NEW WEBSITE--

Hi!

It's been a very long time! I have moved websites and write under a new blog. Follow me over there! :)

www.agathaashby.com


SEE YA THERE!

Best Green Beans That'll Ever Meet Your Mouth

Long time no see! Hope all is well with everyone. I know I have been busy with school and such but I will try to get on here more frequently these next few weeks since Spring Break is coming up and my schedule is slowly dying down (yippee!). So, let me tell you I love green beans but always seemed to prefer the canned ones because I guess I just never had fresh green beans cooked the right way. Well ladies and gents, I have created an enjoyable fresh green bean recipe that I cannot get enough of. I have cooked these fresh green beans twice this week, um yeah and it's ONLY Tuesday! But anyway here we go

Fresh Green Bean Sautee:

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 pounds fresh green beans
2 tablespoons garlic salt
Juice from one medium sized lemon
3 tablespoons Brummel & Brown Butter Made W/Yogurt
Extra Virgin Olive oil

Directions: First thing you're going to do is put on a large pot of salted water and bring to a rolling boil. While you wait for the water to boil what you're going to do is trim and snap the ends of all the green beans (after being washed, of course). Once all trimmed up, dump them into pot of boiling water for 4 minutes! While green beans boil for 4 minutes, prepare a large bowl full of water and ice. Once green beans are finished boiling drain and then dump them into the prepared ice bath. (now I have pictures below--sorry I didn't have pictures of the first part!)

After 15 minutes in the ice bath, drain and then toss green beans into large skillet with the bottom coated in a fair amount of olive oil.

Wow, sorry that picture turned out sideways. But anyway, you're going to set on medium heat and let sautee a little bit in the olive oil--for about 1 minute, make sure you move the beans around so they get equal heat. Then you're going to add butter, lemon juice, and garlic salt to the green beans in the skillet. Then you're going to toss with tongs and make sure they are fully coated. Let them sit and sautee and soak up the juices for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Let the tips of the beans turn yellow/golden and then they are ready to toss in a bowl and serve!

Salty, crunchy goodness. Who knew vegetables could be so tasty??

My picky friends even approved!

Until next time,

Bon appetit!

My Favorite Girl Scout Cookies--in Truffle Form

Hello! I hope I find you enjoying your Tuesday--it is a beautiful day down here in the South. What is your weather like? Snowy? Rainy? Well, whether it is sunshine, snow or rain I have the perfect treat for you! Everyone knows the end is near...and then you may ask "wait, what end?". Well my friend, it is almost the end of Girl Scout Cookie season. My waist and buttocks are looking forward to this tragic ending, as for my taste buds--let's just say: too soon, too soon. But anyway I have taken a survey of what people's favorite girls scout cookies are (disclaimer: I only asked family and friends so this is totally unofficial). But anyway, I found that Thin Mints were first and foremost the most popular amongst my loved ones. And then coming close in second were the infamous Samoas (I am well aware that they are now called Caramel Delights but I refuse to call them that--thank you very much). But anyway, today I will share with you two recipes for Thin Mint Truffles and Samoa Truffles! Here we go:

Caramel Delight Truffles

ingredients:

• 1 package caramel delights (only reason I used Keebler is because Girl Scouts are in school during the day, therefore I could not hunt one down for cookies)
• 1/3 bar fat free cream cheese
• Chocolate Candy Coating
• Shredded Sweetened Coconut

First, get out your food processor and secure it with the large blade. Dump the whole package of cookies into the food processor.

Process the cookies until completely smooth and all crumbs. Next cut cream cheese into small pieces and place in food processor. 

Next process cream cheese and crushed cookies until making a thick, crumbly like mixture. It will get stuck and the processor will stop, so take spatular and unstick sides and bottom of the bowl. And continue to process until fully mixed together.

Next, what you're going to do is take about a thumb print amount of mixture and form into round balls with hands. And place on a pan.

Next heat chocolate candy coating in microwave by directions on back of package. Once melted, take spoon, dip in chocolate, and drizzle over balls of cookie mixture. Before chocolate dries on top of truffles, sprinkle shredded coconut over all of them.

Once finished, pop tray into refrigerator for an hour and then enjoy!!

Now...

Thin Mint Truffles

ingredients:

• 1 box thin mints
• 1/2 bar fat free cream cheese
• Chocolate sprinkles

Directions: DO THE EXACT SAME THING but instead of coconut, add the sprinkles!

And the last step...ENJOY!!!

See you tomorrow.

Love you long time.

Skinny Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Hello! I hope I find you having a pleasant Monday evening. It has been too long since I have posted a recipe. So guess what? I am posting a great recipe right now for your enjoyment! Enchiladas are a staple food in our home, I think it's a Southern thing. Usually we go for beef enchiladas but I decided to change it up a bit and try something new. So ladies and gentlemen:

SKINNY GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

ingredients:
1 cup light sour cream
3/4 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 small cans chopped green chiles
1 can mexican Ro*Tel
6 whole wheat tortilla wraps

First what you're going to do is in a large skillet, add shredded chicken, onions, green chiles, and Ro*Tel. (DO NOT DRAIN THE RO*TEL--THE CHICKEN WILL SOAK UP THE JUICES). Let this mixture simmer together and combine until well mixed. Turn on medium heat and let sit and simmer in the juice until soaked up.

While you have your chicken mixture simmering, take a small pot and combine sour cream, cream of chicken, chives, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Put over medium to high heat and keep stirring--it will eventually melt and become liquid after stirring for about 6 minutes. Once it becomes liquid-y turn heat off!

(sorry this picture stinks)

Next, what you're going to do is take the whole wheat tortillas and lay them on a plate, and then make a line with the chicken mixture and then sprinkled shredded colby jack cheese on top. Fold and then put into glass pan.

Continue to fold and roll enchiladas until all 6 are lined up in the pan.

Next, what you're going to do is pour the sour cream mixture over the top of the enchiladas and then sprinkle with colby jack cheese.

Next, pop in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes! And then enjoy!

See you manana!

Love you long time.

MIA

Hello everyone! I've been getting lots of hits today and am super excited to share with you that I am BACK! Sorry I have been MIA for so long--life got in the way (and my foot). Long story short, had to have surgery and it hurts and just you know--felt sorry for myself, hopped back off of healthy living and ya-da-ya-da-ya you know how that story goes. But I am back and better than ever! Well, my phone is messed up and that was the key source to my pictures so this post will be boring and picture-less. But I have some exciting posts coming up this week once I get everything set up and rolling again! I am so happy to be back and want to thank Dana at The Wonder Forest for the fabulous ad that is up right now--you should go check her site out, she is seriously the most incredible person I know. But anyway, just wanted to give you all a heads up that I am back and to expect some yummy, healthy, creations along with my random blurbs. Good to be back! Now...off to watch the Oscars!

Love you long time.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Well hello there. Sorry I have been kind of MIA a few days this week, school has started back up and it has been non-stop since Monday morning bright and early. But now, my weekend has begun because I have no classes on Friday (wahoo!). But anyway, how are you doing with your healthy eating? I'd love to know your tips and such in the comment section below! I have been doing pretty good. I have created this turkey/veggie wrap that I have eaten for lunch the past 3 days and let me tell you, it is HUGE and delicious and comes out to be 215 calories! Here's a colorful picture of my lunch, under the photo I will tell you the fabulous ingredients:

Wrap: EVOO Whole Grain Rye 90 calories for a giant one!

Turkey: 2 slices of low-sodium turkey from the deli counter

Spread: Weight Watchers Swiss Spread 30 calories!

1/4 Avocado

5 golden snack tomatoes cut in halves

4 pieces of yellow and orange sweet bellpepper

Cheese: Athenos Reduced Fat Feta (a little less and 1/4 cup around 50 calories)

Mustard: French's Spicy Mustard 5 calories!

My side:

sauteed asparagus and mushrooms sprinkled with pecorino

Now for dinner I am having a grilled turkey patty with roasted butternut squash and here's how I'm roasting it! It's super easy and delicious:

• 1 butternut squash (peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Molly McButter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place squash and ingredients on top and then toss with hands to make sure everything is coated nicely. Then pop it in the oven for 15 minutes and then move around with spatula and then put back in for another 15 minutes or until soft. And then you have roasted butternut squash--a healthy way to eat your carbohydrates! :)

Until next time, stay healthy happy & sassy.

Bon Appetit!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Salad

Hello Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Monday whether it was back to school for spring semester classes or just back to work from the weekend. Today for me was back to school for spring semester classes and let me tell you, there are some rude people in this world. Had to deal with a very rude food science advisor that was just not a happy bear but a grumpy old man bear obsessed with Mickey Mouse. But anyway, enough about my Monday blues. Have you been good on following up with your new years resolutions?? I have and I am very proud of myself. I have been eating healthy and balanced--NOT DIETING. Just lower fat content, smaller portions, and exercise! So if you know me really well, you know that I love salads. All kinds of salads--pasta, chicken, crab, veggie, etc! Love it all! So I wanted a low fat version of chicken salad tonight with a handful of reduced fat wheat thins and I think I created a monster. It is deliciously light, sweet, spicy & salty just the way I like it! So here we go:

Ingredients:

• 2 boiled small boneless skinless chicken breasts (shredded or chopped into small pieces)
• 1 tbsp of light mayo
• 1 tbsp of Lone Prairie Farms Strawberry Jalapeno Jam (if you are in TX, this can only be found in your local HEB or you can call them @ (817) 866-2113) trust me on this, it is WORTH THE CALL!
• 1 tsp instantly fresh chives
• 1 tsp instantly fresh dill
• S&P to taste

Mix it all together and you're done! You've got a sweet, spicy, and salty chicken salad! 

Until next time,

Bon Appetit