Let's Get Cookin'!

Who else LOVES the beginning of a new year when you're gung-ho about your new year's resolutions??  Try 15 new recipes and blog about them??  Yes please!!

The temperatures are dropping like crazy around here and that is a great excuse to bust out the slow cooker - for not one night, but two!

Thank you Facebook community for sharing with me some delicious looking 3-ingredient recipes including this gem "Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken" which was YUM-O (is that the right term?)!  Last night we were impressed with how the salsa verde added such flavor with just enough kick - so good!  More importantly... so easy to make!!  We did not add the cilantro (didn't have it on hand) and I served it over white rice... today I had the chicken in a wrap for lunch - again, so good!!  We will make this one again... maybe as tacos next time... and I do think we would benefit from adding some veggies.

After dinner last night I prepped another pound of chicken for tonights feast "Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Orzo" - this was the first time I've ever made orzo... so that was fun!  The prep last night was wicked easy - I didn't want to open white wine so I went with some water and lemon juice... not sure how much of a difference that made but I don't think much?  This morning was super easy to pop the marinating chicken into the slow cooker - relatively hands off until it was time to make the orzo and we sautéed some broccoli & cauliflower.  This dish was good but not as YUM-O as last night's... I think that may be due to the fact that Mike and I both love our spices.  I'd eat this one again but I'm not putting it on the top of the list as a must-make-again like the salsa verde one.

Any way you look at it - we're eating well this week.  As the temperatures drop I'm looking forward to our warm healthy eats!

Happy New Year! A look forward...

Let's do this!  Here's My #15in15:

1- Read 5 books (only counts if I finish them!)

2- High 5 HIIT (5th and 15th of every month)

3- Yoga on Fridays

4- Workout Wednesdays... Mike's day to walk Stout, my day to workout!

5- Train for a 5 minute Birthday Plank (fitness test on Christmas too?!)

6- Learn (master) 5 new jump rope techniques 

7- Run a 5k with Stout! 

8- Cook and Blog (what did I/we make, level of difficulty, result - would we make it again, etc) - 15 new to me recipes! 

9- 15 dates with Mike... Have to try at least 5 new spots!

10- Get connected! Not just social media... ping a friend everyday and 1 hand written (old school) note per month.

11- Creative Creations - I'll aim for 15 even though I didn't quite hit my 14 last year

12- Organization!! One project space per non-Lent month (Lent will be "40 bags in 40 days" again)

13- Drop 10 lbs (goal 160 by EOY)... I typically don't believe in weight loss goals like this, however losing 25 lbs in 2014 I'm inspired!

14- See a dermatologist!!

15- Take care of myself.. 15 daily habits.. floss, take vitamins, drink 80+ oz water, etc