Happy Birthday To...

...My best friend, biggest supporter and one of the most amazing guys I know! 

You fill my life with love, fun, and adventures! Here is to many more birthdays that we will get to celebrate together!  I cannot wait to celebrate you this evening, I love you!  

Happy Birthday, Derek! 

{Veggie Packed Quesadilla with Pepper Jack Cheese, Feta and Siracha}

Derek and I have officially been engaged for a week, and wedding thoughts are slowly creeping into my thoughts and maybe even my dreams!  I am excited, a tad overwhelmed and feel like I have no idea where to even begin!  But it is exciting, and I want to enjoy every minute of wedding planning!  I have found that this past week was a bit of a whirlwind and a bit of a blur!  I feel as though I was walking with my head in the clouds, I guess you could say I was and still am on cloud 9 at the thought of our engagement!  I have found that I have been gravitating towards easy and simple meals, pulling odd things together and reconnecting with some old favorites in the food world!  Like these veggie packed quesadillas!  I whipped these up for Derek and I Friday night before hunkered down on the couch for a movie night!  These quesadilla are a healthy spin on my old favorite, adding in plenty of veggies, and spicy bold flavor punch from the pepper jack and feta cheese!  I cooked mine up in my George Forman, but you could easily whip these up in a skillet on the stove! Sub in any veggies you like, serve with sour cream, and your favorite salsa!  

Veggie Packed Quesadilla with Pepper Jack Cheese, Feta and Siracha

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 2 for dinner or 4 for an App 

Ingredients:

2 Whole Wheat Tortillas 

1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatos, Halved 

1/2 Medium Red or Green Pepper Chopped 

1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion 

2 Tablespoons Feta Cheese 

1/4 Cup Pepper Jack Cheese

Salsa, Avocado, Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt for Serving 

2 Teaspoons Melted Butter or Olive Oil for tortilla 

Directions:

1- In a skillet saute onions until tender.  Add in pepper and cherry tomatoes.  Once all veggies are tender sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. 

2- Lightly brush outside of tortilla with butter or olive oil.  Place buttered side down on a clean plate.  Top half of the tortilla with 2 tablespoons pepper jack cheese.  Layer small handful of fresh spinach on top of cheese followed by half the sauteed veggies.  Top Veggies with remaining 2 tablepsoons pepper jack cheese and 1 tablespoon feta.  Fold tortilla closed over cheese and veggie picture.  Place on heated George Forman grill and cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is crispy  (about 5 minutes).  Repeat with remaining tortilla.  **Note if using a skillet cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Make sure cheese is melted! 

Serve drizzled with siracha, sour cream, avocado slices and salsa! 

Enjoy! 

{BBQ Chicken Tacos}

Hi Friends!  I have missed blogging and sharing recipes with you this week!   But it has been a whirlwind of a week, and is almost a blur in my mind!  Lots going on, lots of excitement, and lots of preliminary planning!  Derek and I are over the moon excited for this next chapter in our lives and so thankful for the support and love we have been experiencing from family and friends.  Read our engagement story here.  

But today, I want to share these delicious BBQ Chicken Tacos with you!  They are super easy to make and absolutely delicious!  I whipped these up the other night while Derek and I discussed wedding plans!  He even texted me the next day saying, "Not sure what exactly we had for dinner last night, but they were really good, and I liked it!"  Man I love him!   So here you go, BBQ Chicken Tacos! 

BBQ Chicken Tacos 

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 4 - 6 (Depending on how 

Ingredients:

2-3 Chicken Breast Shredded (I used about a pound, and boiled the chicken)

3/4 Cup BBQ Sauce (Look for one with no High Fructose Corn Syrup)

2 Teaspoons Siracha

1 Bag Broccoli Slaw

Juice from one Lime

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro

2 Teaspoons Cumin

1 Teaspoon Chile Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Avocado, Greek Yogurt/Sour Cream for Serving

4-6 Whole Wheat Tortillas

Directions: 

1- Combine shredded chicken with BBQ Sauce and Siracha.  Stir till well combined and set aside.

2- In a medium bowl combine broccoli slaw through olive oil.  Make sure all ingredients are well combined.

3- To serve - Divide broccoli slaw among 4-6 whole wheat tortillas and top with BBQ chicken, Avocado Slices and taco toppings of choice!  I used siracha and avocado for ours - Derek LOVED them!

Enjoy! 

{Our Next Chapter}

Well, it is official...Derek and I are engaged!  He popped the question this past Saturday, April 29th.  He proposed on our two year anniversary, at the restaurant we had our first date, and at the site of our very first kiss!  

We are filled with excitement as we begin thinking about this new chapter in our lives, and have been overwhelmed with well wishes, and support from our family and friends!  We truly feel blessed to have such amazing family and friends, and are grateful for everyone who has helped us celebrate this milestone! So, would you like to here the tale of our engagement?  Derek asked in the most perfect way!  He truly surprised me, and knows me all to well!  Here it is, warning it's long!  

Recipe Round Up; Snack Time!

Happy Friday All!  I wanted to take the time to talk to you about some of my favorite snack recipes/ideas that I have been featured on the blog in the past month/months!  You see,  half marathon training is fully underway (I am talking long runs and sometimes double digit long weekend runs) and I find myself hungry all the time!  It is important to me to have healthy snacks accessible at all times, and not just healthy snacks but delicious snacks too!  So, enjoy my top snack picks from the blog! 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bites with Chia, Chocolate Chips and Cranberries:

{Sesame Kale Salad}

For those of you who have read the blog for a long time, you know that I have a slight addiction to the Lund's salad bar.  I mean the Lund's salad bar is my not so guilty pleasure (can you really feel guilty about a well stocked salad bar, well maybe when you see the price of your salad)!  For those of you who are not from Minnesota, and might not be familiar with Lund's, think Whole Foods and their amazing salad bar, but done local!  The Lund's salad bar is my weakness, and my go to for a quick and healthy dinner on those nights I just do not feel like cooking for one!

I mean we are talking fresh roasted veggies, grains, fruits, flax seeds, prepared fresh assorted salads, you name it and the Lund's salad bar probably has it!  One of my favorite items in or on the Lund's salad bar is this amazing Sesame Kale salad!  This salad always finds it's way into my salad container, and my sister and I pretty much go nuts when Lund's has it!  So you know what I did?  I recreated their delicious Sesame Kale Salad at home, and you know what it taste identical to Lund's, and now I can enjoy it anytime I want!  In fact, I snapped an iPhone picture of the finished salad and sent it to my sister and she couldn't tell the difference!  A few simple ingredients, and you have a flavor packed nutrient rich salad!

Sesame Kale Salad 

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Large Bunch Kale - Chopped 

2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil + Additional for drizzling over salad when serving 

1 Teaspoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce 

1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds 

Course Ground Pepper to Taste

1 Cup Match Stick Carrots
Siracha - Optional for Serving 

Directions:

1- Place Kale in a large salad bowl and drizzle with sesame oil.  Message sesame oil into Kale leaves for 3-5 minutes.  Add soy sauce and again message kale leaves.  

2- Toss kale with sesame seeds, carrots and pepper and place in fridge for an hour to mingle. 

3- To serve divide kale among four plates and drizzle with additional sesame oil (about 1/2 teaspoon per plate) or drizzle with siracha for a little kick, both are optional.  Top this kale salad with avocado slices, grilled chicken/fish/shrimp, or beans for a little added bulk! 

Enjoy! 

{Spicy Lime Chicken Soup with Cilantro}

To say that I am over winter would be an absolute understatement.  And even as I watched the most beautiful snow fall yesterday, I longed for warmer weather, no snow, a long run outside and Spring clothes!  This long and cold winter has me day dreaming about beaches, and may or may not be the cause for my sudden need to highlight my hair, I just needed a change people!  

There might be hope for warmer weather in our near future, the forecast is saying 56 on Saturday, and you better believe I will be in shorts if Minnesota hits 56 degrees!  That would be a major heat wave people!  But in the mean time, I am going to take advantage of these colder temps and enjoy one of my favorite things!  Soup!  This soup is spicy and brightened up with lime juice, and packed full of protein!  Top this soup off with, greek yogurt, cheese, avocado and tortilla chips and you have a fiesta of a dinner!  Can you tell I have been day dreaming about tropical places?

 Spicy Lime Chicken Soup with Cilantro

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

2-3 Small Chicken Breast Cooked and Shredded (About a Pound)

1 Can Black Beans Rinsed and Drained 

2 Cups Unsalted Chicken Stock 

2 - 15 Oz. Cans Fired Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic 

1 Medium Red Onion Chopped 

1/2 Red or Green Pepper Chopped 

1 Pablano Pepper Chopped 

1 Jalapeno Seeded and Chopped 

2 Garlic Cloves Minced 

2 Teaspoons Siracha (or other hot sauce) 

1 Teaspoon Chili Powder 

2 Teaspoons Cumin 

Salt and Pepper to Taste 

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil 

Juice from One Lime 

Handful of Cilantro 

**Avocado, Greek Yogurt/Sour Cream, Cheese and Tortilla Chips for Serving

Directions:

1- In a medium stock pot heat olive oil and sauté onions until tender.  Add in garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add in Red/Green Pepper, Pablano Pepper, and Jalapeno Pepper.  Saute for 5 minutes, or until peppers are tender. 

2- Stir in Siracha and Spices.  Add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling lower heat and cook soup for 5-7 minutes to ensure that soup is heated through. 

3- Stir in chicken, black beans, lime juice and cilantro.  Let simmer for 2-3 minutes and serve. 

To serve, divide soup among bowls and top with your favorite mexican inspired toppings.  I used pepper jack cheese and cilantro for my bowl.  Avocado would be delicious, as well as greek yogurt/sour cream! 

Enjoy!