Chicken Enchiladas & More

From Closet Cooking

After weeks of being away from my kitchen and eating out, I decided to tackle my recipe "To Try" list.  Being an avid lover of Pinterest and following lots of foodies, I have a lot of recipes on list to try out.  I follow Kevin, a blogger and creator, of Closet Cooking who sends emails with all kinds of enticing recipes.  The first recipe I decided to knock of my list were his Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas in Creamy Avocado Sauce (you can find the recipe here).  I tweaked things a bit to fit my pallet, but didn't stray too far from the original.

From Pinterest via skinnytaste.com

To accompany my enchiladas I made Chipotle's Cliantro Lime Rice using a copycat recipe I found on pinterest from skinnytaste.com.  Again, I tweaked things a bit based on what I had in the pantry - I made the brown rice version.  Lastly I just added black beans (from a can) to complete my meal.

Everything was so delicious!  Sorry I wasn't able to take pictures of what I created.  Currently working with a kitchen with terrible lighting and the camera on my phone.

What's a recipe you want to make?
Shante

Birthday Rewind #27on27 (Photo Heavy)

So I know that I said I was going to get back to blogging, but I failed, LOL.  I realized that when was blogging I was motivated to do things that brought me joy because I wanted to share all the wonderful fun things I was doing with you.  So to help balance out all the craziness that is work and excitement of starting my own business, I'm getting back to my blog.

The Birthday Rewind

So I turned 27 last month and decided to do something special for my "Champaign Birthday."  Me and my friends took a long weekend trip to Atlanta.  It was my first time there and I wanted to completely unwind, so the weekend theme was "Turn Down for What!?"  I can't say tell you enough how grateful I am to have great friends that would travel half way across the country to help me celebrate.  They're amazing!

Day 1

Windy City Adventures

The last weekend of June I had to take a business trip to Chicago.  I was so excited because it was my first time visiting the Windy City.  I was also able to catch up with friends.  I must say that the traffic that I experienced getting into the city from the Indiana state line took forever, but the drive went by so fast that it was a minor hiccup of the trip.

The business trip was for a leadership retreat PAN, a professional association that I'm apart of.  Below is a picture of me and my crew on our way to our first meeting for the weekend.

My first night I was able to walk around and see a little bit of Michigan Avenue and I just felt at home amongst the hustle and bustle of a big city.  For dinner that night we went to a Chinese and Thai
restaurant called Big Bowl.  Their menu is split, Chinese on one side and Thai on the other.  I went with Thai and had the chicken pad thai.  I was thrilled to finally indulge in ethnic food that is non-existent in eastern Kentucky.  It was delicious, but I still can't find a place that matches up to the jewel in Stony Brook, NY.

Kevin Hart, Let Me Explain

This last weekend I joined a few of my coworkers for a night out in Louisville to see Kevin Hart live for his new tour, "Let Me Explain."  Let me tell you, that man is hilarius to the 10th power, l0l.  I was laughing from the time he stepped on stage, to when he stepped off.  Tears rolling down my cheeks and a free ab work out.  If you have the chance to see him in action, GO!

 

For dinner we at this Mexican restaurant called Sol Azteca that I found on Yelp.  The food is delicious, but the service was terrible.  Maybe they weren't expecting to be so busy, but they had 4 staff members in the front of house for dinner service in a place that seated more than 50 people.

What I wore:

Old Navy top/ Torrid skinny ankle jeans/ Target flats

Aldo earrings/ Forever 21 necklace

MAC lipstick (Girl About Town)

Valentine For One

Valentine's Day is about love.  Well for me, once again, it's about loving myself first.  Last year I spent the day with my Spec and a few of her friends.  After ending a very complicated relationship in early January, I thought spending the day alone was fitting.  It gives me some time to do some self-reflection and focus on myself...It also gave me a chance to spoil myself.

First thing I did to spoil myself was eat a delicious cupcake from Gigi's Cupcakes.  They have cupcakes all over the the US, mostly east of the Mississippi.  I got their Kentucky Bourbon Pie cupcake from their Lexington location. It's a bourbon cake with pecans and chocolate chips inside and a cream cheese frosting.  There's also chopped pecans and chocolate chips drizzled with caramel and ganache.  It was divine!

For my film of choice I chose The Color Purple.  People say that it's an awkward movie to watch on Valentine's Day, but when you think about it, it is.  It's about self love and having the strength inside to believe that you are wroth more than how others value you.  For my it was the perfect movie.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Confessions of my Inner Fat Kid

So although I've been doing fairly well on Weight Watchers (WW), I've been having a lot of cravings for sweets lately.  It could because I've cut them out signifigantly or Mother Nature has the worst timing.  Either way here goes my confession...

I'm excited for tonight's chocolate cake and ice cream!

This may sound strange for some, but I'm not a chocolate person and for me to be more excited about the dessert thant he actual dinner is just a "fat kid" moment.  I don't mind it beacuse it doesn't happen that often and when it does, I tend to handle it very well.  I get my fix and I move on.  The only thing that's causing me to be a little more cautious is that I've got this craving right before Thanksgiving.  Although I'm not going home, I have been invited to a few home where a healthy Thanksgiving isn't an option.  I just need to stick to the tip with my WW Weekly so I'm not going to gain too much...I won't be weighing in until next week so fingers crossed.

What's your inner fat kid craving?

Delious Garlic Parmesan Knots

So I've been slowly getting back into the habit of cooking again since moving into my new place.  After getting tired of making the same thing over and over, I decided to step out and start making some of the recipes that I salivate over when checking out these blogs.  Last Thursday I made these really easy Garlic Parmesan Knots after reading a post on one of my favorite blogs, Six Sisters Stuff.

My knots are a little different then those posted on the other site.  Instead of using buttermilk biscuits I used wheat biscuits.  Make it what you want I guess!

Have you made any recipes you found blogging?  

Share the link!

On the Road Again: STL

This past weekend I was able to get out of the office and handle some work in St Louis by helping our minority recuiter at a few National College Fairs.  I was so excited to get out of Morehead for a couple of days even if it was for work.  Two things that I absolutely love about traveling is 1) seeing how others live in their city, and 2) the food!  Let me tell you, there was some really good food on this trip.


Palermo Viejo on Bardstown Road



I guess I'll start with the food first.  Friday night, we had dinner at this Argentine spot called Palermo Viejo in Louisville.  ThanksYelp! My coworker and I had a pitcher of traditional  Sangrea with chunks of fresh fruit soaked in cognac.   To eat I had the Salmón - grilled salmon based in chimichurri sauce with roasted red potatoes and fresh veggies.  The tomato basil garlic & havarti cheese empanadas my coworker had are still on her mind!  I definitely recommend this place when traveling near  Louisville.



Alwatan on Klondike



The next day we had a couple of stops in the Louisville area and then grabbed lunch before driving to STL.  I decided to go with the Chicken Shawarma with safron rice at Alwatan, a Mediterranean restuarant.  It came with fresh tossed salad with olive oil dressing and two large pieces of pita bread.  The amount of food they give you can feed a family of 4 so I still have some left overs.  Next to Banana Fosters, Baklava is my favorite dessert...I got two pieces for $3.

Once we got to STL it was dinner time.  We hit up this little Mexican spot called Rosalita, but the kitchen was closed so thanks agina to Yelp!, I found this place accross the street called Lucus Park Grille.  The best crab cake of my life!  

For the rest of the trip I ate some home cooked food thanks to my coworkers family.  Her mom and grandmom cooked us catfish, hot water corn bread, fried green tomatoes, spaghetti and southern green beans.  I was so full and happy from this trip I don't even know how I managed to drop some lbs.

On top of their being some great food the people were so nice...and the gentlemen are some lookers, lol.  We entered STL and drove past the statium as the Cardnials won the last home game.  And we let the day after they beat the Brewers at Milwakee to go to the World Series.  Being in STL with all of this going down was so exciting.  It reminded me of home a two seconds.  I was in Northern California when the Giants won the World Series last year, but to be in the actual city of the team is a more energetic vibe. 

Good luck Cardnials!

Meatless Mondays

So the topic of the Weight Watchers meeting that I went to was about have a day without meat and finding alternate ways of getting your daily protein.  In Grad school they did meatless Monday's and I'm looking to bring that into my life.  I was able to start today by mere accident.  I skipped lunch and only had an apple for breakfast.  For dinner I decided to go to the new Japanese restaurant called Yamato for some sushi.  This is what I got:

California Roll & Eel and Avocado Roll

The place was packed!  The California roll...I don't recommend, but the eel and avocado roll was delicious!

Celebrate by Giving

I found an apartment! So in following my mom's advice, I decided to celebrate by treating myself to a frozen treat.  I went to Dairy Queen and got a small Nutter Butter Blizzard.  My Blizzard purchase ended up contributing a small donation to the Children's Miracle Network.

I'm so excited for my new place! As I move in and start decorating, I'll be sure to post about it.

Thanks for reading!

A New Place to Call Home

Please excuse me for not posting in a while.  I've moved from my beloved California to start a career in higher education.  I am the new Coordinator of Multiculturalism and Inclusion at Morehead State University...remember me talking about it here.  Anywho, I have a new place to call home as a resident of Kentucky.  I've been here for about a week and I'm enjoying myself.  The people that I get to work with are absolutely fantastic so I can only imagine that the students will be fabulous as well!

In these last 8 days I have been able to really feel my independence.  I bought a car and I've started looking for my own place (I was blessed with free temporary housing).  Coming from Cali I knew that the cost of living was going to be a lot less expensive, but I still couldn't believe it when looking at rental ads in local newspapers.

Monday was my official first day and I was welcomed with my very own office.  I'm still in the process of decorating so suggestions are more than welcome (more like needed!)  One of my new coworkers was so sweet and left me this welcome basket on my desk to welcome me to Morehead and the division.  I know that I'm going to have a great time working here with a lot of growing and changes ahead.

 

And of course moving means new adventures are in store.  The night I moved the Parkette in Lexington (1 hr away) was featured on Diners, Dine-Ins, & Dives, and this week Louisville (2 hrs away) is going to be featured on Man vs Food Nation.  Well because I'm temporary housing I have not pots and pans...yet...and I've been eating at the limited number of restaurants and fast food chains in Morehead.  Surprisingly there are 2 Mexican restaurants and I've been able to try one of them called Mi Monterrey.  Know being from San Diego I know great Mexican food, sadly that's not what I got, but to be fare it was better than I expected way out here in Kentucky.

Carnitas Dinner

As I have time to settle in and find an internet connection I'll be sure to update you all on my transition to Southern living!

Thanks for reading!

Crazee Burger

Well hello there.  As part of the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year I said that I wanted to do more culinary experimentation.  I'm a lover of the Food Network and after looking at this episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I just had to go check out this local hot spot called Crazee Burger.

Seeing that I'll be moving out of the state in a few days, I decided to bring my mom along for the experience and treat her to lunch.  I had the Santorini Burger (half lamb, half beef with tzatziki sauce) with sweet potato fries, and the madre had a angus burger with a baked potato.  As the video shows they have a lot of interesting types of burgers that you can get.  I recommend this place if you want a special treat and don't mind spend a little bit more for a burger.

Enjoy your weekend!

P.S. I Love You!

Can I just say that I was meant to live in the South...at least I think so, l0l.  After graduation, my mother provided me with an early graduation gift of paying for a plane ticket for me to go to Houston for my LS's (Line Sister) baby shower and for a graduation of a good friend.  First was the graduation. 

Congratulations to Dr. Frank North, Pharm.D. Texas Southern University class of 2011!  I am so proud of this man.  It took him quite some time, at no fault of his own, but he made that journey across the stage and I was screaming my but off!  TSU is a HBCU, so I was so proud to see so many of my brothas and sistas getting their degrees.

After the graduation, I went with Frank to his celebration lunch that his family threw for him.  We went to Wyatt's Cafeteria.  I was so excited to get some local food...I had Popeye's when I got off the plane, l0l.  The food at Wyatt's was fresh and wasn't heavy at all.  Because I'm trying to get my sexy right, I went with the healthier options of backed chicken, a whole wheat role, and a fruit salad.

After lunch was the baby shower.  Unfortunately, it wasn't what I wanted for my LS but she was happy that there were people there to support her and just love on her.  All I have to say is, don't volunteer to host a baby shower if you don't have the time or the means to do it right. 

 

Back to the regularly scheduled program.  

So because I wasn't able to make a pit stop before I got to the shower, I had to give my LS the gifts I brought when we got back to her apartment.  The next day we went on an errand run and I ended up getting her some more things that she was gonna need and more clothes...my baby has to be fitted!

The night of the shower I got my first taste of the Houston nightlife.  I must say that I was neither shocked nor disappointed.  The club was more than packed and the atmosphere was decent.  I understand that Houston is a city that puts out a lot of the music in the underground scene and that they definitely have their own swag, but the majority of the music was local artists.  I'm from Cali so some stuff I was feelin, others I could have down with out.

The next day I went out again, but that wasn't a true reflection of going out in Houston so I'm not even going to mention it.  I'll be going back so next time I'll have more to share with you.  The morning that I left my LS, her boyfriend, Frank and I went to the infamous Crack Barrel for breakfast. It was one of the best breakfast's that I've had in a long time and they give you so much food.  I think that it was the way to start my last day.  I ended it by making a pit stop at Frenchie's, a fried chicken place.

Houston keep an eye out.  I'll be back soon enough!

 

Hidden Cupcakes!

Today I began the last week of my job the way I started it, wine tasting with my cohort members!  We took a little drive to a town called Murphy's near Ripon, CA for the wine.  Little did we know, today began the Frog Jumping Festival...this place had frogs everywhere (fake ones).  Seeing that I'm not into wine, I was going to spend time with some friends while getting out of Stockton's choke-hold. 

While in Murphy, we stopped at this cupcake shop called Lila & Sage.  I got 4 mini cupcakes - Red Velvet, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Peanut Butter Brownie, and Banana Cream with Cream Cheese.  They were really good and only cost a total of $6.  When the rest of my male friends joined the ladies, the bakers ended up giving them free cupcakes so they weren't watch us ladies enjoying our sweets.  If you ever have time to travel up the windy freeway to get to this place, do it!

Mother's Day Present...Check!

So I don't know what you got you mom for Mother's Day, but I got my mom a Master's Degree.  That's right folks, your looking at a Master's graduate!  I earned my degree in Education Administration & Leadership with an emphasis in Student Affairs from the University of the Pacific!  I was so happy to have my parents, God-parents, aunt and an uncle were all in attendance as I walked across the stage for my hooding ceremony.

After the early morning Commencement ceremony, my family and some friends went to Papapavlo Bar & Bistro for a delicious Greek lunch.  Had some drinks, opened some presents and received some very touching toasts before I gave teary-eyed thank you speech.  Later that day, I had my Hooding Ceremony with the rest of my classmates and the entire College of Education.

My dad had the graduation from undergrad 2 years ago the day before Father's Day, and now my mom get's the Masters for Mother's Day!  I think that this is the best present I could give my mom. 

The Last of B'More

inside Jimmy John's

So I finally have enough time to sit down and catch you all up on the last month of my life.

I loved Baltimore so much! Thanks to my cousin, I was able to go on an impromptu campus tour of Towson University.  I was so excited that at first I didn't notice that the campus was desolate due to Spring Break.  See, I had applied to work at Towson, so I just wanted to see all that I could while I was in the area...come to find out that by the time I got back to Cali they had already filled the position.  Can you say disappointed...slightly heartbroken!?

The Food
In the mean time I was able to explore some of the sites and enjoyed my time in the city.  First I had the infamous Jimmy John's!  To be honest, they're good sandwiches at a reasonable price, but overall I wasn't that impressed.  I could make that turkey sandwich myself. 

Lamb Kebab Meze

Manti

I had Turkish food for the first time at this restaurant around the corner from our hotel on Charles Street.  It was open at 11pm when Ashley and I walked in...apparently it was belly-dancing night upstairs in their make-shift club.  Back to the food...I had this dish called Manti.  it's like a Turkish ravioli with creamy plain yogurt on top.  It's a doughy dumpling stuffed with minced meat, in my case lamb, and its covered in a cool plain Greek yogurt with fresh cracked pepper.  The second dish was a traditional lamb kebab. To put a little night cap on it, l0l, I had Turkish tea...so good!

And of course I couldn't be in Maryland without having some crab cakes!  We went to Mo's Crab & Pasta Factory which was featured on a few shows on the Food Network.  It was honestly the best Seafood that I ever had...EVER!  There portions for their lunch specials were the size of dinner plates for that could feed two people.  Although they were a little pricey, I didn't mind because of how big the plates were.  I had the Blackened Rockfish (a white fish) stuffed with Crab Imperial (a extra special crab cake).  The size of the fish was about half of the plate and then it was stuffed with a crab cake the size of a softball.  This came over a bed of roasted red potatoes and a side of steamed veggies...all smothered in butter.

The last night I was in Baltimore, I had the worst service (and food) at this placed called Kona Grill...yuck!  But you know me, I had to find the silver lining. And I found it in this drink called Blushing Geisha, I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a fruity drink that's strong, but sneaks up on you.

The Fun
After our "last super" my B'More crew (Ana, James, Ashley, and I) went out for some more drinks at this bar in the Inner Harbor area called Power Plant live.  It's very reminiscent of the Universal Studios CityWalk, and lets just say there was a few people dancing on poles and table tops!  Those margaritas were delish!

A Productive Spring Break

Well today was my last day of Spring Break and I was sure to make it a productive one.  I finished designing and ordering the invitations to the baby shower that I'm planning for one of my sorority sisters.  I designed these invitations using Adobe Illustrator CS3, graphic design software from when I was a graphic design minor.  I uploaded my images to VistaPrint.com using the design your own postcard and I used a template to design the back of the invitation.  I was able to get 100 invitations for less than $60 - in full color on both sides and on high quality gloss paper.

First I started by creating an image that went with the new them that Lauren & Derrick came up with, King of the Jungle.  Then I looked at similar invitations on other websites and came up with the animal print and the tan-ish background.  Because the mommy wants to add some things to the invitation, mostly instructions for the out of town relatives, I will be buying envelopes at Staples so we can get extra info to everyone. 

I sent her my insipration board and she loved everything, so I thought that I would share with you as well.  Please let me know what you think and what ideas you may have.

Lastly, I always create something in the kitchen before I leave for school.  Last night I was craving something sweet but didn't feel like going out.  So I got creative and made some candied pecans using a recipe that I found on-line.

Candied Pecans via my Blackberry

The recipe can be found here!

The Best Breakfast of My Life!

So today I treated my dad to this great breakfast in Hillcrest, a cute little area of San Diego, called Hash House A Go Go!  They give you giant portions all made from fresh ingredients.  I heard about this place as I was flipping through channels and caught the tail-end of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network.  It looked so good and when they mentioned that the original is in San Diego (pictured to the right), I made sure that I kept it in mind during my trip home for Spring Break.

Me & my Daddy

My dad and I tried going yesterday, but of course there was the St. Patrick's Day parade that prohibited any plans from following through.  So it was a wasted trip we went to Chiba's in Mission Valley for sushi.  But we went back for brunch and let me tell you...the 45 minute wait was well worth it.  The service was excellent and the prices were very reasonable for the amount of food that they give you!

Here's what we ate:

House smoked salmon w/ fresh asparagus, sundried tomatoes, chili cream and two basted eggs

House roasted chicken w/ mushroom, sliced market yellow tomato all crowned w/ basil pesto cream and two basted eggs

I had a Kiwi Watermelon Lemonade to wash it all down...so yummy!

I Win!

So a few things.  I won the BBM Torrid giveaway that I shared with all of you here.  You can check it out here.  I don't know what item is actually mine, but as soon as it gets here I'll take a picture and post it!

Next I wanted to share this new giveaway from Jasifers Lions Club for a $50 gift card for Igigi.com.  I'm entering it and I hope that you enter too!  Jennifer asks that you share what item you would purchase and why.  I really like this dress because I find that it would be perfect for interviewing.  I'll be graduating this spring with my Masters and I have officially begun the job search process.  This dress will allow people to see my personality before my interview got underway.  Wish me luck ya'll!

I'll be having a food date with my friend Kevin next weekend in the city and I as I was checking out one of the posts for Cupcakes Take The Cakes I got super excited.  If you didn't know, here's a newsflash...I love cupcakes!  And next weekend there's going to be this big event of cupcake tasting.  Kevin and I share a love for food, so I'm hoping he's interested in attending this event after we're had our fill of Ethiopian food.  For more information on the cupcake tasting, visit my girls at Cupcakes Take The Cakes!

And most importantly...I'm finished with the first part of my Master's comprehensive exams.  I will submit the written responses in the morning and then defend them when I get back from Spring Break.  It's time to start counting down to May 7th!

The Glitz of New York City

OMG! I love the City! I had so much fun while I was out there a few weeks ago with my girl Tisha. The night I got there I was walking around so bright-eyed taking it all in. So that Friday we walked around 42nd Street & Time Square where I got to have a slice of cheesecake at Junior's and I was able to go shopping at the mega-Forever 21 that opened that day! I got this super cute dress, you'll have to wait for a photo of me in to see it. But I would definitely have to say that the most interesting thing that I noticed was the dudes - they try to get at you with no shame. I liked it, lOl! Even the cops on duty tried to get at us while they clearly in a deep convo with their partners on the corner.

After I got some cheesecake and shopping, we walked the rest of 42nd Street and took pictures at Time Square and then proceeded to walk around Manhattan. We walked all the way down 7th Avenue towards 14th Street. On the way I was able to see the huge Macy's, Madison Square Gardens, and the Empire State Building. We walked and I got to see the Chelsea area, the PRIDE of the city during Gay Pride Weekend. After that, we walked the opposite way to Union Square near NYU, but I was so tired that I didn't see a lick of the campus...all of this was between 12-4am.

The next day, I went shopping with Tisha's mom and let me tell you, this lady has some coupons that saved my life. I ended spending around $50 for $115 worth of clothes at New York & Company. After that, Tisha and I went down to Coney Island where I had one of Nathan's Original Hot Dogs. It was as good as it looked on TV. After I ate, we walked around the boardwalk and the fairgrounds. While on the boardwalk, there was a DJ playing all kinds of music with a crowd of 100 just dancing and sweating out all the liquor pimping through their systems.

The last day that I was out there I was able to finally go to church. Man let me tell you that I was missing me some church. After church Tisha took me to Bedsie where Ashley was staying in her friends Brown Stone. When we were outside waiting for Ashley to come out, Tisha was explaining that the Brown Stones were some of the original homes for African Americans in New York. They were also the place of Spike Lee's Crooklyn. On our way to the train station we passed Marcy Projects. I found it interesting that they were located on Stockton & Marcy Ave. I thought it was so Ironic that one of America's most dangerous housing projects was located on a street after a city that Forbes labeled as America's worst city to live in.

So Sunday evening was time for us, Ashley and I to get something off of our bucket list. Dim Sum in New York's Chinatown. We went to Jing Fong's on Elizabeth Street, right across from the 7th Precinct Police Station. After that we walked New York's famous Canal Street where I bought my first official knock-off handbag. That in itself was an interesting experience. It was so crowded and the Chinese girl was super sketch. Because it was so hot I had my first Italian Ice in lemon. It was so light and refreshing, what you see in the picture is a small one and definitely better than a cool glass of lemonade. We walk a little bit more before leaving for me to make my train back to Stony Brook, and got fresh coconuts to sip on. Can't say that i enjoyed it, but I think it tastes better than Thai Ice Tea.

I had so much fun and I'm hoping that I have a chance to go back at least once more before going back to California.