Ash Wednesday

So today is Ash Wednesday.  The start of Lent.  While I probably won't actually get ashes (I'm kinda a lapsed Catholic in that sense), I always give something up.  After some thinking, I have decided to give up 2 things.

• Snack food.  Primarily includes chips, pretzels, popcorn, crackers.  Figure I love this stuff and since it's not the healthiest thing for me anyways, would probably be good to give up.
• Unnecessary shopping.  To clarify, what is necessary to me, might not be to other people.  For example, a new sports bra is a necessity to me, but that cute top at Banana Republic is not.  Same goes for running shoes vs. heels I don't need but want.  But a new pair of running shorts?  Not a necessity as I have a drawer full of shorts.  We'll see how this goes!

So, that's what I am giving up this year.  What are other people giving up?

More to come,
S

Hawaiian Shredded Chicken and Lime Rice

So, as stated in my last post, I love Pinterest.  It's such a great place to find ideas and get inspired.  Mostly, I pin clothing I can't afford and lots of delicious looking recipes.

Any who... I also love my crock pot.  Such a useful cooking appliance and one that doesn't have to be super expensive either.  My crock pot was one of the first appliances I bought myself once I was living in the city (and in a tiny studio so space was a premium, but I had to have my crock pot!)  There are a lot of crock pots out there and you could spend a lot of money on it, but I got a pretty basic one (just a high and low switch, no timers or anything - I was on a budget!).  I've had it for about 6 years now and have never had any problems with it.

I also love using the crock pot because I like cooking on Sundays and having left overs all week.  Most crock pot meals make a ton of food - great for leftovers and reheating!

So this weekend, I used my crock pot to make a delicious and easy meal.  I chose a recipe from Pinterest called Hawaiian BBQ Chicken.  The full recipe can be found here: Hawaiian BBQ Chicken.  Just 3 simple ingredients - how can you not like that!  I paired it with a lime rice (a version of the recipe on this site, how I changed it below).

Success!  Hawaiian BBQ Chicken with Lime Rice

I thought both recipes were delicious.  For the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, I did think it needed a little bit more sauce, but that's very much a personal opinion as I love sauces in general.  Luckily, I had another bottle of BBQ sauce already, so I just added a little more to the top.  With the rice, I did make some changes to the recipe I used.  I left the cilantro out because I am not a fan of cilantro.  I always buy it when called for in recipes, but I either end up leaving it out or picking around it, so this time I didn't even buy it.  I also used more lime juice then she recommended.  Just minor changes, but based on my personal preferences.  That is one of the things I love about cooking - you can adjust to your own tastes.

Overall, I was pleased with how both dishes turned out and I did end up with tons of left overs for my lunches this week.  While normally rice does not reheat well, I find when it's covered with something (i.e. saucy shredded chicken) it stays pretty moist.

More to come,
S

Let's try this again...

So, it has clearly been close to 2 years since I've actually blogged.  Going to try this again.  Blog will basically be about the same things: running, racing, traveling, life in the city and food (I love food).  Also included will be things I've made or created from Pinterest - my new favorite site (seriously, I'm obsessed).  I've been making a lot of the recipes lately, so excited to share those!

I will try to post at least once a week if not more, but no promises!

More to come,
S