{Recipe} BBQ Chicken Bowls w/ Roasted Broccoli & Sweet Potato

Life has been pretty busy these days. I'm 3 1/2 months into a new show & man, is it exhausting. The work is extremely challenging (which is great) but I find myself coming home from work completely beat. It's hard to find the energy to cook after a long day, but when I stumble across recipes like this one, it makes cooking a complete breeze! This recipe is seriously SO easy & with the right BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays is my personal fav) so so good. Anyone ever notice I use the word "so" a lot? Sorry, I'll work on it.  The other awesome part of this recipe is the ability to swap out potatoes or veggies depending on your preference.  I happened to love this combo, but might try changing it up in the future.  Have a favorite combo? I'd love to hear it! Oh & of course, this recipe is really healthy. Done.

ABOUT:
Serves: 2-4 (we ate this for just one meal but had I made a salad for starters, this would have easily lasted for 2 meals)
Cook time acc to original recipe: 45 mins
Cook time acc to me: 55 mins - 1 hour
How difficult was this for me? Pretty easy!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (thin sliced if possible)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, chopped (I used pre-chopped because I am lazy)
1 head broccoli
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/2 cup bbq sauce, divided
2 tbsp olive oil, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line baking sheet with tinfoil.

In a mixing bowl, toss onion & sweet potato with 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt,  garlic powder & chili powder making sure to coat as best as possible.



Spread out evenly on baking sheet.



Bake for 15 mins.

Remove from heat & push the sweet potatoes & onion to one side.  Add broccoli to veggie pile & push to one end.

Place chicken on pan & coat with bbq sauce. I only coated one side (because I forgot) but I suggest brushing both sides with bbq sauce.

Bake an additional 15-20 mins until chicken is fully cooked.



Remove from heat & shred chicken.

Place everything in a bowl & enjoy!

Enjoy!

{Style} 12 Clutches for Summer Under $100

Handbags have always been my weakness. I can remember my 12th birthday party when I got my first real purse . It was plastic with melded glitter in it. As soon as I got home, I remember excitedly rummaging around my bedroom finding lip glosses, lotions I probably stole from my mom (sorry mom) & other "necessities" to fill it with.

This is pretty damn close to what it looked like except it was smaller.
90s style was just the best. 

Clothes weren't always my thing (pretty sure all I wore was a variety of sweat pants in high school) but bags were my jam.  As time has gone on, my weakness for bags has only gotten worse, but it's taken itself in a different direction.  I still ogle at all the pretty bags when I walk through Nords & occasionally treat myself to one, but mostly, I've become one of those people who carries around an insanely oversized piece of luggage (pretending it's still just a purse) filled with SO MUCH CRAP.   Don't get me wrong, I am pretty obsessed with my current work bag from Cuyana (they monogram!) but when I go out to dinner or leave the house for other purposes besides work, I have got to downsize. 

I've always loved clutches because you can find some really fun pieces in bold colors & patterns for very little cost.  With summer quickly approaching, it's time to ditch the black & brown bags from winter & brighten things up.    I've already purchased one two of the clutches below & have been looking for my next one to purchase.  While searching, I came across some really adorable bags, all under $100 that I just had to share with you! Can you guess which 2 I've already purchased?

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten / eleven / twelve

Museum of Ice Cream

Last Friday, 2 friends & I embarked on one of our most colorful adventures yet.  We went to the Museum of Ice Cream.  I first heard about this magical museum last summer when it opened in NYC.  I kept seeing Instagram pics of people lounging in a "pool of sprinkles."  POOL. OF. SPRINKLES.  Turns out, the pool is not filled with real sprinkles...which is definitely for the best.

source

Anyways, when the museum announced they'd be hitting LA this spring, I knew I HAD to get tickets.  There was a lot of stress involved (everything in LA sells out SO freaking fast), but my friends mom was able to score 3 tickets for us, thanks to the Amex pre-sale. Shout out to Stacey Bass or making this happen.

The museum would be better characterized as an interactive art installation.  The museum consisted of a bunch of different themed rooms & in each room, there was something tasty to eat as well as something tasty to look at. So let's just get to what ya'll are waiting for...the pictures.

Before entering, we had to listen to the Sprinkles Fairy give us instructions on the museum.

We tasted McConnell's Earl Grey with Biscuits Ice Cream in the LA room. I liked way more than I was expecting to!

Mint Chocolate Chip Mochi in the mint room. Excellent.

  

Can you guess what we ate in this room?

Charcoal infused cookie dough ice cream...weird, but good.

 

Ok so this pool...it was way fun, but we only had 2 mins in it & there were a ton of other people, so trying to get a good photo was damn near impossible. This would probably be my only complaint!

Yes, it annoys me that we aren't centered in this picture.
That's what happens when others take the photo.

It was such a silly & fun night. I'd go back just to take more pics!

{Recipe} Lightened Up Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Sometimes scrolling through old posts can be a bit painful because of my stellar photography skills. This particular post isn't TOO bad, but it definitely deserves a face lift. It's embarrassing that it has been 4 years since I made this dish. Seriously, a CRIME. This recipe is SO good, you'd never know it was a lightened up version. It is creamy, it is rich & it is delicious.  My only complaint (& it's the same complaint I had 4 years ago) I wanted more after I ate my one serving!! This time around I added chicken & that bit of protein really did wonders on filling me up.  The recipe is a bit labor intensive, but overall really not that bad & totally worth all the steps.  I definitely won't be waiting another 4 years to make it again!

OLD:

NEW:

Every once in a while I just want to indulge. I want to forget about being healthy & making good choices. I want to forget about the summer & bathing suit season. I want to just relax & enjoy eating delicious foods without worrying about the consequences.  After drooling over Fettuccine Alfredo recipes online, I knocked some sense into myself & decided to look for a healthier alternative.  This recipe was SO much better than I had anticipated!! It was rich & creamy & every bit tasted like I was indulging in something horrible.  The only problem I had with this dish was the portion size.  Sadly, this makes 4 servings...when it could have EASILY been 2.  I guess thats the sacrifice for it being so delicious. 

I found this recipe at Cooking Classy & just by the look of her picture, I HAD to make it.  This recipe is similar to a guest post I featured a few months ago, Low-cal Fettuccine Alfredo but this has a different spin on it. It is a bit richer but the portion size is smaller.  I cannot wait to make this again!

ABOUT

Serves: 4

Cook time according to Cooking Classy: 20 mins

Cook time according to Rachel: 40 mins

How difficult was this for Rachel? Not horrible...there are a bunch of steps, but worth the end result!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
8 oz Fettuccine pasta, uncooked
1 cup fresh broccoli
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup skim milk
2 tbsp heavy cream
1tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup fresh, finely shredded parmesan cheese
2 oz Neufchatel cheese
black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to directions on package.

NEW (& apparently only pic):

While pasta is cooking, in a medium skillet or grill pan, cook chicken approx. 10-12 mins until no longer pink

NEW:

While chicken & pasta are cooking, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

Once fully melted, mix in flour & cook while whisking constantly for 2 mins.

OLD:

NEW:

Gradually add in milk while whisking vigorously until smooth.

Stir in cream, lemon juice, salt & garlic powder. Continue to stil to prevent lumps from forming. 

Cook sauce until mixture thickens & begins to gently bubble.

OLD:


NEW:

Reduce heat to low, add in Parmesan cheese & Neufchatel cheese & stir until cheese has melted.

OLD:

NEW:

Mix in broccoli. Let mixture continue to cook for 3-4 mins to soften broccoli up while continuing to stir.

OLD:

NEW:

By now your pasta & chicken should be done cooking. Add pasta into mix first & mix thoroughly.

NEW:

Add in chicken & mix well.

NEW:

Serve Immediately!

Note: when reheating the day after, I added a little more parmesan & cream.

{Recipe} Garlic Honey Shrimp

I don't know about you, but I am ALWAYS looking for quick & easy weeknight dinners that also taste good. Bonus points if they're healthy & don't involve chicken!  I usually get home between 6:30-7pm & by the time I'm done loving on my dogs & doing my after work things (you know, hair up, sweat pants, bra off) the last thing I want to do is make a big meal that's super detailed & takes a while.  I love love love shrimp, so when I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, I was quickly intrigued.

PEOPLE.  This recipe does NOT disappoint. It was seriously SO good & SO easy to throw together. I served it with brown rice & roasted broccoli (the best & easiest recipe coming soon.)   I was a touch worried this recipe would taste "too" healthy but I gobbled it up SO quickly. We'll definitely be adding this recipe to our rotation!

ABOUT
Serves: 4 (It might have only served 2 in our house)
Cook time acc to original recipe: 20 mins
Cook time acc to me: closer to 30 mins
How difficult was this for me? NOT HARD AT ALL

INGREDIENTS
1 lb medium shrimp, pealed, deveined & detailed (you can leave the tail on if you want)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic (I added just a touch more)
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
2 tsp olive oil
Fresh green onion as garnish (fun fact, I bought some & then completely forgot about it. Whoops)

DIRECTIONS

Whisk honey, soy sauce, garlic & ginger (if using) in a small bowl until fully combined creating the marinade.

Place shrimp in a large ziploc bag.  Pour in 1/2 the marinade & massage the bag to make sure the marinade covers the shrimp as best as possible.

Anyone else think raw shrimp looks disgusting? You are not alone.

Fridge the shrimp for 15-20 mins to let the marinade set. (You can leave it for up to 24 hours)   

Cover the remaining marinade & fridge.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet for 1-2 mins on medium-high heat

Add shrimp to the skillet.  I added the used marinade to the pan, though this can be a debated topic.  The marinade boils later in the process, killing any bacteria left from the shrimp. So you should be good to go.  If you'd prefer to err on the side of caution & dump it, there is enough sauce from the unused to suffice!

Cook the shrimp for approx 10 mins , flipping once.  I ended up flipping multiple times just because I didn't want them to burn.

Your sauce should boil & thicken, which adds a ton of flavor to the shrimp. If it doesn't, turn up the heat. Just be careful to keep flipping your shrimp or moving them around. 

You want the shrimp to be pink or even darker like I did.

***The picture below has NOT been edited, so thats how much I let my shrimp cook!

Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction