Leftover Madness

You may remember the pizzas that I made last week: Butternut BBQ Chicken & Broccoli Chicken Alfredo!

I had some chicken, broccoli, and roasted butternut squash left over from those pizzas that I froze for a later use.

Well, last night was the night to bust out those frozen leftovers for a delicious pasta!

It was definitely a "throw in whatever looks good" kind of pasta, but it actually turned out AWESOME!

Paired with a simple salad for some GREENS!

I topped my portion of pasta with goat cheese, the hubs with fresh grated Parmesan.

 He's not a big fan of goat or gorgonzola cheese. I, however, want to buy a goat just so I can have these at my personal disposal. A girl can only dream.

And apologies for my sloppy pasta-plating (or bowling, I should say) skills. I was in a mad rush to eat my melty goat cheese butternut pasta...nom.

Ok, so let's talk about something not so nutritious...Oreos.

I feel like this is a safe place and I feel the need to confess.

I only used two rows of these bad boys for my insane Oreo Brownies with a Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Swirl.

At the time, I thought "Oh, I'll use the other row for some other baked good that I'll end up giving away or bringing to work."

Ummm, no.

I have been eating these straight from the package at all hours of the day (yes, even right after breakfast) unashamedly. I won't even give myself time to pour a glass of milk before I start digging right in. I just stand there...in my pantry doorway...eating Oreos.

Probably .01% of my daily food intake comes from a package and is usually in the form of a protein bar, but all of that changed once this mean, addictive blue package filled with processed goodness came into my life. 

I won't even look at the ingredients list due to my blissful ignorance.

Ahhh, ok, I just needed to share that.

Thanks for listening and hopefully understanding that I will continue to be an Oreo eating cookie monster until every last cookie in this package is gone and in my belly.

I love Oreos. I hate Oreos. I love Oreos. I hate Oreos.

Make this pasta! And don't become an Oreo addict like me! It's a gateway cookie and will only lead to more hardcore pre-packaged cookies!!!

Butternut Linguine Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup roasted butternut squash
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 jar Classico Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 package whole wheat linguine pasta
• Crumbled goat cheese, for topping

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and onion is translucent.
2. Add butternut, broccoli, chicken, chicken broth, pasta sauce, and seasonings to skillet.
3. Stir around, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer (medium-low heat).
4. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
5. Season pasta water with a large pinch of salt and cook pasta until al dente.
6. Once pasta is cooked, place in a large bowl and toss with sauce until pasta is evenly coated.
7. Serve warm and sprinkle with goat cheese crumbles (or Parmesan cheese).

ENJOY!

Oreo Brownies with a Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Swirl

This past weekend, one of my co-workers decided to throw a pool party and BBQ at her house.

I immediately signed up to bring dessert, because...I mean, what else would I bring?? :)

Being my first pool party of the summer (and the fact that Texas has become AN OVEN ON BROIL this summer) it was no surprise that I found myself cannon-balling onto her pool after being there for about...mmmm... two and a half minutes.

I am also a 24 year old child, so cannonballs and that "dunking category" game are a must at all pool parties.

I also knew that I wanted to bring, not only the world's best cannonball technique, but also a dessert that involved Oreos and peanut butter.

Why such a specific combination?

Because while I was at work the day before, I had a good 30-minute conversation with another co-worker of mine about the greatness that is Oreos dipped in peanut butter.

Yep, that'll fuel your run, fo sho!

So, because of this mouth-watering convo, I officially had a craving.

 And here is what I did.

I made my normal fudge brownies and then poured the brownie batter into a large sheet cake pan.

The I mixed together cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and an egg, poured that on top of the brownie batter and swirled it around with a knife.

I then took two sleeves of OREOS, crushed them up into large chunks, and sprinkles those crazy chunks on top of the batter.

Now THAT is a brownie, friends.

Oreo Brownies with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Swirl

makes 36 brownies

Ingredients:

For the brownie-

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 cups white sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 5 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweeetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

For the peanut butter cream cheese swirl-

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Topping-

• 12 oz crushed Oreos (2 rows worth of cookies in an 18 oz package)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour a large sheet cake pan or rimmed cookie sheet (I use this one).
3. For the brownies, mix together butter and sugar until creamy.
4. Add in eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined.
5. Stir in vanilla extract.
6. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
7. Gradually mix flour mixture into butter mixture until barely combined.
8. Fold in chocolate chips.
9. Pour batter into baking pan.
10. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and egg until creamy.
11. Pour on top of brownie batter and swirl around with a butter knife (but try not to scratch the bottom of the pan!)
12. Sprinkle crushed Oreos on top of the brownies and pat down to secure them in the batter.
13. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (for super soft brownies), rotating the pan at 20 minutes so that the brownies bake evenly.
14. Let brownies cool completely before cutting into squares.

ENJOY!

Marathons & Brownies. No Holding Back.

I have a sincere respect and love for long distance running.

The Big D Texas Marathon in April 2010 was my first marathon.

I had run a few 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons before, but I quickly learned that training for a full marathon is a whole different ball game.

The Big D was a challenge (to say the least) due to improper training, pushing myself too hard in the weeks leading up to the race, and sporadic knee and ankle pain.

On race day, I surprisingly kept a great pace and felt strong up until about mile 22. At that point, the thought of running 4.2 more miles felt more like 40. 

I just HURT ALL OVER. 

Fortunately, it hurt more to walk than run, so I kept pushing and finished in 4 hours and 45 minutes.

It was no Boston qualifier, but it still felt AMAZING to finish.

I will never forget this lady who, after finishing at about the same time as me, asked me "What number is this for you?" I told her that it was my first and asked her the same question. 

"30th!", she replied. I responded with, "Hoooooly smokes!"

She then said "Just wait! A month from now...you'll be looking for another one to run."

At the time, I thought to myself, "There is NO WAY I will EVER do this again"...but she was right.

About a month later, I was surfing the web for more marathons.

So, for a little over a year now, I have been ITCHING to run another one...or three.

I am officially registered for the:

San Antonio Rock N' Roll Marathon on November 13, 2011

Chevron Houston Marathon on January 15, 2012

And have not officially registered, but probably will race in The Woodlands FIRST Marathon on March 3, 2012!

I know that is a lot to take on, but I thought that since I'll already be trained, WHY NOT?!? 

However, between my involvement with a running club called WoodlandsFit & being in a healthy running environment at work all day, I am committed to training WELL for these upcoming races so I can 1) Be injury free 2) Maintain a healthy weight and 3) Finish in less than 4 hours.

I have also been reading Kara Goucher's Running For Women, which is geared more towards the beginner runner, but is also chocked full of great tips and training techniques that I never knew! Love it!

I am ECSTATIC about these upcoming races and get anxious just thinking about them!

What are you training for? Any races on the horizon??

Ok, so enough on races and running...let's talk about BROWNIES!

Just as I do not hold back when it comes to running, I also do not hold back when it comes to brownies.

The fat kid inside me L-O-V-E-D every bite of this decadent little treat.

Recipe to come tomorrow, but I'll leave you with the fact that fudge brownie, cream cheese, peanut butter, and Oreos were involved...and it's heart-pumping insanity.

Happy Monday! Make it a wonderful week!

Chicken & Waffles...& Siggi's

Wow, what a lovely lazy Sunday morning it has been!

The hubs and I planned on getting up this morning for church, but after a late night last night celebrating my bro-in-law's birthday, getting up to an alarm this morning just wasn't happening.

And the fact that I averaged about 3 hours of sleep Friday night meant that I CA-RASHED last night once my head hit the pillow.

So around 9:45 AM, after lounging around and talking about restaurants in San Antonio (where we will celebrate the hubs birthday in a few weeks! Can't wait to eat at this place!) I decided to bust out the waffle iron...because all Sundays should involve waffle irons.

I whipped up a batch of my Buttermilk Whole Wheat Waffles (recipe at the end of this post) topped with peanut butter and honey!

With a side of chicken in the form of scrambled cheddar eggs.

So good.

Ok, so on to a different topic...SKYR!

I am completely obsessed with skyr but do not buy it very often due to it's higher price tag.

The only brand of skyr that I have seen in the US is Siggi's, and honestly, I don't think we would ever need another option.

You can't get any better than Siggi's.

Love the product, love what the company stands for, love the packaging, just love love love.

Skyr has a little bit different of a texture and taste than Greek yogurt, but if you love Greek yogurt, you will undoubtedly love skyr.

Now let's play "I Spy The Real Vanilla Beans In This Amazing Skyr That Is Made Even More Amazing When Spread On Top Of Toast And Jam!"

Definitely worth moving to Iceland for...easy.

:)

Waffles, eggs, and spreading the skyr word! Great start to a Sunday!

Many miles (and errands) to run and chores to do before tomorrow creeps up on us. But I do get to bake something delicious for a little get-together tonight, so that is always a high point! :)

Hope you are having a fabulous Sunday!

Buttermilk Whole Wheat Waffles

(makes 3 medium-sized waffles)

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Heat waffle iron on medium-high heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, flour, buttermilk, milk, oil, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
3. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray and pour 1/3 of the batter onto the hot waffle iron.
4. Cook until golden brown (check for doneness after a minute or two).

Serve warm with peanut butter, honey, syrup, bananas, and whatever else your heart desires!

ENJOY!

Eat Oats, Run Happy

I really really really LOVE oats.

I love them in baked goods, protein bars, raw, cereal, and of course...oatmeal.

I could eat oatmeal everyday for every meal. Yep.

The only BAD thing about oatmeal during the summer is that I tend to not want super hot meals before or after a hot summer run.

And that is why I am OBSESSED with overnight oats!

Some people call these cold oats, chilled oats, or muesli, but MOST people just call them overnight oats.

They are SO SO SO good and the perfect pre or post workout nutrition during the summer (or any season)!

My go-to recipe for overnight oats starts with measuring out 1/3 cup whole rolled oats and placing them in a container with a lid (or almost empty Crofters Superfruits jar!).

Then add 1/3 cup Greek yogurt to the oats (I use plain, but vanilla or any other flavor would be delish!).

Then add 1/3 cup 1% milk

Then 1 heaping spoonful dried fruit (I usually do Craisins, blueberries, or cherries).

If you want to use fresh fruit, you totally should, but make sure to add the fruit to your oats right before you eat them. Don't mix them in the night before, unless you like to eat watered-down things...bleh.

Stir it all around, seal in an airtight container, stick it in the fridge, and try to get some sleep even though you are too excited about eating your overnight oats the next morning.

Over night, your oats will go from being soupy and questionable to thick and INSANE!

Well hello there heaven.

The dried fruit will sweeten up these oats on their own, but I like to add a bit of jam and sometimes a dollop of nut butter to give the oats an extra punch.

Holy yumballs.

Oats make me happy and are THE BEST running fuel in the world, no questions asked.

I ate my overnight oats this morning around 6:45 AM and TORCHED my 8:00 AM run! Weeeee!

My shirt today held true...Eat Oats, Run Happy!

Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup whole rolled oats
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or flavored!)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 spoonful dried fruit

Mix all ingredients together, seal in an airtight container, and refrigerate overnight.

Top with jam, nut butters, nuts, and fresh fruit before diving in.

ENJOY!

Milk And Cookies...Reinvented

These cookies were sort of an accident.

A delicious, wonderful, mouthwatering accident.

The best kind :)

I had some extra batter left over from a batch of cookie muffins that I made for the pops for Fathers Day, so I decided to bust out my unused nonstick whoopie pie pan and to make cookies with.

I never use nonstick bakeware, and now I remember why. 

I burn EVERYTHING I bake in a nonstick pan. 

Ugh.

These cookies came out of the oven soft and warm in the middle (like!), but the edges were a dark brown (dislike!).

So I removed them from the pan, trimmed the edges off with a knife, and then topped them with a peanut butter glaze and a few more chocolate chips.

Crisis averted.

Soft and buttery but with a crust, which makes them the perfect milk dipping cookie! And the peanut butter glaze just gives them that extra slam of flavor, and actually stays on top of the cookie while you dip!

Honestly, is there anything better than warm cookies and milk (or ice cream)???

I really don't think so.

Make these and ENJOY!

Milk Dippin' Cookies with a Peanut Butter Glaze

Ingredients:

For cookies-

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, and sugar together until creamy.
3. Mix in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
4. Mix in vanilla extract.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and vanilla pudding mix.
6. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture in thirds. Don't overmix!
7. Fold in chips.
8. Spoon batter onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are light brown in color.
10. Cool completely before topping with glaze.

For glaze-

• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

*White chocolate, dark chocolate, and butterscotch chips for topping

Directions:

1. Heat milk, peanut butter, and vanilla in a small saucepan over low heat until peanut butter is melted.
2. Whisk in powdered sugar until glaze is creamy.
3. Frost tops of cookies and sprinkle extra chips on top.

Serve with milk and/or ice cream.

ENJOY!

Pain & The Best Homemade Pizza

I had so much hope for my run this morning. I was feeling good, strong, and confident, but once my feet hit the pavement, all I felt was pain and soreness in my knees, ankles, and shins.

Not good.

I decided not to push through the pain (like I usually do...dumb) and instead hopped on the elliptical for about an hour, then lifted some weights.

I have always struggled with knee pain, but most of the time it is attributed to the need for new running shoes. I bought the pair I have now this past September, and they have definitely seen their day, but I am holding off on buying a new pair so I don't have to buy another pair right before my marathon in November.

I probably need to stop being such a cheap-hinney, listen to my body, and just bite the bullet.

My leg pain is starting to make that $105 price tag look like a deal.

And I know one thing that always takes my mind off of running pains and high dollar footwear...homemade pizza!

Well, I can't say this is completely homemade, because the idea of making my own homemade pizza dough still scares me, but because these pizzas were made at home, that means they are homemade...right?

I have been wanting to make a Butternut BBQ Chicken Pizza with Goat Cheese for about a month now, and last night I finally got my chance! I got off work a little bit early, so I was able to start on these pizzas and actually get dinner on the table at a decent hour!

Oh my gosh.

By far the BEST pizza I have ever had! The butternut squash was bursting with flavor! So good!

It's going to be hard to go back to my normal BBQ chicken pizza now...but I'm sure I'll manage :)

I just love butternut.

I also LOVE white pizza and for some reason never order it at restaurants, but I've always wanted to make it at home.

Well, when I was at the grocery, I ran across a great BOGO deal for Classico Pasta Sauce, so I decided to grab a jar of Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce & got a jar of Sundried Tomato Sauce for FREE!

So I whipped up a Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Pizza!

Also totally delicious.

I had a slice of both with a big 'ol salad on the side.

Spring mix topped with carrots, cherry tomatoes, and my favorite honey mustard dressing.

Simple and delicious.

And for dessert, one of these cookies topped with vanilla ice cream!

Yum, yum, and yum! Recipe for these cookies to come!

In the meantime, make these pizzas! Delish!

Butternut BBQ Chicken Pizza with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• For the squash: 1 medium butternut squash, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 cup cooked chicken, cut into cubes ( I just used a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel squash and remove seeds. Dice into 1/2 inch cubes.
3. Place squash on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil, and season with salt, onion powder, pepper, and thyme.
4. Roast at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, tossing squash around on cookie sheet after 10 minutes of cooking.
5. Cook squash until soft on the outside but still a bit firm. 
6. Remove squash from oven and increase heat to 425 degrees.
7. Grease a separate cookie sheet with cooking spray.
8. Unroll refrigerated pizza dough and roll out onto cookie sheet. Stretch to desired crust thickness.
9. Spread BBQ sauce on top of dough.
10. Top BBQ sauce with 1 cup butternut squash, chicken, and goat cheese.
11. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp pepper over the top of pizza.
12. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, or until cheese and pizza crust start to turn golden brown.
13. Remove from oven and slice into squares.

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (Pillsbury)
• 1/2 cup jarred Alfredo sauce (Classico)
• 1 cup cooked chicken, cut into cubes
• 1 cup cooked broccoli (squeezed between paper towels to remove any excess water)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 435 degrees.
2. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
3. Unroll refrigerated pizza dough and roll out onto cookie sheet. Stretch to desired thickness.
4. Spread Alfredo sauce on top of dough.
5. Top Alfredo sauce with broccoli, chicken, and cheese.
6. Sprinkle salt, onion powder, pepper, and Italian seasoning over the top of pizza.
7. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melty and pizza crust start to turn golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and slice into squares.

ENJOY!