A Moment to Breathe

Ahhh...things have finally slowed down a bit. Between moving, the holidays, and work, I feel like I haven't had a moment to breathe. So lets all grab a comfy seat, a cup of coffee/tea and catch up.

Here is a picture of me and my new best friend. Okay so she doesn't know my name and we only meet once but I think we could be friends. I also think we look alike in this fuzzy camera phone picture don't you? The crowd was unreal at her cookbook signing and poor Chad was a brave sport to go with me. His 6 foot 4 inches stuck out like a sore thumb in a crowd of women.

If you know me well then you know I love Mexican food and could seriously eat it breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Chad and I attempted homemade fish tacos for the first time and well...lets just say I wasn't crazy about them. Anyone have a good recipe they want to share?

Look at this man of mine in the kitchen whipping up some delicious shrimp. Have I mentioned I love him...but only for his cooking skills ;)

This last picture is solely for myself. I've been eating oatmeal and yogurt for breakfast these day (wedding+wedding dress+lots of pics=must eat well). Man how I miss fried eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns.

Only Child

I do believe that Marley suffers from Only Child Syndrome. He craves, well demands, attention at all times. When I'm on the phone for too long he begins to bark and nip at my pants. When my wonderful long time friends come to visit he once again steals the show. He's just not happy unless the world is revolving around him.

Here you can find him curled up on Kristin's lap. He refuses to lay in the floor at your feet. Oh no, the Marley must be as close to you as possibly. He just won't take no for an answer.

Here you can find Marley at the table waiting on his breakfast casserole. He doesn't understand that he is not human. He thinks he deserves to eat at the table like every other person.

So just know, if you come visit me, you will have dogs crawling all over you, invading your personal space, and eating at the table with you. :)

New Year, New You

Here at the McKinney/Tolliver house detox and dieting are on the menu. Chad and I are trying to get healthy and slim down since someone has to walk down the aisle in 9 months. We aren't going crazy or anything but just taking baby steps. The other night we whipped up this easy, healthy, flavorful dinner.

Chicken with mushrooms and onions

1. Start by seasoning your breasts...chicken breasts that is. You can use whatever you like (salt, pepper, garlic, etc..)
2. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400.
3. Heat a large pan over medium heat. When hot add the chicken and brown on both sides.
4. Once browned, transfer to an oven safe dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. In the pan that you browned the chicken in, add 1/2 cup of red wine and 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
6. Once the liquids are heated and the red wine reduces add in 1 cup of sliced mushrooms and 1/2 of a red onion. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Add the cooked chicken to the mushrooms and onions and let simmer for 1-2 minutes.
8. Served along side steamed asparagus and you got yourself a delicious meal!

Home for the Holidays

Check out all the snow. Marley has never seen snow this deep. He is still trying to figure it out. He can't find a place to poop so last night he just pooped in the garage. Poor guy.

The deck is completely covered. Remind you this is almost a week old snow.

Whether we are in Nashville or West Virginia, Marley is still lazy.

My moms beautiful Christmas Tree..and yes that is a wrapped present on the top. Thoughts???

I can't wait to get back and use all my new pots, pans, and utensils. Oh and our Wustof Knife set is complete!

Merry Christmas From Marley

This picture is from last year. Marley said he was too old this year to dress up like Santa plus his friends would make fun of him. I came home to West Virginia last night and the ground is still covered in snow. Looks like its gonna be a White Christmas for me!
Wishing everyone Happy Holidays. May you have lots of good food and get everything you wished for!
Love,
LeanneinWonderland

Chicken Enchiladas

Have I mentioned that I love my new kitchen?? Well I do! It is so much bigger and functional. I actually have room spread out and make a huge mess. Tonight I had a craving for Mexican so instead of going out, I brought Mexico to us.


Chicken Enchiladas

- 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken (I just boil 2-3 chicken breast for 20-30 minutes, let them cool, then cut into bite size pieces)
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 2 cups of shredded monterey jack and colby cheese (any cheese will work though)
-2 cups of salsa
- 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- Hot sauce of your choice
- Flour tortillas

Start by preheating your oven to 350.
In a large bowl, mix chicken, sour cream, cilantro, cumin, 1 cup of the cheese, 1/2 cup of the salsa, a few dashes of hot sauce, and a little salt and pepper.
Spoon mixture into center of tortillas. Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish.
Top with remaining salsa, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove foil, top with remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes
(Tonight I used just 4 tortillas but you can use more, just fill each one with less of the chicken mixture)

Muy Bueno!

Puppy Chow

Despite the name, this little treat is delicious. It's defiantly not original and I'm sure you've had it before but I just wanted to share the recipe.

"Puppy Chow"
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 6oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 bag of Crispix cereal
- 1 bag of confectioners sugar

Start by melting the butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in a large pot.
Once melted, remove from heat and gradually add in the Crispix cereal.
Coat cereal in chocolate mixture.
Pour into a large container with a lid or a large ziplock bag.
Add in the confectioners sugar and shake container until the cereal is completely coated.
Enjoy!

It's Cookie Time

Williams-Sonoma sucked me in the other day. I just ran in to grab a quick Christmas gift and 18 items later finally left the store. I've been itching to bake in the new kitchen but time and lack of planning at the grocery store have not allowed it. Well I found something to scratch that itch and I must say it was pretty satisfying. This little cookie mix was easy and very delicious...a little expensive though. All you need is an egg, a pan, some butter, and an oven.

Mine almost look like the ones on the box. :)

Here is a tip...take them to work or a party and pretend you made them from scratch. People will be very impressed.

Who's With Me?

Pioneer Woman is coming to Nashville!
When: Tuesday, December 8th 7:00pm
Where: Davis-Kidd Bookstore in Green Hills
Why: To sign her cookbook and make my day
I'm so excited! I wonder if her husband and kids will be with her. I wonder where she will stay. I wonder where she will eat. I wonder if she will have on her Spanx.

If you need a Christmas gift for the cook in your life I recommend this one. The recipes are pretty simple and she has step by step photos to help ya along.

One more thing...I keep hearing through the grapevine about friends/family who read this blog of mine. I would love to know who ya are and what you like reading about so leave me a comment and/or become a follower....pretty please.

Did Ya Miss Me?

Whew...what a crazy week! Moving is hard work (especially when you are sick). Luckily mom and stepdad came down on Thanksgiving night to rescue us. While Chad and Stacey installed light fixtures and hung mirrors, Mom cleaned and organized the kitchen. I was in a NyQuil daze and just watched it all spinning around me. Oh and Marley was no help whatsoever!

Our beautiful Christmas Tree

Ahhh...finally feels like home.

Chad and I celebrating being HOMEOWNERS!