Weekending {9/28}

Popping in for a quick weekend recap with the lovely Biana and Megan!

Our weekend was a bit low key, to be honest. It poured rain in Atlanta most of the weekend, so we stayed close to home on Friday night, making dinner and watching the first episode of Nashville <-- long time blog readers will know this show is a favorite of mine! 

Saturday started with a quick breakfast and a trip to Stone Mountain. AR's company had a day planned out there, and we headed out, despite the terrible weather. Stone Mountain is literally a stone mountain about 16 miles east of Atlanta, but the park also has hiking trails, camping space, a sky tram, and lots of activities.

prepared for the day with hot coffee and a rain coat!

 We enjoyed some games and lunch with friends from work, and then set out for the mountain, which we couldn't actually see due to the fog and rain. We decided to ride the sky tram to the top, with plans to hike down.

Poor AR couldn't keep his eyes open... hahahaha

We could see absolutely NOTHING at the top. So much for the great view of the city! Despite the park ranger saying he would "not recommend" hiking down the mountain, we took off. The hike isn't long (under 2 miles) or very challenging, but it was wet. We got completely drenched, despite our raincoats. The rock was so slippery and we had some near accidents, but overall it was okay!

We came home for hot showers, study time, and football. Dinner was sushi take-out.

We woke up Sunday for church, lunch at AR's favorite Indian restaurant, and a quick trip to the mall. I wanted new booties and a new tote bag, but I was undecided on the bag. Love my new black booties though and Macy's had a great sale! We went for a run in the evening and made big salads for dinner, before curling up on the couch for an early night.

So now its Monday... I started at 5:30am and went to Flybarre, made a batch of cinnamon-maple biscuits for the hubby, and headed to an early meeting. Let's get this Monday!!

x0x0, 

Hannah

Best Meals Lately {9/9}

I have been so terrible at sharing meals lately. Apologies. But I've finally pulled myself together enough to share some yummy foods!

First up, eats from Charleston, SC.

AR and I went to Charleston after the wedding. We split our time between downtown and the beach. Both were awesome! I snapped almost no pictures, but below are some of my favorite meals that we enjoyed.

1. Brunch at Butcher and Bee. We found this place on a few websites and decided to walk there one morning. This was about a two mile hike, so we absolutely took an Uber back! The food was excellent though and I loved my frittata and okra.

2. Dinner at the Drawing Room. No photos of this, but our meal was excellent! This restaurant is connected to the Vendue, where we stayed. We had plans to go to another restaurant, but after hearing some rave reviews, we canceled our other reservations. Our meal was excellent! We had a savory asparagus panna cotta and baked fish with roasted local vegetables and quinoa. The Vendue served cookies and milk each night, which we enjoyed in our room, along with the excellent treats that the hotel sent to our room (thank you!).

3. Sweet Treats. There was the cutest ice cream shop across the street that we enjoyed several times :)

Meals at home!

Once we got home, meals became a little cleaner. After so much eating out this summer, I am ready for home cooked meals with clean, fresh ingredients! Anyone else?

1. Homemade Veggie Frittata. After the awesome frittata I enjoyed in Charleston, I made one at home. This article was the BEST and I followed it as my guide. I filled ours with cheddar, peppers, zucchini, and spinach. So yummy and fast.

2. Fish. AR cooks the fish in our house usually, and he made this excellent blackened tilapia last week. I loved every bite and enjoyed a massive amount of asparagus to go with it.

3. Easy lunch. I haven't been craving salads as often, so I am trying to find other easy lunches. This mini what pita, filled with peanut butter and sliced banana, was perfect.

Also, Two Quick Fav's:
1) My favorite planner, which I frequently share on instagram and the blog, is releasing today at 10:00am. Grab one here (just a warning - these sell out fast!)

via

2) I received the cutest portable hat this summer and have been wearing it non-stop. The hat can be folded and tossed inside the cutest matching tote, which comes with the hat. I've kept this in my bag all summer, and its great to pop on when I need some share. You can purchase them here  or here. It comes in several colors, but I have the gold one!

via

What has been your favorite meal lately? 

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Still Weekending {9/7}

Hey friends, linking up with Biana for some weekend fun.

The weekend is still here! I consistently imagine what my life would be like if every weekend was a long weekend. Actually, who am I kidding? Every weekend is a long weekend for me this semester! #thirdyearlawstudent

Friday started with a 2.5 hour walk with my sweet friend Neha. We met at the park in the morning and walked forever. It felt great to catch up and enjoy the sun. I ran to meet AR for lunch (smoothie for me, sandwich for him), and then went to a yoga class. This yoga class was new to me, and I didn't like it as much as my regular studio. But it was still good :)

Friday night we ate at Victory Sandwich Bar. If you are in ATL, you need to try this spot. We normally visit their Decatur location, but they just opened a spot closer to us.

Any place that has cheese popcorn as an appetizer is a Friday night win in my book. THe entire menu is small sandwiches and salads. We had popcorn, mini sandwiches, pickles, lady pea salad, and cocktails. My cocktail was some combination of gin and white wine and lemon. Oh, and we split a fresh chocolate chip cookie. Dessert always.

Saturday was breakfast at home, a ridiculous workout at Stellar Bodies with my friend (and bridesmaid!) Andrea, followed by a study session for the entire afternoon. We ran errands in the evening and came home for some football and dinner.

The menu: Mini turkey sliders served on baby dinner rolls and topped with grilled mushrooms and cheddar, twice baked potatoes, and salad.

Twice baked potatoes are a favorite of mine and so easy to make. I've shared my recipe below :) Sadly, our LSU tigers never got to play due to weather. This was disappointing, but we watched the Alabama game instead.

Sunday morning we spent all day hiking at Tallulah Falls State Park. We walked the trails and then went down the 1099 steps to the bottom of the gorge and had a picnic lunch. Here, I promptly took a bite of AR's chocolate protein bar and proceeded to have an allergic reaction. I'm terribly allergic to cashews, which are apparently in Chocolate Cupcake Luna bars. I barely ate a bite and immediately spit it out, but the damage was done. As a child, this would have required a trip to the ER and an EPI pen shot. As an adult, my reactions seem a bit milder. I can take tons of benedryl and usually be okay.

The miserable part of this adventure was having to hike up the 1099 steps again to the top after this ordeal. It was horrible. I slept the whole way home, except for a small pit stop at Dairy Queen that AR woke me for.

We are still weekending today, though most of the day will be spent studying. I'm hoping to watch some T.V. tonight. We just started watching True Detective (season one) and we love it. Anyone else watch this show?

Do you have any allergies?

What did you do this weekend? 

x0x0, 

Hannah

Twice Baked Potatoes 

8 servings

ingredients
4 baked potatoes, cooled
1/2 c. sour cream
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/4 c. chopped green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350*.
Slice baked potatoes in half long ways. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the inner potato pulp, leaving behind a thick shell, about 1/8 inch thick. Place the pulp into a food processor and blend with milk and sour cream until well blended. Add in the cheese, green onions, and salt and pepper. Pulse to combine.
Gently fill the potato shells evenly with the filling. Top with more cheese, then bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 3-4 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Enjoy!

Tip: Scooping the shells can be tricky! Don't get greedy and scoop out too much, than can lead to tearing the skin. Leave a 1/8 inch border around the edge to keep the shells from breaking. 

Southern Classics: Grits

I am obsessed with classic southern foods. Well, sort-of. I don't eat pork or red meat, so I actually don't eat many southern-classics. But other than that, I am a fan: shrimp & grits; collard greens; homemade chocolate cake; pimento cheese; grits.

Oh grits. I didn't know the glory of grits until I moved to Texas in 2011. AR introduced me to grits at a small little breakfast joint in Houston. Having previously only enjoyed sweet porridges, salty, buttery, savory grits was not what I expected. And I loved it.

Then, when I visted AR's mother in Louisiana, I realized that every self-respecting southern woman makes grits. Of course I had to learn. I turned to the one southern recipe source that I know: Paula Dean. Her recipe calls for milk and water, which is not how AR's mom cooks them. I tried following her recipe once, but the grits got lumpy because the milk thickened so fast.

Then I switched to using all water, like A's mom does. These were good, but not as creamy as I like. So the struggle continued. Finally, 4 years later, I am a grits pro.

I use old fashion grits and milk. Milk makes the grits extra creamy, and the old fashion grits cook slow enough to prevent any lumps from forming. Be patient and take your time with these beauties. The longer you let them cook, the creamier they will turn out.

Serve your grits with butter, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese. Go big and add a little garlic or a spoon full of pimento cheese, goat cheese, or crumbled bacon. If you are feeling really crazy, top them with an over-easy egg or roasted mushrooms. The possibilities are endless.

grits

serves 3

1 1/2 c. water
2 c. milk  - 2% or whole is best
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. old fashion white corn grits
1 T. butter
1/4 t. pepper

In a medium sauce pan, bring water, milk, and salt to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to low and slowly stir in the grits. Continue to stir for several minutes to fully incorporate and prevent any sticking (I like to stir with a rubber spatula). Cover and cook on low for 20-30 minutes, stirring often. The grits are done when they have a creamy consistency and the liquid is fully absorbed. If necessary, add more liquid. Stir in the butter and pepper; serve.

Enjoy!

Hannah

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Oh Thursday. I am sitting at my dining room table and sunlight is pouring in from the windows and I couldn't be happier. These last two weeks off after finals have been so relaxing. 

I woke up incredibly sore after some intense workouts this week, so I plan to rest this morning and head to yoga this afternoon. Hopefully it will stretch me out a bit. 

This morning, I made pancakes for breakfast - something I never do. This is going to sound strange, but I am kind of sick of oatmeal. I know, me, of all people. I haven't had a bowl in months, so I have been trying to come up with new breakfast ideas. 

These babies can be made vegan and/or gluten free, depending on your preference.*

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

inspired by this recipe from Deliciously Ella

Makes 8 pancakes

ingredients 

1 cup oats

2/3 cup almond meal/flour

2 bananas 

1 egg

1/2 cup almond milk 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

2 tablespoons maple syup

dash of salt 

1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

olive oil, coconut oil, or butter 

directions

Pulse oats in the food processor or blender a few times until ground into a dusty flour. Add the almond meal, bananas, egg, milk, cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt. Blend until smooth, adding a touch more milk if necessary. It should be a pretty thick batter. 

Pour batter into a small bowl and add blueberries. Stir gently to combine. 

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to prevent sticky. Spoon out batter in half cup portions into skillet. Cook over medium heat until lightly brown, then flip, cooking other side. As pancakes finish, place on parchment lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. 

Top with maple syrup, more bananas, butter, or honey! 

* You may substitute gluten free oats or a flax egg in place of the real egg!

These were so filling. I ate about two and a half pancakes, topped with a little extra syrup. I plugged in all my ingredients into My Fitness Pal to get a rough estimate on the nutrition info. According to that site, each pancake has 151 calories, 6 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, and 9 grams of sugar. AR and I agreed that they were extremely filling!

what is your go-to breakfast?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

 

5 on Friday {3/20}

Linking up with Natasha at Hello Happiness for some Friday fun!

1. Back home.
After being gone for 9 days on a trip to Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison, it felt so good to wake up in my own bed on Tuesday morning. I love to travel, but I miss the routine and comfort of my own home. I get sick of living out of a suitcase and miss my own bed, my shower, and my closet full of clothes :)

2. Favorite dinner this week. 
I have eaten this meal twice this week and I am obsessed. We sautéed jalapeños, peppers, onions, and garlic, then added ranchero beans and crushed tomatoes. On monday, we ate this in tortillas and last night, I enjoyed it as a burrito bowl, topped with sautéed zucchini sour cream. '

I plan to try this recipe for a grain bowl this week. Love Smitten Kitchen :)

3. Not favorite dinner this week. 
I shared earlier in the week that I was doing a juice detox following my indulgent trip to Madison. This was not my favorite. It ended with exhausted hunger and an allergic reaction. Not fun. The next day I modified and added fruits, veggies, and almonds. Thank god that is over.

If you are looking for some new snacks to add to your diet, check out my post from this week - I even shared where to score the best deal on organic snacks and baking needs!

4. Bridesmaid dresses. 
It wouldn't be 5 on Friday if I didn't share something about my wedding preparations (will this become 4 on Friday after August? I don't know). Anyways, while in Chicago, two of my bridesmaids and I had a blast trying on dresses at Nordstrom's Wedding Department and Bella's Bridesmaid. I am heading to Bella's in Buckhead this afternoon to narrow does our dress selection and hopefully place an order!! Ahhh!

5.  Weekending. 
My weekend plans are not too exciting. Tonight AR and I are exploring the Streets of Buckhead with another couple. I am hoping the line at the new Georgetown Cupcake is not too long. While I have been to the original, I have not visited the new location here in Atlanta. And we all know I love a good cupcake! I am helping host a conference tomorrow that I am really excited about and then studying all day Sunday. What are your weekend plans?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Friday Night Eats: Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Friday night was a different one for me.

First off, I fell asleep for about an hour at 4pm. Clearly I was in for an exciting night. I woke up and went to Whole Foods for some dinner goodies because I knew AR's flight wouldn't get in until 10pm.

I struggled when I walked in to Whole Foods, because 5pm is a sad time to grocery shop. It is a little pathetic to walk around with wine at 5 on a Friday, but too late for coffee. I caved and went with coffee (better to be caffeinated than be the sad person drinking as they shop for kale on Friday night).

I got all of the goodies to make a favorite meal of AR's: Chicken Pot Pie. I went with the simple version and grabbed a rotisserie chicken seasoned with salt & pepper.

Normally, I cook my own chicken breasts in the oven or poach them on the stove top, but this made it so much faster and the chicken was so flavorful.

I also cheated majorly and bought a pre-made pie crust. I have never done this before, but I thought it tasted AMAZING and it was so fast. Pre-made crust for the win. You could make your own crust, make a biscuit topping, buy a biscuit dough/mix, or even use pre-made pizza dough. All of these options work great.

I enjoyed my pot pie on the couch with a glass of red wine and the movie Bride Wars. A perfect Friday in, if I do say so myself!


Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients 
filling
4 T. butter OR oil (I use a mix of both)
1 med. yellow onion, chopped
3/4 c. carrots, pealed and chopped
3/4 c. celery, pealed and chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
3-4 c. shredded chicken
1/2 t. dried sage
1/2 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
3 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/3 c. heavy cream or half & half

crust
1 package of refrigerated pie crust dough (enough for 2 layers)
OR this recipe for pie crust.
extra flour for rolling
1 egg
1 T. water

Preheat over to 375*. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until slightly soften, for about 3 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and cook until slightly soft, about another 5-6 minutes. Add shredded chicken and seasonings.
Sprinkle flour on top of the mixture and stir in. Let the flour cook for 2 minutes, then pour in broth. Add peas. Continue to cook over medium heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add cream, stir to combine, and remove from heat.
Place individual ramekins** (five 2 c. or 8 1.5 c.) on a large baking sheet. Roll or fold out dough onto a floured surface. Using ramekins as a guide, cut dough into circles slightly larger than the top of each dish. Set dough aside.
Scoop filling into each ramekin, but do not fill completely. Once evenly divided, place dough circles on top of each dish and press down on edges. Beat egg with water to make an egg wash. Generously brush tops of each pie with egg wash.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until dark golden brown, rotating pan half way though. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
To freeze: Let cool completely. Wrap each pie dish in plastic wrap, and then tightly with foil. Free for up to 1 moth.

**I like to make my pies in several sizes - some for AR and some for me. Last week, I did two larger pies, four medium pies, and two itty bitty pies to take in my lunch!

You could make this beautiful by crimping the edges, but I call it rustic and just leave the edges ragged.

Enjoy! These are an excellent way to stock your freezer with some pre-made dinners. Just pop them out in the morning and let them thaw in the refrigerator. By dinner time, they will be ready to heat in the oven!

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Sunday Nights & Lasagna Rolls {Recipe}

Sunday nights are special. AR and I like to try new recipes, rent movies, play games, and relax. Because AR travels during the week, Sundays are our last day together and we like to slow it down as much as possible.

This Sunday was no exception. We made a favorite recipe: Lasagna Roll Ups. AR made the spinach and turkey filling. I cooked the noodles (breaking half of them) and a cheese filling. We assembled them together.

After 30 minutes in the oven, our lasagna rolls came out all bubbly and cheesy. We enjoyed them with steamed broccoli and a night of Scrabble.

Turkey Lasagna Roll Ups

Makes 16 rolls

Ingredients
1 box of lasagna noodles (I use whole wheat)
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 lb. of ground turkey (could use beef)
1 box of frozen spinach
olive oil
2 cups of tomato sauce (Love to make my own) 
12 oz. of ricotta cheese
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, divided
1 egg
1/2 t. dried oregano

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft. Add ground turkey and brown. Meanwhile, microwave spinach and drain excess water. Once the turkey is brown, add spinach and one cup of sauce.
2. Boil water and cook noodles as directed. Lay noodles out flat to cool slightly.
3. Mix ricotta, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, oregano, and salt & pepper to taste.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce into bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Heat oven to 357*. To fill: Place noodle on a cutting board. Spread a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling across noodle. Top with a heaping tablespoon of meat sauce. Roll noodle up and place seam side down in prepared pan.
5. Continue filling and pack noodles tightly into pan. Pour remaining sauce over rolls and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Hannah 

6/1 Meals & Fitness

I'm checking in over the weekend to share my meals and fitness for the week. This week marks the start of Marathon training and I am both excited and anxious. AR and I did our last non-training run this morning - a cloudy 7 miles on the Atlanta Beltline. I felt awesome until I realized I'll be doing 3x that in a few weeks :(

Fitness this week
M- Cross Training: probably just a walk
T- 3 miles & strength training
W- 4 miles
Th - 3 miles & strength training
F - rest
S- 5 mile pace
S- 8 miles
Total: 23 miles

Meals this week
Lunches: kale salads with deli turkey, leftovers, veggie and hummus + turkey sandwich
M - lentils and quinoa

T - polenta and roasted mushrooms with fava beans
 
W - leftovers
Th - salad and veggie burgers
F - out :)

I'm off to the bookstore to look for some summer reading! Enjoy your the rest of your weekend!

x0x0,

Hannah

5/12 Meals and Fitness for the Week!

Last week was my first week back from finals and I hit the ground pretty hard with workouts. I made sure to do all my runs outside in order to better acclimate to this heat/humidity. Not fun :(

Last week's workouts:
M- 4 mile walk (rest day)
T - 3.5 mile run with hill repeats
W - 4 mile run & strength training
Th - 3.5 mile run
F - rest
S - 3 mile walk & strength training... and the 5 hours of shopping ;)
S - 5 mile run

A lower mileage week for me, but my paces were good and I was feeling better with the heat. One day I ran at 2pm just to hit the hottest part of the day.

This week I plan to:
M - walk and yoga
T - 4 miles
W - 5 miles
Th - 3 miles & strength
F - rest
S - cross train & strength
S - 7 miles

Meals for the week:
M - lentil tacos with wheat tortillas, cheese, and avocado.
T - turkey meatballs, homemade sauce, and wheat noodles. Served with a salad
W - stuffed bell peppers with ground chicken, black beans, and brown rice. Served with steamed broccoli
Th - leftovers (major grocery budget saver)
F - probably out :)

Baking Adventures
Last week I made biscuits, muffins, wheat bread, and 2 batches of cookies (as gifts!). This wheat I am working on a rustic wheat bread and maybe some granola.

Are you trying any new recipes this week?

What is your fitness goal for the week?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Lately

Life has been a little hectic. With finals less than 2 weeks away, studying 14-16 hours a day has become the norm. I'm packing a whole day of food and camping out at the library into the night, then working out the next morning at 5:30 in order to fit it all in. 3 more weeks and I am done. Hallelujah!

Here is what I've been up to:

Eating
So many awesome meals. Because I studied all weekend, I had no time to go out, so I cooked every meal at home. Top meals included:

1. Spinach & Sun-dried Tomato meatballs with mashed red potatoes and roasted asparagus. Asparagus has been a go-to side for me lately and I am finally becoming better at timing it right. I also cannot remember the last time I made and ate mashed potatoes, but they are so excellent.

We used the leftovers to make meatball sandwiches and AR made these amazing sweet potato fries and were both sweet and spicy. Yum.

2. A Whole Foods double chocolate cookie that AR brought me one night as a study treat. The perfect Property Law pick-me-up!

3. Peanut butter toast and fruit. I am usually an oatmeal girl, but toast, fruit, and eggs have been calling my name lately. We know my PB addiction is real.

Workouts!
With time as the essence, shorter workouts have become better. This month, I have already acknowledged that I won't fit as many workouts in, so I am walking more to make up for it! The extra rest day is much needed to catch up on sleep! So far this week:

S- rainy long run

M- rest

T- 4 miles and some ab work

W - speed work at night

Th -rest

Weekend goals:
1. Long run and a good full body workout.
2. Sunshiny walk with AR - maybe at the Farmer's Market!
3. Take an evening to sit on the couch and watch a movie.
4. Pack up some winter clothes and get out some summer ones!!
5. Visit Ulta before I have no makeup left!

x0x0x,

Hannah

Five on Friday

Happy Weekend! I'm linking up with Natasha for 5 on Friday, which I love.

1. New Make-up from Target - Eyebrows!
I made a Target run earlier this week and grabbed a few products because I haven't had time to get to Sephora recently.


I used the Benefit brow filler compact for over 2 years, but I got this NYX one for only $5. I chose the blonde shade and I am in love. It is lasting throughout the day much better than my Benefit one, and it is a fraction of the price. Such an awesome fine.

2. New Make-up for Target - Powder
I also tried the NYX HD powder. I really love the Makeup Forever HD powder, but I read some reviews that said they were the same. Both contain the same ingredient and so far, they seem the same! Time will tell, lets see if I break out at all.



3. Peanut Butter
Ive had a major PB craving this week... I don't know why. Last night I was taking the recycling out and decided it was my duty to eat the eat bite from my PB jar so I could put it in the recycling. I am so noble.



I pulled out another jar and made a batch of these gluten-free pb cookies to satisfy my pb craving.

4. Meals this week
I did a really sad job on the meals this week. I think I ate steamed vegetables and a baked sweet potato like 3 times. And the same pot of veggie soup the other days. If you read my WIAW, you know lunch wasn't much better. Here's to making up for it this weekend!

5. Hair Washing
Do you wash your hair every day?
I have read like a million articles saying I shouldn't wash it daily, but I run and feel gross. Ideas? I am still washing like 5 days a week :(

This is my dream hair. Never. Gonna. Happen.

Have an awesome week ad thanks Natasha! 

Hannah 

An elegant grilled cheese

Grilled cheese. 

I love the sound of it. And the smell: warm bread, melty cheese, frying butter. 

And there is something about biting into a grilled cheese sandwich that perfectly couples crunchy and gooey at the same moment. 

On Monday night, I left after an afternoon of volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House (more on that later), and stopped by Whole Foods. Something about bread and gouda jumped out at me, and I began craving a grilled cheese. 

When I make a grilled cheese sandwich, I don't play. I picked up a rustic whole wheat olive bread and fresh gouda cheese. At home, I got to work. After roasting some squash and bell peppers, I made my amazingly delicious sandwich. 

Let me share some thoughts on the whole sandwich front:

-Bread needs to be thin-ish. In order for the cheese to melt and the crust to get decently crispy, the bread cannot be too think. 

-Cheese. Don't go too crazy. Think quality over quantity. A bit of sharp cheddar is better than a mound of bland cheese. I love gouda, cheddar, and swiss. 

-Add-ins. Don't be shy. roasted veggies, fruit jams, fresh tomatoes, spinach. I could go on and on. 

-Method: Heat a non-stick skillet on low. Either spray the pan with olive oil, or butter a slice of bread. Place butter side down in the heated skillet. Top bread with some sliced cheese, add toppings, and sandwich more cheese. Top the entire thing with another slice of (buttered) bread. Continue grilling on low until the cheese is melted and the bread on the bottom is golden brown. Flip and let the other side of bread brown. Serve and enjoy!

Classic Combos:

1. Mozzarella + tomato + fresh basil 

2. Swiss + blackberry or strawberry jam

3. Cheddar + spinach + tomato

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Taco Tuesday 101

I love a good taco.... I lived in San Antonio for 2 years, it is basically in my blood! I make tacos with anything, and love to include them in my meal plan.

I use the term "taco" very openly. I use all sorts of fillings and serve it on lettuce, rice, tortillas - anything. Here are some ideas for planning your own Taco Night:

1. Start with the base:
- Go traditional and serve it in a tortilla.
I recommend looking for whole wheat tortillas with only a few ingredients. If you live in TX, go to HEB. Their tortillas are amazing and so fresh. You can even make your own using this recipe. I have tried it a few times with great success, though rolling them thin enough is a major pain.

- Brown rice is an excellent base, making a taco bowl. I cook my rice on Sunday to have it ready for the week.

- Go light with shredded lettuce or serve your taco on whole leaves like a lettuce wrap.

2. Make a filling: 
- Chicken is my favorite filling.
I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. I place these in the crock pot with a little broth and some chili powder on low. When I come home, I remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the tomatoes.

- Black or pinto beans.
You can cook these from dry or used can. I like to cook mine with green chilies, chili powder, sliced bell peppers, and even salsa. This makes a great meatless option which is great for the wallet and waistline.

- Ground turkey or beef.
I brown my ground turkey, add diced tomatoes, chili powder, garlic, onion, and raw kale or spinach for a really flavorful filling. This recipe has a black bean, turkey, and kale filling that is yummy.


3. Add Veggies:
- Saute onion and bell peppers.
- Roast mushrooms with garlic.
- Cook spinach, kale, or other leafy greens.
- Shredded lettuce 
- Cooked corn 
- Chopped tomatoes 

This one had shredded chicken, black beans, brown rice, salsa, bell peppers,
shredded cheese, tomatoes, and avocado.
Yum!

4. Add some flavorful toppings!
- Diced avocado
- Black olives
- Salsa
- Shredded cheese
- low-fat sour cream

Do you make some form of a taco during the week? What is your favorite filling?

Hannah 

Valentine's Day Weekend Cooking Class

Valentine's Day weekend has passed... *tear*. I have no more excuse to wear red and pink together and draw hearts on the calendar.

On Friday night, AR worked and I studies until around 7pm, then we headed to Whole Foods to pick out things to cook dinner with. I know, we are so romantic ;) But after the whole snow storm and AR being stranded in DC, a night in was perfect for us.

The menu: Sriracha glazed salmon, Roasted asparagus with lemon, and Baked potatoes. Served with a wonderful white wine, paired by the helpful staff at Whole Foods.

On Saturday morning, our actual celebration started. We went to a brunch making class, taught by Cynthia Graubart, author of Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking. The class was taught at The Cook's Warehouse in midtown.

We learned to make Shrimp & Grits Custards with Green Sauce, Bacon & Onion Pie (mine was without the bacon), Sausage & Apple Casserole, Sweet Potato Ginger Tea Loaf, Cream Biscuits, and a Champagne Cocktail.

AR got his inner chef on to decorate the plates for us.

The class was 3 hours long and so much fun! They served coffee and appetizers at the beginning, then we all sipped cocktails and enjoyed tastes of the foods. The instructor was so good about explaining things and taking through why things may not have turned out correctly.

My grits. After the photo, I pulled all the shrimp off and gave then to AR. lol.

My favorite dish was the grits custards with green sauce. We eat a lot of grits, and i love the idea of doing something a little different with them. The green sauce also brightened up the flavor of the dish, which was filled with goat cheese and fresh herbs.

AR loved the bacon and onion pie. We tried two varieties and liked the kind with a milder onion over the one with a red onion. I am just not much for a strong onion flavor. I plan to remake this at home with a vidalia onion and turkey bacon.

This was such a fun way for us to celebrate and learn something new. Thanks to my older brother, who discovered this place all the way in London and sent me a giftcard for my birthday. We are already picking another class to take.

Sunday afternoon was full of studying, HGTV (Yay for House Hunters!), and a 7 mile run. I had to burn off some of those cocktails ;)

x0x0, 

Hannah 

{Healthy} Baked Potato Soup + Weekend

I was going to do a weekend recap, but my weekend was non-existent. I really just studied. For example, I woke up and studied for a few hours before brunch, then studied until 8pm last night. This is my life.

The only thing keeping me together right now is the fact that I have Friends with Benefits on t.v. right now, and I like that movie (I have horrible tastes, I know).

 

Rather than tell you about my great study sessions, I wanted to share a recipe that is PERFECT for this cold weather. If you are like most of the United States, you are experiencing some serious cold weather, and soup is the perfect meal to end your day with!

 

 

 

This baked potato soup is lightened up from the recipes my mom and grandmother use. It would also be awesome topped with turkey bacon or green onions (AR eats his that way). I like thinks simple!

 

 

Baked Potato Soup

Served 4-5

 

Ingredients

3 large potatoes

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 T olive oil

1/3 c. flour

3 cups milk (2% or skim cow milk, or unsweetened/unflavored almond milk works well)

1 c. broth (vegetable or chicken)

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 c. reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Optional: crumbled bacon, sliced green onions.

 

Directions

Cook potatoes: either bake at 400* for 1 hour or cook in microwave for 10-12 minutes. Let potatoes cool, then peal and mash slightly.

Heat olive oil and add onions. Cook until onions are soft and slightly brown, then add the flour. This will get lumpy, but don't worry! Slowly mix in the milk until blended. If you have lumps, do not worry. Mix with whisk and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.

Add the potatoes, broth, and salt and pepper. Cook until heated through and frothy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and blend slightly with an immersion blender. (No immersion blender? Add part of the soup to the blender and puree).

Mix in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Serve with remaining cheese and other toppings.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Hannah

Weekend Review and food + fitness for the week!

Oooh, do I love Sunday. I always feel productive and optimistic on Sunday, like I still have an opportunity to accomplish my weekend goals. As I type this, I still have a long list of things to work on (laundry, reading, grocery store, etc.), but oh well. AR is in the kitchen making chicken and dumplings for dinner, which sound amazing. There is something about a man cooking dinner that makes it so much better... ;) 

On Friday night, AR and I went to dinner at an asian place, but it wasn't really my favorite. We had a stressful moment on the way to dinner, and I think we were both kind of in a weird mood by the time we got our food. We had planned on going to dinner after work, but didn't make reservations anywhere. We picked a neighborhood and figured we would just walk about until something caught our eye. Unfortunately, AR got off work late, it was kind of chilly out, and there was no parking to be found. To make matters worse, neither one of us was feeling decisive. By 9pm, we were still walking around and getting more irritated with each other by the minute. Lesson learned: if it is going to be a late night, plan ahead to avoid stress!

We salvaged the evening by going to Caribou Coffee for spicy hot chocolates (my FAV). AR gets his with milk chocolate and I get dark chocolate. The evening ended on a sweet note. 

Saturday was a trip to the mall for new shoes (hello Ralph Lauren heels at 75% off!), and a workout. We had frozen yogurt for a snack and went to see the Wolf of Wall Street. Have you seen it? I liked it, but parts were hard to watch. 

Sunday... well, so far it has included an 8 mile run and a walk to Starbucks. I tried the new caramel flan latte for the first time. It is so yummy, but way too sweet for me to get regularly. A nice treat though. Funny note, on my walk, I heard someone yell and start crying "my baby, my baby!". I started freaking out, but it turned out it to be an actor. Apparently they are filming a t.v. show. My neighborhood is a little crazy. 

Workout plans for the week

M - rest

T - 3 miles + abs

W- 5 miles

T - 3 miles + arms

F - rest

S - strength work

S - 10 miles

Meals

M - buffalo chicken lettuce wraps

Recipe and photo from Skinny Taste

 T - leftover chicken & dumplings with a salad

W - Spaghetti with ground turkey with steamed broccoli

Th - spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts with Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes

Recipe and photo from Skinny Taste

F - Out. With reservations ;)

Have a good week! I'd love to hear what you are cooking, so let me know!

x0x0,

Hannah 

WIAW # 18

Happy Hump Day! It is my first week back at class, so it really feels like a Wednesday to me. To top it off, its freezing cold outside and I've already read over 300 pages. Can we say sad week?? But I am excited to share some of my yummy eats with you. Rather than showing just one day, I have a snapshots of yesterday's meals, and then some extras.

 

As usual, thanks for hosting, Jenn! If you participated in What I Ate Wednesday, please comment below so I can read yours! I love getting new ideas for what to eat and serve :)
 

 

 

1. Tuesday Night's dinner: Quesadilla filled with cheese, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Served with kale chips! (Worried about kale chips? don't be! 400* over, mixed with olive oil and salt, baked for about 8 minutes. If you don't like it, put the rest in smoothies or soups).

 

2. Whole wheat drop biscuits with mozzarella, served with lentil soup (see below). I posted the recipe, so be sure to check it out. These are a favorite because they are quick, easy, and only make a couple. Sometimes I leave out the cheese and serve these for breakfast on a weekend.

 

3. My grocery cart at Whole Foods. It was SO crazy on Sunday night! I think people were afraid of the cold weather and buying everything in sight. I've never seen anything like it. I waited in line for ages and they were outs of everything at the coffee bar. Including espresso.

 

4. Tuesday's Breakfast: Still my favorite meal right now. Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal, cooked with pumpkin puree and cinnamon, topped with a banana and almond milk. So yummy and it gives a fruit and veggie serving at breakfast. Can't beat that :)

1. Stuffed bell pepper, made with turkey and served with spicy cornbread and kale salad. I'm playing with this recipe and will post soon! We had this once last week and once over the weekend. Clearly, we like it. Also, kale has been on sale a lot lately, hence my kale-filled meals. Yay?

 

2. Tuesday's snacks: raw walnuts, enjoyed with tea while studying. (not pictures) a Cliff Z-bar in the morning. With this cold weather, I'm having like 10 cups of tea a day. I'm drinking tea as I write this, actually.

 

3. Cornbread with jalapenos and cheddar. SO GOOD and perfect with soups or stews. Or stuffed bell peppers. I enjoyed this with some black eyed peas and greens over the weekend too.

 

4. Tuesday's lunch (and Monday's dinner): Crock pot lentil soup! This recipe is SO great and I know I will make is again soon. My friend Caroline sent it to me and I made it right away.

 

On a side note, I got 3 cookbooks for Christmas and am having so much fun flagging the pages for new recipes. One of them was Pippa Middleton's book, Celebrate. Have you seen it? It makes me want to host lots of parties and the pictures are gorgeous!

 

Have a happy hump day!

Hannah

Drop Biscuits and Lentil Soup (I'm cold!)

I am so cold. Today was the first day of class for the semester and I thought class should be cancelled. Unfortunately, no one else did. Maybe tomorrow.

At least  I put dinner in the crockpot this morning before I left. I used this recipe for lentil and sweet potato soup and it was so yummy! A friend from school recommended it and I am so glad she did. I love coming home and knowing dinner is already cooking.

I served the soup with my favorite drop biscuits. I made them before and had some requests for the recipe, so here it is! In that post, I made them with white flour and parmesan cheese. Tonight, I made them with half whole wheat flour and mozzarella cheese. I asked AR which type was better, and he said he liked both, while buttering his third one ;)

Cheesy Drop Biscuits
Makes 6 medium sized biscuits

Ingredients
1 c. flour (white or half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk OR yogurt thinned out with milk
1/4 c. canola oil
1/3 c. shredded cheese.

Preheat oven to 450*. Mix dry ingredients and cheese together until combined. Mix oil and buttermilk together. Gently mix together the liquids and dry ingredients until just moist.
Drop into 6 rounds on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until light brown. Serve immediately!

Stay warm, friends!

Hannah