in the kitchen...

I typically do all of my grocery shopping on a Monday afternoon/evening depending on my work schedule for that day (Monday's are my fluctuating days with works).  During Eva's morning nap, I tend to sit down and plan my meals for the week (that is....once I've cleaned up from the previous meal, done her laundry, making/pureeing her next few meals, maintaining her clean and tidy home, taking out her dog, running over and taking out my dog, and the list goes on).  Anyways....my point is, I typically sit down and plan 4-5 meals a week (taking into consideration that we will eat leftovers 1-2 nights and likely go out to eat once on the weekend or somewhere in the week).  

Once I find the 4-5 meals I'm planning for the week, I make a running list of everything I need for all the meals plus the regular items we need weekly; eggs, milk, cheese, snacks, bread, ice-cream (of course), etc....After getting off work (be it late afternoon or whatever), I hit Wegmans and spend about an hour total getting everything I need for the week.  I love this system I have going because it means only going to the grocery store once a week and spending my evenings in the kitchen preparing a hot meal to eat together when we get off work. 

After spending 12 hours apart (John typically works 6:45-6:45, often later, on a regular basis) it is such a priority to me to have a good dinner that we can sit down and eat together, catching up after a long day.  I love my kitchen.  Cooking is therapeutic to me.  Yes, don't get me wrong - the process can be a pain in the butt.....Planning, grocery shopping, making a mess, timing everything just right so it's all finished and hot at the same time, doing dishes, cleaning up, and then doing it alllllll over again.  Yes - sometimes it gets old but all-in-all I really enjoy cooking in my kitchen and trying new recipes almost every night.  We've probably had the same dish twice (maybe 3 times) in our 8.5 months of marriage thus far; I love cooking new things and being adventurous.  Plus, I have a good husband who takes care of the cleaning up and dish-washing after every meal! 

This post was inspired by friends who are requesting my avocado-chicken-salad that I made last night.  It is delicious and you can really tweak it to however you'd like! Mine is loaded with goodies because the more the better in my opinion! It's a healthy dish that is easy and delicious; enjoy!

Avocado Chicken Salad 

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
1 avocado
1/4 of an onion, chopped

grapes (cut into quarters)

walnuts (chopped)

celery (chopped)

juice of 1/2 a lime
2 Tbsp cilantro 
some salt and pepper, to taste

Boil/cook chicken breast until done.  Let cool and then shred. Add all of the other ingredients and mix.

Yes, it is THAT easy and tastes AS GOOD as it looks in the picture!   Serve on ciabatta bread, on crackers, or simply dive into the bowl as it is!  Enjoy!

Thanks for walking with us,

JL