crockpot for one recipe & OOTD

tonight's dinner was one i kind of dreamt up in my head and wasn't sure if it was going to turn out or not! luckily, it was ah-mazing! i ate every bit! it can easily be doubled or made for more than one person! it is a great way to use up leftover cornbread muffins as well!

crockpot roasted & stuffed poblano pepper for one

1 poblano pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, stem and seeds removed

1 cornbread muffin

1/3 cup black beans

1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup salsa, plus more for topping

cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, lime juice, to taste

shredded mexican cheese, for topping

1. spray interior of crockpot with non-stick spray. lay pepper halves (interior of pepper side up) in bottom of crockpot. 
2. in a small mixing bowl, combine together all other ingredients except cheese. stir until cornbread muffin has crumbled and everything is mixed well. 
3. stuff pepper halves with mixture. 
4. drizzle more salsa (i added a bit of water to mine for this part to help keep everything moist) over stuffed peppers. sprinkle with cheese.
5. cook on low for 6-8 hours. serve over bed of greens. 

today's outfit contained two of my favorites: jewels and gingham (and LEONA and j. crew for that matter)! i have been dying to wear these fabulous shorts since i got them! 

j. crew collection jeweled top, LEONA robyn shorts, j. crew mid heel sandals

xoxo,

clp

meatless monday recipe, OOTD

well this monday was 2/3 meatless... so i would say it was a mostly meatless monday! tonight for supper i made an amazing crockpot meal! however, i forgot to turn it on when i left the house this morning but luckily i have the best roomies (especially after i locked my self out of the house this morning at 5:30 AM without car keys in the rain and had to wake all of them up) and they switched it on for me so it was ready when i got home from work! y'all probably know i love mexican so i am always looking for healthy mexican options. one of my favorites veggie combinations for mexican is sweet potatoes and black beans! tonight's recipe includes both, along with some salsa verde to change things up a bit!

crockpot layered enchiladas

1 jar salsa verde

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

cumin, cilantro, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper, to taste

3-4 small corn tortillas

shredded mexican cheese

1. begin by spraying crockpot with non-stick spray. for this recipe, i used a small, 3 quart crockpot.
2. cover bottom of crockpot with salsa verde (probably about 1/4 cup). then place tortilla flat on top. 
3. evenly spread some black beans, sweet potatoes, and spices over tortilla. cover with another tortilla. repeat layering process until all ingredients are used.
4. pour remaining salsa verde over top tortilla. sprinkle with mexican cheese.
5. cook on low for 4-6 hours, until cheese has melted and sides of the top tortilla begin to crisp up.

today's outfit was completely LEONA! i even styled it from the pages of our line sheets! i love the grace shorts in party plaid because they are seasonless and the fabric is exquisite! 

LEONA top and shorts, tory burch flats

also check out how to wear LEONA's essential rope chain necklace, featured today on LEONA : nashville's facebook! i am going to have to add this little number to my jewelry box before summer is over! 

Rope Chain Necklace, 3 ways

xoxo,

clp

may day recipe

happy may! april definitely flew by and it is hard to believe that may is here! with may comes summer, flowers, vegetables, fruits and many other things so i am welcoming it with open arms! i am one final down, with two more to go on monday! tonight will be a bit of a study break since i may be brain dead from taking my final earlier today! for supper tonight i decided to try out a new recipe that i had seen multiple versions of on pinterest! i always love any twist on mexican and this was a great, healthy and vegetarian take on tacos!

black bean, sweet potato and corn tacos

serves 4

2 sweet potatoes, diced 

1 can reduced sodium black-beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup corn kernels 

2-3 tsp lime juice

cumin

red pepper 

garlic powder 

small corn tortillas

lettuce, cheese, salsa for topping 

1. preheat oven to 400. spray pan with non-stick cooking spray and place diced sweet potato on pan. spray potatoes with cooking spray as well. top with lime juice, cumin, red pepper and garlic powder to taste. place in oven to bake until softened and toasted brown, about 30 minutes. 
2. meanwhile, spray a skillet with non-stick spray. add onions and corn and cook until onions are translucent. add beans, lime juice, cumin, red pepper and garlic powder (all spices to taste. cook until heated through.
3. when sweet potatoes are done, remove from oven and add to skillet with beans and corn mixture. stir together. 
4. heat corn tortillas in microwave for about 15 seconds. serve tacos topped with desired toppings and enjoy!

(slightly adapted from Joy The Baker)

try this recipe out on monday for cinco de mayo! i really liked it and am looking forward to making it for others! 

xoxo,

clp 

daddy daughter friday & a recipe

today was daddy-daughter good friday! since we were both off from school, we decided to have a day spent in nashville just the two of us! of course, we went to the puffy muffin in brentwood (best. pimento. cheese. ever.) and a stop by iveycake was essential. we had some errands and shopping to do at green hills and then we picked up a key to my sublease for the summer! less than a month and i will be there working! i picked up some cute spring and summer pieces to add to my closet today and i can't wait to share them in future OOTDs! today's OOTD is one that i have been saving for the perfect occasion! a day spent with my daddy was just what the outfit called for and i got more compliments on my junebug sweater!

tory burch cardigan, j. crew gingham printed jeans, tory burch sandals

tonight for supper we tried a new recipe from dashing dish! it was an enchilada bake that layers tortillas instead of rolling actual enchiladas. dad made it before we left for nashville and set it in the fridge so it was ready to put in the oven when we got home! we all thought it was really good and quite filling! 

white chicken enchilada bake

1 can reduced-sodium white beans 

2.5 cups cooked and shredded chicken breasts

1 can rotel, drained

1 4 oz can chopped green chiles

1 1/4 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt

1 tsp taco seasoning (we used homemade)

1 small can white corn, drained

4 high fiber, low carb tortillas, cut into 4 quarters (we use La Tortilla)

1/2 cup mexican or pepper jack cheese

1. preheat oven to 375. spray large baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. make the filling by putting the white beans in a mixing bowl. mash until they are creamy and broken up. add chicken, tomatoes, yogurt, green chiles, taco seasoning and corn. mix until combined.
3. put together by layering two of the cut tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish, followed by the filling. top with remaining tortilla layer. top with shredded cheese.
4. bake for 35-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and dish is heated throughout. 

(slightly adapted from Dashing Dish)

top this with salsa, make some guacamole and you have an easy and healthy mexican dish! it makes enough for four people with some leftover! the recipe also freezes well, either before or after baking. 

i am so happy to be home with my family but am quite tired! it seems i am always more tired the day after i get home. tomorrow mom and i are preparing for easter sunday by dying eggs, making sugar cookies and maybe sitting out in the sun some! we are planning on grilling for supper since the weather is supposed to be fabulous tomorrow! have a wonderful easter weekend y'all!

xoxo,

clp 

a twist on traditional mexican: baked tacos

mexican food is my favorite food. i think i could eat it all day, everyday, but then i might have a slight probably wearing the clothes i like to wear. though its not the most diet friendly cuisine, there are ways to make it healthier which i hope to continue to share! my favorite way to make mexican healthier is to simply swap veggies for chips! i like to slice up either jicama or bell peppers to dip into salsa and guacamole! another way is to use small, soft corn tortillas. they are only 45 calories a piece and can be easily made into hard taco shells if desired! tonight's supper recipe is one that is relatively easy and a change up from traditional ground beef tacos!

baked tacos

1 lb extra lean ground beef

1 recipe homemade refried beans

1/4 cup salsa

2-3 tbsp homemade taco seasonings

8-10 hard taco shells (homemade recipe below) 

shredded cheese and your favorite taco seasonings

1. preheat oven to 400.
2. brown ground beef. drain any fat. add salsa, beans and seasonings. 
3. spoon mixture into taco shells. 
4. place filled shells into a casserole, standing up. sprinkle with cheese.
5. bake for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. 
6. serve with your favorite toppings!

homemade taco shells

1. using 6 inch corn tortillas, wrap in a barely damp paper towel and steam in microwave for about 30 seconds. lay the tortillas on a clean working surface and spray both sides with cooking spray. carefully drape each tortilla over bars in the oven rack.bake at 375 until crisp, about 7-10 minutes (watch carefully). 

(recipes slightly adapted from One Good Thing by Jillee) 

it is fro-yo friday! after supper tonight i am going to get some frozen yogurt and to see divergent with one of my friends! perfect girl-date for a stormy friday night! have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

clp

pineapple BBQ pulled pork recipe

do i have to go back to knoxville/the real world today? i just love my weekends at home and wish they would never end! i am so lucky to have such amazing parents and a wonderful place to come home to! last night for supper we put a twist on the usual mexican and had pineapple BBQ pulled pork tacos! they were so good and we could not stop raving about the taste! the recipe is quite simple! daddy and i threw it all in the crock-pot before we left the house and by the time we got home, the house smelled delicious! try this recipe out over nachos, in a quesadilla, as tacos or in a salad!

pineapple BBQ pulled pork

3-4 lb pork buttroast, trimmed of fat and cut into large pieces

garlic powder

cumin

20 oz can pineapple chunks/tidbits

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1 cup chopped onion (frozen works great)

1. place the trimmed buttroast in the bottom of a large crock pot. season generously with garlic powder and cumin. add pineapple chunks (and juice), BBQ sauce and onion to crock pot and stir to mix. 
2. cook on low for 7-9 hours, or until pork can be shredded easily. remove pork from crock pot, shred, then return to crock pot and stir to mix well.
3. serve with additional BBQ sauce if desired. 

(recipe slightly adapted from Iowa Girl Eats)

the recipe makes quite a bit, but it freezes well and is very versatile so leftovers can be fun! just make sure that your pineapple (i used libby's canned skinny fruit) and BBQ sauce are as low in sugar as possible and you will have yourself a protein-filled, healthy mexican recipe which is hard to find! 

it is so strange that the olympics are over tonight! unfortunately, i wasn't as into the olympics this year as i usually am. i still enjoyed watching the figure skating but just wish i had time to enjoy it more! i am heading back to knoxville this afternoon with a busy three weeks until spring break ahead of me. between tests and projects as well as alpha chi activities, working baseball games as a diamond girl and just usual life, these next few weeks are going to be packed to the brim! however, there is a light and it is the sunny skies of the bahamas on the cruise with my mama! have a great week everyone!

xoxo,

clp