Lemon Herb Chicken

I'm always on the lookout for healthy, easy chicken recipes. Months Over a year ago (time flies!) I mentally bookmarked a recipe seen on 12:01am for Lemon Herb Chicken for those two reasons. 

Not only are fresh lemons easy to come by in this neck of the woods, I already had all the other ingredients on hand. So for B's 30th beerthday BBQ I decided to give this recipe a try. I was so happy with the results the first go round that I've made it several times since. If you like lemons*, definitely give this one a squeeze!

1 lb chicken drumsticks or breasts (I've made both ways and prefer the breast)coarse kosher salt
extra virgin olive oil
dried rosemary
dried oregano
pepper
2 lemons

Brine the chicken overnight. This is done by soaking it in a mixture of water, salt and lemon juice. Take a large tupperware container and fill halfway with water. Squeeze one of the lemons into the water and add roughly 2-3 tablespoons of course salt. Add the chicken and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, remove the chicken from the water. Pat it dry with a paper towel and place in a medium casserole dish. Drizzle olive oil across the chicken. Sprinkle on the kosher salt, pepper, oregano and a generous amount of rosemary. Cover and re-refrigerate.

Before cooking, squeeze half of the second lemon over the chicken. You can also slice the other half and place in with the chicken for extra flavor. Bake in the oven (covered with tin foil) at 400 degrees for roughly 45 minutes. For last 5 minutes, remove the foil and broil. 

I've severed this with a variety of sides. I suggest this Chickpea Salad or with quinoa, red pepper, cucumber and feta salad pictured above (cannot find link, sorry!).

Enjoy! 

*It should probably go without saying - if you don't like lemon you might not like this recipe.

Mini Key Lime Pies

Today I am excited to have my first guest post this month. Jnelly is here to share a yummy portion controlled dessert - mini key lime pies! Being the crafty gal that she is, Jnelly also made cute toothpick signs to put in the pies!

Mini Key Lime Pie Recipe 

This rich key lime pie is baked then topped with whipped cream- yum!

½ cup key lime juice (fresh is best)

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 to 2 teaspoons of finely grated  lime zest

5 egg yolks

Whipped cream

12 mini graham cracker pie shells

Preparation

- Whisk sweetened condensed milk with egg yolks. 

- Stir in whipping cream and lime juice. Lastly, stir in lime zest.

- Pour into mini graham cracker crust on a baking sheet

- Bake at 325º for 15 to 20 minutes.

- Let mini pies cool for about 10 minutes.
- Add whipped cream lime slices and toothpick flags!

- Serve and ENJOY the tartness!

Tooth-pick lime slice craft

Supplies needed:

Scissors

Glue gun

Martha Stewart glitter “peridot”

Martha Stewart fine tip glue pen

Light green 8 ½ X 11 vellum paper

Patterned green paper

Small pearl 

How to make tooth-pick flags:

1. First I looked for free lime clip art online. I found this image and cropped it in half  to create a lime slice. Then I copied and pasted a few in publisher and wrote some text to describe the dessert over the lime clip-art.

 2. After designing the limes I printed them onto the vellum then carefully cut them out.

After cutting I placed them onto the patterned paper and free hand cut a larger semi circle around them leaving about 1/8^th of a inch around the vellum cut out.

3. Then I went over the “pits” with a glitter pen and adding the glitter.

After using pearl embellishments to attach the vellum to the patterned paper.
4. The final steps is administrating a thin strip of hot glue onto the tooth-pick then attach the lime in the center.

Badda bing, Badda boom and you are done! Congrats you are finished with a portioned controlled dessert with a very clever way to tell guests what type of dessert they are about to devour!

ENJOY!  <3 Jnelly

Thanks, Jnelly for sharing this great dessert and taking such beautiful photos! I am wishing I was in Atlanta to enjoy one with you.

This post is part of my September Creative Challenge. Follow along as Inspired Honey Bee and I do something creative Monday - Friday all this month! 

Muddled Berry Cocktails

I don't know about you, but I am trying my best to squeeze out every last ounce of summer. When I saw this yummy recipe on Pinterest (see here) I knew it would be a perfect cocktail to enjoy over this long weekend. I'm happy to report it was a success! Simple, pretty and delicious! According to a friend "this is what they serve when you get to heaven."

I will leave you with some mouth watering photos and the easy how-to. I recommend you get yourself a muddler and make some today. Cheers!

This post is part of my September Creative Challenge. Follow along as Inspired Honey Bee and I do something creative Monday - Friday all this month!

Betty Boop Bars

Prior to the Cotton's wedding we attended a backyard BBQ at their home. I offered to bring something and was assigned a sweet treat. Baking is not my strongest suit, so I went to the tried and true online cookbook of Smitten Kitchen. 

I was planning to make brownies but the description of the Hello Dolly Bars caught my attention: These are sticky, gooey and both chewy and crunchy and seriously, intensely sweet, but you won’t mind, especially when you find out they take 30 minutes to make. If the description and hands-on time didn't catch your attention, perhaps the photo will. 

Smitten Kitchen

I decided to give the bars a whirl and am happy to report they are just as delicious as their description!

 
When we arrived at the BBQ I was sharing with other guests what I'd brought. When I called them Hello Dolly bars and gave a brief description of their ingredients I started hearing "Oh yeah, Magic Bars...7 Layer Bars...etc". I've never known a dessert to go by so many names! 

Towards the end of the evening one of the guests asked me if there were any more of the Betty Boop Bars. When I first tried the bars I knew I'd make them again. When I heard that final name, I laughed and knew that's what I'd call my version: Betty Boop Bars.


Betty Boop Bars

 Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Hello Dolly Bars recipe
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into large pieces
3 cups graham crackers crumbs (approximately 20 graham crackers, pulsed in the magic bullet)
  1 bag (approximately 3 cups) chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
  2 cup shredded coconut
2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (small can)


- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in microwave until just melted when stirred. Add graham cracker crumbs. Mix and then press evenly into the bottom of a baking pan. (I used a large rectangular glass baking dish.)
- Layer coconut, pecans, butterscotch and chocolate chips on top of graham cracker base. Pour sweetened condensed milk over whole mixture.
- Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is light brown.

Enjoy!

what's cookin: Hardy Homemade Pasta Sauce

Growing up I remember both my parents making their own pasta sauce. What I remember most is the delicious smell of the sauce as it cooked for hours.  Although I grew up on homemade pasta sauce, I often purchase the jar sauce from the store because I was intimidated to make my own. 

Sometime last year my friend/coworker taught me how to make her homemade pasta sauce. It was then I realized that it really isn't hard to make, it just takes time. The longer it cooks, the more savory the flavor.
  
Over the holidays my family hosted B's family for dinner. Since I had the gift of time and needed to feed a big group (11 people total), I decided to make a big batch of homemade pasta sauce. Using aspects from the sauce I'd learned and a few recipes online, I came up with my own recipe. I was a little nervous trying something new with a big group, but it was a total success! It was so good in fact that I made another batch this past weekend for my mom's birthday party.  

As promised, I wanted to share my recipe. Don't be fooled by the name, its a hardy sauce but rather simple to make. 


Hardy Homemade Pasta Sauce
1 pound Italian sausage links (if you like spicy, I recommend using hot Italian sausage) 
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic 
1 32 oz can whole or diced tomatoes 
1 30 oz can tomato sauce *
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
 ~
1. Remove casing from sausage links. In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Continually stir and use the spatula to break sausage into small pieces. Remove from heat and place in strainer. Run hot water over meat to remove the extra fat/grease. Set aside. 
2. In a large skillet, heat ground beef, olive oil, garlic and onion over medium heat until meat is nicely browned; drain and rinse (similar to end of step 1). 
3. In a large pot, pour in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix in salt, ground pepper, basil, oregano, bay leaf and the cooked meat. Simmer uncovered for (at least) 1 hour**, stirring occasionally. 
4. Remove bay leaf. Serve over spaghetti, ravioli, tortellini or whatever floats your boat. 

Pairs well with garlic bread and red wine. Enjoy! 




* Depending on your consistency preference, you may want to add more tomato sauce. When I made the recipe to service 11 people, I used an additional 15oz can tomato sauce.
** If cooking for several hours (for added deliciousness) be sure to add additional water or broth because liquid will cook off leaving your your sauce a little dry.

I heart the Trader Joe's Cookbook

I received this cookbook from Rachel for my birthday. I know, my birthday was a while ago, but I have finally had time to use this sucker. True to its title, I truly heart the Trader's Joe Cookbook! 

{image via}

As I mentioned when I shared my list of favorites/go-to items from TJ's, it took me a while to truly navigate the store. There are so many unique items, I'm just not always sure how to prepare them. Thank goodness for the I heart Trader Joe's Cookbook because it makes meals out of items that can all be found at TJ's. The recipes are also very simple and have a 75% success rate in our house (unsuccessful =  the southern greens pasta. A for effort). 


Here is a sneak peak inside the cookbook and my favorite recipe (so far): 

Don't have a TJ's nearby? You could improvise most of the ingredients. 


10 days until Christmas...not too late to add this to your wish list or pick it up for the TJ's lover in your life!

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

The holidays are now in full swing. Thanksgiving is a recent memory and Christmas is just around the corner. Lots of over indulging and validation of said over indulging cause it's the holidays! I am all for that, trust me; however this year I'm trying to take advantage of the days in between celebrations to make up for the over indulging (as much as possible). 

If you're in the same boat as me or just want to try a new recipe, here's one for you: Stuffed Bell Peppers with Mexican rice. I made them vegetarian using Yves veggie meat (don't knock 'til you try it, actually really good and SO EASY) but you could also use ground beef or turkey (cause it's the holidays!). The Mexican rice I made along with this batch of stuffed peppers really is easy peasy. In fact, I will never buy boxed Mexican rice again because I think this turned out better. 

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers - the bigger, the better for stuffing

1 package Yves ground veggie meat

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Cheese, grated (i used cheddar)

1 carrot, grated

1 small bunch broccoli, chopped finely

2 green onions, chopped finely

Spices (a dash of each: garlic powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper)

Olive oil 

Veggie broth (optional)

--------

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut tops off of bell peppers. Scoop out insides of pepper and rinse out seeds. Chop up any edible part of the tops of peppers and add to mixture below.

Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add carrot, onions, broccoli and any edible bell pepper tops. Add some veggie broth or a little water. 

Add spices and cook veggies until a bit tender.

Add veggie meat and black beans to vegetables mix and stir. Keep in pan until warm.

In a glass dish, lightly oiled, put bell peppers standing up. 

Sprinkle a little cheese into the bottom of the pepper. Spoon some veggie mixture and push down into pepper then sprinkle with some grated cheese. Repeat until pepper is full. 

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until peppers are soft. Turn off oven and put reaming cheese on the top of the pepper. Leave in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Easy Peasy Mexican Rice

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 of a medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice, uncooked
2 cups veggie broth
1 cup chunky salsa

--------

Heat oil in a medium or large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix rice into pot and stir until it begins to brown. Stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Recipe found here courtesy of the Dish on Delish.

Enjoy! 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I think I'm on a soup kick. Here's why:

a) in the last few weeks I've made lentil soup, chicken taco soup and now roasted butternut squash soup b) the last few times I've gone through my recipes I am drawn to the soups c) it is Fall now (even in California) and nothing feels more cozy than a warm bowl of soup d) I've realized how easy it is to make your own soup, so that gives me even more motivation e) I've been known to go on 'kicks' before, like adding quinoa and couscous to many meals.

Kaci mentioned recently that she made butternut squash soup. I was intrigued and finally decided to make my own this weekend! I was especially drawn to this particular recipe because it's dairy free (hooray). I was happy with the result and would recommend serving with a salad or some form of protein (like your thanksgiving turkey!)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 (2.5 pound) butternut squash
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
6 cups vegetable stock (I used store bought, low sodium version. feeling more ambitious? make your own)
2 Yukon gold potatoes, coarsely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf


Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender. Cool. Discard peel; mash pulp.
3. Heat Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; saute 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add squash, vegetable broth and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
4. In small batches, place vegetable mixture in a blender (I used my magic bullet*). Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining squash mixed. Return pureed mixture to pan; cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. 


The original recipe suggested adding parsley and honey into each bowl of soup. I didn't add the parsley but we did try honey. It may sounds strange but it was a delicious addition!


Enjoy! 


* Since steam cannot escape from Magic Bullet, I blended small batches for 60 seconds or less. I also used a dish towel to handle the bullet so I didn't burn my hands. It worked perfectly! 

Original recipe and photo from Cooking Light.

Chicken Taco Soup

Have I told you about chicken taco soup? If I haven't, I'm shocked. It's my newest favorite soup - delicious, hearty and so, so easy. 

I made a big batch on Sunday and invited over a few friends for a "family dinner". About an hour after I'd put all the ingredients in the Crock Pot, our power went out. We quickly realized it wasn't just a blown fuse, but a power outage on the whole block. My first thought was GREAT no excuse or distractions while I clean. Second thought: oh crap, the Crock Pot! Thankfully a clever friend reminded me that we have a gas stove and can cook even during a power outage! Hooray. The soup turned out just as good on the stove top. Given the choice, I'd still use the ol' Crock Pot. 

So without further ado, I give you Chicken Taco Soup that can be made in the Crock Pot or on your stove top. Make it for yourself and have meals for days to come. Or make a batch and invite over friends and ask them to bring toppings (or corn bread and to.die.for. nutella brownies, like Rachel).

Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients: 

2 15oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

10 oz corn (frozen or canned, drained and rinsed)

16 oz can tomato sauce

1 15oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

15 oz chicken stock

1 small onion, diced

1 package taco seasoning

2 or 3 boneless chicken breasts (I say the more the merrier)

Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, corn bread, sliced olives, cilantro

Directions: Place the first 7 ingredients in the slow cooker and mix well. Place chicken breasts on top of the ingredients and cover the slow cooker. Cook on high 4-5 hours, or low 8-10 hours. Remove the chicken and cool on a cutting board while you prepare the toppings. Once chicken is cool, shred and mix back into the soup.

Enjoy for dinner (2 bowls is totally acceptable) AND lunch the next day. Yep, it's that good. 

Recipe found here. 

Garlic Parmesan Couscous

 Over the last few weeks we've received several homegrown tomatoes from our neighbors. Every now and then I'll come home and see one or two sitting on our back porch. Towards the end of last week there was a sticky note on the front door that said "more tomatoes!". I looked out back and saw these...

 Since B isn't a huge fan, I have been enjoying the crops by myself. When we received this bunch, I knew I couldn't eat them all so it was time to get creative. Using ingredients I had on hand I came up with chicken parmesan with roasted tomatoes and garlic parmesan couscous.

 To make the chicken: Place the chicken in a zip lock and pounded them with a flat pan. Bread with Italian bread crumbs and baked at 400 degrees for approx 20 minutes.

To make the roasted tomatoes: Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and the larger tomatoes into 1 inch chunks. Toss the tomatoes in a glass baking dish with olive oil, fresh garlic, basil and 21 season salute (from TJ's). Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, at the same time as the chicken. Mash tomatoes to create a sauce. Top chicken breast with sauce and a slice of cheese (I used provolone) and pop back in the oven for a minute or two. 

Meanwhile, prepare the garlic parmesan couscous, see recipe below. I made this recipe up as a solution for an affordable and delicious side. I used to eat Near East flavored couscous and rice pilaf all.the.time. That is until I realized it is so easy to make and probably better for you (less sodium, for sure). 
 

Garlic Parmesan Couscous

1 cup whole wheat couscous

1 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

In large sauce pan, combine broth, olive oil and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour dry couscous into sauce pan. Stir well. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and slowly add parmesan cheese. 



Enjoy!

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Each week as I make my grocery store list, I flip through my recipe book and pull out 2-3 meal ideas. I never plan what days we will have the meals, I just purchase the ingredients to have on hand for the week. Then I put the recipes on the fridge for when I need them. This is my new routine, since moving in with B. It's working out really well and keeps me from wandering the grocery store aisles thinking "what the heck should I make for dinner?" Plus, I have the chance to keep trying new recipes. 

Here's what we ate this week:
Sunday: Gnocchi with Roasted Cauliflower
Monday: Summer Squash and Corn Chowder 
Tuesday: Pumpkin Pancakes (mix from TJ's) with fruit smoothies
Wednesday: Chicken Taco Salad
Thursday: Beef Stir Fry

The Summer Squash and Corn Chowder was my new recipe for this week (#10 of my 10x2010 personal challenge). I knew B would love the corn, he is an Iowan after all. The summer squash was a delicious addition to an otherwise average corn chowder! And how can you resist a healthy recipe that includes cheddar and bacon on top? Although I try to steer clear of dairy, I went ahead and used regular milk over soy milk. Next time I will definitely make it with Lactaid milk, as suggested by Kaci. 

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Ingredients
2  slices applewood-smoked bacon
3/4  cup  sliced green onions, divided
1/4  cup  chopped celery
1  pound  yellow summer squash, chopped
1  pound  frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
2 1/4  cups  1% low-fat milk, divided 
1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/8  teaspoon  salt
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese.

Serves 4

Enjoy! 

How to make quinoa

Once upon a time my friend Stephanie and I attended an all day women’s health event. At the silent auction, we bid-on and won sessions with a nutritionist. The package was intended for an individual, however we convinced her to see both of us for fewer sessions.

Each session was 2 hours and we met at different natural and main stream grocery stores. After our lessons on whole foods (as in not processed, not the actual store), she would take us on a grocery store tour. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we learned a lot. One of the many new foods we learned about was quinoa. We learned about it's protein-packing nutritional benefits and then tried it mixed in a healthy salad. It was delicious, yet we both got the impression it was hard to make and never did…until now.

When I lived on Cragmont Ave, Rachel whipped up some quinoa in her rice cooker. I was blown away at how easy it was and quickly began incorporating it into a lot of meals. I think it makes a side dish, or can be made into a meal of its own.

In case you were in the dark on quinoa like me, here’s how to cook it: 

Rice cooker (my preference):

Simply treat the quinoa like rice. Add 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. Stir, cover and cook. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Stove top:

Rinse 1 part quinoa in clean water.

Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 parts of water to a boil in a sauce pan.

Turn heat to low and add the quinoa. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Do not remove the lid while the quinoa is cooking.

Quinoa is done when all liquid is absorbed. Allow pot to stand for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and serve.

* For added flavor, substitute all or part of the water for vegetable or chicken broth.

Since my quinoa revelation I’ve been seeking out more recipes that include it. This is one of my new favorite from the dish on delish. I’ve made a few minor tweaks to the recipe (adding less onion and black beans) and agree with her suggestion to serve it with zucchini quesadillas!

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic and sauté until lightly browned.

Add quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed).

Stir in frozen corn and black beans until heated through. Remove from heat and add chopped cilantro. Serve warm, room temperature or cold. 

We top our salad and quesadilla with guacamole and fresh salsa – yum!

Enjoy!

Kick your smoothie up a notch

I was recently inspired by this blogger to try adding spinach to my smoothie. You see, I love a good smoothie (thanks largely in part to my Magic Bullet that makes a single serving smoothie so easily). I also love spinach. Not necessarily for the taste, but for the nutritional punch it packs in every bite. In salads, sauted or mixed into meals, I'm a fan.

Not a super fan, gaah gaahh gaaahh gaahh gaahhh, but a fan enough to give it a whirl in my smoothie. I am officially hooked. I can't even taste the spinach (although B said he could), but love knowing it's in there.

Spinach Smoothie 

serves 1

Handful spinach
1 banana, broken into pieces
Splash of juice (I used mango puree and filled to the top of spinach)
1 scoop protein powder
Frozen berries, fill to top of cup
Water, fill to almost top of cup (or you could also use more juice)

 Blend. 

And ENJOY knowing you are kicking your smoothie up a few notches! 

If you try it, will you let me know what you think? I bet you'll be delightfully surprised! 

Looking fashionable in the fridge

Within the last week my snacks and lunches have been upgraded. Not so much the actual food, but the containers that I put them in. 

Exhibit A: SnakSaks

 courtesy of this sweet friend

Exhibit B: M lunch size bag

courtesy of this sweet friend 

My friends know me well - I bring my lunch and snacks to work, I like cute things and I love cute things that are reusable/cut down on waste!

Inside this cute lunch sack today is this:

Couscous Salad with Mint, Raisins & Almonds

1/2 cup whole-grain couscous

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 (15 ounce) can chickpeas 

1/2 cucumber, cubed

1/4 cup (small handful) fresh mint, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

2 tablespoons dressing  my choice: Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette 

I typically make two salads at one time, to make the most of the ingredients. 

Enjoy! 

*Recipe from Bikini Boot Camp