Happy Anniversary!

No no no its not mine (although ours is coming up very soon!), but its one of my bff's first year anniversary with her sweet hubby tomorrow and I couldn't be happier for them and I just had to bake them a little treat to celebrate! I was trying to find a recipe where I had everything on hand and I came across these Chocolate Walnut muffins, they are even vegan for those of who are following a vegan lifestyle.

Chocolate Walnut Muffins via Baking Bites

Vegan Chocolate Walnut Muffins

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup maple syrup
¾ cup milk (I used 1%)

½ tsp vanilla added

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8 muffin cups in a baking tin.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, milk and vegetable oil. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir until smooth, adding walnuts at the last minute. Do not over mix, but try not to have any pockets of dry ingredients left in the batter. Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling each 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Let cool slightly before serving. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, before storing well wrapped or in an airtight container.
Makes 8 muffins

Enjoy! And happy one anniversary Katie & Paul!

PJs Day & Night

So what do you all think of the whole pajama dressing trend? It was on many Spring/Summer 12 runways and many a celeb have experimented with the trend. I do like the idea of it, and now I love the idea of it after seeing this dress. I have a feeling this would be the kind of piece that I would WEAR all the time. Too bad I still can't justify the price tag!

Cynthia Rowley Pajama Shirt Dress

Decisions...Decisions

Soooo I have a VERY fun wedding weekend coming up in Santa Fe for dear friends and I want to buy a fabulous colorful cocktail dress, one especially that can be complemented by turquoise statement earrings, when in Santa Fe right? Here are my top two options at the moment? Would LOVE to hear what you all think...I wonder if you all are leaning towards the one I am?

Option #1

Jill Stuart Silk Chiffon Colorblock Dress

Option #2

BCBG  Carys Floral Strapless Cocktail Dress

HELP!!!

Another WINNER of a Chicken Recipe!

Ok so I have yet another chicken recipe, but I'm telling you friends this one is DELICIOUS. Again it's easy, relatively healthy and yummy - what more could you ask for? This chicken can easily be prepped earlier in the day which is always a time saver and I would suggest lining your baking sheet in foil for easy clean up.

Enjoy!

Roasted Parmesan Chicken from A Nutritionist Eats

Roasted Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 medium sized chicken breasts (I used a chicken thigh for the hubs)
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup panko
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Combine panko, parmesan, garlic and olive oil in small bowl.

Press panko mixture onto chicken.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Handbag Love from Smythson

Ummm I'm guessing that I'm late to the party, but I wasn't completely aware of how many gorgeous bags the luxury leather brand Smythson makes. I came cross these on the the blog Wearing It Today when seeing what all lovely items this stylish blogger wore at London Fashion Week and wow they are all gorgeous. I think my favorite is the Emily Shoulder Bag, what about you all? I'm a big believer in spending your big bucks on shoes or handbags, its what you will get the most use out of!

Small Nancy Hobo in Pebble

Emily East/West Zip Tote

Emily Shoulder Bag

Perfect In-Law Meal!

I had the joy of hosting my sweet in-laws for dinner last Thursday night and I was so happy with how my menu turned out! We had a delicious and nutritious meal, but not one that tasted uber healthy which is always a plus. I served a Lightened Up version of Chicken Tetrazzini and Green Salad with Clementines. The biggest winner about this meal was that I could make the tetrazzini completely ahead and of time and then just pop it in the oven, SO easy and nice also to then be able to actually talk with your guests instead of being in the kitchen when they arrive. I also put out some sliced bread (multi grain baguette) and served my favorite hummus from Central Market (Lemon Artichoke) with some chips for an appetizer beforehand. I once heard a tip and I can't remember from where now, but that when entertain store buy either your appetizer or your dessert to make things a little easier on you!

Lightened Up Chicken Tetrazzini from Ingredients, Inc.

Lightened Up Chicken Tetrazzini

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
12 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
11/2 cups grated fresh Parmesan cheese
8 ounces cooked whole wheat angel hair pasta
21/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Cook onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, salt and pepper in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 4 minutes or until slightly tender. Add flour and cook 5 minutes. Gradually add broth and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add cream cheese and Parmesan, stirring with a whisk. Stir in chicken, mixing well. Add chicken mixture to pasta, tossing gently.

2. Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7- inch baking dish.

3. Melt butter in skillet. Brown panko breadcrumbs in skillet 2 minutes. Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

I also served a green salad that was a spin off of a delicious and fresh salad I had had a few weeks ago at dear family friends of ours. Marinda (the mom/wife/most amazing cook) always has the best dishes and this salad rocked! I used this recipe for my starting off point.

Green Salad with Clementines (Serves 4)

Ingredients for Salad

1 box mixed greens of your choice

4 clementines (Sliced into segments/peeled)

Small handful of Tours Mix (BEST seed mix for salads from Fort Worth's Vending Nut Company, get it here!)

Feta (Eyeball it to your liking, I used fat-free)

Ingredients for Dressing

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic (I used the granulated garlic that I keep in the fridge)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (3 limes for me)

6 tablespoons olive oi1

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Whisk all ingredients together to make the dressing and set aside. Put all ingredients for salad together in a big bowl and toss with dressing. Dressing could easily be made ahead of time!

Latest Cookie Recipe

I came across this Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookie recipe over on my all time favorite time zapper website, Pinterest. These were a cinch to whip up and they were husband approved which is a win-win in my book. Enjoy friends!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from The Farm Girl

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Adapted from The Farm Girl)

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. rolled oats (quick-cooking)

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1/3 c. creamy peanut butter 

1 c. peanut butter chips 

1.Preheat oven to 350F.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until smooth, then beat in the peanut butter. Blend in the flour mixture until the dough comes together and no streaks of flour remain.  Stir in peanut butter chips.

2.  Drop dough in 1-inch balls on the greased baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies are golden brown around the edges.  Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.