ALMOST CHICK-FIL-A

OH-EM-GOSH. 
that's the first thing i said when i tried one of theses tender little 'almost chick-fil-a' nuggets!!
sp and i are always looking for new recipes to add to the 'roll call' of dinner yummieness, and this is a good addition to have in your back pocket for sure! its more of a lunch idea, then a full blown dinner plan- but hey, whatever your hungry for is what's for dinner in my book. 

i pinned this recipe a good while back, and have been meaning to try it ever since. when sp and i were trying to make something easy that we could cook, set aside, then warm up and eat after an evening of turkey hunting, i suggested we give this one here a go. and it lives up to the pinterest hype for sure! 

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 1/4 cups flour

2 TBSP powdered sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

peanut oil (is best) or canola oil

In a medium bowl whisk the egg and stir in the milk. Trim any fat away from chicken. Cube chicken into bite size pieces. Place chicken in milk mixture,and cover. Let it 'marinate' for 2-4 hours in the fridge. This will make the chicken very nice and tender. In a gallon size resealable baggie combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper. Seal and shake to combine. Place about 2 inches of oil in a medium deep pot. Over medium high heat (more towards the high side) heat oil until hot. If using a thermometer let the temperature reach 375°. If you don't have a fancy gadget like most people, I always test my oil by dropping a few drops of water into it. You want it to sizzle and not pop too much. Adjust your heat if necessary. Using a fork or tongs remove cut chicken from milk mixture and place in the flour mixture. Seal and shake until nuggets are completely coated. Place about a 6-8 nuggets into hot oil and let them cook until golden brown, turning half way through once the edge of your chicken starts to turn white. About 1 minute each side. Always double check to see if any chicken you make is cooked through. I always just make a tiny cut to see if it's pink. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Repeat until all nuggets are cooked. Serve with your favorite sauce!  :source: 

since theres a lot of fryin' going on here, i made a crisp, fresh and easy salad as a side:

iceberg letture

tomatoes

grated cheese 

avocado 

*chop and mix

dressing: 

1/4 cup mustard

2/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 tbsp ranch seasoning

1 tbsp taco seasoning

*adopted from here 

DAY THREE: UNCOMFORTABLE

it was really difficult for me to come up with 'things that make me uncomfortable'. 

but to keep up with #blogeverydayinmay challenge, i came up with a few things that make me squirm just a little: 

- reading aloud in front of others

- working out at a gym

- bad table manners 

- clutter around the house 

- keeping socks on in bed

- 'fake' people 

DAY TWO: COOKING FROM SCRATCH

Picking something I’m ‘good’ at feels a little odd…. So it seems silly to write about. But here’s to day 2 of the #BlogEveryDayinMay challenge!

I like to think I have been blessed with the gift of pulling a meal together from scratch without following a recipe. It sounds silly and simple, but if you have the basics in your pantry I’m pretty dang confident I could whip up something yummy in no time. Growing up in Germany, where the grocer would close every night at 6pm during the week, close at 1pm on Saturdays and not open again until Monday morning meant you had to plan your meals in advance or always keep the pantry stocked with the basics…. My mom was already (still is) great at keeping a full pantry and her cooking skills are still the best around.

Now with my boyfriend living on a ranch, where the closes store is 35 minutes away I have learned to keep the basics on hand there as well. If I haven’t mentioned it on the blog before, it helps that he loves anything I cook :)

When the produce is gone, you need something quick, yummy and easy for dinner, this meat sauce with pasta has become my go-to.

I started writing down the basics I like to have on hand, so that I know I can get the general idea done. But there are always add-ons and changes giving the condition of the pantry and refrigerator.

Here are the basics:
EVOO

½ of a large onion, diced

2 gloves of garlic, minced

Ground Beef (start with 1lbs)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tsps ground thyme

2 cans petit diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

Parmesan cheese

Pasta (any kind will do)

Optional add-ons/substitutions:
-Fresh or jared or even garlic powder will do in a pinch

-Italian seasoning or a mix of whats in your pantry will do too (parsley, oregano, paprika, etc. start with small amounts, you can always add more

-any kind of canned tomatoes will do

-omit tomato sauce if you don’t have any

-any type of grated cheese in the fridge will do

-I’ve thrown in (food processor first) carrots, zucchini on its last leg.. you name it

**the sauce freezes really well for several months- so dont be shy on cooking this with leftovers in mind!

Source and side note: since I make this sauce a lot, I've never stopped to  take pictures of the process or the outcome, so here's one from the tastykitchen for now. Next time I make this sauce I will have to take pictures! 

If you follow my blog outside of this cool challenge, then you have seen a lot of food appearances lately.  These were some of my recent favorites: here, here and here. 

DAY ONE: A LITTLE ABOUT THE LANE

Its true, I cant help but want to partake in the #blogeverydayinMay challenge the lovely Jenni D has put together. No promises for making every blog post happen- but I’ll give it my best!

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less:

:vacation bible school take-away at its finest!:

I was born in Dallas, Texas, almost a Thanksgiving Baby, but I decided to cook a little longer! When I was almost 7 my mom remarried and we transplanted our family to Germany for the next 13 years of my life. My sister and I grew up going to German schools, but our parents were sure we never forgot our Texas roots or accent! My first two years of college were spent in Barcelona, Spain… it didn’t take me long to realize that was not where I wanted to spend my 20s or finish my education. So as a junior I transferred to Baylor University- where I graduated on time and with a handful of friends I will have for life. Fast-forward a few years: I living in Dallas, Texas again, surrounded by family and close friends, and I am blessed with my dream job of working for a non-profit from my home office. I am a certified yoga instructor (currently not teaching) but you can find me in a yoga studio almost every day. And last but not least there is a handsome cowboy that I like to call my boyfriend who works and lives on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma. 

BEACH BAG

longchamp//goodship//marc by marc//coach//j.crew

the countdown is on... (yes i have an app for that on my phone too!!)

at the end of the month SP and i are headed on a vacation for two to white sandy beaches, away from technology and work! 

can't believe its only a few weeks away now... which means time to get my summer beach essentials in order. 

first things first: its time to update my beach bag of choice. 

since i can remember my mom has always folded up her classic longchamp bag to bring to the beach as a carryall for books, games, sunglasses, etc. it has a zipper across the top to keep the sand out. my sister and i adopted the same tradition as frequent beach lovers and long champ carriers as well. 

maybe its the black, maybe its just time for an update, either way i'm on the hunt for a new beach tote. 

i found a few, but still cant decide. i would LOVE to know what your favorite summer/beach bag of choice is!