Healthy Oven Nugs

Welcome to take 2 of new recipes in our apartment.  This time, it was all me!

I started out trying to make chicken cordon bleu but I got really frustrated with slicing the chicken into 3 strips without ripping it.  So I threw a mini hissy fit in the crazy heat and ended up deciding to make chicken nuggets instead.

Again, I looked to Skinny Taste for the recipe.  It was easy enough for me to follow along all on my own after getting over my own personal disappointment in not making what i had originally wanted.  If you want to follow along with my awful captions, feel free to continue but I'd really recommend checking the source instead.

Step 1. Ignore your original plans to make chicken cordon blew and start chopping the shit out of your chicken until it's "bite size" and cubey.  Then season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2.  Get your bowls of dipping stuff ready.  That means pour not enough olive oil into the first bowl so that you have to refill it later.  And then put bread crumbs, panko, and parmesan in the other.  But WAY TOO MUCH.  Like, follow the instructions, but know you'll have a ton left over and feel like a waste.

Step 3 (not pictured).  Gross yourself out grabbing chicken bits and tossing it in the olive oil then into the crumb mixture.  Then onto the pan.  Repeat.

Step 4. Worry that the crumbs that are now black midway through cooking signify that your oven is a piece of shit that burns things by randomly increasing temperatures by 100 degrees while you're not looking.  Flip a few pieces over (eventually all) and sigh from relief that you were mistaken.

Step 5. Continue baking the nuggets for a few more minutes then put them on a plate with a better side than potato chips.  Like fries.  Or something healthy.  But it's too damn hot to risk turning the oven back on so I suck it up and try to eat chips.

Honestly, these were REALLY good.  Like, I loved them so much more than any frozen nugs I've ever had. Or even restaurant nugs.  I swear I'm better than restaurants now.  Just don't judge by the shitty iPhone pictures.  I'm going with it being too hot to use a real camera.  Yep.  That's a thing.

Grilled Steak Fajitas

Hey guys!  Remember when I 'vowed' to try new recipes?  Well get ready! because we are getting serious about it over here.  I recently found the blog Skinny Taste and went a little crazy bookmarking recipes.

And then I went to the store and bought enough stuff to cook 7 meals this week and it's going to be insane.  And delicious.  And a lesson in retraining our bodies to enjoy healthier stuff.  Whatever.

So, Sunday night dinner was a tasty treat of Grilled Steak Fajitas.  And you should consider yourselves lucky because John documented the whole endeavor!  Now, obviously you can click on the link above for the actual recipe but if you're a better cook than us you might be able to get it from just the photos and tiny descriptions below.

Step 1: Chop your shit.  Clean it first (I guess).  If you're human, you cry now and end up having to rinse your eyes in the sink.

Step 2: Listen to AMAZING jams on your record player (or computer if you aren't awesome).

Step 3: Keep chopping! Oh my god!!!!!! CHOP IT!!!

Step 4: Throw your veggies in a pot and cook them for like 20 minutes (or until the onions are carmelized).  I'll be honest, this is the point in the cooking where I left the room and cleaned.

Step 5: Grill your flank steak that you preseasoned.  It should be medium rare.  Again, I had no part in this.

Step 6: CHOP MORE STUFF!

Step 7: Enjoy!  It will be amazing!  You can add things to it (sour cream, cheese, etc.)

Seriously, finding this other blog was a great thing.  It tells you the nutriotional info and everything looks amazing and easy to do.  I definitely recommend you check it out.  Or come to our place for dinner.  Because we cook now.  (I swear I'll cook the next one...)

OTW: Grand Rapids 2k12

Ahh! What a weekend!  John, Ashdog, and I trekked out to Grand Rapids on Friday after work for a glorious weekend retreat in our old stomping grounds.  Planned according to the schedule of the annual Heritage Hill garage sale, which just seemed to be a perfect weekend to do.

We got to Hudsonville kind of late on Friday night for our stay in the Super 8 that had a non functioning pool - much to our dismay. And a sporatic internet connection - also bad! But it was cheap! And allowed dogs! And had basic cable! And air conditioning!  So it was pretty perfect.  We fell asleep sort of early so we could fully enjoy our Saturday downtown.

And enjoy we did!  We headed down to The Brandywine, one of our favorite breakfast spots. Where we were THRILLED to find out we could order junior portions of our favorite omelettes (him) and scrambles (her).  It was the perfect light breakfast for a day in the sun.  And the best way to inspire a motto for the weekend - "Yum yum yum!"

After breakfast, we met up with our dear friend Sasha to go garage sale-ing all throughout the neighborhood known as Heritage Hill.  It was fantastic catching up and hanging out.  We got to buy awesome things like framed calendar pages of cowboys and VHS tapes and even a blank cornhole game for $10!  Obviously the last one there was the best purchase made throughout the weekend.  It is something we've been wanting to make and now we don't have to do that at all.  We just get to paint it!

Spending several hours at garage sales leads to a lot of hunger and the best way to satisfy that hunger is to head to Cherry Street Deli for some tasty GR themed Sandwiches.  Seriously, yum yum yum!  And I got to have my favorite cream soda!  So it was a great lunch.

After lunching at the deli and hitting up the antique store (which was a bust) we dropped Sasha off and headed to the hotel to check on the dog/nap.  Had to recharge the batteries for dinner and drinks downtown!  So we did just that and headed back downtown to meetup with Sasha and get sushi at my personal favorite, Marado Sushi.  Anytime I can get a crazy boy roll is a good time.

We finished up and walked down to get some tasty beers and crack fries at the Hopcat.  I mean, no trip to GR is complete without the Hopcat, right?  And sitting on the patio was pretty perfect too.  But we only had 1 or 2 beers there before heading to Stella's where we accidentally camped out for the night.  Honestly, it was just too perfect to leave.  Good beers, good conversations, and a good bartender.  What more can you want? (Hot dogs.  I wanted hot dogs.)

Sasha and Me @ Stella's.  Post "serious face" photo.

 I could go on and on about how great a time it was but there are some things you need to keep to yourself.  Like inside jokes and great conversations with friends you've missed.  And the inexplainable feeling of nostalgia just walking those streets.  I mean, Chicago is great but Grand Rapids feels like home! 

Currently

View from the Zoo

Currently...

Loving: This weather!  Are you kidding me?  It's perfect outside lately (rainy days not included).  I love a day that is sunny and in the mid 70s.  It makes it comfortable enough to leave the windows open and not worry about losing a bet concerning our air conditoner.

Working on: Rededicating myself (again!) to everything I've lapsed on in the past month.  Like eating better.  And working out.  And writing in my blog...  But I'm going to try to do better!

Wishing: That my family lived closer/visited more.  Just the other day, John was making us steaks in the kitchen and I was staring out the door waxing poetic about missing my dad and wishing we could just go to his house and have a BBQ.  So maybe when I say I wish they lived closer, I mean I wish I lived closer.  I miss Michigan a lot in the summer.

Waiting for: The weekend!  John, Ashdog, and I are trekking up to Grand Rapids (!) for the weekend on Friday and it just can't come soon enough.  We've been talking about where we want to eat/drink for well over a month now and I'm just so excited to be back there!

Listening to: A crazy mix of Spotify favorites that range from 90s RnB to teenage pop music to oldies to dance mixes.  To say that I have scattered tastes would be an understatement.

Friday Faves

It's friday!  I'm so excited for the long weekend.  I have no idea what I'll do with my time but something tells me that I might be taking a trip to Ikea.  I just have too many home projects I want to get done and need stuff from there.  Anyway!  Here's a list of my faves from the week:

I love this.  It seriously cracks me up a lot.  So hopefully it does the same for you.

THESE Avengers inspired dresses.  I love them. Especially Thor's.  So cute!

Okay.  Are you freaking KIDDING me with THESE?!? Disneyfied versions of the x-men?  Look how stinking cute Kitty Pryde is!  I wish there was a cartoon in this style.  I would just about die.

            

Who else is super excited to watch Moonrise Kingdom (which comes out today)?  It looks seriously great and I'm pretty excited for it.