New Recipe Resolution: Apricot Chicken

If you have these five ingredients, then you have a meal: 

- chicken breasts or thighs
- apricot preserves
- soy sauce
- Brussels sprouts
- butternut squash

My friend has been emailing recipes to me to help with my new year's recipe resolution and she sent this five-ingredient meal that was, as you can imagine, super easy to make. 

I bought a package of chicken thighs, since they were less expensive, and took off the skin. In a bowl I combined one jar of the preserves with a few (6-8), strong shakes of soy sauce. Soy sauce is ultra-salty, so be careful with how much you add and taste along the way. Some people may want their glaze sweeter and some may want it to be on the saltier side.

Place chicken pieces in a baking pan and salt and pepper each side, then cover with the glaze. Put the pan in an oven pre-heated to 450 degrees and cook for 25-30 minutes. 

The Brussels sprouts and butternut squash make for the perfect sides, but you can choose whichever veggies you like. Fresh & Easy has packages of butternut squash already cubed, so I bought a bag of that and a bag of Brussels sprouts and laid them out on a sheet pan. I drizzled on olive oil and sprinkled the veggies with salt, pepper, and thyme. I add the tray to the oven and cooked for about 25 minutes. You can serve with rice or pasta if you want to add a starch.

I love when people send me recipes, so if you have any that I should try, send my way! As you can probably tell, I like to take the easy, low-budget route. 

Enjoy the eats!

Image from Pinterest

50/50 Challenge: Book Update

Knocked out three more books for the challenge. I'm 4/50 right now. I'm getting ready to read Lean In for a book club and am interested to see if I'll like it. Who's read it?


Saving Grace by Jane Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I LOVE Jane Green. I've read all her books and feel she is just my "comfort food" when it comes to books. She really invests in her characters and gives good description of them so that you can immerse in their (often soap opera-ish) lives. In her latest novel, she also throws in a bit of mystery that adds another element to the story.

I also like how she incorporates London into many of her books since she's originally from the UK. Many of her books reflect women who have to find their inner strength and this one is another example of that, but in a way that draws you in for a little bit to the entertainment of the story. I read this book in 24 hours.

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was definitely a unique story. It started out with action right away and then took itself backwards and in interesting directions. I like the author's character description to get a visual picture of each person. Maybe due to how much Shandi had been through, I kept placing her as older.

There is a little mystery involved with this book as it discusses Shandi's "miraculous" child and it did leave men wondering, whose love story is being talked about.

The writing was well-paced. I'm not sure about the development for William's character at the end, but I guess it gave a bit of closure to the situation. His friend, Paula was one of my favorite characters and I think it would be interesting if the writer dedicated a book just to her.

The story did take a traditional theme of "can men and women just be friends" and put a creative spin on it.

Every Day by David Levithan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is a true original and that's what I appreciate from it the most. The main character - A - changes bodies of who he is every day and tells a different story in each chapter, when running along with each new life is common story of A falling in love and how he's going to get his girl when he wakes up in a different family in a different house every day.

If it wasn't for this running love story, then I think the book would've been harder to get through because you can't connect with any of the characters or put yourself into any situation because the chapters are short and A's time with each of them is short lived.

I think to have the creativity to come up and execute this type of book is fantastic and I applaud the author. Plus, the ending was unexpected, but left a good closure to the book.

View all my reviews

New Recipe Resolution: Mexican Lasagna

Casseroles are a good idea for our household because we can have leftovers that don't have to last all week. I can get down with leftovers, but I don't really want to eat the same thing for days and days. 

I had looked up a few recipes for a Mexican-style casserole and kind of combined different ones to make this Mexican Lasagna, which was simple to put together and a good choice for a Friday night. 

What you need: 

- 1 package of corn tortillas

- 1 lb. of ground beef 

- 1/2 onion

- 1 can of refried beans

- 1 can of salsa verde

- 1 package of shredded cheddar cheese

- 1 can of corn

Spices to use: taco seasoning, salt, pepper, chili powder

First, add a little oil to a pan and dice up the onion and saute. Add ground beef and cook all the way through. Add spices to the meat mixture and set aside. Make sure it is seasoned well. Taste it and add as needed.

Spray non-stick cooking spray on the inside of a baking pan. Cut tortillas in half and place in single layer along the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of salsa verde, then layer of refried beans, layer of the meat mixture, layer of corn, and shredded cheese. Repeat the assembly with more layer. 

Bake in oven preheated at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with chips and salsa. 

Next time I make it, I will probably add Monterey Jack cheese and or the Queso Blanco Velveeta for extra spice, flavor, and cheesiness. Also, you most likely aren't going to use the entire package of tortillas, so save the extra for breakfast tacos made with scrambled eggs, veggies, and salsa!

For this recipe...I forgot to take pictures! Gotta get better at that.

Side food note: I've realized I love vegetables roasted. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to pretty much any veggie and it's delicious. Last vegetable used: cauliflower. I added thyme, seasoned salt, and a little bit of cinnamon. YUM!