Lemon Roasted Vegetables

Easy.  Light.  Perfect for summer.

I love roasted veggies as a rule, I just think the roasting brings out a fantastic flavor.  I decided to try and spice things up with a little lemon and loved the results!

I used broccoli and yellow squash but this could really be done with any vegetables you like!  The recipe made about 4 servings, but it could certainly be adjusted up or down as needed!

Lemon Roasted Vegetables

4 cups chopped vegetables
Juice / rind of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables, lemon juice, rind, sea salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Stir to combine.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes.  Take out and stir vegetables, and continue cooking for 15 minutes (keep an eye, if you like them a little less done!).

Summer Sangria

 A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to meet a few friends at the Jersey Shore Wine Festival in Lakewood, New Jersey.

If you like wine, do yourself a favor and go to this event next year!

For $20, you get tastings of many different Jersey wineries.  There are also vendors, food, and music.  It's a great way to spend a Saturday!

One of the wineries was Monroeville, where I bought 3 bottles.  Clearly, I liked their wine!  One of the wines I was surprised I liked was their Apple wine.  I thought it would be overly sweet, but it really wasn't. 

So, the wheels started turning, and I started thinking about how it would make a great sangria.

Now, you could use any fruit infused wine for this, or even just a reisling for moscato.  But it was super easy and really delicious and refreshing for a hot summer day!

Summer Sangria
1 bottle Apple wine (or sweet wine of your choice)
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 bag of mixed frozen fruit (I used mango, raspberry, pineapple and strawberry)
Club soda

In a large pitcher, combine wine, Triple Sec and fruit.  Refrigerate for about a half hour to let the fruit begin to thaw in the wine. 

Pour into glasses and top with a splash of club soda.

Fabulous Find: 7-11 Go Smart! Corn Tortilla Chips

Color me shocked that I found such a healthy snack find at a convenience store, branded by said convenience store!

My 7-11 had several different flavors.  I got the Sweet Chili and the Siracha flavors.  These are non-GMO as well as certified gluten free with a terrific ingredient list!   1 bag is 170 calories, and I loved them as a mid-morning snack boost!

I really enjoyed both the flavors I tried, with a slight edge to the Siracha, which were spicy without being overly hot.  The chips were crunchy and delicious and the portion was great!

Definitely check these out if you can find them!

Out of the Kitchen: Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Eye Patches

Because who doesn't need a little relaxing?

I got a 2 pack sample of these in my May Ipsy bag and was intrigued.  See, I suffer from luggage eyes.  School, tutoring, more school, and a cat who likes to wake me up at the crack of dawn even on the weekends.

So I gave these a shot.  And I really really liked them!

Each envelope had two eye patches in it.

They fit perfectly under each eye, you simply press them on and leave for 15 minutes.  They are so cool and refreshing, a perfect eye treatment for summer.  After I took them off, I definitely noticed less baggage, and my eyes definitely felt more 'rested'.

Also found them on Amazon!

Fantastic Friday Four

A few things making me smile big this week!

A gorgeous taste of spring and summer.  The colors were so gorgeous!

One of my favorite apps, Countdown!  Whenever I get stressed out, I open it up and see these things coming up and the stress melts away.

I got myself a Zoku ice pop maker (the one that makes just one pop at a time) and I am LOVING it.  Expect some recipes coming up!

A Pampered Chef haul that I had bought a few months ago.  I'm moving soon so putting off on unpacking it but when I do, I'll be sure to share!

Crockpot Sweet Chili Pulled Chicken

Who isn't a sucker for the crockpot?  Throw something in in the morning and dinner is served hours later with no fuss, no muss.   It's one of my favorite meal prep techniques - throw something in on a Sunday and have lunches or dinners for the week!

I had this bottle of sweet chili sauce and wanted to experiment with that instead of using a more traditional BBQ sauce.  What came out was a little bit sweet with a nice kick, with a hint of sesame in the background.  And super easy!

Crockpot Sweet Chili Pulled Chicken

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup sweet chili sauce, divided
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. dark sesame oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced

Spray crockpot with a nonstick cooking spray.  Mix 3/4 cup of the sweet chili sauce, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the dark sesame oil, and water in the crockpot.   Place chicken breasts in crockpot, and spoon some of the sauce over the tops of the chicken breasts.  Cover and cook on low for 3/12 hours.

After 3 1/2 hours, take 2 forks and shred the chicken.  Add 1/4 more cup and 1/2 tsp. more of the sesame oil to the shredded chicken, and mix well.  Cover and cook for another 1/2 hour.

(Stay tuned for a few recipes using this chicken!)

Fabulous Find: Weight Watchers Frozen Smoothies

I'm always on the lookout for new snacks.

I spotted these in the frozen section of my store and was intrigued, but I bypassed them at first.  I'm not big on stocking up on frozen foods, I have a few on hand in case of a late night or needing a quick lunch, but I'm really trying to stay away from the more processed things.

So, it took me a few times to take a real look at these, but when I did, I was pleasantly surprised.

For a frozen, prepackaged item, that's a pretty good ingredient list!

But how would they taste?

I've tried two of the flavors - the tropical one, which is pineapple and mango, and the strawberry / banana one and I found both to be really quite good.  There are chunks of real fruit and they are a really good portion.  Perfect for a mid-morning snack!

I also love the ease of them.  I take it out in the morning before work and leave it in the fridge at school until snack time, and it's a really terrific consistency.

Definitely check these out!