Lemon Feta Chicken! Quick, Easy, and Healthy :)

HEY EVERYONE!

Sooo, a huge storm/hurricane hit Southern NJ this past Tuesday. We were told a tornado was coming through town and were directed to “take cover”. Later on, we found out that it was not an actual tornado, but instead, severe straight-line winds which proved to be extremely damaging. Devastation is widespread, and my county in particular got hit especially hard, but luckily, my house did not lose power. We did, however, lose a few trees, shutters, shingles, and (sigh) INTERNET.

So, that is why I have not been able to publish a new post in the past few days. I just got my internet back yesterday evening and I am so excited to now be able to share a new recipe with you that I like to call Lemon Feta Chicken. I just had it for dinner the other day and, man, is it yummy!!!

What You Need:

1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken breast

1/2 cup feta cheese (I like to add just a bit of goat cheese too, that’s up to you!)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Chopped red bell pepper (as much as you’d like to use, I like to cover the entire chicken piece with it)

1 tbsp dried parsley

Sprinkle of black pepper

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to  350.

2. Cover a baking pan with foil and spray with Pam.

3. Place chicken pieces in baking pan and drizzle with 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, reserving the other 1/2 for later.

4. Season chicken with black pepper. Then, top with feta cheese (or feta and goat cheese mixture, if you so choose), red bell pepper, and parsley.

5. Next, drizzle the rest of the lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp, on top of the chicken.

6. Place baking pan in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (when chicken is cooked through).

Now, all that’s left is to ENJOY! Super simple and super nutritious! Try it out and let me know what you think!

CHICKEN ALFREDO YOU CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT! :)

I have a “skinny” version of chicken Alfredo that I’m super excited to share with you! I’m usually not an Alfredo person, because it’s sooo creamy and fattening, but I was in the mood for it tonight. So, of course, I decided to whip up a healthier version and it was DELICIOUS!

What You Need: Serves 3-4

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (about the size of your hand or larger)

6-7 oz of whole grain pasta – I used fusilli, but any kind could work

1 1/2 cup broccoli florets (or peas, whatever you have on hand)

1/2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp red crushed pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

What to Do:

1. Begin boiling water in saucepan and add pasta when ready. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

2. Next, season both sides of chicken breast with black pepper, garlic powder, and red crushed pepper. Cut into bite sized chunks.

3. Add garlic to skillet and saute for about 1-2 minutes. *If using frozen broccoli florets, add to skillet now.

4. Then, add flour and stir together. Saute for about a minute until well combined.

5.  Add chicken chunks to skillet. Allow chicken to cook for about a minute, and then pour chicken broth into skillet and stir well.

6. Next, add almond milk and bring the mixture to a simmer. *If using fresh broccoli florets, add to skillet now.

7. Allow mixture to simmer for about 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Then, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over skillet. Sprinkle a pinch of black pepper over mixture as well.

8. Continue to simmer over low heat and stir mixture often. Drain al dente pasta and add to skillet.

9. Toss Alfredo mixture, chicken, and pasta in skillet until well combined and pasta is coated. Continue to simmer for another 1-2 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

TA-DA! You’re now ready to eat a much healthier version of chicken Alfredo! Top with some fresh parsley if you’d like 🙂 Bon Appetit!

Honey Glazed Chicken with Homemade Guacamole: The BEST Thing Ever!

I AM SO EXCITED.

SO. YOU.NEED.TO.GET.EXCITED.TOO!!! 🙂

This evening, I am posting my absolute favorite recipe and the best part is- it’s SUPER easy with only a few ingredients AND it’s good for you! It’s a honey glazed chicken that tastes sooo delicious by itself, but you may also choose to make this OUT OF THIS WORLD homemade guac!

SECRET: Have someone in your family who doesn’t like guacamole? Maybe YOU don’t like guacamole? (If that’s the case, you are crazy!). HAVE NO FEAR- My boyfriend claims to hate guacamole. So, instead of calling this sauce guacamole, I called it a “green sauce” and he ate it with the chicken and guess what? HE LOVED IT! So this “guacamole” is a little different than the traditional store-bought guac, but it’s also quite similar… Try it and let me know what you think!

Sooo, here we go! I’m going to share with you the most scrumptious 4 ingredient chicken recipe, and then the homemade avocado sauce recipe as well, which is optional but highly recommended 🙂

Honey Glazed Chicken. What You Need:

A large gallon size Ziploc bag

1 lb boneless chicken breasts

3/4 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup raw honey

3/4 cup water

5 cloves minced garlic

Pam cooking spray

fresh cilantro for serving (optional)

What To Do:

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Place chicken in the large Ziploc bag.

2. Mix the soy sauce, honey, water, and garlic in a large bowl until smooth. Pour the mixture into the Ziploc bag.

3. Seal the bag tightly and ensure that all of the chicken is covered in marinade evenly. Place Ziploc bag in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours- but I prefer letting it marinade over night. The longer you can let it sit, the better! 🙂

4. When you’re ready to cook the marinaded chicken, spray a grill pan with Pam and place over medium heat. It’s best to use a grill pan/skillet grill because you want to get the grill marks on the chicken and a little charring. A regular outdoor grill would work as well; if you choose that, place the chicken pieces on skewers.

5. Place chicken chunks on grill pan. Brush/pour some of the marinade onto each piece of chicken and then let cook for about 4 minutes. Then, flip the pieces over and brush with marinade. Let cook for another 4 minutes. Continue this process until chicken is browned and cooked through.

Chop up the cilantro and sprinkle on top of chicken when serving (optional). This amount of chicken should serve 2-4 people, depending on how much each person wants to eat! Eat as much as you’d like, because this dish is healthy and nutritious!! 🙂

 <- Pictured is the chicken and brown rice in a bowl with sauteed onions, peppers, and fresh spinach. (Normally I serve on a plate but took a different route today. My green sauce was in a separate bowl on the side.)

I usually serve the chicken with brown rice and sauteed peppers, onions, and corn. You can use any veggies you have on hand. Another idea would be to mix brown rice with quinoa if you have it available. I also serve the chicken with homemade avocado sauce… aka the greatest, healthiest version of guacamole 🙂

AVOCADO SAUCE/GUAC- What You Need:

1 avocado

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

3 cloves of minced garlic

juice of 2 limes

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds

Food processor

What To Do:

1. Peel avocado and remove pit. Place peeled avocado, parsley, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, water, and olive oil in food processor and pulse until well mixed.

2. Add almonds to food processor and continue to pulse until it gets to the consistency you want. I usually pulse until mostly smooth, with just a few little bumps throughout, so it “looks” like guacamole!

3. Serve on the side of the chicken. Tastes great with the chicken, brown rice, AND veggies! I’m actually convinced this homemade sauce would work well with almost anything.

Left over sauce should be refrigerated and used within 3 days. Enjoy!!!

If you try either (or both) of these recipes, please comment and let me know what you thought! Good luck.

A Healthier Version of Chocolate Pudding Fondue!

Sooooo the first recipe I’m going to post is a super easy one and, of course, it’s going to be a dessert. Anyone who knows me knows I have the worst sweet tooth in the world and always cave when it comes to CHOCOLATE. This recipe is healthier than most other desserts, is super easy, AND can be done in minutes!

Sometimes, I just crave a sweet dessert. I’m a sucker for anything and everything chocolate, and, when I have a craving, I want it NOW, not later. So cake recipes that take 60 minutes to bake just aren’t an option. In those moments, do not fret, make this delicious chocolate pudding you can feel a little better about! 🙂

What You Need:

1/3 cup of raw honey

4 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 cups almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp of smart balance or earth balance butter

A handful of strawberries (optional)

…and THAT’S IT!!! 🙂

What to Do:

1. Mix together the cornstarch, cocoa, and almond milk in a bowl until smooth. Meanwhile, clean and cut up the strawberries in a separate bowl (optional).

2. In a saucepan, combine the honey and milk mixture over medium heat. Stir constantly and cook until thickened.

3. Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Pour the strawberry pieces into the saucepan and mix together well (optional).

This makes about 4 servings. I prefer to use strawberries and eat it hot, right out of the saucepan (you should probably be more civilized and divvy it up into regular bowls).

When you eat it hot, it tastes like a scrumptious chocolate fondue- and I LOVE chocolate covered strawberries! However, you don’t have to use strawberries if you prefer a more traditional chocolate pudding. You may leave the pudding out for awhile to eat at room temperature or even put it in the fridge if you want to have it cold. But, I’m telling you, eating it warm and gooey is the best! Enjoy!! 🙂

PLOT TWIST.

On Wednesday, May 27th, 2015, my boyfriend, Rob, and I decided to foster a puppy. A local shelter was in desperate need of foster families for puppies they were rescuing from a high kill shelter in North Carolina. We applied and were accepted, and later that evening, we had an 8 week old Rottweiler mix named Wilma in my apartment.

At first, she was just a random puppy. She was a homeless pup in danger of being euthanized and we wanted to help. She was very quiet and not very active. Wilma just stretched out on the floor and didn’t want to play or cuddle. She did her own thing. You could tell she was very scared and had no idea what was going on. I said to Rob that night, “You know, I don’t think I’ll ever really have a strong connection with this puppy. She’s a little boring and I know she’s leaving in a few weeks so I don’t think I’ll ever really have a strong bond with her.” How little I knew back then.

In another post, I will tell you the whole story of Wilma. But for now, let’s fast forward. My 18th day with Wilma was also my last day with Wilma; it was the day she was to be adopted: June 13th. Rob and I wanted to adopt her so very bad, but didn’t think it was fair for her to live in a small apartment on the 3rd floor with no backyard. Yes, we have a lot of green space around the complex, but not our own yard for her to run free in. She will grow to be at least 65 pounds and we figured she’d need more space. Did that make June 13th any easier? No. I regret our decision. I know it’s selfish, but I can’t help it.

I read an article yesterday entitled, “Saying Goodbye to A Foster Pet” and it hit the nail right on the head. The part that really spoke to me read: “After days, weeks or even months of bonding, it can be painful to say goodbye to a foster pet. You may even experience strong feelings of guilt for not adopting the animal yourself—this is to be expected. However, it’s important to understand that while these feelings are natural for you, animals are incredibly resilient and adaptable—your foster pet will become part of his new family and be living happily ever after in no time!” I had to chuckle, because deep down in my heart I know Wilma will think of her new place as home and be super happy. She is resilient. It is I who is not so resilient. 

It’s hard to describe exactly how I feel. It partially feels as though a close family member has died. It also feels as though I betrayed my closest friend. I also feel as though I’ve made a very wrong decision. I feel regret. Sadness. Guilt. I’ve been kicking myself and going back over the past 3 weeks in my head over and over. It’s like when you go through a break up and you just keep thinking about all the great times and the fun times and you can’t help but to cry. You can’t help but to rethink your decisions and wish you could go back and do it all again. I’m upset with myself for not adopting Wilma, but hope that in time I’ll see that I did indeed make the right decision and that everything happens for a reason.

Wilma went to her new home this past Saturday. Two days ago. Today is Monday. I lost my body weight in tears on Saturday. Was Sunday any better? No. I thought a good night’s rest would help me. NOPE. Sunday I cried and cried. Luckily, a colleague of mine adopted Wilma rather than a stranger. I actually went over to my colleague’s home yesterday evening to visit and to bring some leftover treats and toys I had. It was really hard seeing Wilma again and then having to leave. I cried and cried.

Today is Monday and, you guessed it, I spent my morning crying. I really thought about calling out from work because I am just so not in the right frame of mind right now and I’m just in a bad place. But, I decided to go in because I needed any and all distractions to get my mind off Wilma. I’m sitting at work planning with some teammates when my phone goes off and it’s a text from Rob.

Last night, we saw a post on Facebook by the local animal shelter that had given us Wilma. They were asking for foster families for a batch of new puppies they’d be bringing up from North Carolina the next day (today). Rob and I looked at the post and then looked at each other and said no way. This weekend was the worst weekend of my life and this morning wasn’t any better. No dog will EVER be as great as Wilma. No dog could ever measure up. I told Rob that I don’t think I could ever foster again, or at least not for a very long time. I didn’t ever want to feel this feeling of complete and utter sadness again. I didn’t want my heart to shatter into a million pieces again. It’s too much to handle.

So, back to the text message I received this morning. Rob’s text reads: “THE ANIMAL PLACE CALLED ME AND ASKED IF WE WANTED TO FOSTER ANOTHER ONE THAT STILL NEEDS A HOME“. I thought to myself, he’s got to be kidding me, right? Doesn’t this shelter understand I’m currently going through PTSD? Really, I should be in therapy or something.

I received that text at 9:20 this morning. Rob and I texted back and forth while I was at work. While I absolutely did not want to foster another puppy, especially while I’m so distraught and emotionally unstable, a tiny part of me felt bad saying no. This puppy needs a foster family or it’ll be staying at the shelter, and what kind of life is that? We went back and forth awhile, trying to hash things out. Rob convinced me that taking a new dog in now may help me to get my mind off Wilma, which may be right. But what if I fall in love with this dog too? What if I get attached again?

Rob called the animal shelter back hours later, at 12:30, to see if they still needed a foster family. I was praying they’d say they’d already found one. But, of course, they still needed one. And could Rob just say “OK, sucks for you!” and hang up? Nope.

So, tonight, we’re getting a new foster puppy. This one is a different gender and different breed. He will be totally different than Wilma. I will do my best to not get to know him that well so that way I don’t get attached. But I already know he’ll never even come close to Wilma. I will be writing all about her in a future blog. I planned on sharing her story with you today. But, PLOT TWIST.

Rob and the puppy are currently en route to my apartment. He had to pick the dog up in Waldorf and I live about 80 minutes north. They aren’t even here yet and Rob and I are already regretting this last minute decision. I wish the shelter hadn’t called us and put us in this predicament. I wish Rob and I would’ve thought it out more and said we couldn’t do it. We want to help and we want to do the right thing but fostering is so very difficult and draining. I don’t think I’ll ever get over Wilma, and here they are giving me a new dog just two days later. Who do they think they are?

Well, Rob and I can be upset with ourselves and ask ourselves why we’re doing this again so soon, or we can just focus on the puppy who needs our help and needs our home to survive. It is our job as foster parents to socialize and rehabilitate the puppy in preparation for joining a forever family. I wish I could’ve been Wilma’s forever family. But, hey, life goes on and I can continue to cry about it (which I will) or I can move forward and try to save as many lives as I can. Yes, we’re crazy, and yes, we’ve made two “bad” decisions in just three consecutive days, but we’re human. And we’re trying. We make rash decisions sometimes without thinking it all the way through. We make mistakes. We don’t know what we’re doing half the time. But if we can make a difference in some small way we will give a valiant effort.

So, cheers to the plot twist. More to come on Wilma, and more to come on this new puppy… yes, I do not yet know his name. But he will be here shortly. Please pray for me.

Before I go, here’s a picture of Wilma giving me kisses a week or so back. How I wish I could go back and relive this all over again.

How This Blog Came to Be..

I’ve had a passion for writing since I was in elementary school. My best friend at the time and I would spend hours, days, and weeks writing songs and stories together. My love of writing has only grown over the years, but, unfortunately, my time to do so has decreased drastically.

Writing courses have always been my favorite. In high school, I took honors writing and language arts classes, and in college, although I majored in elementary and special education, I made it a point to take a creative writing class. College was very demanding, and as a double major, I didn’t have much extra time on my hands to write for fun.

Since I’ve graduated from college, I started writing a book. My favorite thing to write about is mystery and horror. However, as a teacher, I haven’t had much time to work on it. My life consists of lesson planning, grading, and organizing. This summer, I hope to chip away at my book a little more.

However, in the past year or two, I’ve found another passion: cooking. My boyfriend and I cook new things ALL OF THE TIME. I absolutely love trying new recipes, creating my own, and posting our successes to Instagram.

Recently, I’ve decided to combine my two passions: writing and cooking. I’ve been thinking about starting my own blog for about a week now. The plan was to post recipes, directions, and advice for cooking healthy meals from scratch and sticking with it!

The past three weeks, May 27th to June 13th, however, have changed my life. My boyfriend, Rob, and I were fostering the most beautiful and loving puppy: a female Rottweiler mix named Wilma. Wilma stole our hearts and very sadly, yesterday, we had to give her away to a new family. I’m lucky that a colleague of mine adopted Wilma rather than a complete stranger, but my heart is still completely and utterly broken. It feels as though my heart has been yanked out of my chest and stomped on. It’s the worst feeling in the world.

So, I thought.. Why not write about food AND fostering? Two things so very close to my heart. And that, folks, is how my FosteringAndFood blog was born! Of course, I may include some funny teacher moments, because kids say and do the craziest things, but my main goal is to focus on my fostering adventure(s) and yummy, healthy meals.

I hope you enjoy- and maybe even learn something! 🙂