My Guacamole is the greatest!!

And I am not just saying that. I can't ever buy prepared guac in the store. Even at restaurants sometime I am disappointed when I bite into a chip laden down with creamy green goodness. I've been making guac for years, but it wasn't until recently that really perfected my recipe. So here it is, sharing with you because I <3 you.

Ashley's Guacamole 
Ingredients:
2 large avocados, ripe
3 tbsp red onion, diced
1-2 tbsp jalepeno, diced (depending on how spicy you want it)
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions:
Really easy! Mash the avocados, add in the remaining ingredients, stir. Add lime juice last. Enjoy!!

Finally... I'm BACK, plus chicken salad I LOVE!

I'm baaaack!!!! I know it's been over two years, but after starting a new job and having a BABY (wha????) I have become re-energized to start this back up again. I'm still trying to figure out the best content for this page, so I welcome feedback and thoughts.

In the meantime, I have finally made a chicken salad recipe that I absolutely LOVE! Ya'll, seriously... I have made SO MANY chicken salad recipes and they were all "meh." Finally, finally I have found one I enjoy. I took what I love from a couple different ones and made one that I just can't stop eating. I hope you enjoy it.

Yummy Chicken Salad 
Ingredients: 

• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded and skin discarded - (you can roast your own chicken if you want, but I recommend just buying a roasted chicken from the store and shredding it when it gets to room temperature)
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 1 cup diced nuts - choose your favorite. I used walnuts, but almonds and pecans would be good
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 3 green onion stems, diced thin 
• 2 heaping tbsp fresh dill 
• 1 cup light or fat free mayonnaise 
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tbs. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions: 

1. In an extra large bowl, mix together your dry ingredients (chicken, grapes, nuts, celery, onion)
2. In a small bowl, mix together your remaining ingredients 
3. Add the wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and mix well. 

Tip 1: Eat on crackers, as a sandwich or in a wrap. This is great to make for a crowd. Go to Costco and get one of those large containers of mini croissants and you can make mini chicken salad croissant sandwiches. They will be a party pleaser for sure!

Tip 2: You'll notice the mixture might be a little dry. I recommend adding a little extra mayo to your bread or wrap when you assemble your sandwich. This ensures you get the proper amount of mayo to your taste.

Keep in your fridge for up to a week and enjoy!!

Chicken for Days

I love meals that you can cook once and turn into multiple meals. This is one of those. I whipped up this week-night meal and now I also have yummy chicken to add to salads for my work lunches throughout the week. Super easy, relatively healthy and so versatile!

Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients:

• Chicken drumsticks (I get the large, long package at the grocery store - usually less than $10!!) 
• Your choice of marinade. Here are some options: 
• Raspberry Chipotle marinade (my favorite) 
• Frank's Hot Wing Sauce 
• BBQ Sauce 
• Honey Mustard 
• Italian Dressing 

Basically, go to the sauce/marinade section of the grocery store and look at your ingredients. Try to stick with low calorie, low sodium options. Less than 100 calories per 2 tbsp. and try not to go over 200 mg. of sodium (this is difficult to do in a lot of marinades).

Instructions: 

• THE NIGHT/DAY BEFORE: Separate your drumsticks into 1 gallon bags, based on how many different flavors you want to do. 
• Pour in marinade until chicken is pretty covered. Try for about 1/4 c. marinade per 3 drumsticks. 
• Close the bag, leave a little air in it. Shake around the chicken and the marinade until it's all pretty coated. 
• Then remove the extra air in the bag, close back up the Ziploc and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This could stay in the fridge for a couple days. 
• Once ready to cook, heat oven to 450 degrees. 
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay the drumsticks onto the foil. 
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until the edges of the chicken are starting to char. 
• Remove from the oven and enjoy! 

If making for a dinner, I recommend pairing with sweet potato fries and a salad. I chopped up sweet potato fries and roasted them at the same time as the drumsticks. Made for a really quick meal.

You can also shred up the chicken and heat it up to top salads or make into a sandwich or wrap. Endless possibilities!

Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is super easy to make and can last you multiple meals. I divide it up into 3 GIANT bowls. :-)

Ingredients: 

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 1 sweet, yellow onion, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced 
• 1 can sweet corn (unsalted), or 2 cups frozen corn 
• 1 can black beans (unsalted) 
• 1 can diced tomatoes (unsalted) 
• 1 can tomato sauce 
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 
• 11 oz. of shredded chicken (I usually grab from a rotisserie chicken I've broken down) 
• 1 packet of organic taco seasoning 
• 1/2 packet of Hidden Valley Greek Yogurt ranch seasoning 

Directions: 

• Pour EVOO, garlic, onion and bell peppers into a large soup pot. Cook until onions are starting to turn translucent. 
• Add corn, beans, and tomatoes. Cook for about a minute to get them warm. 
• Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, seasonings and shredded chicken. 
• Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 45 minutes. 

Spice it Up: 

There are a few ways to spice up this dish. 

1. You can dice up 1 jalepeno and include it at the same stage you add the bell peppers. This will add some extra heat to your entire pot of soup. 
2. Add pickled jalapeno and hot sauce to your finished product. This allows you to customize your heat level per bowl of soup. Some days you might want to have it super hot, other times not so much... this option allows you to customize it your way. 

The Perfect Skinny Margarita!! 


I have perfected my favorite Skinny Margarita. To me, "skinny" means low calorie, all natural ingredients. The former being priority. So here you go, my friends. Here is my recipe. And I may have had a few before writing this, so please let me know if you would like me to clarify anything. :-)

Ingredients (makes 1 margarita)

Put the following in a shaker with a handful of ice:

• 2 oz (1/4 cup) Tequila 
• 1 tbsp. grand marnier 
• 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice 
• 3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice 
• 1/2 a packet of Stevia or Truvia

Shake a few times to get it nice and mixed up.

Take a lime wedge and put it around the edge of a glass, Place the edge of the glass onto a plate filled with kosher salt to get a nice, salted rim.
Strain ingredients into a high-ball glass.

Pour in a splash of sparkling water (I like to use Lime La Croix)

Top with ice. Enjoy!!

Curry Chicken with Mango Chutney

INGREDIENTS:

2 chicken breasts

1 tbsp curry powder 

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt

1/4 cup mango chutney (find in the Asian food aisle of the grocery store)

3 tbsp sliced green onions

1 package naan bread (find in the fresh bakery section of the store)

Mixed greens

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put chicken on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound it with a mallet or heavy glass to about 1/2 inch thick. 

2. Combine curry powder, salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cover the chicken with the mixture on both sides. 

3. Put a little oil in a skillet, cook the chicken breasts a few minutes on each side until done. Then let it rest a few minutes. When ready to serve, slice into strips. 

4. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, chutney, green onions and 1/4 tsp pepper. 

5. Place naan in oven at 400 degrees for a few minutes to get it warm. Cut it in half lengthwise. 

6. To make a sandwich, take a half of the naan, spread some sauce on it, place some pieces of chicken and mixed greens on it and fold in half. 

Honey Sriracha Chicken!

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 chicken breasts

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp Corn starch

1 cup water

2 tbsp Sriracha 

5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup sugar OR (to make it healthier 2 tbsp agave + 1 tbsp molasses)

2 tbsp honey 

Brown rice 

Favorite Veggies

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dice up chicken into bite sized pieces and put into a large Ziploc with 1/3 cup corn starch. Shake it up to coat. 

2. In a saucepan, mix the water, Sriracha, sugar (agave/molasses), soy sauce, garlic, honey. 

3. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile mix 1 tbsp water with 1 tbsp corn starch. Add to the sauce to thicken and remove from heat. 

4. In a large skillet, heat up your favorite veggies, set aside. 

5. Put a little oil in the skillet and add the chicken. Cook until cooked through. 

6. Cook the rice according to package directions. 

7. Pour the sauce into the pan with the chicken so that everything is heated up. 

8. Assemble your meal! Rice, veggies, chicken and sauce!