What's For Dinner-Weeknight Edition

This week has been crazy busy for me. I've had to study for 3 tests in one week. Did I mention it's for the same class?? Our teacher is letting us retake two of our lowest tests so I should really be thankful to him. Tonight is the first night that I've been able to workout all week and it really helped. I also set aside some time for a quick trip to the grocery store and to make myself dinner. I've been craving something very flavorful. Something warm because winter is officially here in Chicago (and has no signs of leaving anytime soon) and something comforting and soothing to the soul. Tonight I bring you what I like to call a squash & turkey mashup bowl. It was so simple, quick and so so tasty that the first bite got an official, "Hmmm!"

There is no official recipe, I kind of just threw stuff together that sounded good. I baked a small butternut squash, cut it up and mash it in a bowl. Then I cut up an apple and some green beans, pecan halves, put a little bit of olive oil in a pan (just enough to coat it) and put the apple, green beans and pecans in the pan along with some cinnamon. I let it cook up and then added some left over turkey to the pan. Sprinkled some seasoned salt. After the turkey got warm, I poured a splash of red wine into the mix and a little bit more olive oil. Let it cook and then added pure maple syrup and poured the whole thing in with the squash. HEAVENLY!! And the whole thing probably took about 20 minutes tops.

Now, Oliver and I are sitting here watching Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Our favorite thing to do on Thursday. He can be such a good t.v. watcher.

I saw this commercial and got really excited! Not because of the flawless models parading around in lingerie, but because this commercial was filmed at the Milwaukee Art Museum and in Chicago...my two fave places!!!



Good job VS marketing team! Didn't Adriana Lima just have a baby?? I will never understand.

What's for Dinner?

One thing that I've been trying to do, while LC's deployed is learn how to cook quick, simple healthy meals for dinner. My goal is to make something new once a week. During the week, I don't get out of work until 4:30. That seems early, but then we have the commute home, gym time and shower. By the time I'm done with all of this it's almost 7 pm. Weeknights leave me very little time to come home and whip up a wonderful dinner, so we often find ourselves on Grubhub.com looking for places to order in. This is one thing that is going to change once he gets home.

Last night, I made baked chicken pesto with a side of green beans and sliced almonds. YUM!!! This was probably the easiest and healthiest (not to mention, mouthwatering) meal I have ever made. It took probably a total of of 5 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to bake. I hopped in the shower while it baked.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Get a baking dish and spray it with cooking oil. Take a tub of pesto sauce and layer the bottom of the dish. Then sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lay across the pesto covered dish. Use the remaining pesto sauce to cover the top of the chicken breasts. Cover with aluminum foil and then bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. After it's been in there, take it out, uncover it and sprinkle fat-free mozzarella cheese on the top. Put back in the oven and bake until cheese melts. Take out and enjoy!!!

Baked Chicken Pesto
Description Store-bought pesto and mozzarella cheese are all it takes to turn tender chicken breasts into an incredibly easy-to-make dish that will likely become a new family favorite. Prep time: 5 minutes Start to finish: 30minutes

Ingredients 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 cup pesto (from a jar) 2 (1/2 cup) ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions Heat oven to 375°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto in a 9" by 13" baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread with remaining pesto. Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes. Serve hot. Recipe from The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

Nutritional Information: 390 calories 20 total fat (5 g sat) 2 g carbohydrate 46 g protein 0 g fiber 450 mg sodium
It doesn't look like much, but it tasted wonderful. And I definitely made enough for leftovers.