Crock Pot, I Love You

I cannot decide what I like more about crock pot meals: How easy they are to make, or how moist and delicious the food ends up after cooking in a crock pot all day.

I think I’m leaning toward the yumminess of the food, but there’s nothing simpler than throwing meat in a crock pot with some broth before heading out to work. It makes dinner so easy, and you know that’s what I’m all about!

One thing I would always dread about crock pot meals was the clean up. Sure it’s all in one pot, but inevitably the food would adhere to the sides of the crock pot and clean up would be a bit of a challenge. No fun.

After discovering Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners, clean up became a breeze!

I just put a liner in the crock pot before adding all of my ingredients. Clean up is as easy as throwing away the bag filled with the food scraps. I buy them at my grocery store (Publix) in the aisle with the foil and Ziploc baggies.

(Just FYI, I am not Mr. Reynold’s daughter or anything. I just really love those liners!)

Dinner

I’m sure you’ve figured this out by now, but dinner tonight came straight outta the crock pot!

Crock Pot Pulled Chicken

Before leaving for work, I threw a bunch of chicken breasts into the crock pot and covered them with chicken broth. I let everything cook on low until it was dinner time.

As I chopped and roasted some veggies, Ryan pulled the chicken breasts apart with two forks and smothered the meat in BBQ sauce.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Squash

Dinner

I enjoyed the BBQ pulled chicken on an Arnold honey wheat sandwich thin.

BBQ Sandwich

I love how doughy those sandwich thins are. Yum, yum.

What is your favorite crock pot meal?

Looking Back: My 24th Year

In my new-found old age, I think I’m becoming one smart food-combo  cookie, because this lunch was totally random and basically the jam!!!

I present to you, the ravioli sandwich!

Ravioli Sandwich

I made the sandwich by topping a toasted Arnold whole wheat sandwich thin with Laughing Cow light original Swiss cheese, spinach and two large ravioli poofs, which were leftover from last night’s dinner.

Laughing Cow

Ravioli Sandwich and Steamed Broccoli

On the side I also ate steamed broccoli, sprinkled with garlic salt, for some added nutrients.

Broc

For dessert, I had a small bowl of butterscotch chips and roasted peanuts.

Butterscotch Chips + Roasted Peanuts

Ryan and I also enjoyed this little combination after dinner last night. Ryan said it tastes like a peanut butter bar. It’s a winner!

Looking Back

I wanted to take a little trip down memory lane of my 24th year through pictures. I love birthdays but also always feel a little sad that another year is gone, so looking back over the fun times of the past year of my life helps make me smile!

I hope you enjoy this little flashback!

The Day After Our Engagement

My Mom, Me & My Sister Before Wicked

Celebrating My Friend Laurel's Birthday

On the Yellowbird (aka a Booze Cruise)

Before the UCF Bowl Game

With My Cousins, Celebrating My Grandma's 80th Birthday

'80s Formal Night on a Cruise with Our Friends

Boating with My Family, Ryan & Sadie

Me & My Dad, The Night of Our Engagement

With Ryan and Sadie After Sadie Won the Doggie Derby

Celebrating Sadie's Doggie Derby Win Downtown

Surprised By Our Families After Ryan's Proposal

Visiting High School Friends in Arizona

With My Sister at Her Sorority's Family Weekend

How does your birthday make you feel? Excited? Happy? Sad? A mix of emotions?

Kinda Like Crab Meat

I absolutely love imitation crab meat (also known as krab or surimi), the yummy meat often found in California sushi rolls.

While there’s no substitute for real crab, sometimes I crave imitation crab meat!

I picked up a small pack of the good stuff in the seafood section at the grocery store yesterday and used several of the “crab sticks” in a crab salad sandwich for lunch today.

Crab Salad

I enjoyed my crab salad on a lightly toasted whole wheat Arnold sandwich thin with a cup of Chobani Greek yogurt and a side of apple slices for dipping on the side.

Crab Salad Sandwich

Fresh Apple Slices

Greek Yogurt

That imitation crab meat sure made me want sushi for dinner!

Do you like sushi? What are your favorite rolls?

I love the California roll, the rainbow roll and the spicy tuna roll. So tasty!

Of Possible Interest:

• WebMD’s list of Spring’s 10 Most Fattening Foods
• Race commentary from the Boston Marathon (Ryan Hall finished 4th!)
• 5 fast, light and fresh dinners from Health.com

So Simple

All throughout college I tried to grow out my hair. I figured the best way to get the long hair I wanted was to let it grow and grow and avoid cutting it as much as possible. Stooooopid.

Once I realized I should be cutting it every six weeks or so, it finally started to grow! So simple.

I headed off to Great Clips after work today to get my routine snip, snip.

How often do you get your hair cut or done?

After my haircut I headed home to a simple dinner.

I knew I would be home a little later than usual today, so I placed some chicken breasts in the crock pot with low sodium chicken broth to cook on low while I was at work.

When I arrived home, I roasted some broccoli while Ryan removed the chicken from the crock pot, and got to work pulling the chicken apart with two forks before dowsing it in BBQ sauce for BBQ chicken sandwiches.

Everything came together quickly, which was a good thing because I was hungry!

BBQ Chicken

Roasted Broccoli

I made my sandwich using a whole wheat Arnold sandwich thin.

I love how doughy they are!

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

My Plate

Easy dinners are my fav!

Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literally

Today was a day for cheeeeeese!

Lunch included a melted Swiss cheese and roasted red pepper hummus sandwich on my second honey wheat sandwich thin of the day… I love these things!

Cheese + Hummus Sandwich

Tuesday's Lunch

On the side I enjoyed garlic roasted asparagus.

Asparagus

I’m gettin’ ready for some stinky pee!

If you are one of the people who experience stinky pee after eating asparagus, this little tidbit from MSNBC may be of interest to you:

“Asparagus contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan. It is also found in onions, garlic, rotten eggs, and in the secretions of skunks. The signature smell occurs when this substance is broken down in your digestive system. Not all people have the gene for the enzyme that breaks down mercaptan, so some of you can eat all the asparagus you want without stinking up the place.”

So, who else out there has the stinky pee enzyme? 😉

I know it’s not just me and this lil’ guy:

Baby Skunk

(And yes I did just use stinky pee as an excuse for a cute baby animal picture. 🙂 )

Total Eclipse of the Heart

I bet you thought the (wildly inappropriate and wildly awesome) version of Total Eclipse of the Heart from Old School was the most entertaining version of the song out there, didn’t you?

Enter the literal interpretation of the Total Eclipse of the Heart music video:

I think I smiled the entire time I watched this video!