Best Ever Burrito Bowls

It is no secret that I like to grill (or that I rarely make the same recipe more than once), so it should come as no surprise that grilling would be on the menu for Isaac's first birthday party.

Well, to be honest, I had initially planned to just order pizza, but Daniel persuaded me to cook for everyone.

Anywho, last week I made these Fiesta Ranch Chicken Burrito Bowls from a recipe I found at Carlsbard Cravings and they were really out of this world. So Daniel said I should just make them for the party.

You know that it's a great recipe when I made it twice... in one week no less! The prep was simple. I just had to marinate the chicken ahead of time and then I whipped up this Cilantro Lime Rice from Culinary Hill (a Chipotle knockoff). It was also amazing (the secret being to cook it with a bay leaf, who knew?!?).

Anyways, if you are looking for a delicious, easy to make meal, you need to give this a try. Seriously. I will be making it again! The chicken and rice are THAT good!

I Love to Grill

 Lemon and Dill Barbecue Salmon Kabobs [recipe via Plating Pixels]

If you follow me on Instagram, or are Facebook friends with me, you probably noticed my hashtag #ilovetogrill. 

 Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kabobs [recipe via The Mediterranean Dish]

This summer I really got addicted to grilling. In general I don't cook very many of the same recipes more than once and this summer I embraced that principle with grilling.

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops [recipe via Delightful-E Made] 

with Peaches and Sugar Snap Peas

At first I thought I would be limited on what I could do on the grill, but I discovered a love of grilling and so many flavors that I hadn't experienced before.

Rack of Lamb [recipe via Food & Wine], Okra and Corn on the Cob

I grilled salmon, chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, pork chops, lamb, veggies, and fruit. Oh, yeah and burgers too! The list goes on and on.

 Grilled Salmon and Sea Scallops with Sugar Snap Peas and Summer Squash

I especially loved making kabobs and tried every recipe I found on Pinterest that sounded like it might be good.

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Kabobs with Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms 

[recipe via Taste and Tell]

Besides the amazing taste, one of the main reasons I love grilling is because of how easy it is to marinate food and fire up the grill for a meal. With a 3.5-year-old and an infant, time is a luxury I don't have a lot of, and grilling met my need for variety and great tasting food.

Sweet Maple BBQ Chicken Kabobs [recipe via A Dash of Sanity] with 

grilled Brussels Sprouts [recipe via Alton Brown] and Zucchini

Let me tell you, it was one delicious summer of food on the grill!

Teriyaki Salmon Skewers [recipe via Simply Recipes]

Now that the weather is cooling off, I will probably turn to warm soups and chili and cornbread as my go-to meals, but I truly love grilling, and when the weather permits, I will be outside with my grill!

Grilled veggies for The Pioneer Woman's Grilled Veggie Enchiladas 

[recipe via The Pioneer Woman]

Follow me on Pinterest and let me know if you have any favorite grilling recipes!

Hamburgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday Things (Random, April 2012)

1. It crossed my mind that working mom's must live crazy, busy lives.* Then it dawned on me... most working moms use daycare or babysitters to supplement the care of their children. No wonder I have been so exhausted lately. 30+hr work {at home} work week's plus simultaneously taking care of a 5-month-old is tough. I am so glad that this is not my normal. If it was, I would definitely have to look into child care.

*I totally respect moms that are making the whole working thing work.

2. I was finally able to catch my breath this week. That means I actually cooked meals and went for a run. It helps that the little sickness I picked up last week has finally passed.

Grilled Sesame Ginger Salmon with Sauteed Asparagus, Rice and a Strawberry Spinach Salad

3. On my run yesterday, a family of geese hissed at me. The parents didn't want me near their little goslings. I shouted and clapped my hands back at them. The thought of geese attacking me or worse, attacking the stroller with Jack in it, did not give me warm, fuzzy feelings.

4. Jack has been sleeping through the night this week. Then last nigh he woke up at 2am, starving. After a week of uninterrupted sleep, it was tough... I hope he doesn't do that again.

5. Since Jack is sleeping through the night, we are on the hunt for good cloth diapers that won't leak when left unchanged for 8-12 hours. If you use CD, feel free to weigh in with your personal faves.

Spaghetti Sauce, Used Three Ways

This past week I experimented with being creative with meals. I started out by making a homemade spaghetti sauce that we ate with whole wheat spaghetti and a side salad {original recipe was from A Recipe A Day}.

The next day I used the sauce to make sloppy joes.

Finally I used the sauce to make stuffed shells.

We also managed to get a couple of days worth of leftovers for lunches {I made a half recipe of the sauce and it provided us with 10 different servings}. This worked out beautifully as we didn't have to have true repeat meals and we saved money by not making completely new dishes each night.

January Meals

Sometime during the first part of the month, I decided to start photographing the meals I made. I try to cook about 5 nights a week and photographing my meals has been great motivation.

I  have been debating if I wanted to include lots of recipes on my blog... for now I have decided to just post a weekly recap with links to recipes. To kick it off, here are the meals I made {and photographed} during the month of January. They are all pretty healthy with lots of veggies. 

Bon apetit.

Turkey, Vegetable & Orzo Soup
Recipe via

Tomato & Orzo Soup
Recipe via

Chipotle Turkey Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Pan-Seared Steak, Mushrooms, Baked Potato and Sauteed Asparagus

Southwestern Omelet with Chipotle Salsa

Maple Mustard Pork Chops with Maple Glazed Butternut Squash and Steamed Green Beans

Salmon with Red Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas
Recipe via

Barbecue Chicken Breast with Asparagus and a Salad

Chipotle Angus Burger with Homemade Fries

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone
Recipe via The Pioneer Woman

Beef Burrito

Spicy Lime Tilapia with Spinach and Asparagus

Steak Salad with Onion Straws
Variation of Pioneer Woman's Recipe

Chicken Parmesan with Sundried Tomato Sauce, Spaghetti and Sauteed Spinach
Recipe via Good Life Eats

Baked Grill Cheese Sandwich with Turkey and Tomato
Recipe via

 Hamburger, Bell Pepper, Mushroom and Red Onion Pizza

Six Week Challenge: Day 1

Workout(s):
6:30 AM: Got up to walk the dog - 1.5 miles on the Greenway.

5:30 PM: The Workout 180 Challenge was definitely a challenge for me. A wake-up call that I am severely out of shape. I know things will get better, but I also know it will probably feel worse before it feel betters. It was pretty hot/humid today and I struggled through the second half of the workout. Hopefully tomorrow things will be better, but I am expecting some intense soreness to work through.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Bran muffin (my mom's recipe) and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Strawberries
Lunch: Leftover Penne with Chicken and Asparagus
Snack: Orange
Post-Workout Snack: 1 String Cheese
Dinner: Salmon with Italian Veggies
Snack: Breyers Heart-Smart Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
Total Water: 112 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1388