Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Salad

I have been on the BBQ train for a while now. I'm just craving summer and keep making my favorite summer-time foods. This recipe is super easy if you plan ahead (and if you don't... just cook it on high)!

Here's what you need:
1-2 chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Salad greens and veggies

Here's what you do:
1. Place the chicken into the slow cooker.
2. Thoroughly cover the chicken in BBQ sauce.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. I pulled the chicken apart around hour 3 so it could continue soaking up the saucy goodness.
4. Take your favorite salad greens and whatever veggies you desire and place the chicken on top! No other dressing needed with all the BBQ sauce!

Juice

Here are 2 quick and easy juicing recipes I've been playing with this week! I hope you like them!

February's Resolution

Month 2 of 12 months of resolutions has already been full of excitement. Yesterday I completed my 8th half marathon. I realized last week I have been running marathons for 5 years now... time is definitely flying. My goal for yesterday was to beat 1:40:00 in the half and I DID IT!!! I trained for week and ran the 13.1 miles in 1:38:59!! I even placed 4th in my age group of 576 people. I am still so excited and proud that I achieved my goal. This shows that if you really set your mind to something, you can achieve anything. I know I proved that to myself this weekend.

This year was the 5th anniversary of the Rock and Roll New Orleans Marathon. I have done either the half or full each year they have had this race. In honor of the 5th anniversary they posted a "wall of fame" for all those runners that had participated each year!

Ok so back to resolutions... After having a full 1:38:59 to think about what I wanted my resolution to be for this month, I decided it would be taking my dog, Denny, to the park at least twice a week. With such a busy schedule it's hard to get her out and running. I know she gets anxious (because she will pick up a toy and put it in my lap... usually when I'm in the middle of writing a paper) and this will help that!

Resolution Recap:

January: Spending less time on my cellphone 

February: Taking Denny to the dog park twice a week

Sweet Potato Quinoa Tacos with Chipotle Sauce

I was searching for a new and different taco recipe and came across this one. It is so colorful and absolutely delicious. I prepared it for a group of friends and everyone agreed that it was fantastic!

Here's what you need: makes approximately 6 servings.
Whole wheat tortillas
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 red bell pepper, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper

For the sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons pureed chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce

Here's what you do:
1. Make the chipotle sauce by combining all the ingredients. Keep cold in the refrigerator.
2. Cook the quinoa with a pinch of salt and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Stir occasionally and let cool slightly.
3. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Boil in a medium saucepan until tender, around 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
4. Toss together the potatoes, quinoa, bell pepper, onion, and avocado with 1/4 cup olive oil and 3 tablespoons of lime juice. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
5. Fill each warmed tortilla with 1/4 cup quinoa mixture. Sprinkle each with cilantro, tomatoes, and chipotle sauce.
6. Wrap each tortilla and enjoy!!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

I think I'm missing the summertime when I start making BBQ in January. It has been SO cold here and all I want is a nice warm day by the pool. Since I'm not getting that anytime soon, I guess I'll eat like I'm sitting by the pool and just have to pretend.

Here's what you need:
2 chicken breasts
1 - 18 ounce bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Servings: 3-4

Here's what you do:
1. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
2. Smoother the chicken generously with BBQ sauce.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours. I pulled the chicken apart around hour 5 or 6 and it cook the remaining couple of hours that way.

I can't wait to make this when it is finally summer!!

Totally Tangy Juice

I have recently purchased a juicer and I couldn't be more in love with it. I went to amazon and purchased a small Black and Decker juicer to get me started. I didn't want to make a huge investment if I wasn't totally committed to it. So far, I'm a fan.

I have been all over pinterest trying to find some good recipes. I've played around with ones I've found but I have also done some experimentation and made my own! 

12 Months of Resolutions

I know it's a little late, but I've been thinking a lot about making resolutions. I read an article in The New York Times that said a third of resolutions are broken before February! I couldn't believe that. People make these promises to themselves and they don't last but a few weeks. That's when I decided I was going and make a different resolution for each month of 2014. Some of them are health related, some are about saving money, and some are breaking bad habits. I'm excited to see what I take from this and to see which resolutions stick!

My January resolution is to put my cell phone down.

After watching this video (seriously go watch it, it will change your life), I realized I need to spend more time in the moment and less time stalking miscellaneous social media. When you're hanging out with friends, nothing is worse than watching them play with their phones. Why do people feel the need to see what other people are doing instead of actually talking to the people they're surrounded with? No app on my phone should get more attention than the people I'm around. 

I mean seriously... these people don't even look like they're having that much fun: