weeknight wonders: tequila-lime chicken fajitas

Summer is never subtle in Virginia.  One minute it's a cold, rainy sweater-wearing-kind-of-day and the next morning you're greeted with blue skies and muggy, sunshine-y air.  Summer strikes fast and with it flip-flops, sunscreen, beach days, and dinner on the patio.  

These fajitas would be the perfect meal to serve on the back deck.  Chicken is marinated in orange juice and tequila with a touch of lime and then quickly sauteed with peppers and onions.  Served on warm tortillas with a touch of sour cream and fresh cilantro.  They go great with iced tea, guacamole & chips, and tiki lights by the pool.  

The best part?  This meal comes together in about 30 minutes flat.  Make these this week and kick off your summer right. 

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southwestern chicken & rice

Do you ever get sick at the worst possible time IMAGINABLE?  Like right before an exam?  Or when work is crazy?  Or the night before you leave for vacation? Or even worse, on vacation? There is never really a great time to get sick, but it's pretty awful to get sick when you need your wits about you... if you know what I mean. 

This week, work is insane.  Fourth quarter is a big deal and we are trying to get everything in place... which means my inbox is constantly exploding, and to top it off I woke up Wednesday morning with a stuffy nosy and a stratchy throat. Not exactly the best time to call in sick. So, I still went to work and managed to do everything that had to be done armed with Vitamin C, Zinc, Sassy Water, Green Tea, Lemon Tea, and cold medicine. And, at the end of the day, I was grateful to come home to a warm bowl of creamy creamy and rice. 

Now, this little number is warm, soothing, and easy.  Dump a bunch of stuff in the crockity pot, survive your day, and bam!  It's all the comfort of chicken and rice with a spicy twist.  Do it! It might save your life.

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slow cooker chipotle-lime barbacoa

Say, how do ya do?  Hope you had a killer weekend.  I, for one, can barely walk.  I ran the ASYMCA Mud Run with my bro's girlfriend, Alicia.  Kicked. My. Butt.

It was roughly four miles of sand with a mud pit here and there.  Have you ever run in sand? If you have, you know it works muscles the treadmill does not even touch. I felt fine after the run, but by Saturday night my entire body was coated in Icy Hot.  I am ok now.  And, I will training a little harder if I run it again next summer. (Anyone have any tips?) In spite of the pain, it was so fun to run with Alicia.  She is no quitter and kept me jogging the whole way. It was the first race I'd run with a teammate and it's way better than going solo. 

Let's talk recovery food.  The Y was serving pizza, beer, and bananas after the race (which is great), but this is more my style. Slow cooker, chipotle-lime barbacoa.  If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, you're probably onto my obsession with Chipotle.  This bowl is packed with protein, complex carbs, and deliciousness.  Everything I want after a hard workout.  It's also great for a weeknight dinner, cause let's face it, coming home to dinner already made is, well, dreamy. If you love spicy, go for all the peppers.  If you have a milder palate, then I would cut out the jalapeno and only add half a chipotle. 

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