Tidbits: 1.4.13

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Happy January and Happy New Year!  

The Capricorn lifestyle.

Hockey awards for the Year Without Hockey.

Words of wisdom from the women of Old Hollywood.

I literally laughed out loud reading this list.  And then I cried because it's true.

12 months, 12 trips.  Too soon to pack?

This poem gives me purpose.

Stay warm (and chic) while working out this winter.

Focusing on finances this year?

What you might have missed: Yummy MexiCorn Chip Dip, I crossed off a 2012 resolution at the wire, said goodbye to 2012 with a look back at the year, 2012 was the Year of the Chicken for me, and I shared my 2013 Fitness and Cooking goals.  

Have a great weekend!  I'm going to try to stay in the present and enjoy every minute of it!

xoxo,
Alex

Kitchen Adventures 2013.

I love finding new recipes and making them work for us.  While 2012 might have been the Year of the Chicken for me, 2013 promises more kitchen adventures.  Together, K and I put together a little list of foods we want to attempt this year!  In no particular order:

1. Lasagna (Gluten Free)

2. Home-made Pizza (Gluten Free)

3. "Some sort of Stew"

4. Soup from scratch

5. Lemon Bars (Gluten Free)

6. Meatballs (I'm a wannabe Italian)

7. Cowboy Caviar

8. Mushroom Risotto

9. Fish Tacos (my favorite vacation food)

10. Pralines

We'll keep you posted on our progress!  Do you have any food you want to try this year?

xoxo,

Alex

The Whole Chicken Challenge.

If you don't mind taking a moment out of your day, please send prayers and good vibes for my family today.  Thanks!

Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken

A couple of months ago, I managed to make my first whole chicken.  This is a big deal for me, almost like cross it off my bucket list big deal.  For years, my expertise has been baking.  But only in the last year or so have I tried to be more adventurous in my cooking.  Don't get me wrong, I can make a mean pancake, scrambled egg, or pasta dish.  But I really wanted to stretch and learn to make post-college meals.

Rosemary Chicken in the Crockpot

 Enter the whole chicken.  Over the last couple months, we have tried a variety of whole chicken recipes.  I'm not going to lie - it's kind of gross taking out the insides.  And it's a little tough trying to make sure it's fully cooked (note to self: must order kitchen thermometer).  But, it is really satisfying cooking a whole chicken.  I feel like I am following in the footsteps of my great grandmother who I'm sure cooked her own whole chickens on their farm in North Dakota.  Luckily, mine come dead and ready to go!  Yikes - can you imagine starting with a live bird?!

Bundt Pan Roasted Chicken

So, instead of doing tutorials, I'm sharing the recipes we've tried and asking for any ones you just love that should be added to our list to try.  Here you go:

Apple Crockpot Chicken (Easy easy, but not high on flavor.)

Easy Roasted Rosemary Chicken (More tips on crockpot chicken here.  Obviously this was my first time working with rosemary and I didn't realize I should chop it up.  Eh, win some, lose some.)

Thomas Keller's Favorite Simple Roast Chicken (Oh my word - the skin on this chicken was divine!)

Bundt Pan Roasted Chicken (This was probably our best one yet.  IGE posted it a couple weeks ago, and when my friend Melissa tried it, I knew it was next on our list.  It gave us super moist and crispy skin all over the bird!  We skipped the lemon inside and used McCormick's Grill Mates Applewood Rub inside and outside the bird.  One thing though - our pan is deep and the bottom of the chicken was not cooking so we actually flipped the bird halfway through.  It worked great!)

Easy Roasted Rosemary Chicken

Alright, do you challenge yourself in the kitchen?  I'll be sharing my 2013 Kitchen Adventures tomorrow.

xoxo,

Alex

2013 Fitness Goals.

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Happy New Year!  I just love the start of a new year.  It's full of possibilities, fresh starts, and big dreams.  

I thought I'd share a couple of my 2013 Fitness Resolutions with you today.  In the next couple days I'll be sharing my cooking and DIY goals for 2013.

  

What are your 2013 Fitness Goals?  Remember to drink lots of water today and hydrate up!

xoxo,
Alex

P.S.  Go Carolina!  The Gamecocks are playing in the Outback Bowl today!  

I'm posting about SMART Goal Setting over at The Center for Girls' Leadership blog today.  Check it out!