mini bbq chicken meatloaves.

Chicken can become boring.  I've been trying to change it up here and there.  In the future I will post more chicken recipes once I re-make them.  (Jalapeno popper chicken breasts, fried panko chicken, rosemary chicken).  I have also been trying to use lean ground chicken instead of plain old chicken breasts because again--boring after awhile.

One night I decided to be creative and make mini chicken meatloaves with mashed sweet potatoes.

This is the worst part about ground meat.  Touching it makes me queasy.  But I pulled through, my friends, I sure did.  I mixed it with eggs, panko breadcrumbs, and bbq sauce.  Nasty.  But worth it in the end. 

ingredients

• 1 package of ground chicken (or beef, pork, or turkey)
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs 
• 1 egg
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used PC Apple Butter sauce)
• 1/2 cup or so of BBQ sauce to top meatloaves

directions
Preheat the oven to 375.  Mix the ground meat in a big bowl with egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, and 1/2 cup of bbq sauce.  Try not to be too disgusted, it feels awful.  Once mixed, scoop into a muffin tin, distributing the ground meat evenly.  Pat down with a spoon (or your hands).  Spoon a bit of BBQ sauce onto each mini meatloaf.  Put the pan in the oven and let them cook for 30-35 minutes.

ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup of cream (I use fat free)

directions

Peel and chop your sweet potatoes.  Put them in a big pot filled with water and heat on high.  Once the water boils, turn the heat down to medium and let the potatoes cook until you can easily pierce through them with a fork.  Once cooked, drain them, put them back into the pot and mash with garlic, salt and pepper, butter, and cream.

This meal was relatively quick and easy.  It was also pretty delicious on a cold night.

spring wishlist.

(1)  Coach:  Poppy Floral Print Hallie Tote  (Along with the matching wallet.)
(2)  Aldo:  Bonomi Heels in Bone
(3)  Rickis:  Kimono Sleeve Bolero in Black  (And gray.)
(4)  Kate Spade:  New York Studs

I especially want the bag.  I have shoes, sweaters, and earrings that are eerily similar to all of those.  I am boring but the bag is exciting.  That bag is something else.

thai coconut chicken.

Some days I come home from work and I don't feel like cooking.  Actually, most days are the same.  I do the majority of my cooking experiments on the weekend and stick with simple things during the week.  I could probably live off of toast, salad, and cheese and crackers as meals.  On the weekend I like to try to spice things up.

I think this meal will become a weekday staple easily.  It was simple, delicious, and yielded so much food that I had lunches for a couple of days.  

I started out with a spice pack.  Usually I make my own spice mixtures but I had this one in the cupboard:

Club House's Thai Coconut Chicken.  Thai food could have a serious battle with my love for Indian food.  And win.  When I purchased this spice pack I was hoping it would taste a bit like  my favourite emerald curry from My-Thai but it didn't.  It was completely different and still completely delicious.  Not sure if I am crazy about the added stuff in the mix, but maybe I can figure out how to copy it with my own spices. 

Totally didn't have any vegetables that would have worked with the thai spices, so I used a defrosted bag of Green Giant's Japanese Mix.  Carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, yellow peppers, and my favourite water chestnuts?!  Good enough!  I never said this meal would be authentic.  

ingredients

• 1 package of Club House thai choconut chicken seasoning
• 1 package Green Giant vegetables (or 3 cups of your own chopped ones)
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil  (I used EVOO) 
• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup coconut milk 
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter (I used Kraft Whipped PB and added a half tbsp.)
• Rice or noodles for serving
• Sriracha, for some extra heat (optional)

**Note:  The recipe calls for 1-1 1/2 cups of veggies.  I used about 3 and a half cups because I love them. Next time I plan on freezing half of it.  


directions
In a wok or a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Chop chicken into chunks and add into skillet, cooking for about 4 minutes.  Add your vegetables and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.  Blend the milk, coconut milk, and spices and add to the skillet.  Also add peanut butter and mix.  (Or mix all of it in a blender or food processor until it is smooth and then add it to your skillet).  Reduce heat to medium and stir regularly to help the sauce thicken.  (Add a bit of corn starch if it won't thicken up).  Serve over rice or noodles.  Add sriracha if you like a lot of heat. 

I honestly think that this recipe was better the next day when I took it for lunch.  The only thing I would do differently next time is add bamboo shoots.  And I would freeze half the recipe as I had to throw some out because it had been in the fridge too many days.  Which made me very sad.  I almost wanted to risk food poisoning to finish it off.

buxom love.

I've been pretty sick all week and haven't really cooked, done anything exiciting, etc.  What I have done all week is cough, lose out on a bunch of sleep, and feel sorry for myself.  I've also watched a bunch of The Sopranos Season 6.  I haven't really had the energy or motivation to post this week.  But be prepared, I am going to attempt to bake heart shaped cinnamon rolls (recipe from my bff) for Valentine's Day and I see thai coconut chicken in my near future--that is when I can taste food again.

We had a Snow Day on Friday which has been my first real "Snow Day" off of work.  So basically I was paid to sit around in a blanket in my pyjamas all day watching Sopranos which made me so happy.  I just wish I had been feeling better to enjoy the day even more.

Since I haven't put makeup on since Thursday I thought I would post about one of my favourite makeup brands:  Buxom.

I am not the type of girl to stick with just one brand of makeup.  I love to experiment with different brands and products.  Buxom has the BEST matte lipstick and mascara though.  Every single new mascara recipe they concoct is better than the last.  

Today I shall show you all my two favourite shades of Buxom's Big & Healthy Lip Sticks.  These are matte lipsticks that slide on smoothly, give a rich and vibrant colour that lasts.  I am not kidding.  This lipstick will be with you for the long haul.  Through dinner and drinks and even hours afterward.  Not only that, the stick serves as a liner and a lipstick and a lip plumper.  The plumping agent does tingle and although that may be weird at first but you get used to it.  It stays on your lips forever and don't be fooled by the thin tube.  You will definitely get a lot of use out of it before the stick runs out. 

And now for my favourite colours..

Everyday Use:  Bombay.  Such a pretty pink.  Not too bold but not a nude either.  It is perfect for a day of running errands or a day at the office.

Going Out:  Brooklyn.  Dates, dinner, or even when I am bored with my makeup and want to make a bolder statement.  This was the first one I purchased and I've been hooked ever since.

My Next Purchase:  Barcelona.  Such a rich, pretty red.  I'd use it every day even though it's so bold.

Sephora (where I have obtained these photos) is the perfect place to pick up Buxom products.  

And there you have it.  I need to get to Sephora.

tomato and chickpea curry.

I love chickpeas and I love curry and I adore Rachael Ray..  so I had to try this Every Day With Rachael Ray recipe.

ingredients

• 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 3 cloves of garlic (Rach's recipe calls for 1 if I remember correctly.)
• 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground ginger
• 3/4 pound of ground turkey or chicken
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 2 tbsp. coriander
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 2 1/2 cups of roasted tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 28 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of chicken broth, low sodium
• salt and pepper
• zest of 1/2 lemon 
• 1 1/2 cups of plain yogurt, fat-free
• naan bread for serving

directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until the onion is soft.  Move those ingredients to the side of the pan and add the spices and ground meat until the meat is browned.  Add your tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.  Squeeze some lemon juice on top of your ingredients.  Simmer on the stove for at least ten more minutes.  Before serving, add yogurt and mix everything together until the yogurt is warmed.

Definitely not the prettiest looking meal in the world, but it was delicious and at the end of the day that is all that matters.