1st Year of Marriage! {+ Happy New Year's Eve!}

I can't believe that Kyle and I have been married for a whole year!

We had heard that the first year of marriage is the hardest, we aren't sure if it is true or not.. but either way it is a very good indication of the many many years to come.

Kyle surprised me with a nice dinner out and a stay at a fun & romantic hotel. We spent the evening talking about all of our favorite moments of our marriage so far and of 2012 in general. We had a lot of fun and wonderful memories to look back on.

It was special but low key.. it was perfect. We woke up to this gorgeous view outside our window.

We are about to try our cake topper and open up a bottle of champagne we saved from our wedding. I'll let you know how it is... :) 

Along with our anniversary comes New Year's Eve! :) 

So happy New Year everyone! :) 

Welcome 2013! 

All for now,

Alexandra

Coming Tomorrow: Goals for the New Year! & Why it is not too late to set yours! :)

Mmmmmocha Cheesecake {Recipe #94}

I'm not a cheesecake person. 

I will choose many other desserts before I choose cheesecake.

But for some reason this recipe stood out to me.

I am so glad I tried it. It was fantastic.

The Story

It was our family's "Christmas Eve" morning. I was making my cheesecake. Our kitchen was covered in dishes, I managed to shake 8 eggs off of the table onto the carpet and break them. Only to realize that I hadn't read my recipe very well. The cheesecake had to cool overnight. I was so overwhelmed and irritated at my inattention. However, the end results made it all ok.

I pulled out my easy and delicious cobbler recipe, and we had an entire mocha cheesecake to share and enjoy with our immediate families.

Mmmmocha Cheesecake

Serves A LOT {it is super rich}

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups of cream filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs {about 15 oreos}

1/4 cup of butter

Glaze

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

3 T. butter

chocolate covered coffee beans [optional}

Filling

2 1/2 T. instant coffee granules

1 T. boiling or very hot water

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

4- 8 oz packages of SOFTENED cream cheese

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1/4 cup of flour

2 T. vanilla

4 eggs lightly beaten

2 cups (1 pkg) of semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1) To make crust, combine cookie crumbs and butter and press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. If you don't have one you can get a set of 3 sizes for about $10 at Walmart.

2) To make the filling: In a small bowl mix the coffee granules, hot water and cinnamon and set aside. In a large bowl beat softened cream cheese until smooth. 

3) Add sugar, flour and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add eggs one at a time until just blended. 

4) Divide batter in half and stir melted chocolate into one half of the batter. Pour that half of the batter on top of the chocolate cookie crust. 

5) Stir the coffee-cinnamon mixture into the other half of the batter and then spoon over the chocolate layer. 

6) Place a shallow baking dish with at least and inch of water on the bottom rack of the over to keep the cheesecake from cracking. We used a pie plate.

7) Bake at 325 degrees F for 55 to 60 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Turn off oven and open oven door. Cool in oven for 1 hour. 

8) Remove from oven and carefully run knife carefully run a knife around edge of pan. Refrigerate overnight.

9) Glaze: In microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter stirring until smooth. Spread over cheesecake. Garnish edge with coffee beans if desired.

Share!! & Enjoy!

One downside to this recipe {and its not really a downside} is that sometimes.. it is a little hard to cut! So use a sharp knife! 

A few more tips for cheesecake newbies like me:

1) Let it chill the full day!

2) Cut with sharp knife.

3) Cut SMALL slices. It is VERY rich!!

What is your favorite cheesecake recipe?

All for now,

Alexandra 

Hodge Podge Recipes {Recipes 85-93}

Well, it's almost the end of 2012. 

I have almost finished my 100 recipes for the year.

Here are some snapshots and reviews of a few more recipes I have tried.

Fruit Salad with Melon Balls

I made this fruit salad with Kyle for this previous Easter. It was really simple and fresh and allowed us to test out the skill of balling melons. I loved the mint in the salad, together with the honey it gave it a really nice flavor. I found the recipe here.

Chicken Tacos with Tropical Pico De Gayo

This recipe was really simple and I actually added things to make it more exciting. It called for plain cooked chicken pieces but I seasoned mine with cumin and cayenne. The pico is a mix of fresh mango, pineapple, red onion and cilantro. Mix and refrigerate to let flavors meld. I think this would be even better as a bowl type meal. Or just to serve the pico by itself with chips.

Shrimp Tacos

I read a blog post that talked about shrimp tacos but contained no recipe, I decided that sounded amazing so we made up our own as well. I really think {like the chicken above} that you don't need a taco shell at all for this meal. This is a really great example of how Mexican food can be very healthful and flavorful!

Ingredients

Thawed, fully cooked shrimp {deveined and tailed}

cumin to taste

a handful of finely chopped cilantro

garlic powder to taste

cayenne pepper to taste {about 1/8 tsp. is good if you don't prefer spicy things}

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

avocado pieces {optional}

1) Heat the shrimp in a skillet with the spices to taste. Do not over cook. If you buy cooked shrimp you should only need 4 minutes maximum to warm them through. Once warmed and seasoned set aside and keep warm.

2) In the same skillet add corn kernals with a bit of butter or oil to char them a bit. Once they are charred, remove them and add to the other chopped veggies and cilantro. Mix into a pico type salsa.

3) Top your tortilla or put shrimp in a bowl and serve with chopped salsa and avocado on top.

Feel free to add any other spices you may want or other toppings like salsa, guacamole, sour cream etc.

Enjoy! 

Crock Pot Shredded Pork Tacos

I sadly do not have a picture of this recipe but it was pretty darn tasty! You essentially cook a pork roast in the crock pot with canned diced green chiles and salsa. It becomes incredibly moist and flavorful. Then you add whatever toppings you like. This recipe was incredibly juicy and delicious!

Olive Oil Crust for Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza

I was searching for a great pizza crust and I tried this one made with olive oil that I really liked. It was very bread-y and thick though which did not suit the topping recipe that we tried. But I think I will try it again in future recipes.

Mini Pain Au Chocolat

Kyle loves Pain Au Chocolat. He gets it nearly every time we have breakfast at Panera and tries it whenever we go to bakeries. He even had some in Quebec City on our Honeymoon! I wanted to try to make it and I came across and easy version of the recipe as a Christmas Morning surprise. Sadly, we were in a rush and tried eating them when they were too melt-y {HOT!}, but they turned out pretty ok. I am sure they aren't as good as the "real" thing, and they aren't really to my taste, but Kyle thought they were pretty good. 

Makes 14 mini pastries

Ingredients:

Frozen Puff Pastries {1 sheet}

2/3 cup of chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate

1) Thaw pastry overnight following box instructions.

2) Cut the sheet of puff pastry in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into small triangles {about 6 per half}.

3) After the triangles are cut fill them with the chocolate of your preference starting at the wide end and then roll the pastries up. Place them seam side down on a baking sheet.

4) Bake at 350-375 degrees F. depending on your oven's temperature tendencies for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.

Enjoy!

Penne A la Betsy

This recipe came via Pioneer Woman, so of course it's fantastic! My good friend Teri and I made it together on one of our movie nights and ADORED it! You can find the recipe here. I will say, our wine did not evaporate very well... so we had to make a roux {1 T. melted butter + 1 T. flour mixed and whisked into the sauce} to thicken, but that's no big deal and it was totally worth it. This pasta is creamy, a bit tomato-y and it has shrimp! What's not to love! :) I will admit though, this recipe does not reheat very well. So invite friends over or halve the recipe to suit your needs.

Taco Salad with Cilantro Sour Cream and Homemade Tortilla Chips

This is a recipe that I had sort of made before, but I really improvised a lot. I am only counting it this time because of the cilantro sour cream. Basically you just brown hamburger and season it. You add black beans and corn, put it on a bed of lettuce and top with cherry tomatoes and the sour cream. To make the sour cream you just add some lime juice and chopped cilantro to the sour cream. Kyle and I weren't crazy about it, but it definitely adds more flavor to your salad. To make the chips, cut a tortilla into triangles and bake on a cookie sheet after sprinkling them with oil and salt. Bake until golden brown. Note: we used whole wheat tortillas.. so they look browner. 

Greek Pasta Salad

Again I do not have a picture of this. It is a whole wheat penne salad with sun dried tomatoes, greek olives, feta, red onion and spinach in it. You cook the spinach and onions in olive oil to wilt them and make them softer for the salad. You make a olive oil and cider vinegar vinaigrette and toss all the ingredients. We ate ours cold. It was pretty good, nothing too terribly special, but I liked the unique flavors in a pasta salad.

I hope these recipes and notes help you to think of new and fun culinary adventures to embark on. 

My last 7 recipes will be coming soon! And I can promise that at least 3 of them are FANTASTIC! :) 

All for now,

Alexandra

Snapshots of Christmas // 2012

Merry Christmas & Christmas Eve!

Here are some snapshots of my Christmas so far!

Our first ornament

Nutcracker King & Sparkling Tree

 Hayley Westenra's Christmas Album.

Spritz Cookies

Brooke White's Christmas Album, a new addition to the collection.

Our first winter snowfall! {finally!}

Santa peeking out of my stocking!

Celtic Woman's new Christmas album!

Festive Christmas cupcakes

Our way to give back a little this holiday! :)

What are your favorite Christmas season moments so far?

More pictures coming after Christmas!

All for now,

Alexandra 

Shell Stuffed Shells {recipe #84}

I just thought this recipe was cute. Tiny pasta shells in big pasta shells... what's not to love. The recipe ended up being pretty darn good and pretty darn easy as well. It's also pretty kid friendly. Best of all, it's versitile! You can use whatever cheeses or sauces you have on hand!

Shell Stuffed Shells

Serves 6

Ingredients

24 dried jumbo shell macaroni

8 oz. dried tiny shell macaroni (2 cups)

2 cups Gryere cheese, shredded (8 oz) - Expensive! So you can sub whatever you'd like. But it is tasty!

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (8 oz)

3/4 cup half and half or light cream

1/8 tsp of white pepper or regular

1 24 oz. jar of vodka sauce or any pasta sauce or more if you are more a sauce person than a cheese person like me! :)

4 oz. of brick cheese or mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Fresh basil leaves, optional

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook jumbo shells according to package. Using a slotted spoon transfer to a colander. Rinse with cold water and drain well. In same pan/water cook tiny shells according to package. Drain and set aside.

2) Meanwhile in a saucepan, combine Gryere , cheddar and half and half with pepper. Heat over medium-low heat until cheese is melted and smooth. Mine did not smooth. It was kind of stringy but it makes sense since Gryere is similar to swiss cheese. Stir in tiny shells.

3) Spread 1/2 a cup of the pasta in a rectangular baking dish (3 qt). Spoon cheesy shell mixture into jumbo shells.Place the stuffed shells into the baking dish. Repeat and top with remaining pasta sauce. I am a sauce person and not a cheese person so I would add more sauce next time, plan accordingly.

4) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with brick cheese. Bake, uncovered for about 15 minutes until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil if desired.

Enjoy! 

I would suggest serving it with something light like a salad as it is pretty heavy and cheesy!

All for now,

Alexandra

Easy Cheesy Potato Soup {recipe #83}

It hasn't really been very cold here in Kansas so far this winter, so the day I made this.. it was about 60 degrees.. but it was still delicious and would be even better on a chilly day!

For those of you I told there wasn't any milk in this recipe.. I don't know what to say.. I'm crazy. But the fact that it is largely broth based rather than cream based is still an improvement.. even if there is an entire bag of shredded cheese in it.. :) 

Cheesy Potato Soup

Borrowed, Adapted and Enjoyed from Farm Chicks in the Kitchen

Serves 6+

Ingredients

4 T. butter

1 cup diced carrots

4 cups chicken broth or veggie broth {low sodium!} 

5 cups of peeled, cubed and diced russet potatoes

1 Tsp. dried basil

freshly ground black pepper & sea salt

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk {we used skim and it was just fine! it has so much cheese in it that it is plenty rich!}

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups) = 1 bag

1) melt 1 T. the butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven, and add the carrots to saute until softened {about 4 minutes}. Add the broth, potatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, {about 20 minutes}.

2) meanwhile, melt the remaining 3 T. butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. slowly whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened - 2 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and thoroughly combined. Pour the sauce into the soup gradually and stir until blended completely. 

Serve with a Spinach Salad and ciabatta rolls.

Enjoy!

And good news! It reaheats wonderfully! Kyle said its even better reheated! :)

What is your favorite winter soup recipe?

All for now,

Alexandra

Guests for Dinner: Mexican Night {Recipes #80-82}

I love having dinner with friends!

Our first apartment is tiny {been wondering why there aren't any pictures? ;)} so we haven't had very many people over.. but each time we do we have so much fun hosting!

Our good friends Kendra and Nate had us over to their first house earlier in the fall so we returned the gesture by having them over for a Mexican Fiesta and Card Night. Of course neither the Mexican "theme" nor the Card Night part had been determined prior to the week. It worked out well though, and we had lots of fun catching up with them!

I decided to make several recipes from Pioneer Woman's cookbooks. I made Tequila Lime Chicken & Mexican Rice and then I made up my own Black Bean recipe.

We also started the night out with my FAVORITE guacamole recipe and chips. Always a hit! It's SO good!

Mexican Black Beans

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Canola oil

1 Tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup or less of finely chopped onion

2 Cans of black beans, mostly drained

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning

1) Put the oil, garlic and onion in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and onion until the onion is translucent. Add the drained black beans with a bit of the canned liquid. Add the spices to taste or as recipe states. Cook until warmed through. Serve with your favorite Mexican dish or as I did with Pioneer Woman's recipes!

What is your favorite meal for entertaining?    

All for now,

Alexandra

Christmas Treats! {Recipes #76-79}

For those of you ready to bake the last few days until Christmas away, here are a few recipes that we tried and liked this year! :)

Make them with your family, teach your kids to bake! Give them to a neighbor or co-worker. Take them to a party. Use them to spread little acts of kindness. The world really needs that right now. I have been inspired by the news and by people that I know who are doing what they can to make the world a better place in little ways. Like many people, I was devastated by the recent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I was so sad that I could only lay awake and pray about it. I prayed for peace and kindness in the world, for the victims and families, the first responders, for those who need to seek psychiatric help etc. I felt pretty helpless until I heard about Ann Curry's campaign for 26 Acts of Kindness for the 26 victims taken at the school. Click on the link and get inspired to participate. Giving back doesn't end with the holiday season, it's a way to live year-round. 

On to the recipes!

Spritz Cookies

Recipe Borrowed and Enjoyed from Redbook Magazine

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour

Red and Green Sugar Sprinkles {optional} 

1) Beat butter, sugar and salt with a mixer until creamy. Add egg and extracts. On low speed, mix in flour gradually. Mix until a soft dough forms. 

2) Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and have ungreased cookie sheets ready. 

3) Fill cookie press with dough according to cookie press directions and press onto cookie sheets relatively close together. {These cookies don't expand much and are very small}. If desired sprinkle sugar sprinkles on top of the cookies BEFORE baking. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottoms. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets and then transfer to cooling rack. 

Share & Enjoy!

As a child I would make these cookies with my family what feels like every year. They are so tasty and simple. They are nice and small which makes them perfect for eating and sharing, especially for kids! When Kyle and I got married I made sure to purchase a cookie press in advance so we could carry on the tradition to our little family! 

Peanut Butter Balls

Borrowed, adapted and enjoyed from Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook

Makes 50 balls

Ingredients

2 Cups of creamy peanut butter

4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softenend

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup finely crushed animal crackers or vanilla wafers

1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

2 T. shortening

1) In a large bowl beat peanut butter, butter, salt and vanilla until blended. Add sugar and cracker crumbs, beating until blended. Dough should hold together when squeezed. Ours didn't, so I would recommend at least 30 minutes of chilling it in the fridge and then rolling into balls.

2) After the peanut butter is in ball form, place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and let chill for at least 1 hour.

3) After peanut butter balls have been chilling for about 50 minutes melt chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler or microwave. Stir until completely melted and combined. 

4) Dip peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate. We had to use a spoon, which made less perfect balls, but they still taste amazing. If you can keep yours on a toothpick good for you! :) 

5) Return covered balls to parchment paper tray and refrigerate until chocolate is set. 

Share & Enjoy.

Sugar Cookies with Homemade Icing

Lastly I have am including a link to a recipe for sugar cookies and homemade icing that I tried at Halloween time, but that would be excellent cut into Holiday shapes! :) Plus kids LOVE to frost and decorate sugar cookies! Olivia had a blast at Halloween. We had colored frosting, chocolate chips and sprinkles everywhere! :) And yes, that is a good thing! Want proof?

Adorable and worth the mess right? :) 

Wishing all of you readers a wonderful, happy, safe and giving-filled holiday!

What is your favorite Christmas Candy or Cookie?

All for now,

Alexandra

Breakfast Quesadillas {Recipe #75}

This recipe was both easy and tasty. 

I modified it a bit, so I am just going to write my own recipe.

Breakfast Quesadillas

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 T. Olive Oil

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/2 a can of black beans, drained and rinsed

garlic salt, cajun seasoning to taste

8 eggs {or any combo of eggs/egg whites}

A splash of half and half, milk or water depending on preference

1 big handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Cups of shredded cheddar cheese

6 whole wheat tortillas

1) Saute diced pepper in olive oil until tender. Then add beans and cook for a few more minutes. 

2) Meanwhile, whisk eggs with a splash or two of your chosen liquid and spices to taste. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and scramble. 

3) Heat another skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and put a bit of cheese {as much as you'd like} on the tortilla. Top one side with part of the egg mixture and then with the cilantro. Close and flip over until tortilla is browned. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. 

4) Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite Mexican flavored breakfast dish?

All for now, 

Alexandra

Recipes I'd Rather Not Repeat {Recipes #69-74}

71) Basil Tomato Chicken with Mushrooms

This recipe is super healthy and made with such wonderful amazing ingredients that I was so excited for it! It smelled FANTASTIC and looked so mouthwatering .. but it tasted awful! I am wondering maybe if you marinated the chicken breasts in the sauce overnight if that would help? It was dry and flavorless. So so so disappointing! :( 

72) Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe in my beloved Farm Chicks in the Kitchen cookbook and expected great things. They ended up being grainy and having a strange flavor. I was very disappointed because I love peanut butter cookies and had high hopes for this healthier version that contained partial whole wheat flour and partial honey over sugar. Sadly they were not something that I enjoyed. Sorry for the lack of picture, they were that sad. :( 

73) Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza

This was really not so bad and probably would have been great on a thinner crust as an appetizer where there would not be leftovers. The tomatoes did not reheat well and the crust was really good but much too bready for this type of pizza. Too bad, it seemed promising.

74 & 75) {Pancakes with} Cherry Jam & Bacon Cooked in the Oven

I was super excited to make jam for the first time. I did it exactly as the recipe called for but because there were no preservatives there was a TON of lemon juice. So this caused it to taste very lemon-y and not so cherry-y. :( The bacon in the oven seemed like a great idea, it eliminates that awful splattery part of cooking bacon. But this recipe was not compatible with our old oven. I pulled it out after the correct time on the correct temperature and it was barely cooked and not crispy at all. So I pan fried it the rest of the way done. Very disappointing.

76) Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe was also a disappointment. It was meant to serve 6 and we had a friend coming over so it seemed perfect. It ended up that our friend did not make it over that night and it served about 20. It got very boring very fast and it was not something I would have wanted leftovers of anyhow. I felt so awful wasting it, but it just was not good. I am very disappointed in my crock pot cookbook so far. Many more dislikes than likes it seems.

Does anyone have any Crock Pot Cookbook Recommendations? I seriously need a different one! 

All for now,

Alexandra

Chicken Tomato and Spinach Paninis and Gazpacho Salad {Recipes #67 & 68}

November was an incredibly busy month for me! 

2 Craft Fairs, 2 Thanksgivings and multiple extra family gatherings.

Needless to say not a lot of time for blogging. 

Good news though for those of you keeping track, I only have 19 recipes left to meet my goal before 2013. 

I think I can make it.

If you are thinking that math doesn't add up... it's because I am more behind on the blogging portion.. 

Here are 2 more that were particularly good!

Chicken Tomato and Spinach Paninis

{borrowed, adapted and enjoyed from The First Real Kitchen Cookbook}

Serves 4 

Ingredients

4 Roma tomatoes

olive oil for brushing 

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1lb)

1/4 cup butter

3 cloves of garlic, finely peeled and chopped

6 oz fresh spinach

8 pieces of crusty bread

8 slices of provolone (without added smoked flavor) or mozzarella cheese

1) Preheat grill, grill pan or Panini Press (if you are so lucky!) on medium high heat.

2) Halve and seed the tomatoes, then brush the tomato halves with the olive oil. Grill them over high heat for 2 minutes on each side or until soft. 

3) Flatten the chicken breasts between waxed paper and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

4) Meanwhile, melt 2 T of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring frequently for a minute. Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft.

5) Spread butter on one side of each piece of the bread. Put the bread butter side down on a work surface. Place one slice of cheese on each piece of bread and top with chicken breasts. Place some spinach on top of the chicken and then top with 2 tomatoes each. Finally put another slice of cheese on top of the tomato and place the last piece of bread on top. 

6) Place the sandwiches butter side down on the pan and weight it tdown with a heavy pan or bowl. Cook the sandwiches for 3 minutes on each side or until the bread is golden brown and toasted. 

7) Slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately with the Gazpacho Salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Tip: Use fairly thick slices of bread otherwise they my break during the flipping process creating extremely messy results {see picture below}. Still yummy though! :)

Gazpacho Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 Roma Tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 T olive oil

freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

1) Halve and seed the tomatoes. Cut the halves into 1/2 inch pieces and place them in a bowl. Peel and cut the cucumber into similar sized pieces and add to the bowl. Halve, seed and chop the bell pepper into 1/4 inch pieces and put them in the bowl as well. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic also. Mix.

2) Put the lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl and whisk vigorously to combine, then pour over the veggies and mix with hands or utensil until combined. Season with sea salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

This was a nice fresh meal, Kyle and I decided that you don't really even need the chicken. The cheese & veggie combo was delicious! Seriously it was amazing! Its also a great way to use up LOTS of spinach that is about to go bad! We decided to try it veggie next time. The salad was also a nice alternative to our typical lettuce/spinach salads. It was really fresh and cool. 

What is your favorite panini or green salad alternative?

All for now,

Alexandra