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I Guess I’d Better Put on My Running Shoes

Posted on May 11, 2015 by kissmybroccoli

Ready…set…GO!!!!!!

It’s a really good thing I had the forethought to buy all these Nikes the other day when I took Jason to buy shoes because I’m gonna NEED them this week! Yes, that’s exactly what it was…forethought…planning. Not a total impulse-buy since I didn’t need any shoes to begin with. No, that wasn’t it at all.

PS, Shoe Carnival’s having a wicked sale right now. 😉

But seriously, we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty here, folks. I have less than FOUR days before my ass (and half those shoes) are on a plane heading to BLEND! And there’s still so much to doooooo!

Mowing

Which is why I forced myself out of bed after only six hours of sleep the other day to mow and weed-eat the grass until my arms went numb. Here’s hoping my little case of Jim Carey syndrome fades fast because it’s gonna be a busy week!

First I’ve got to sleep like NOW. Then I have a Mother’s Day dinner tonight with those two gorgeous women up there, my dad’s graduation lunch tomorrow, a full day in the car to go see the girls on Wednesday, annnnnnd at SOME point I have to find some shoes to go with my sexy ass dress that I found last week when I was NOT shopping for sneakers.

Not to mention I have to do laundry, pack, replace the battery in my alarm system (uh-huh, so don’t be getting any thoughts about cozying up to my big screen), finish eating all the perishables in the fridge and love on this guy as much as possible before I go! This will be the longest we’ve been apart since last year’s Blend. Lord knows what he’ll do while I’m gone. I may have to pry the Doritos out of his hands once I get back! Lol

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some sleep to catch before I fill these mugs (that were also not an impulse buy) with ALL THE COFFEE so I can make this to-do list my biotch!

Be sure to follow all my adventures and shenanigans on Instagram! Otherwise, I guess I’ll catch you guys next week! Unless you’re going to Blend and then you better catch ME because I’ve got hugs to give and a running start! 😉

What’s at the top of your to-do list this week?

What’s your favorite brand of running shoe?

Posted in Personal, Randomness, Shopping | Tagged Blend 2015, Broccoli Mama, family, Jason, Nike, shopping | 9 Comments

Thirsty Thursday: The Wine Fest Edition

Posted on May 7, 2015 by kissmybroccoli

Happy {Thirsty} Thursday, peeps!

In case the marrrrrrrrgarita (roll those R’s, folks) talk on Tuesday wasn’t enough, I’m thinky drinky again today…for the record, it’s only a problem IF you admit that it is. But seriously, I don’t even drink all that much…which is probably why I was tipsy within the first 20 minutes of the wine festival I went to with my girls last weekend.
Note to self: “Pre-game” a week prior to next year’s festival. 😉

Were truer words ever written?

We couldn’t have asked for better weather. The day was absolutely perfect. Blue skies, puffy clouds, pink elephants. Oh yeah, we had it all.

Just me, the besties, a long lost friend from high school, the seeester, and two moms who, wouldn’t you know, were “resting” while this picture was taken.

Tent to tent we went…photobombers not to lament.

Taking the time we sipped the wine and had fun in the summer sun.

Not all the chicks got loving licks…though I say, I really cannot boast

For after five hours, this Heather Powers was a little more than toast[ed]!

This little limerick brought to you by another good night’s sleep and waaaaaay too much time on my hands while waiting for Jason to wake up. Hmm, perhaps I should consider a career change? 😉

But seriously, we all had a blast. It was SO good to spend the whole day with my favorite ladies sharing laughs, making memories, and…learning lessons?

Like how next year, there WILL BE A BUDGET! 😯

So I got a little carried away with the swipey swipey. Funny how after a few drinks you start thinking that the plastic gods just shine down and provide you with an unlimited amount of money, huh? And how about my wine club order will arrive any day now?! Anyone care to come over and help me further my state of denial?

Bring cheese…and pretzels!

Have you ever been to a wine festival?

What is your favorite kind of wine?
I’m usually more of a semi-sweet/off-dry drinker, but I surprised myself by liking a lot of the sweeter wines that day.

Posted in Thirsty Thursday | Tagged besties, Broccoli Mama, Tori, wine | 8 Comments

Sneaky Veggie Enchiladas

Posted on May 5, 2015 by kissmybroccoli

Celebrate the day right by serving up these Sneaky Veggie Enchiladas, stuffed with two “hidden” vegetables that will have even the pickiest eater asking for more!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!

Would you believe me if I told you it’s all by chance that this recipe went up today? Honestly, I’ve just had a hankering for these for a weeks now and well, since I’m not a fan of the traditional red sauce served at the restaurants, I knew I’d have to do it myself!

My mother passed down to me her mouth-watering enchilada recipe when I went away to college. I made it a handful of times and it was always a crowd pleaser, but that was it…it served a CROWD! Yep, without precaution, we Powers women fall victim to our cafeteria lady syndrome. It really can be a dangerous matter…like when you’re faced with polishing off eight to ten enchiladas by yourself. 😯

Nowadays, I know I can freeze the leftovers, but well…there’s really not much room in there right now with all the soup and cornbread. So…taking all that into consideration PLUS the fact that I’m always trying to find new ways to get Jason to eat ~~more~~ vegetables, I decided to conduct a little kitchen experiment:

Just HOW many veggies can I cram in here before he really notices? 😉

The answer? A lot! One thing I love about tomato-based recipes is that you really can sneak in a lot of veggies without even tasting a difference. Knowing that, I ransacked the pantry and the fridge and this is what I got…

A perfectly seasoned enchilada stuffed with beef, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, CARROTS and PUMPKIN!! Top those babies with a bit of salsa and guacamole and you got yourself a whole mound of veggies!

Sneaky Veggie Enchiladas

By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: bake saute entrée whole wheat tortilla pumpkin puree beef Cinco de Mayo Mexican

Ingredients (serves 4)

1/2 pound lean ground beef*
1 cup diced fresh mushrooms
1/2 diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes*
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce, halved
1/2 cup pumpkin puree, halved
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
4 whole wheat flour tortillas
3/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Toppings: black olives, cilantro, Greek yogurt, guacamole, salsa

Instructions

1. Combine ground beef, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and garlic and cook until beef is browned and vegetables are tender (approx. 5-6 minutes)
2. Add diced tomatoes, 1/2 can enchilada sauce, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, and spices.
3. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Combine other half of enchilada sauce with 1/4 cup pumpkin puree and, using half the mixture, coat the bottom of a small baking dish, reserving the rest.
6. Divide beef and veggie mixture evenly and scoop into each tortilla.
7. Place stuffed enchiladas in baking dish seam side down and drizzle reserved sauce over top.
8. Top with shredded cheese and black olives (if using).
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortilla edges are crisp.
10. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with plain Greek yogurt, guacamole, salsa, and cilantro.

*Note: If you’re wondering what to do with the other 1/2 pound of ground beef and the rest of the can of tomatoes, just throw ’em both in a skillet!\. Season with some cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix yourself up some taco meat! Then you’ve got the start to nachos, taco salad, or well, just straight up taco meat straight if you’re ~~hangry~~ in a pinch. 😉

These Sneaky Veggie Enchiladas are stuffed with beef, mushrooms, and TWO hidden veggies and will have even the pickiest eaters asking for more! www.kissmybroccoliblog.com

So I served these up to Jason for dinner over the weekend…without telling him ~~of my evil plan~~ about the extra veggies and you wanna know what he said? “I like that it’s not just meat inside.” Mark it on the calendar folks, my meat and potatoes man is eating veggies! Now for my next trick…going meatless! But we’ll save that for another day. Don’t wanna get ahead of ourselves now.