My Favorite White Claw Slushee Recipe

Wayyyyy back at the beginning of quarantine (you know, when we were hopeful that things would only be weird for a month) I saw a bunch of White Claw slushees making their way around the Internet. I've never been super into White Claws, but I'm always game for a good old fashioned frozen drink, so was in. White Claw slushees are basically a combo between a smoothie and a cocktail. They're typically a mix of frozen fruit, a White Claw, and sometimes more liquor or juice. We were in a period of wanting to mix new cocktails every weekend, so I ran off to the store (read: put stuff on my grocery list and patiently waited for two weeks) to grab some frozen fruit and liquor to try my hand at a White Claw slushee.

Well, the thing is, the slushees really were popular on Tik Tok, where the youths aren't really into measuring. So I eyeballed an approximation from a video, and Jeff and I got drunk. Like, drunk. In the middle of a Saturday afternoon. Whoops. Turns out, reflecting back on it, I accidentally served both of us a White Claw plus four shots of rum. A little much for a single cocktail.

So, after a bit of experimenting with different flavors, fruit, and booze, I'm here to present to you my favorite White Claw slushee - the Tropical Sunset. I just named it, can you tell?

Tropical Sunset White Claw Slushee

Yield: 4 

You'll need: 
1 can mango White Claw
1 can tangerine White Claw
1/2 cup Malibu Rum
1 16oz bag frozen tropical fruit (I use a Dole mix that has mango, pineapple, and strawberry)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on low until fully combined. If it isn't quite as thick as you want, add a handful of ice and blend on high. Garnish with a sprig of mint if you fancy.

What's great about this recipe is it's basically a non-recipe. Use whatever frozen fruit you have, mix it with whatever White Claws or other spiked seltzer you have. You can also use fresh fruit and add more ice to get the right consistency. Just don't put four shots in each drink and you'll do great ;) 

If you make a new combo that's amazing, let me know in the comments!! Would love to try your mix!

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How to Make a Boxed Cake Fancy

Oh heyyyyyy!! Just popping in with a quick little tip on how to fancy up your birthday cakes!

It was Jeff's birthday over the weekend, and I decided birthday cake was just what we needed. Yes, a whole cake for two people. I don't see the problem.

So how do you make your boxed cake mix cakes taste just that much better? Sub out the oil for melted butter, and sub out the water for milk. Use the exact same amounts in the original recipe. It is such an easy switch, and makes your cakes richer and more moist, and taste like you put a whole lot more effort in than just stirring four ingredients together!

It also works on brownie mixes too. Give it a try, you'll never look back.

Oh, and the #1 rule passed down for boxed cakes from my mama? Make the cake from a mix... but the frosting from scratch! Homemade frosting is just next level, and it makes any cake that much better. Plus it's super easy to make - here's the recipe I used! Yes, to my mother's horror, with salted butter. I'm very pro.

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What I Eat In A Week of Dieting

A similar sweater / Favorite Jeans / Loafers

If you've been around these parts before, then you know I love calorie counting. I know it doesn't work for everyone, but for me, I have a really hard time completely cutting out certain foods (read: pasta). I would rather be able to eat whatever I want as long as it fits into my count for the day! I'm fine with guestimating and getting close enough, and don't ever "cheat" on the app - I really count everything I eat!

I've been using the Lose It app now for six years whenever I want to lose a few pounds or get my diet back on track, and I love it because it's really simple and easy to use. The focus is on calorie counting, not on monitoring anything else though, so it really depends on what you're looking for in an app. I've had success following the calorie counting plan in the past and have lost thirteen pounds so far this spring! (Although do the first five pounds really count? I started the day after our trip to Charleston and was up five pounds from the trip, which came off within two days. So eight may be a more appropriate number ;)

I freaking love reading other people's food diaries because I'm nosey, so I thought it would be fun to share what I eat in a week with you! My calorie allowance for each day varies around 1,400 (It goes down as you lose weight - nooooo!! But you do get extra calories if you exercise!) and is based on losing two pounds per week. I tried the one pound per week plan in the past, but really didn't see much success. My trainer (ahem: a few years ago) told me to really go for it and cut the calories more drastically if I wanted to see results, and that has worked for me. He also said to definitely give myself a cheat day or a couple cheat meals every week so that my body wouldn't think it's starving itself and adjust my metabolism. I'm not a nutritionist, but his advice has worked for me!

Monday

• 10:00am - started late because I’ve been answering emails. I worked from home so I decided to make eggs! I’m always amazed how much two eggs can fill me up throughout the day. I added a teensy bit of butter for flavor, and also a teeny bit shredded cheese because I was feeling crazy. 204 calories 
• 12:30pm - a Sesame Chicken Lean Cuisine - grabbed between meetings! 330 calories 
• 3pm: carrots and hummus 105 calories 
• 6:30pm - I roast some broccoli and make some couscous to go along with leftover pork chops that Jeff grilled yesterday. They were HUGE so we shared one between us. 619 calories 
• 8:30pm - I realize I have the exact number of calories left on my plan for one serving of ice cream. Yes, I’m one of those disgusting people who can eat one serving of ice cream and stop. 280 calories 

Exercise: walked 40 minutes
Total food calories: 1,538
Daily total minus exercise: 1,423


Tuesday 

• 8:00am - made a smoothie, I eyeballed incorrectly though and basically ended up with spinach and a hint of berry! I’m actually at the point now where I prefer my smoothies to have spinach in them so they aren’t so sweet so it actually isn’t too terrible. 227 calories 
• 11:00am - I realize that I’ll be in meetings through 1:30, so I have a bowl of popcorn! I used to eat tons of microwave popcorn, but my mom was worried I would get cancer from it so she bought me an air popper. I do three tablespoons of kernels and melt one tablespoon of butter to drizzle on top (oh and add lots of popcorn salt of course!) 242 calories 
• 2pm - I remembered to buy an avocado yesterday, so I decide to have avocado toast with three slices of turkey for lunch. We have leftover grilled brussels sprouts in the fridge, so I add those on the side. 507 calories 
• 7pm - We make my favorite Chicken and Zucchini Noodle stir fry from the SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow cookbook, so good and flavorful! We usually just eat this itself as a meal, but I remember we have a bagged Asian salad mix so we have that on the side. 506 calories 

Exercise: walked 30 minutes, ab and leg exercises at home
Total food calories: 1,482
Daily total minus exercise: 1,374

Wednesday

• 8:00am - another smoothie! My favorite recipe is a handful of spinach, 1.5 cups of coconut water, 1 cup of frozen mixed berries, plus a teaspoon of chia seeds. 227 calories 
• 10:30 - I head into the kitchen at work and discover they added peanut butter chocolate Kind bars, so yes, I’m having one as a snack. I’ve gotten into the habit of Kind bars as a morning snack when I’m in the office, so now every day at this time I crave one! 150 calories 
• 12:00pm - Whenever I’m in the office I order the same thing for lunch - a chopped chicken salad from Fooda. Today they remembered all of the ingredients, so I’m a happy camper. 501 calories 
• 6:30pm - I get home and am starving, so we dive right into leftover Chicken and Zucchini Noodles again. 399 calories 
• 8:30pm - I once again have enough calories leftover for a little scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, so one serving it is! 280 calories 

Exercise: walked 45 minutes
Total food calories: 1,557
Daily total minus exercise: 1,398


Thursday

• 9am - I remember that I had that half of an avocado leftover from Tuesday, so avocado toast it is! I mix the avocado with salt and a little bit of lemon juice, put it on top of some sourdough toast, and top it with extra virgin olive oil. This is so filling I’m good for hours! 352 calories 
• 1:45pm - after going for a walk at lunch, I heat up some leftover rice and Pad Grapow from Chrissy Tiegen’s cookbook Cravings (note: I do NOT recommend this cookbook for dieting, everything is delicious but definitely not low cal). 519 calories 
• 7pm - It’s still not quite spring, but a 50 degree day makes us decide to turn on the grill. We make our favorite sriracha salmon from the SkinnyTaste Cookbook along with grilled asparagus and whole wheat couscous. 608 calories 

Exercise: walked 30 minutes, ab and leg exercises at home
Total food calories: 1,479
Daily total minus exercise: 1,373




Friday

• 8am - I know I’m going to go over in calories today because of my plans tonight, so I decide to go with something that will keep me full so I won’t need to snack - two scrambled eggs with a tiny bit of cheese. 204 calories 
• 12pm - I’m in the office again and grab my favorite chopped chicken salad. They forget the croutons today (nooo the best part!) but it looks like they threw in extra chicken instead so I’m counting it the same. 501 calories 
• 5:30pm - I met up with my friend Jaclyn after work to order bridesmaid dresses for a wedding this fall, and talk about how we have to make sure we can fit into the dresses in six months. Then we immediately wind up at happy hour drinking wine - that’s always the way it goes, right? We have three glasses each and then wind up ordering “snacks” which turn out to be huge once they come - burrata toast, shredded brussels sprout salad, and an avocado and tuna tartare - yum! Since we’re out it’s harder to track the calories, so I guesstimate. 1,333 calories. 
• 7pm - Jaclyn just missed her train so we head across the street to a little pub for one more beer. Ugh I really should have gotten a light. 246 calories 
• 8:30pm - I get home and mix a Moscow Mule while Jeff and I watch last week’s episode of The Challenge: Champs vs Stars (our favorite!). I remember that I’ve now had five drinks and start worrying I’ll have a hangover, so I grab a leftover slice of frozen pizza from the fridge. 264 calories. 

Exercise: walked 45 minutes
Total food calories: 2,548
Daily total minus exercise: 2,389


Saturday

• 9am - I decide to go for scrambled eggs again, because my mom and sister talked me into going to the zoo with them and I’m not sure how long it’ll be until lunchtime. 204 calories 
• 10:30am - I get to the zoo at the predetermined time, but as I’m about to pull into the parking lot my sister calls and says they’re stuck in traffic and will be another hour. I’m right by a Starbucks, so I head inside to hang and order my usual, a grande non-fat chai latte. 210 calories 
• 1:30pm - After walking all over the zoo, we head into the cafeteria for lunch. My sister and I both want chicken tenders and fries, but decide to behave and get turkey sandwiches instead. We aren’t total monsters though and get some Cheetos for the table. My two year old niece doesn’t eat any of her sandwich and therefore does not earn her share of Cheetos, so I have a few more than I planned before we head back out to find the giraffes. 707 calories 
• 7:00pm - I told Jeff to plan on something healthy for dinner, so he picked Orecchiette with Sausage and Baby Kale from the SkinnyTaste Cookbook. Jeff cracked into a beer while cooking, but I’m trying to behave so I have a Spindrift sparkling water. I’ve never had the blackberry flavor before - yum! 425 calories 
• 8:00pm - We decide to watch The Greatest Showman, and Jeff is having another beer so I decide to open a Bud Light (watching those calories!) - it’s good but I don’t feel a need to open a second. 110 calories 

Exercise: three and a half hours of slow walking around the zoo and then the grocery store - 592 calories
Total food calories: 1,656
Daily total minus exercise: 1,052




Sunday

• 9am - I put some toast in the toaster thinking I’d have avocado toast, only to discover the avocados I bought yesterday are nowhere close to ripe, so I end up having peanut butter toast instead. Peanut butter on sourdough bread is weird. 290 calories 
• 12:30pm - I’m starving after Jeff and I play tennis, and heat up the little bit of leftover chicken and zucchini noodles left in the fridge. I also grab a yogurt. 399 calories 
• 3:30pm - I’m starving and pop a little popcorn, and tell Jeff under no terms is he allowed to share with me ;) 242 calories 
• 7pm - We decided to grill again, and I was in charge this time. Barbecue drumsticks, yum! We grill some broccoli and add a chopped salad too. 607 calories 

Exercise: forty-five minutes of light tennis - 296 calories
Total food calories: 1,538
Daily total minus exercise: 1,242

Whew, and that's how we do it! So tell me, is calorie counting something that would work for you? Have any weight loss tips??

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My Favorite Friendsgiving Side Dish

Sweater / Scarf / Skirt / Watch / Earrings / Flats

Do you celebrate Friendsgiving? I never had until I started dating Jeff, but it's such a fun idea. I love getting the chance to hang with friends in a more casual setting than the typical holiday meal, and getting a chance to see everyone before they all leave town to spend Thanksgiving with their families.

What I don't like? The food!

That's right. It may be blasphemous, but I'm not a Thanksgiving food lover. Really, all I need is the turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. And really, I didn't add the gravy into my Thanksgiving repertoire until my late teens. I'm pretty sure my sister just eats the mashed potatoes.

I have a lot of reasons why I dislike Thanksgiving food (I mean, really, what the eff is stuffing?!), but my real problem is with what happens to the vegetables. A vegetable just should never be in a casserole.

When it came time to picking a dish to bring to Friendsgiving, I spent a few years making random desserts decorated like turkeys, and then moved on to mashed cauliflower (because mashed potatoes were always taken by the time I got to signing up). But now I bring brussels sprouts every year. I weirdly love brussels sprouts, which is still really weird to me because they're one of those vegetables you're supposed to hate. I don't know what happened to America's collective taste buds because it seems like the whole country simultaneously changed their mind about the vegetable. And you know what, I'm not complaining!

Usually I roast (or grill!) brussels sprouts with lots of olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic or crushed red pepper. But for Friendsgiving it feels appropriate to get a little fancier, especially since I was only in charge of making one dish and not thirteen. This recipe took about an hour total, which is a little time consuming, but isn't complicated - anyone can make it and fancy up their brussels sprouts! The recipe originally came from the New York Times, but I made a few modifications. Here's my favorite Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving brussels sprouts!

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta 
Makes 6-8 servings

3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme
4 TB olive oil, separated
4 TB unsalted butter
2 lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed, larger sprouts cut in two
Salt and pepper
6 oz pancetta (find at the deli counter, ask them to cut it 1/2 inch thick pieces), diced
1 shallot, minced
1 TB garlic, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock, more if needed
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, thyme, and 2 TB olive oil. Spread out over a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes, stirring often.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add brussels sprouts and salt and pepper (to taste). Sautee 3 minutes or until sprouts just begin to brown, stirring often. Add pancetta and continue sauteeing, stirring often, until sprouts turn deep brown and pancetta gets crispy, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add shallots and garlic, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Increase heat to high and add balsamic vinegar and chicken stock, stirring frequently to coat. Cook 10 minutes, or until sprouts are glazed, adding more stock as necessary. Top with fresh parsley and move to serving bowl, sprinkling breadcrumbs on top. Enjoy!

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It's Plated for Dinner!

This post is sponsored by Plated.

Have you heard of Plated? Plated is a meal delivery service where all of the ingredients for a specific recipe are pre-portioned and delivered to your door, making dinner super easy. Jeff and I actually first used Plated back in 2014 when I started my current job. My commute was so long for the first year and a half (usually 90+ minutes each way!) so by the time I got home I didn't want to put any effort into dinner. I tried leaning on Jeff for a while, but he never knew what to make so we ended up eating a lot of pasta and frozen dinners.

I finally decided to give Plated a try and we loved it. Plated takes all of the planning out of making dinner - you simply choose from a couple of recipes, and they do all of the shopping for you. Plus, everything is perfectly portioned, so you don't end up with awkward leftover ingredients or a million spices in your cabinet. Jeff likes having exact measurements and directions, so he really liked the service and was often able to start prepping or even sometimes finish making dinner before I got home.

Plated also helped us get more confident in the kitchen and taught us a lot, like to put so much more salt than you think you need on everything, and how to correctly poach chicken to avoid poisoning yourself.

When we moved last November my commute was cut in half so we ended up ending our subscription. While I have more time for cooking now, I still sometimes can end up in a cooking rut where I don't have any idea of what to make. I was really excited when Plated reached out to me last month to see if I'd be interested in trying out their services again.

We decided to try some cheesy enchiladas and tomato and burrata paninis (you can't fool me Plated, I know those are actually fancy grilled cheese sandwiches!) and oh my gosh you guys, so good! I opened up some "chef juice" (ahem, wine) and Jeff and I rolled up our sleeves and got cooking. The paninis were really easy to make, but still fancier than our usual weeknight meals. Plus, you know, who can say no to warm, gooey burrata cheese?! There was a side salad too, so you know, we totally balanced out all of that cheese ;)

Interested in trying Plated yourself? Sign up to try Plated and you'll receive a free dinner for two with your first purchase! You know I can never say no to free food ;) Next week's menu includes shrimp tacos - yum!

More cheese please!

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Watermelon Mint Spritzer

Does a spritzer have to have sparkling wine in it? Oh shoot I've already failed. Last summer I was all about cocktails with watermelon juice in them, so refreshing. This weekend my grocery store went nuts with watermelon so I decided to grab a bottle of juice. We also had a ton of mint (from making this pasta - so freaking good!) Watermelon mint cocktails? Coming right up! 

Have you ever grown mint? It's basically a weed so it grows all over the place and refuses to die, no matter how many days in a row you forget to water it. I had a plant back in my first apartment in Chicago that was huge. Over the winter I was lazy and basically just let the plant die and stay in the same pot outside over the winter, through a couple of blizzards. In the spring not only was the plant growing again, but it had also managed to hop into a couple of other pots! For a girl with a black thumb I really like growing it because it makes me look like I have some skills hahaha.

I don't know about you, but if I'm going to be garnishing my cocktail I always choose lemon over lime. Bartenders usually give me a look, like I'm making a crazy request instead of just asking they put a slice of lemon instead of lime in my vodka tonic. It just tastes a lot more fresh and bright to me. 

So anyway, the recipe! Add ice, 2 ounces of watermelon juice, and 1.5 ounces of vodka to a cocktail shaker, then shake it on up! Pour into a rocks glass, add a little bit of ice, and then fill the rest of the glass up with sprite. Top with a squeeze of lemon and a couple of mint leaves. 

Bottoms up!

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Garlic Basil Pasta & Chicken

(There's chicken in there, I swear!!)

Do all of the dinner recipes I post involve pasta? Seems like it, huh?! I guess I have a type haha. I don't think I could ever do a low- or no-carb diet because I seriously need it ;) Jeff even bought me a pasta drying rack for my birthday so we can up our pasta-making game. Or rather so that next time we make pasta, I don't make him take his shirts off of the hangers so I can use them for hanging pasta ;) 

I came across this recipe on Pinterest from Pinch of Yum and had to give it a try because, well, pasta, and loved it. It tastes so fresh and brings back dreams of summer, so of course it's a winner in my book. We do a lot of sausage in this house which is not the healthiest, so I love that this recipe uses chicken instead. 

I made a couple of modifications to the recipe, so here's my version:

Garlic Basil Pasta & Chicken

Serves 4

16oz spaghetti noodles

3 TB olive oil, divided

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs 

Salt & pepper

1 28oz can diced tomatoes 

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 handful fresh basil, cut into strips

1/4 cup salted butter

Parmesan cheese for topping

Bring a large, salted pot of water to boil. Cook noodles according to package and drain. Toss with 1 TB olive oil and set aside.

While cooking the pasta, rinse chicken and pat dry. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound (or use rolling pin) to flatten to an even thickness, about 1 inch. Season both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 2 TB olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Add the chicken and cook 3-5 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through. Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, let the oil cool for a few minutes, and then add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to thicken into a sauce-like consistency. Stir in garlic and butter until butter is fully melted. Add chicken back to sauce and cook for an additional two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. 

To serve, top spaghetti with chicken and sauce, and add some parmesan. Enjoy!

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The Best Scrambled Eggs

Okay, I know. You know how to make scrambled eggs. (Unless you're my friend from college, who used to beg her roommates every Saturday to make eggs for her.) I thought I knew how to make scrambled eggs. In fact, I thought I did a pretty damn good job. Then I heard about "low and slow" scrambling, and my life has changed. I've tried a couple of different "low and slow" methods, but this one is definitely the winner. They turn out super fluffy and not the least bit dry. I made them for Jeff without telling him I was trying something new, and he totally freaked for them.

So what does "low and slow" mean? Well basically, you cook the eggs over super low heat for a long amount of time, instead of over higher heat for a short amount of time. Oh, you didn't need that explanation? My bad. 

(Also, no I don't eat cream cheese on my bagels. I know, I know, what a weirdo.) 

So what you're going to do is take two eggs. Or three, or four, you know, depending on your appetite. You're going to crack them into a bowl, add a splash of milk, and then mix them up with a whisk (or a fork if you don't have a whisk, or, ahem, are too lazy to find yours). 

Then take your favorite pan and give it a mist of olive oil if you're lucky enough to have an olive oil mister, or you know, a spray of some other non-stick spray would work. Then add the eggs to the pan while it's still cold, and then put it over low heat. If you're feeling crazy, add a glob or two of butter into the mix. 

So here's the key part of this particular "low and slow" method: stir continuously. Make sure you're scraping the bottom of the pan as you go so that everything cooks really evenly. The eggs should slowly get less opaque, and then start to cook. When they're bunching up and just starting to look done, turn off the heat (they'll continue to cook a little after you take them off the heat, and you definitely don't want to overdo it). At this point, I like to stir in a little bit of cheese. And then I dig in. 

And voila! The best scrambled eggs you'll ever make! 

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Avocado Caprese Sandwich

What's the most summery of recipes? A caprese salad of course! The simple combo of mozzarella, tomato, and basil gets me every year. I've tried turning it into pasta before and added the ingredients to grilled cheese, but this summer I decided to go for sandwiches. Yummy, gooey sandwiches that managed to trick Jeff into going vegetarian for dinner. 

Do you have problems getting the men in your life to eat vegetarian? Jeff never seems to think a meal is a meal if there isn't a meat involved, and he usually complains if I don't give him enough protein. Not this time! He happily gulped his down (because boys don't chew and swallow like normal people) and has asked when we're having them again. 

Of course, I couldn't just go straight caprese on bread, because that sounds boring, and those weren't the ingredients I had in my fridge. I went for basil pesto instead of regular basil, heirloom cherry tomatoes instead of the big boys, and added avocado, spinach, and some red pepper flakes because, well, why not?

Avocado Caprese Sandwich (makes 2)

2 mini french loaves (or another sandwich roll)

Olive oil

4 slices mozzarella cheese (or some fresh mozzarella if you've got it!)

Handful of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 avocado, sliced

Handful of spinach 

Pesto

Crushed red pepper flakes

Salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut each loaf in half and brush insides with olive oil. Place halves inside down on baking sheet and bake until warm and the insides just start to brown, about 5 minutes. 

Remove from oven and immediately top one side with cheese so it can start to melt. Add tomato, avocado, and spinach on top of the cheese. On the other side, spread a hearty amount of pesto, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much spice you like - Jeff added a ton!) and a dash of salt. Put the sandwich together, cut in half, and go. to. town. 

Just looking at these pictures is making me hungry. We're going to have to make them again, and soon!

Happy Friday! Don't forget, it's the last day to enter my Firmoo glasses giveaway. You can enter here.

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