Oven BBQ'ed chicken breast

My family loves to grill. We even have two; a regular gas grill and a Big Green Egg. Nothing is better, or healthier than a simple meal cooked outside! Unfortunately, we now live in Maryland. That means it is fah-reezing and the very last thing I want to do is go outside to the grill in order to make chicken.

Luckily, I have found a super simple and tasty recipe for oven barbequed chicken that saves me from heading out into the cold! It couldn't be easier and it turns out perfect each and every time.

 Ingredients:
- one package of bone-in chicken breast (I like to buy a pack of three so there is plenty for my dinner and some left overs but you can easily make one piece at a time)
- your favorite BBQ sauce. Currently, we are in love with Bulls-Eye Carolina BBQ sauce, it has just the right amount of tang and isn't too sweet. If you feel like stretching your culinary muscles feel free to make a homemade sauce. This girl, just doesn't have time most days!

Instructions:
- pre-heat oven to 375
- sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breast.
- line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with pam
- place the chicken, skin side down on the cookie sheet and cook for 25 minutes
- remove chicken from the oven, baste the bone-side of the chicken with BBQ sauce and then turn the chicken so the skin side is up
- baste skin and chicken breast with BBQ sauce and cook an additional 20 minutes
- remove chicken from oven, let cool slightly and then you can slice it or serve it whole
- ENJOY!

Super simple sangria

Have you ever wanted to have sangria but didn't think you were going to drink as much as is normally in all the recipes?

Good, me too!

This is my solution. A simple and yummy single serving of sangria. You can make one, two or even twelve of these and the best part is you don't have to find room in the fridge to store the leftovers.

Super Simple Sangria:

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of white wine (I prefer to use a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Grigio but any you like would work)
- 1 tbsp of pomegranate schnapps
- diet sprite
- strawberries

Directions:
- Fill a wine glass with ice
- Add cut up strawberries or other fruit of your choice
- Add 1/2 cup white wine, 1 tbsp of pomegranate scnapps and fill to the top with diet sprite
- Stir to combine
- ENJOY

The beauty of this recipe is it can be done a million ways! Use peach scnapps and cut up peaches or mango or Sour Apple Scnapps with granny smith apples; the possibilities are endless and oh so yummy :)

Cauliflower crust pizza

I have a confession. I hate salad. Not in an I would prefer to eat something else way but in a gag if I have to chew it way. I have tried every kind of lettuce, dressings, you name it; don't like it, never will. This makes diets like South Beach and 17 day diet problematic but not impossible. I need to be creative because seventeen days of chicken for lunch and dinner gets O.L.D. fast !

Enter the cauliflower crust pizza. I have stared at it on my Pinterest board for weeks gathering the courage to make it. Last night I finally did and surprise, it was awesome!

Don't get me wrong the texture is different than a crisp, crusty pizza but the flavor is awesome! A perfect lunchtime meal or even a snack.

Cauliflower crust pizza
Adapted slightly from Eat Drink Smile

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked cauliflower, riced
1 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella
2 eggs
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. roasted garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450
- In a food processor, pulse a head of cauliflower until it looks like rice. Be careful not to turn it into a purée.
- In a microwave safe bowl cook cauliflower, covered, for 10 minutes
- Once cooked press water out of cauliflower between two paper towels. The more moisture you can get out the better.
- Measure out 2 cups of cauliflower and set the rest aside (can be refrigerated for several days) and combine with the remaining ingredients
- Use cooking spray to completely coat a baking sheet or aluminum foil covered pizza pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool slightly and then add toppings of choice. I just added sauce on top of mine because the crust has so much flavor I felt I didn't need more cheese but I am sure anything you add would be yummy.
- Set broiler to high and cook pizza until cheese is melted.
-Enjoy :)

Chocolate Toffee Crinkle Cookies

I am always on the hunt for the perfect sugar cookie. I have been through countless recipes and while they are all, mostly, delicious I must confess that my family's favorite sugar cookie recipe comes courtesy of Pillsbury. Pillsbury's Funfetti Sugar Cookie Mix is simply the best. Every time I make them, use them as the base for decorated cut-out sugar cookies, or fancy them up they are met with rave reviews. I must admit though, it is a little embarrassing when people ask you for the recipe and you direct them to the baking aisle of their local grocery store!

When I found this box of Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Mix, I knew I had to give it a try. My kiddos are not a big fan of peppermint and I knew I was going to bring these cookies to L's indoor soccer game so I decided to skip the peppermint part of the mix (it comes in a separate package) and instead use Heath toffee bits.

They turned out even better then I could have hoped. The cookies were delicious, and rolling them in powdered sugar before baking help give them that homemade feel without requiring hours in the kitchen.

Now, if I can make sure that Pillsbury continues to make this cookie mix, I will be a happy, happy girl!

Ingredients:
- one box of Pillsbury Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Mix
- 1/2 cup of Heath Toffee bits
- powdered sugar

Directions:
- pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
- follow the cookie recipe on the back of the box
- once combined, add in the toffee bits and stir until fully combined 
- roll the cookie mixture into balls and then roll in powdered sugar
- place on a pam lined baking sheet making sure to leave enough room for the cookies to spread
- bake 8 to 10 minutes. You will know the cookies are ready when the powdered sugar on top begins to "crinkle"
- let cool on a wire rack
ENJOY!!!!

Decorating a picture wall for Christmas

I don't know about you but every Christmas season I am torn between my love for Christmas decorations and spending money on decorations when there are SO many other things that need to be purchased.

Enter a quick and simple solution for making your home look more festive while costing you pennies.  I have used it time and again to make our home look more festive; even decorated a single CO's house using this method to make his very bachelor-looking bachelor pad look festive for the squadron Christmas party.

Easy Peasy!

Simply take down your photos, wrap them in any wrapping paper you have on hand, stick a bow on it and ta-da a foyer, picture wall, hallway, all ready for Christmas.

Quick tip: make sure that you cut out or leave space for the hanger for the photo so that you can easily rehang it on the wall (not that I had this problem *wink*)