ashleyd /

Quick, Healthy, and Delicious Chicken Curry!

Last night after a long day of traveling back from South Bend, I was craving some peace and quiet in the kitchen, a homemade meal, and vegetables! Luckily, I didn’t have to look too far for some inspiration. I headed straight over to Fitnessista website for some ideas as I’ve been drooling over Gina’s weekly Indian dishes. I used her Slow Cooker Eggplant Curry as the base and then added my own twists to use more refrigerator ingredients. I made the following changes:


-added chicken 
-added squash and zucchini 
-added a bit more salt to improve flavor
-cooked it stove top in my Dutch Oven since I only had 2 hours
In a slow cooker, sprayed with nonstick spray, add the following:

1 medium eggplant, large diced
1 yellow onion
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 pack small chicken tenders thinly pounded
1 can (14.5oz) organic diced tomatoes, drained
1 C organic vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 T curry  
1/2 T cumin
1 1/2 t garlic
1-1/2 t salt
1/4 t cayenne 



Chop all vegetables in small diced pieces.



Combine all ingredients except chicken in large Dutch Oven on the stove over medium heat.

Saute over medium heat while stirring continuously. Meanwhile, sauté the chicken over medium heat in a light coat of olive oil, curry, garlic, and salt.




Once the chicken is cooked partially (approx 1/2 way through) take it off the heat and combine it with the vegetables and spices in the dutch oven. Simmer over low heat for an hour letting the flavors combine and reduce. If you want it to thicken you can add 1 Tbsp of corn starch towards the end to help thicken the sauce. Enjoy!



Slow Cooker Method: Mix to combine. Set it on low. Forget about it for 4-6 hours. Serve over long grain brown rice and enjoy with a spoon.


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Three Question Favorites and Sweatin’ and Gettin Muscles

If you haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to enter my Swiffer giveaway here!

Today was an exhausting twelve hour work day. I had an 8am meeting which meant that by the time I turned the computer off this evening and left the office I’d been hard at it for over twelve hours. Today was a meeting filled day which meant I was constantly moving from room to room and changing topics. While I love being part of a dynamic team and collaborating, sometimes the meetings mean it’s 5pm by the time I’m able to start attacking my own to do list.
Therefore, tonight consists of Grey’s Anatomy, sushi, and lots of this…

Three Question Thursday!
I really enjoy learning about bloggers and readers! Therefore, i’m going to try and get better about participating in Iowa Girl’s Three Question Thursdays! Feel free to answer these in the comments section so I can get to know you  better!
Three Question Thursday time – favorite’s edition!
1. What’s your favorite tool/gadget in your kitchen?
2. What’s your favorite candy?
3. What’s your favorite color AND your favorite color to wear?
My answers!
1. My favorite kitchen gadget/tool is our Epicurean cutting board. I was introduced to this brand when I took cooking classes at the Viking Culinary School in Philadelphia.  It is reversible, dishwasher safe, has a groove that catches juices, and is highly durable!
Epicurean Cutting Board with Well
2. I love anything chewy and fruity like Twizzlers, Swedish Fish, or gummy worms. In fact, Meg and I used to use these as our “brain food” when we were studying for finals at the AOPi house in college! Luckily I substitute raw carrots, celery, and other crunchy goodness as brain candy these days.

3. My favorite color is coral or teal. Both colors look wonderful with my complexion and perk me right up! I love wearing navy and yellow this season.
Sweatin’ and Gettin Muscles
My favorite Georgia blogger, Gina, has done it again! She is a great inspiration everyday and serves as a health and fitness role model. She is not only proof that lifting weight won’t bulk you up like Hulk but she also balances the stresses of base/service wife with great workouts, recipes, and more! Earlier this week she posted her second Iron Pumping Plan to help her readers discover new muscles just in time for summer. I always do better with a plan and some discipline. Gina’s plan is perfect for that and exactly what I needed and wanted right now. I’ve completed this two days so far (Monday and Tuesday) and have loved it. It is the perfect mix and short enough that I still have time to add in bursts of cardio to keep the sweat dripping! Here is a taste of the workout that I did on Monday and Tuesday:
Monday:
Overhead press with twist
Bent-over row and kickback
Saxon Side Bend
Bench Push Up
Plie Squat with inner thigh squeeze (place a larger stability ball in between your heels; as you squat down, touch your booty to the ball before standing back up. As you stand up, using your inner thigh muscles, squeeze the stability ball)
Hanging Leg Raises
Tuesday:
Sumo Deadlift
Side squat and leg raise
Dumbbell hammer curls
Supine Tricep extension
Pilates double leg stretch
Ultimate toe touch
Seated row
Lateral to front raises (bring the weights up to your sides (lateral raise) –making your body a capital “T”- then continue to bring the weights forward from the “T” position, so that your arms are extended straight in front of you, with the weights at the same level as your chest. Bring the weights down and repeat)
Between each set I did a 2 minute sprint on the treadmill at 8.0 MPH to keep my heartbeat up. I highly suggest clicking on the links that Gina set up before you head to the gym so you can master the proper form in order to decrease injury risk. I had NO clue what the Saxon side bend was or the pilates double stretch was until I clicked these links.
If you want to learn more about her great workouts head on over to her site and give it a try. Just seeing her great attitude will be inspiration enough to get you lifting weights the next day.  

**NYC area readers and bloggers*** Leave a comment if you’re interested in a May weeknight potluck. I’m itching to host something in our new apartment.

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Where’d you get that mug?

There is no denying that I am a Southern girl. I wear pearls almost daily, my daily conversations often include “y’all”, I live for college football Saturdays in the Fall (GO DAWGS!) but don’t know a thing about NFL, I dressed up for each and every one of those UGA football games, I’ve dined on fried pickles, chitlins, and gizzards more than once, and I love my Tervis tumblers. 
 
This topic came to mind today after my guest appearance Gina’s Show Me Your Smoothie   post today. I have had multiple readers email me asking about the monogrammed glass in this picture
 
The above picture is one of the many Tervis tumblers we own. Tervis tumblers, unbeknowst to me, are evidently a Southern thing since no one I work with knew about these amazing glasses. I received many questions from coworkers during my first day in the NYC office. “What is that glass and where did you get it monogrammed? That is so cool that it has a straw!” My dear friend Meg was the first person to get me hooked on these amazing mugs. We were lucky to receive 6 of them as wedding presents and we are constantly using them. Here are some of their primary benefits and facts!
–Tervis invented the world’s first insulated tumbler in 1946
-Lifetime guarantee
-Microwave, dishwasher, and freezer proof
-Keeps iced coffee cold and hot coffee hot
-Made in the USA
-Feature lids and straws that stay in place therefore increasing portability
-Come in an array of sizes
 
-Feature tons of ready to order designs but can also be personalized. The one above is the personalized one we received with Bo’s monogram while the one below is my favorite. Can you believe I used to fill this 24 oz Tervis up with Diet Coca Cola at least three times a day before cutting back? Phew! NYC 12 pack prices have some healthy side effects (yes, a 12 pack at our grocery store is $7.99!)
 
If you’ve never tried one of these before I challenge you to order one. I guarantee you’ll order more because you’ll quickly be annoyed that it’s dirty, being used by your kids, or being hoarded by your significant other.


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