Caribbean Jerk Chicken!

The key to this simple recipe is this: marinate, marinate, marinate!

Ingredients:

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 tbsp. dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• juice of 1 lime
• splash of orange juice
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• optional (splash of dark rum)

Once you've gathered all of your marinate ingredients into a ziplock bag, toss in your chicken and let it sit in the fridge for about 4 hours. Be sure to arrange the chicken in the bag after you've closed it so that they are all spread out and lying down, so the marinate can evenly distribute throughout the bag.

After you've marinated them for about 4 hours, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Grab a 13 X 9 baking dish, line it with aluminum foil, and pour out the entire contents of your chicken marinate bag. Spread out the chicken and the sauce in the baking dish.

Cook the chicken and sauce at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.

I would recommend cooking white rice with this dish.
It tastes FANTASTIC with this sauce!

Our Wedding Day: Featured on Pretty Pear Bride

Our wedding was featured today on Pretty Pear Bride as one of the "real weddings!"

Check this out! They are SO great with resources for plus size brides who are planning their perfect wedding! I was so excited when I found out, and I just love revisiting photos from this day! *swoon*

Want to buy the magazine? Check it out here! 

They are also on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Our Homemade Manicotti!

Ingredients:

• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• 1 and 3/4 cups of Ricotta Cheese
• 1 and 1/2 cups of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup of pesto
• 12 cooked manicotti shells
• 1/2 pound of cooked, hamburger meat
• Your Favorite Italian Seasonings

First and foremost, you cook the manicotti shells. Toss them in some water as you would any other pasta, but make sure to lay them out flat on wax paper after you're done so they don't stick to each other and tear. You'll also want to have already cooked up your hamburger meat.


Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Spread half of your jar of sauce into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix your cheeses, egg and pesto until blended in a mixing bowl. 

When you're done blending cheeses, spoon your mixture into a resealable, plastic bag. Use scissors to cut small corner from bottom of bag (it's a very similar process to making homemade frosting!)

Stuff your manicotti shells by first tossing a few pieces of hamburg into the center, and then squeezing the cheese mixture into both sides of each shell. Place them in your baking dish, pour the remaining sauce over them, and sprinkle some of your favorite Italian seasonings and mozzarella on top.

NOTE: you can easily prepare the manicotti prior to cooking and store it in the fridge! 

Bake the manicotti for approximately 40 minutes.

Devil's Food Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients:

• 1-2/3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ---
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup water
• ---
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk

Ingredients for Fudge Frosting:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Combine the first set of ingredients with a wire whisk. Set aside. 

In a microwavable container melt chocolate with water. Microwave 1 minute and check chocolate. If it's not melted, continue microwaving for 10 seconds at a time. Set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix. Pour in the chocolate a little at a time and mix. Combine completely.  Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk until all is used. Pour batter into prepared pans. 

Bake for 27 to 35 minutes until tested with a toothpick and cake has pulled away from the pans. Set cakes aside on cooling rack and begin making frosting. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Using an electric mixer, beat icing for 3 minutes, or until it thickens to spreading consistency. 

Lay one cake down on cake pan, frost the bottom, stack top cake over it, and frost again.

*Note: I happen to think fudge cakes taste better cold, so I would reccomend throwing it in the fridge over night and then having a slice when it's chilled with some hot coffee or a glass of milk! 

Easter Cupcakes Tutorial!

Serve up your favorite yellow cake cupcakes!

Whip up some cream cheese frosting and spread over the cupcakes once they're cooled.

Gently glide toothpicks into the bottom of the Peeps

Place toothpick into cupcake until the toothpick is no longer showing.

Sprinkle some coconut grass onto the cupcake!

Wondering how to get the coconut grass?

Take 1 cup of shredded coconut and place it into a ziplock bag. Pour 1 tsp of water and 1 drop of green food coloring into the bag. Close it up, and shake shake shake! 

Cute, right?! Everyone loves these little guys, and they are always a hit!

My Histogram Hair

Ha! Okay, so maybe that's not what others would call it but I'm coining this particular multi-tonal hair color: "histogram"! You know...like when you're editing in Photoshop? No? Okay...maybe I'm a nerd! Alright, that's it! I'm coining this term!

Here is my histogram hair:

It is VERY drastic! Nearly every head turns when I talk by. 99% of the time I'm totally cool with it, but if you're someone who likes to blend in with the crowd: 

this ain't your hair do! 

Originally, Michelle and I dyed my hair with purple highlights but as you can see, my hair is now Easter egg patch FILLED with color! It also really gives my skin this luminance factor I never had before! I'm all for any hair color that will make my skin rock! 

Oh, and Adam totally loves it!!!!

The Easiest Chicken Parm You Will Ever Make

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Linguine
• American Cheese
• Breadcrumbs
• Sauce
• Egg
• Misc. Italian Herbs

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Adam and I typically buy whatever chicken is on sale! We never get that precut, pretty & skinless chicken. Chances are, if I'm cooking chicken, I'm getting my hands dirty. So, if you don't have what I like to call the "pretty" chicken, you will have to cut it into whatever size/cut of chicken you want.

Next thing is to grab an egg and beat it in a bowl.

Grab a plate and cover it in breadcrumbs.

Fill a baking pan half-way with your sauce. 

(NOTE: it will clean much nicer if you spray it down first)

Cover the chicken in beaten egg, and then roll it entirely in the breadcrumbs. 

Go ahead and place your breaded chicken into the sauce. Repeat this step until all of your chicken is breaded, and placed into the sauce for cooking. 

Sprinkle your bread with whatever misc. Italian herbs you enjoy! Cover the chicken with more sauce, but don't overload it! Go ahead and grab that American cheese, and cover your chicken with it entirely. 

Bake for 40 minutes at 350.

About 10 minutes before your 40 minutes on the chicken is up, boil the linguine and toss it in sauce with similar herbs you used on the chicken.

You're done! And man is it tasty!