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!

Eggy Protein Pizza

Hello Wonderful Bloggies! How is your weekend so far?

Mine has been awesome!  Yesterday, I hung at school with my friends for 4 hours talking, watching basketball games, eating, and just goofing off.  I feel like I was laughing the entire time.  So much fun!

I also have a Karate photo-shoot later today, but more about that in a later post.

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Remember Thursday night when I posted this?  Well, it seems like a bunch of you wanted the recipe for my Eggy Protein Pizza.  Ask and you shall receive…here you goooooooooo! :-D

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup EggBeaters (or 3 eggs, or 6 egg whites)
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• garlic powder, pepper, oregano, Parmesan, and salt (to taste)

Toppings:

• onions
• olives
• tomatoes
• mushrooms
• bell peppers
• broccoli
• pepperoni
• grilled chicken

Directions:

1. Spray a medium pan with nonstick spray, heat over medium heat.  Pour eggs in the pan, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the egg is cooked.
2. Top cooked egg “crust” with marinara sauce, cheese, and desired toppings.  Cover again for 1 minute.  Cut into 4 slices, transfer to a plate, and enjoy!

Yield:  1 serving

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Just a caution, the pizza is a little messy if you eat it with your hands (like a regular pizza) but the taste is worth it. I’ll definitely be making this again.

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Sorry for the lame-ish post today, now I have to get dressed and ready for the photo-shoot.  I promise a post later though!

Questions of the Day:

1. How has your weekend been so far?  Any fun plans?
2. What are your favorite pizza toppings?  Mine are onions, mushrooms, and olives.

Happy Saturday!

Easy Cheesy Whole Wheat Muffins

Remember a few days ago when I posted about my failed recipe?  Well yesterday I gave them another go and they came out perfectly!

Before:

Easy, semi-cheesy, dry, and rock-like

After:

Easy, cheesy, soft, fluffy, and buttery

They were 10x better than last weeks batch.  My brother loved them and my Dad didn’t spit this one out!

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Based on Cynthia’s Easy Biscuits

“These simple muffins are vegetarian and 100% whole wheat.  Whip them up to enjoy with soup, salad, or just eat them plain!”

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons mayo (I used canola oil mayo.)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) together and  place in greased muffin tins.  Lightly coat the tops of the muffins with melted butter.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 6 muffins

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Success!

I enjoyed a muffin with my salad yesterday then heated one for ~10 seconds in the microwave for a snack.  YUM!

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Questions of the Day:

1. Have you ever had any cooking/baking failures?  Too many!
2. Do you have any good cornbread recipes?  I’ve been having a major cornbread craving!

Hope everyone has had a good Monday so far! 

Fiber Gourmet Review

Two product reviews in one week!?  I must be boring you to death!  I’m so sorry, but they have to be done.  I promise I’ll post my Tropical Mango Bread recipe tomorrow to make up for it.

A month or so ago I received a package from the wonderful folks over at Fiber Gourmet.  It was chock full of goodies like crackers, brownies, and macaroni and cheese.  It was pretty much a carb-lover’s heaven!

According to the Fiber Gourmet website all of the treats have:

• 10x the fiber of their standard counterparts
• 33% fewer calories than the competition
• No artificial colors
• No artificial flavors
• No preservatives
• No gluten
• No guilt!

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Sounds impressive, eh?  Here’s what I thought about the Fiber Gourmet products.

Mac-mmm-cheese:  One night I made surprised my family and made this macaroni and cheese for dinner with the addition of steamed spinach and grilled chicken.  I told my parents I made it homemade and they were raving about it. (And believe me, they’re not afraid to share their opinions!)  When I finally told them that it was made from a box, they were shocked.  It was the pasta was so tender and the sauce was so creamy.  I think it could have used a little more cheese sauce, but I’m a cheese-a-holic, so it’s probably just me.

Lite Frosted Brownies:  Philip and I enjoyed these brownies a few weeks ago for an after dinner snack.  We thought they tasted a little funny, so we added a scoop of ice cream which made them taste a little better, but they were still just okay.  These were my least favorite of the Fiber Gourmet products.

Light Cheese Snacks:  These were delicious!  According to the package, they were supposed to taste similar to Cheez-Its and belive me, they did.  Crisp, cheesy, and crunchy.  They are the perfect things to cure a chip craving.

Light Wheat Snacks:  According to the package, these were supposed to taste similar to Wheat Thins, which the did for the most part.  I paired them with a Laughing Cow light cheese wedge and I’d definitely say that it made them taste 5x better.  Alone they tasted a little too cardboard-y.

Overall:  Overall, I’d have to say that Fiber Gourmet makes some great products.  They offer stellar nutrition and provide people with healthy swaps for some of their fat and preservative-laden counterparts.  My only negative comment is that I think they are lacking a little pizzazz.  Amp up the flavor!

Overall Grade:  B+

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Questions of the Day:

1. How do you meet your dietary fiber requirements?  I try to get most of my fiber from whole grains, fruits, and veggies, but fiber-enriched snacks like these help too!
2. Anything fun planned for this weekend?  What are you going to do?  I have my freshman Cotillion tomorrow night – I’m so excited.  I’m getting my hair done and everything!

Have a wonderful 3-day weekend!  (Well only Americans have a 3-day weekend, so I hope everyone else has a wonderful 2-day weekend as well!)

Gotta Have It

Hello Everyone!  Happy Friday!

I have a really cool post for you today inspired my Carrie from Moves ‘N’ Munchies, but first let me show you some favorite meals and snacks from the past week!

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Paola’s Apple and Swiss Egg-White Cake made with Egg Beaters, cheddar, spinach, and a gala apple

2 scoops of Breyer’s Slow-Churned French Vanilla Ice Cream sprinkled with crushed Oreos

Greek yogurt topped with peanut flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, and a sliced kiwi

Fiber Gourmet Lite Brownie and Breyers Slow-Churned French Vanilla Ice Cream

Scrambled Egg Beaters with spinach and cheddar

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Okay, now that I’ve got you drooling (I hope!) I’m going to share some of my must-have items.  They include hair styling tools, clothing items, shoes, and (of course) food!

Let’s begin…

My Chi Flat Iron

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As I mentioned in my Stylish Blogger Award post, I have extremely curly hair.  I’ve been straightening my hair since the 4th grade and the Chi is the only flat iron that can tame my crazy hair. Plus it’s really durable – I’ve had it for 4 years already!

Chesnut-Colored Ugg Boots

                                (source)

I probably wear my Ugg boots everyday.  They’re so comfortable and warm – perfect in the cold winter weather.  It actually hit 15 degrees Fahrenheit today.  Brrrrr! 

Sweatpants

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I’m a comfort girl.  I’d pick comfort over style anyday, so naturally sweatpants are my go-to pants.  I wear fitted sweatpants when I go shopping and hang out with friends and baggy sweatpants when I’m cleaning, baking, or working out.  Yeah, I wear sweatpants a lot…

Nut Butters

                               (source)

I think I’ve professed my love for nut butters enough on this blog.  I’m addicted to them after all!

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That’s all for now folks!  Have a great weekend!

Questions of the Day:

1. What are your must-haves?
2. Are you doing any weekend baking? If so, what