Chicken, Avocado & Cheddar Melt

Oh yes…

…I went there.

Or the people who wrote the New Basics Cookbook went there and I just adapted their recipe.  But either way it is delicious. Over the weekend I was in need of some lunch.  I looked around the kitchen, scanning the area for some delicious looking sandwich ingredients and my eyes landed upon a perfectly ripe avocado.  Immediately I thought of this recipe (below) because just a few weeks ago I had bookmarked it…because that’s what all teenage girls do in their free time: look through recipe books.

Slightly adapted from the New Basics Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh italian parsley
• 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cooked
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
• 2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Paprika, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix the mayo, ketchup, scallion, and parsley in a bowl.  Set aside.
2. Cut the chicken breast in half down the center.  Cut each half into four thin, long slices.
3. Peel the avocado, remove the pit, and slice each half lengthwise into four slices.
4. Place two slices of chicken on each piece of toast.  Spread half of the reserved dressing over the chicken.  Lay the avocado slices over the dressing.  Place 1/3 cup cheddar on top of each sandwich.  Sprinkle lightly with the paprika and scallion.
5. Preheat the broiler.
6. Place sandwiches in a broiling pan, and broil 3 inches from the heat until the cheese melts, about 90 seconds.  Remove the pan from the broiler and serve immediately.

Yield:  2 servings

Instead of halving the recipe, I decided to “share the wealth” as they say and give my mom the other sandwich.  She actually thought I was joking at first, considering I usually hoard all of the avocados to myself, but once she started to take a bite she stopped talking.  She loved it!

Plus once we finished she told me, “You have to make this again, like tomorrow!”  And guess what?  I did.

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Questions of the Day:

1. What is your favorite sandwich?
2. Do you like avocado?

I know I told all of you that I would post about my Track running today, but it looks like I ran out of time.  I promise I’ll post it tomorrow though! 

Have a great Wednesday!

Seven Things Sunday

Does that post title sound familar?

I’m sure many of you have heard of the blog Peanut Butter and Jenny.  If you haven’t, then I give you full permission to click the link and spend a few hours minutes browsing through her wonderful blog. 

Okay, are you back?  A few weeks ago Jenny decided to start an installment on her blog called Seven Things Sunday, where she talks about 7 things from the past week.  So far, she’s done about 3 of them and I’ve loved all of them, I actually stalk her blog all Sunday to make sure I don’t miss one.  They are just some really awesome posts.

Today when I woke up, I felt the urge to blog but had no idea what to blog about.  Figuring that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I decided to be a copy-cat and do my own little version of Seven Things Sunday.

* * * * * *

1.  Favorite meal of the week:  My Mom’s homemade gumbo based on this recipe.

2.  Song:  “Club Can’t Handle Me” by Flo Rida (featuring David Guetta)

3.  Workout:  Walks with Fluffy!  She’s been loving the walks lately and we usually do about 2 miles, by the time we finish she’s pooped!

4.  Quote:  “Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.” – Earl of Derby

(My Sensei has a poster with that quote and I felt like I was staring at it all day yesterday.)

5.  Purchase:  All-Natural Peach-Mango FRS Energy Drink

6.  Laugh:  You really had to be there to fully get the humor in this joke, but let’s see how well I can re-tell it.  My friend, Katie’s best guy friend, became homeschooled a few weeks ago.  It was also around the same time that she told Kelly and I that she liked him, so we made a joke and said that he became homeschooled because of that.  She laughed and then we started talking about something else.  A few weeks later, on the way home from Cotillion, Katie pointed out that the guy lives a few streets away from her.  Kelly and I cracked another joke and said “Uh oh, now he’s going to move!”  Again, we laughed and continued talking about something else.  Finally, 2 days ago Katie came to school and informed us that he actually did move! We were dying of laughter for 10 minutes straight.  We’re so lucky Katie has a sense of humor!

7.  Natural Occurence:  The 15 inches of snow is almost all melted!

* * * * * *

Well, that’s it.  I hope you enjoyed! 

Now I have to take some pictures of the Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies I made earlier.  They are so decadent! 

Here’s a sneak peek:

Mmmm.

Questions of the Day:

1. Did you laugh this week?  What did you laugh about?
2. When it comes time do choose desserts, do you “go big or go home” or try to stay on the lighter side?  Go big or go home!  I don’t have dessert that often, so when I do I make it worth it!

Have a great Sunday!

On Camera

As promised here is a little look at today’s Karate photo-shoot. 

The pictures are a bit blurry, but they’ll have to work for now.  I promise to post the professional ones once they are available.

Yup, that’s me in the blue sparring gear.  And yes, I was totally roundhouse kicking that guy in the head.

Now you are probably wondering why there was a photo-shoot in the first place.  Let me explain…

My Sensei (Karate teacher) is writing/publishing a book about Sport Karate/Sparring and realized that he needed some of his students to pose in the pictures and demonstrate the techniques.  I was asked because of my killer head-level roundhouse kick. Oh yeah I’m going to be published in a book!

Here’s the set:

Getting ready:

Punch-Kick Combo: (I’m punching)

Backfist:

Line Sparring:  (I’m second on the right)

5 hours and 420398 photos later, I was tired, sweaty, and ready to go home.  But right when I was walking out I noticed this. ↓

Black Belt Hall of Fame?! How exciting!

Now I feel legit.

* * * * * *

Questions of the Day:

1. Have you ever been in a photo-shoot or published in a book/magazine?
2. Are you flexible?  I consider myself pretty flexible, but I can’t do a split for my life!

Return Of The Mango Bread

How many of you have ever made fresh mango bread? 

*Complete silence*

Exactly!  That’s what I thought!

A few years ago, while surfing AllRecipes.com I came across a recipe for Tropical Mango Bread while searching for a Banana Bread.  I was curious.  Naturally, my 11-year-old self did what any 11-year-old would do, mix up the batter and wait for my Mom to help me turn on the oven and pour the batter into the pan. An hour later, the bread was done, and my entire family fell in love…with the bread.

Through the years, I’ve healthified the bread a little, but it still tastes as good (if not better!) than it did that first day.  Since I haven’t made it since I started the blog, I figured posting the recipe was long overdue.  Enjoy!

Tropical Mango Bread

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs (flax eggs would work too!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups (about 2 medium) mango, pureed
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Lightly grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans. 
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  In another large bowl, beat together the butter, applesauce, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.  Blend this mixture into the flour mixture; just to combine.  Fold in the pureed mango, raisins, and coconut; mixing just enough to evenly combine.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Yield:  2 loaves or approximately 18 muffins*

*If making muffins, bake for only 35-40 minutes.

* * * * * *

Today I made 1 loaf of bread and 9 muffins.  Guess what was for breakfast!

The entire family dug in and celebrated the return of the mango bread.

Perfect start to the weekend right there!

* * * * * *

Questions of the Day:

1. Do you have a recipe that your family begs you to make?  If so, what is it?
2. Do you like mangos? I’ve loved mango-flavored italian ice since I was little, but didn’t try an actual mango until I was 10! I love them!

Now I have to go to the salon to get my hair done for Cotillion!  AHHH - I’m SO excited!

Ideal Friday Morning

My idea of an ideal Friday morning would mean no school…

Being able to sleep in…

Sitting down to a breakfast that I just took out of the oven…

And maybe, just maybe going for a short run…

(Taken at my first 5K - the Flying Pig!  Oh how I miss summer…)

* * * * * *

Now let me tell you what actually happened!

This morning I woke up at 8AM and couldn’t fall back asleep.  I got showered, dressed and sleepily walked downstairs into the kitchen in hopes of baking, only to find this note from my Mom.

Ugh. 

After this discovery I immediately opened my computer, checked my emails, replied to a few comments, and got to work.  I actually completed a 4 page Biology packet and a Geometry project in an hour or so. 

I just kept checking things of that horrid list.

Geometry Homework:  Check!

Biology Homework:  Check!

Clean Bathroom:  Check!

Defrost Lasagna:  Check!

By about 10AM I was done with everything on the list.  I was so impressed that as a reward for myself I baked Mama Pea’s Save A Buck Pumpkin Scones and The Chic Life’s Green Monster Muffins! 

They were both delicious!  I can’t wait to freak out surprise my family with green muffins. 

Of course, it took me about 15 minutes to find my camera just so I could take a picture of them.  My camera somehow ended up in the bathroom drawer.  I was extra hungry by the time I found the camera – I had to stare at those delicious baked goods for 15 extra minutes!

Now I am heading out to go shopping with my Mom who just sampled one of the Green Monster Muffins.  She loves them – she’s reaching for a second one right now.

* * * * * *

Questions of the Day:

1. What is your idea of an ideal Friday morning?
2. What is your idea of sleeping in?  Mine is anytime after 9AM, but my parents’ idea is anytime after 11AM. Haha!

Have a happy and safe weekend!