Which was still pretty freaky, but honestly it was a lot of fun! The rolling of the bridge was absolutely crazy! Plus Matt failed to tell me that there were animals on the other side, which I would have walked my little booty across that bridge to see them ;-) so it made getting to the other side even better! Driving was fun though.
We also got to go on the Incline Railway! There was a family in front of us, but this picture shows the best view on the way down. It was a great little trip down there and the view we had while down in the actual gorge was awesome!
The bridge from below! |
Old piping that took water into Canon City |
All in all, besides thinking I was going to die, I had so much fun! I definitely want to walk across the whole bridge one day. I did, though, walk from the other side to the Texas sign...I had to! :)
The other weekend Matt and I also went hiking! It's this 4 mile trail that once into the actual trail, you would have no clue you were near anything populated. It was gorgeous. There were a lot of birds and apparently different wildlife--which we did not encounter, thank goodness (bears...mountain lions...). But the scenery was great! Here's a few more pictures:
We thought the rock looked like a potty :) |
We are trying to go hiking more and see the different scenery. This past weekend we wanted to go, but it snowed! :) So we couldn't...well I guess we could have, but I don't have that kind of clothing! Besides my Puff Daddy gold jacket...oh well! :) Onto some yummy dishes!!
The first dish I want to share is:
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
5 teaspoons butter, melted
1 large garlic clove, minced*
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray
*Notes: Of course I used more than 1 clove...I think it was 2 or 3 :) and with the chicken breasts, the pack came in three's. So it was good for leftovers, since I only eat half of the breast! I put it over salad during the weekend!
First, preheat
Put your chicken broth in a microwave safe dish and heat it until warm. Stir in your garlic and butter into the broth and then set aside. Then combine the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and paprika in another dish.Set both aside.
Next, if you have any frustrations for the day this is a great activity! Pounding the chicken breast with a rolling pin! I used a zip lock bag since I find it easier to throw away. You want the chicken about 1/4 inch thick.
Once they are pounded out, you will need to sprinkle both sides of chicken with the salt, oregano, and pepper. Then lay a piece of prosciutto and one tablespoon of the mozzarella per chicken breast.
Now for the messy part! Make sure you spray a square baking dish with cooking spray before you do the rollin'! You'll want to roll a chicken breast, then dip it in the chicken broth mixture, and finally into the breadcrumbs. Lay the chicken seam side down. Obviously I don't have any pictures of the process, but I do have one of the end! :) Yay!
Pour your remaining chicken broth mixture over the chicken and bake at 350 for 28 minutes.
I served this with mashed potatoes which I added left over mushrooms to! It was pretty tasty. Definitely less calories than a usual Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe. It ran 297 calories (7 WW pts for those following that) and I served it also with a salad. Dur.
Here's the link:
Chicken Cordon Bleu
And here's some random interlude pictures: Maggie trying to escape (not really though), me and the infinity scarf I made, and Tiggie being a kitty (ie string=play toy)
Alright! Here's another recipe I wanted to share!! This one has a TON of veggies which was awesome! I love recipes that pack on the veggies :)
HONEY CASHEW CHICKEN WITH RICE
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup instant rice*
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes*
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, unsalted
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha*
*Notes: I used jasmine rice (boil in a bag), I also couldn't find chicken tenderloins like I had originally wanted since they are easier to cube, so I used the pack of three as usual! And the Sriracha doesn't add any spice to it at all, but can be taken out.
First you want to chop all of your veggies! Preparation is key! :) Things always go faster.
Next, I cubed my chicken. It's important to do this second if you are using the same cutting board...say no to cross contamination!
I put the chicken into my measuring cup because it was there :) and mixed in the cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated!
Now it's time to cook!
Heat your skillet with the canola and sesame oils on medium high heat. Add your chicken and cook until lightly browned.
Remove your chicken and then add all your veggies and cook until tender (I did this because I realized too late that my skillet was too small for all of this). Then return your chicken and any juices back into the skillet. Cook until the chicken is done, if it's not done already!
Stir in your cashews, then whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Pour it over the chicken and veggies and make sure to toss to coat!
Serve over rice! Super tasty and better than take out. If Matt and I ordered take out ever, but it was really good! :) And pretty easy to throw together.
With the rice, the calorie count came to 470 (12 WW pts) which seems like a lot to me, but it's a very well rounded meal--plus, remember portion control! I didn't eat hardly any rice with the recommended serving of a cup of the chicken/veggies. What did I serve it with? Salad. Yep. :) Go figure.
Here's the link:
Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice
Here are some more yummies from my menus:
Adobo Chicken
Spaghetti alla Carbonara *Matt LOVED this a lot!
Tomato Basil Lasagna with Prosciutto
Easy Meatless Manicotti
I have a picture of the manicotti for you :) yummy and only 328 calories for 2!
I'm really excited about the recipe I'm making on Thursday because I've been wanting to make it for a while, but every recipe I came across was crazy calorie loaded...until now! I can't wait to share...hint: it has butternut squash in it, which I've never worked with before! :)
Until then I hope you have enjoyed my pictures and if you try anything, let me know what you think!!