Birthday Dinners and Concerts

Marnin’ 🙂  How are y’all this fine Tuesday morning?  Other than being a bit sleepy I’m doing really well!

Last night’s dinner was a blast!  I was so excited to try something new with the chicken mole bowls.  But first I had to play with my food…that’s what bloggers do, right?!  Plus you don’t get perfect avocados like this just any day of the year, so I had to do a portrait of it 🙂

I used 3 of those guys for a chopped guacamole salad (super easy – recipes are all at the end).  And the bowls?  The bowls were a hit!  I’m now in love with chicken mole and it’s one of the easiest dishes I’ve ever done with the MOST amount of flavor!  Our bowls were layered with brown rice, black beans, mole sauce, mole chicken breast, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, shredded carrots, and the chopped avocado salad:

Oh man.  Robbie and Stef never really go back for seconds, but all four of us cleaned our plates and went back for more!  ‘Twas delicious and a must-try!  Dessert was peanut butter fudge brownies because Stef loves peanut butter!  Topped with twisty birthday candles:

Yes, I know I’m 25 and fabulous 🙂

Making a wish (probably wishing that Nate and I would win the lottery…that’s what friends do, right?)

I might’ve overdone it on the frosting…oops!  Stef took the leftovers from her piece and made a little frosting patty with candles:

We ended the night by watching Bill Cosby: Himself and accidentally falling asleep.  We all had such a great time, and Robbie & Stef are some of our dearest friends out here.  Love you guys!

I got up this morning and did some yoga, which just about killed me.  It’s been a few days and my muscles were really tight.  Afterwards I decided to make the PB&J qunioa cereal I saw on Oh She Glows last week!

I changed it up a bit though since I didn’t have milk:  1/2 cup quinoa, 1 cup water, 1 mashed banana, vanilla/cinnamon combo, and then topped with 1 melty Tbsp each of cherry preserves and peanut butter, and about 1/8 of a cup of pumpkin flax granola.  It was great!  I didn’t fully cook it, so it had a bit of a crunch to it, but the flavor and texture were perfect.  I don’t know if I’ll make it again soon because it’s getting warmer and I don’t usually love hot food on hot days, but it’s going to be a great go-to for the winter!

Chopped Avocado Salad

• fresh, ripe avocados (I used 3), chopped
• 1/4 finely chopped onion
• 2 finely minced garlic cloves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup salsa of choice (I used On the Border brand)

Once all of the chopping is done, just mix well in a bowl and chill before serving!  This is great on salads, with chips & veggies, in tacos, or just eaten with a spoon 🙂

Chicken Mole

For the chicken, taken from this recipe:

• 4 chicken breasts, fat removed and rinsed and dried
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt

Mix all of the dry ingredients together.  Rub chicken with dry mixture, making sure to cover all parts of the breast.  In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.  Sear the chicken breasts in the hot oil, about 2 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken breasts to a plate while you mix the sauce in the skillet.

For the sauce:

• 3 cups water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• dash of ground cinnamon

Mix together in the skillet the water, onion, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic.  Bring to a simmer, then add the chicken back to the pan.  Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove the lid and add the tomatoes, sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.  Stir to combine (leave the chicken breasts in there) and bring heat to medium.  Simmer until sauce thickens, another 10 minutes or so.  From here you can either cube or shred the chicken or leave it whole.  This recipe is SO EASY – I’m sure you’ll love it!

Tonight we’re going to see Phil Wickham in concert, and I really can’t wait!  To be honest, I’m pretty selective as far as Christian artists are concerned.  I feel like there are a lot of really great messages set to really cheesy music, but Phil’s lyrics and style are right up my ally!  Plus Nate really loves concerts and it’s just about the cutest thing ever to watch him at a live show.  Should be a fun night 🙂

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?  Who/What/When/Where/Why?  I can’t wait to read y’alls answers! I’d say my favorite concert thus far has been either the Dixie Chicks (I love them!) or David Crowder Band.  They’re just a lot of fun to watch!  I would still love to go see a Dave Matthews concert someday though 🙂