Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Day 35: Dark chocolate obsession



We all know the benefits of dark chocolate, especially it's anti-oxidant properties!  There are so many exotic varieties to try like this pear and almond flavor of belgian dark chocolate from Harris Teeter.  I'm not sure why, but I find a little bit of chocolate helps me sleep better and warmer at night!  

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Day 32: Quick chicken salad

I'm always looking for new ideas for lunch.  One can only subsist on peanut butter and jelly for so long!  I'd pinned a number of chicken salad recipes and figured I'd give one of them a try.  But when perusing my pantry, I found that I had some ingredients from one recipe, and some from another, so I decided to combine two recipes and give it some flair of my own.

I, for one am a fan of the sweet and sour, the tart and tangy, not to mention the soft and crunchy.  Meaning I like to incorporate whatever fruits and nuts I have available to take this chicken salad to the next level.  One recipe used avocado instead of mayo.  I didn't have an avocado in hand, so we'll have to save it for next time!


Ingredients:
1 lb chicken - diced (I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1/2 cup low fat mayo (can substitute with Greek yogurt, or the avocado if you're feeling adventurous!)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 small red onion, diced
1 small apple, diced
1/4 cup silvered almonds
1/4 cup raisins

1.  Put the mayo in a large mixing bowl, add onion powder, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust to your liking.

2.  Add chicken, onions, apples to the chicken and mix.  Add raisins and almonds last.  Enjoy on its own or with bread or crackers.

If I had grapes, I would have split those and added them as well.  The next day, I used the rest of the chicken and used a pear as my fruit, and pistachios instead of almonds, and I have to say it was some of my best work yet! It has become a fast favorite for my husband and kids!  Going to be lunch time staple in my house from now on!  Now to try to find a good egg salad and tuna salad recipe...