• Food

    Potluck: Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

    I LOVE soup…but…BUT, I cannot consume soup or anything resembling soups when the weather outside is above 75°F. There is just something wrong with my body being hot on the outside and then eating something that causes me to feel hot on the inside. Eating soup is like eating a warm, cozy hug. AND…because I currently reside in Las Vegas, I’ve had to get a little creative in my soup consumption. Thus, the casserole carousel rotation began. Chicken noodle casserole, loaded baked potato casserole, clam chowder casserole…the list is almost endless. Recently though, I was desperately craving chicken and dumplings. I knew I had to figure out how to recreate…

  • Food

    Copy Cat Viva Chicken Stuffed Avocado

    If you are a giant foodie like I am, then you too come across some truly amazing finds that you can’t easily obtain. Viva Chicken is one of those finds for me. There is only one…yes…ONE location on this side of the Rockies. Thankfully it is located in St. George, UT which happens to be about a 90-minute drive away. While I am not completely up a creek without a paddle, it is still rather unobtainable on a daily basis. If you have had the privilege of frequenting a Viva Chicken, then you know the amazing Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken flavor they exude. If you live on the Eastcoast, then please…

  • Food

    Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken fried rice is possibly one of the easiest and quickest recipes I have in a monthly rotation. It is especially useful when you’ve prepared too much rice in another meal and are not sure what to do with the leftovers. Rice is a food that doesn’t keep too long as leftovers. While proper storage of cooked rice is important, the typical refrigerated shelf life of rice, any type of white rice, is only 3 to 4 days. After the 4th day, you run the risk of the rice already beginning to grow a specific bacterium called Bacillus cereus which produces a toxin that can cause a very serious food…

  • Food

    Moroccan Chili and Couscous

    Back before Pinterest, I watched the Food Network channel religiously.  Rachel Ray, Giada, and Sunny Anderson were some of my favorites.  I especially loved Rachel’s 30 Minute Meals.  If I could make an amazing meal for my family in the time it would take my boys to watch 2 Curious Georges then it was a huge win for me.  I hoarded recipes like crazy.  It would drive Matthew nuts because our DVR would fill up with all of the food shows I recorded.  Now, I mostly create my own recipes and when that fails I search Pinterest.  BUT, I have my favorites from the good o’le days…and Moroccan Chili and…

  • Food

    Quick Dinners & Pantry Staples

    Now that school is in full swing, extracurriculars are consuming our lives, and germs are being passed around…quick dinners have become the norm around here.  I definitely love pouring my heart into preparing meals for friends and family, but most often I just don’t have the time or energy during the week to be very elaborate.  Healthy, yummy meals are still my top priority…but there are plenty of meals that can be prepared quickly and are still healthy. Quinoa, Jasmine rice, and various types of pasta are always in my pantry.  Quinoa bowls are a weekly occurrence in my house.  It is easy to cook and easy to flavor.  Some of my…

  • Food

    Cream Cheese Chicken Salad Wraps

    Another chicken salad recipe for the books.  This recipe is actually been a regular in this house for a few years.  I just LOVE chicken salad…it’s quick, easy, and yummy.  Although, this chicken salad isn’t as healthy as the quinoa & arugula chicken salad posted last week.  It is equally yummy though.  And…if you omit the dried cranberries, it would be keto friendly as well.  This recipe makes a lot, and it great for meal prep.  My favorite way to eat is on a fluffy, butter croissant, but that would cause it to be super unhealthy…so in an effort for moderation, lettuce wrapping the chicken salad is a great substitute. …

  • Food

    Quinoa & Arugula Chicken Salad

    This week has been the week of chicken salads.  It is easy to create and easy to make a lot of for food prep.  I really wanted to figure out a way to incorporate arugula into a recipe, especially a recipe the amigos would hopefully eat.  Arugula is super yummy, it is a leaf that has a peppery taste.  It is also packed with nitrate which has been proven to help lower blood pressure.  It is the same nitrate family as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale…and I don’t know about you, but I would MUCH rather consume broccoli and arugula than kale or brussels sprouts. Other fun facts about arugula……

  • Food

    Instapot Honey Sesame Chicken and Rice Bowl

      Another instapot recipe win for our family.  I even substituted cauliflower rice for the jasmine rice.  The chicken was moist and flavorful and the sauce was a nice consistency.  Keegs said he thought it was spicy, but the rest of us completely disagreed.  In all, I only spent 35 minutes preparing and cooking; and any recipe that is yummy and quick/easy to prepare is a win in my book.  This meal will definitely be added to our monthly rotation.  Also, I didn’t realize I didn’t have enough soy sauce, so I did equal parts soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.  Couldn’t taste the Worcestershire sauce at all.  It tasted like…