2013 In Review

Click PLAY to see a few of my favorite moments from 2013!

2013 was a great year! Here are a few awesome things that I accomplished and did in the last 12 months!

• Joined Evofit 
• Joined the Downtown 100
• Joined the Aloha Circle of the King's Daughters
• Skied in Massenutten with Joe (and made these oysters)
• Joined and helped create Generation MOCA
• Planned and attended the first annual Absolut Artini at MOCA

• Greenville, South Carolina with Joe
• Joined the ICSC Next Generation
• Volunteered at two golf tournaments 
• Saw my bestie Lauren, twice!
• Volunteered at CHKD's Tour De Cuisine
• Played Bocce Ball in February dressed as an 80's snow bunny
• Two baby showers
• Four weddings (here and here)
• Spent my first summer as a VB local
  
  
  
   
• Got strep throat. No fun!
• Nags Head with Joe and the gang
• Survived the hottest week of the summer at Cedar Island
• Saw Dave Mathews for possibly the 10th time
• New York City for a long weekend with my mom to attend the NY NOW gift show
• Started running thanks to Evofit Runclub
• Became addicted to lululemon
• Attempted my "Summer Bucket List"

• Made my first commission at work
• Redskins vs Lions at FedEx Field
• Ran a 5k in under 35 minutes
• Started a Supper Club with my closest girlfriends
• Held baby Thomas at one week old!
• Went to another Debutante Ball
• Walked under the Holiday lights on the Boardwalk
• Attended the Equikids Stall Ball for the second time
• Tried Tidal Wheel for the first time.
• Started searching for a new car!! 
• Rang in the New Year with my best friends at the Virginia Beach Town Center

Creamy Tortellini with Chicken Sausage

Yet another easy and delicious recipe! This was really filling and super easy to make. It's great for a cold night!

You will need:

One package of frozen tortellini

One can of diced tomatoes, undrained

Half a bag a spinach

Four links of chicken sausage

4 oz of cream cheese (or neufchatel)

Cut sausage into small rounds and brown on a large frying pan.  Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to package directions. Add your can of tomatoes and spinach to the pan. Saute until spinach has shrunk. Add your pasta and cream cheese. Give it a big stir. And you're done!

Delicious as left overs. We added crushed red pepper for a little kick!

For more recipes, click here!

Baked Brie

I have made this three times in the last week for different holiday events. SO easy and SO good.

You will need:

One tube of reduced fat crescent roll dough

One small wheel of brie

Jelly or preserves of your choice

A handful of slivered almonds

A sprinkle of brown sugar

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325. Lay out the parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet with sides. Carefully unfold the crescent roll dough and secure the seams so that it makes one big square. Spoon a few spoonfuls of your jelly or preserves (I used strawberry) onto the center of the dough. Top with almonds and sprinkle with brown sugar.   Cut the outside rind off of the brie and place the remaining wheel on top of the jelly and nuts. Carefully wrap the dough around the cheese and flip it over so the seams are now on the bottom.  Bake on the parchment paper for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with apple slices or crackers.

For more recipes, click here!

Clipper Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies have always been my all time favorite. My  mom used to make them every summer when we would go to Cedar Island.  The name "Clipper" comes from a cruise line, which would serve these cookies, warm out of the oven, every day at tea time. Pretty cute.

2 sticks of butter, room temperature

3/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of  packed light brown sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. Kahlua

1 tbsp. Frangelico

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

24 oz. of semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of walnut halves, chopped

1/2 cup of pecan halves, chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Combine all ingredients and stir until consistent. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet in 1/4 cup scoops. Bake for 16 minutes.  This recipe made me about 50 cookies.

**I used Bourbon Vanilla Extract in this batch

For more recipes, click here!

Recipe Box

Snacks and Apps:

Ranch Oyster Crackers

Quinoa Pizza Bites

Fried Oysters

Pimento Cheese

Baked Brie
Mac N Cheese Cups
Meatball Sliders
Caprese Skewers
Brie with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Thyme
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Guacamole

Breakfast:

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Breakfast Casserole

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Whole Wheat Blueberry Protein Muffins
Blueberry Power Muffins

Sides:

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Zucchini, Sun-dried Tomato Bread

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Heart Shaped Roasted Potatoes
Cheesy Cauliflower Patties 

Main Dishes:

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Chicken Nachos

Turkey Baked Ziti

Healthier Chicken Fried Rice

Mexican Quinoa and Chicken

Chicken Alouette

Mini Turkey Meatloaf

Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake

Greek Quinoa and Chicken

Joe's Pizza

Eggplant Parmesan

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa and Chicken

Mexican Casserole

Ravioli Lasagna

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Chicken Piccata

Turkey and Bean Enchilada Casserole

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

DIY Pizza

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Lasagna
Creamy Tortellini with Chicken Sausage

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Turkey Spinach Meatballs
Chicken Parmesan Meatball Casserole 
Zoodles

Slow Cooker:

Pork BBQ

Italian Noodle Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice
Crockpot Queso

Mexican Chicken 

Soups:

Chicken Shitake and Wild Rice Soup
Tomato Basil Chicken Stew

Salads:

Avocado and Tomato Salad

Chicken and White Bean Salad

Ramen Noodle Salad

Chickpea Salad

Sweets:

Oreo Truffles

Apple and Brie Tarts

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Clipper Chocolate Chip Cookies
Strawberry Cake Cookies

Drinks:

Blue Hawaiian 

Orange Crush

Old Fashion
Sangria 
Almond Milk

Easy Lasagna

This was kind of a last minute craving. The recipe was easy and it tasted delish!

You will need:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground sausage

1 box of "No Boil" lasagna noodles

1 small container of ricotta

1 large bag of mozzarella

1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained

Preheat oven to 400. Brown the beef and sausage. Drain and add jar of tomato sauce and canned tomatoes to the pan. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Spoon the meat and sauce mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with a layer of uncooked noodles and then a layer of the cheese mixture. Continue this process until you run out of room! Top with more cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender. 

**Next time I will add more sauce. Enjoy!

For more recipes, click here!

EASY Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Previously, I made Turkey and Bean Enchilada Casserole, but this time I decided to make the real deal. I bought some red enchilada sauce at Trader Joe's and wanted to put it to use. These were SO easy and somewhat healthy.

You will need:

One bottle of Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce

8 whole wheat tortillas

1 small can of diced green chili peppers

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Mexican Cheese

One rotisserie chicken, shredded 

Combine chicken, beans, chilies, half the enchilada sauce and a handful of cheese in a large bowl. Mix until consistent. Fill each tortilla with the mixture and roll it up like a burrito. Place seam side down in the large, greased baking pan. Continue with the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce and cheese. Bake covered for 30 minutes on 350. Then uncover and bake for an addition 10 minutes.

**Serve with Spanish rice and enjoy!


For more recipes, click here!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice

This was so easy and perfect for a cold fall day! (Sorry not the best picture)

You will need:

1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 cups of wild rice, cooked

5.5 cups of chicken broth

Chopped celery*

Chopped onion*

Chopped carrots*

Butter

1/3 cup Whole wheat flour

garlic powder

onion powder

*I bought the pre-chopped mix of these three veggies at the grocery store to save a step.

Cook rice according to directions.  Melt butter in a sauce pan and brown the onions, celery and carrots. Add in flour. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add spices. Simmer broth mix for 2 minutes. Add all ingredients to your slow cooker and give it a few stirs. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.  The chicken should be tender and easy to shred in the slow cooker. Enjoy!

For more recipes, click here!

Ahoy! It's a Boy!

Last weekend Joe and I hosted a couples baby shower with our good friends Jillian and Taylor in honor of the future baby boy of Brittany and James! James was deployed in Afghanistan for the majority of Brit's pregnancy, so he requested a couples shower upon his return.  We did a sailor theme in honor of James being in the Navy.  Since boys were invited too, we did not do typical shower games. We had a chugging contest out of baby bottles, pin the sperm on the uterus and we also had the guests write funny notes on diapers for mom and dad.  We served beer, oysters, burgers, mac n cheese and a salad. Delish!

My good friend Ashley at Fairview Place created the invitations and the cute little signs. She's amazing!

The invitations!

I made this "life saver" out of diapers.

Jillian made this banner! Too cute!

Brittany is due in 4 days!! Can't wait to meet baby Thomas Bradley!

Happy Fall Yall!

1. I scored this jacket from the Loft on an awesome discount!

2. I love the Fall and Winter, especially for the oysters!

3. This purse is a great transition into Fall. Target for $40!

4. Orange is the New Black. Check out the Netflix series, read the book, or be like me and do both!

Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins

You can't get easier than this yall!

You need:
one can (15 oz) of pumpkin
one box of spice cake mix
That's it!

Bake according to directions on the box. No eggs! No oil!

**I added chocolate chips to mix it up. You can add nuts, dried fruit, coconut... just about whatever you want!

For more recipes, click here!

End of Summer!

Made it to the end of the summer! Labor Day consisted of burgers and dogs with friends, complete with a Mojito Bar! We got in a ton of beach time this weekend, where I stood on a paddle-board AND finished my summer reading. We were also able to squeeze in a fun night at Chick's with football, crab dip and lots of beers.

Overall I still have a lot of items on my list to complete. But most of them are the pricey ones, so I am pretty satisfied with my goals.  Can't wait to try it again next summer!   For now, the Blog is back to crafts and recipes. Thanks for reading!

Summer Bucket List: Run/Walk the Boardwalk

Welllll.... technically I ran to the end of the Virginia Beach boardwalk.

I am in this picture somewhere!

My awesome gym EVOFIT has started a Run Club to help individuals train for 5k and Half Marathons.  Last night was my first attempt.  Our warm up with a mile run to the NORTH end of the boardwalk. Half a mile there and half a mile back. Following that was the actual work out, which I enjoyed since it wasn't long distances. After each 400m lap, each runner received a playing card. At the end, I ended up with a poker hand! The person with the best poker hand got a sweet prize.

Following the run, EVOFIT provided cold beers and a raffle for an Ipod shuffle. The girls from Lululemon had a few of their running items up for sale. There were runners of all levels. Everyone was super encouraging. I'm am so glad I made it out. Great night!

Here is the work out! The amount of burpees, squats, etc was decided by randomly drawing a card from the deck.

Summer Bucket List: Weekend of Many Adventures

Might as well cross off all my weekend activities in one post! What a great weekend. I am so bummed that summer is almost over!

Saturday we attempted to boat to the Paradise Ocean Club.  We made it through the choppy Chesapeake Bay only to realize that I was super uncomfortable in the rough seas. So after that hour and a half detour, we made it back to the steady Lafayette River and spent the day boozing, cruising and knee-boarding.

Boat day!!

Sunday Funday started with a bike ride down the boardwalk to the 51st annual East Coast Surfing Championship.  After watching some of the surfers, my friend Trudy and I stopped into Waterman's for a famous Orange Crush. We really wanted to eat lunch outside, so we biked north to Mahi-Mah's for a burgers and bloody's on the patio.

Sunday Funday!

Summer Bucket List: Go to the Aquarium

We were lucky to be invited to a membership information reception for the Aquarium Connection. This group of young adult helps support the Virginia Aquarium through membership and fundraising events. I can't wait to eventually join this great organization!

Joe made a friend!

Summer Bucket List: Go to Whole Foods

I had some time on my lunch break the other day, so I decided to check out Whole Foods. HOW COOL IS THIS GROCERY STORE?! I love the "self serve" atmosphere. I didn't have much time to shop around, but I did indulge in a made to order sandwich from the Deli! My pictures aren't the best because I didn't want to seem like a tacky tourist in a grocery store.... that would be lame.

Delicious Pizza

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Salad bar includes quinoa and chick peas!

Fab Four

1. Seeds of Change Organic Quinoa and Brown Rice. Ready in 90 seconds!

2. I would love to have a set of gold cutlery to mix up dinner parties.

3. Just purchased Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Cream. Hope it works!

4. I convinced my sister to buy this Kate Spade bag for her new baking business. 

Summer Bucket List: Save Money

I have officially started saving for retirement! Horray for the 401k!

Summer Bucket List: Celebrate a Birthday

This past week I was able to celebrate three birthdays!! My mom and sister share a birthday! How cool is that??  We went over there Friday night for Chicken Satay and delicious homemade Almond Cake.

My family!

Sunday night I celebrated the birth of my girlfriend Rebecca at Tempt in Virginia Beach.

Happy Birthday ladies!

Summer Bucket List: DIY Pizza Night!

We had so much fun this weekend making our own pizza! I found whole wheat dough at Harris Teeter for about $3.00. Can't beat that! We hit up the salad bar, olive bar, and cheese department for some fresh toppings including mozzarella, pepperoni, sun dried tomatoes, marinated mushrooms and peppers. We added some sauteed spinach and used fresh basil from my herb garden! Baked for 20 minutes on 420 degrees. Amazing!!

Summer Bucket List: Paint a New Picture

Trudy and I had a blast Sunday painting beachy vignettes for our house!

Masterpieces

Summer Bucket List: Pool Party at Joes!

While some of our friends couldn't attend this Saturday, we still had a great time with the roomies and dogs. It was a beautiful day by the pool on Cedar Cove Farm!

Nell is too cute

Summer Bucket List: Attend an Outdoor Concert

We went to see the Dave Matthews Band on Friday night at Farm Bureau Live. Such a great show and what has now become a family tradition with my dad. I think this was my 8th time seeing him??

Sissy, Dad and myself

Summer Bucket List: Host a Crab Picking!

We have a place on Cedar Island up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. While the crabs have been sparse this summer in Norfolk, we were hitting the mother load on the shore.  We must have averaged 30 crabs per day (we were there a week, you do the math).   I was able to bring some home for my roommate to pick and make crab cakes.

So silly!

Crab cakes anyone?

Zucchini, Sun dried Tomato, Rosemary, Asiago Bread. Oh my!

I found this original recipe on Skinny Taste (a great blog with super healthy versions of the foods you love!). I made it on a Wednesday night in preparation for a Saturday night dinner.  I definitely recommend eating this right out of the oven. The left overs were amazing for breakfast!

You will need:

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup All purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chilled whipped butter, cut into small pieces

2.5 oz shredded asiago cheese

1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed of all moisture

2/3 cups of sun dried tomatoes, diced

1.5 tbsp fresh rosemary

cook spray

one large egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all wet ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients, cheese, rosemary and veggies in another bowl. Slowly mix together the two bowls and knead about four times until a dough forms. On a greased cookie form about a 10 inch circle and cut the dough into 12 sections. Top with more cheese and egg white wash. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!