6 g • Fiber: 16.3 g • Protein: 37.7 g

Ingredients:
16 oz skinless chicken breast, fat trimmed
cumin
oregano
garlic powder
salt and fresh pepper
cooking spray
1/2 small onion, cut into strips
1 bell pepper (red or green) cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil
1-1/3 cup Weight Watchers Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 cup avocado-mango salsa
8 low carb whole wheat flour tortillas, La Tortilla Factory


Slice chicken breast in half so you have 4 cutlets. Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and garlic powder.

Lightly spray a skillet on medium heat with oil or if using a grill, grill chicken until cooked on both sides. Remove from heat and cut chicken into strips, set aside. To the skillet, add 1 tbsp oil and cook onions and peppers, season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, add garlic and continue cooking until vegetables are soft being careful not to burn the garlic. When cooked, set aside.
Heat skillet on medium heat and lightly spray with oil. Add tortilla, top with cheese, chicken, onions, peppers, and pico de gallo or avocado-mango salsa. Top with the other tortilla. Cheese should be melted and the bottom of the tortilla should be golden brown. Put a plate on top of the quesadilla to flip it over onto the plate. Then slide the other side onto the skillet. Cook another minute and remove with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream if you wish.