It Tastes Like Summer!

At the grocery store on monday I saw two things that mean summer to me and had to pick them up for that nights dinner.

Cherries and Corn on the Cob!!

Dan and I have found a new recipe for Buffalo Chicken Wing Sandwiches that we've pretty much had once a week for the past month so I thought I would share. It takes about 10 minutes to put the whole thing together and it's really yummy, so that makes it a winner in my book.

I found the recipe in one of the past few month's Real Simple magazines and have modified it slightly so that it's a little less caloric.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (if you can get one from Costco, then you'll probably have enough for leftovers)
• 1/2 Cup of Hot Sauce (we use Wingman's Buffalo Style Medium Sauce)
• 1-2 tablespoons butter (I tend to use less butter)
• 1/4 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Bread/Bun of your choice

And here's how to make it:

First heat the butter in a skillet and then add the chicken and mix it up. Then drop in the hot sauce and mix it again. Once the chicken is warmed through you're done! Just place it on your bread, which tastes even better toasted and add blue cheese.

This dish is normally awesome, but with cherries and corn on the cob off to the side, it was a perfect start to summer meal!

Kombucha

 Have you tried it?

I am in the midst of a love/hate relationship with it right now. It's essentially a fermented Chinese tea, that I have been hearing more and more about. It contains probiotics, enzymes, polyphenols and organic acids that are supposed to promote health, well-being and balance in your body.

Their are a ton of different varieties and brands out there, but right now I have been trying different flavors in GT's Kombucha brand. A few things to note if you've never tried it but are thinking about it:

1. There is stuff floating in your drink. It looks gross, but it's actually the live culture that all of the healthy ingredients from the drink came from. I've found that if you don't think about it, you don't even realize when you've swallowed it.
2. The flavors I have tried so far have all been carbonated. Perhaps this is not really a surprise to anyone, but it was to me.
3. It has a slight smell and taste of vinegar. Nothing that strong, but it's definitely noticeable. I tend to like the flavors that have some juice in them to balance out that taste.
4. So far my favorite flavors have been the Gingerberry above and Strawberry Serenity.

I'm not sold on the health benefits yet, but I do think that it acts as a bit of an appetite suppressor and it keeps me from overdosing on caffeine from afternoon lattes :)


POST EDIT: One more thing to note. On each bottle, there is a little blurb that says, "DO NOT SHAKE". They mean it. I accidentally did this morning and I still can't open the bottle yet without Kombucha spilling everywhere!

Thanksgiving 2010

I was pretty ambitious this Turkey day! Not only did I participate in a Turkey Trot that morning, but we hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year. Our friends that Bivens came over and we held up our yearly tradition of feasting together. This was actually our 4th Thanksgiving together and the first one held at my house.

The food was great! But all in all, it was a really chaotic experience for me. I think I ended up taking on way to much of the cooking myself.

Don't mind Eric, he's trying to be creepy here!

Here's my plate! Filled with sweet potato casserole, a cranberry glazed turkey, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy and a bread role!  Oh, and stuffing, which I almost forgot to make entirely!

Next year, I will seriously consider having Whole Foods make most of the meal for us so I can focus more on wine and socializing and less on recipes and ingredient lists!Hope your Thanksgiving was a great one!

But Will It Make You Happy?

Did you see this article in Sunday's New York Times? If you missed it, you can luckily still read it right here. It talks about how spending money in different ways impacts happiness. If you have 5 minutes, you should read it. It made me think a little bit more about what is really important to spend my money on and what might just be something that will just suit my fancy for a short period of time.

While the article may not entirely agree, one of the things that I've been spending my money on lately is my new favorite drink:

The XXX flavor is the best! And for a little thing, it has definitely been putting a smile on my face!

How Now...

 

found via Google Images

A couple of months ago, we revamped our eating and cooking habits at 315 in an attempt to become more healthy. One of my first orders of business was to go out and find a better yogurt. We had been Dannon people through and through, but I was feeling like we were eating too many artificial flavors and preservatives. So, I went on a month long quest in which I tested as many yogurts as I could find. I really wanted to switch over to Greek yogurt, but have found through extensive testing that the taste of it is not up my alley.

 

Luckily I came across the Brown Cow brand. Their Cream Top Vanilla and Raspberry Fruit on the Bottom options are sooo good! And they are all natural, free of artificial growth hormone and come in earth friendly packaging. Also, I went to their web site while writing this post and discovered that you can sign up for coupon offers through their site. 

I'm pretty much a complete convert. although I haven't really sold Dan completely on them yet. His favorite so far is the Wallaby Berries and Cream Fruit on the Bottom. I find it good, but it's no Brown Cow.

General Disclaimer: Even though there is probably no one reading this blog except for friends and family, I thought I would just throw it out there that I have received no compensation or incentive to write this post. Sharing is caring people, and I care, okay :)