curry chicken salad!

The summer after my senior year of high school I took a job as a nanny for a little boy named Gage. His parents were in the business of reining horses and their home was just a few yards from the barns. Each day after hours of playing with "hopper boppers" {frogs} and swimming in the kiddie pool in the backyard we would all gather together for lunch. It was here that I was first introduced to my very favorite chicken salad recipe! Gage's Nana would make it and we would eat on toasted bread. In full disclosure I usually had two! They are that good!! 

I've been craving this recipe for weeks now and finally took the time last night to make it again. It's really an easy recipe, but it takes a minute to cut up the veggies and the water chestnuts...worth it! I had it in lettuce wraps for lunch today and that's when I decide I had to share! 

Since having it that summer I've made a few tweaks to it, but the bones of this recipe come from Nana and Heidi Arvidson, two really awesome ladies!

Curry Chicken Salad:

2 cups shredded chicken

1/2 cup chopped pineapples well drained

5 oz water chestnuts drained + sliced

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoons curry powder {depends on how strong you want it...I usually do at least 1 1/2 teaspoons}

3/4 cup light Miracle Whip

1/3 cup red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery {mine is usually more like 1/3 cup because celery is not my favorite}

Mix it all together +chill {I think it tastes best if it can chill over night}

And that's it! It's good in lettuce wraps, on crackers, or some yummy toasted bread like I had that summer. 

^^^Again, food pics are not my forte!^^^

Hope you enjoy them! I think it's the perfect way to welcome the warmer weather!! :)

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Muffins!

So apparently this week is all about trying new things over here! Up next we have a recipe :) 

Trager and I are "trying" to be a little more conscious of what we're eating and, with Valentine's Day coming up, it was proving a little difficult to stay strong! Brownies are our weak point so I knew I had to find an alternative. So, without further ado...

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons oat flour (regular oats blended)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg
• 5 tablespoons chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons toasted coconut 

Instructions

1. To toast the coconut, preheat the oven to the 400 degrees. Spread your 3 tablespoons of sweetened coconut on a foil lined cookie sheet. Cook for 2 minutes then turn your coconut so it cooks evenly. Repeat until the coconut is a pretty golden color. Keep a close eye...it burns easily!
2. Once your coconut is cooked, turn up the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 9 of the cavities in a muffin tin and fill the other three with water to ensure they cook evenly. NO muffin liners.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, oat flour (blend regular oats until they are a flour consistency. Make sure to measure the oats AFTER being blended), baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and honey. Beat until completely combined.
5. Beat together dry and wet ingredients.
6. Add in the egg. Make sure not to over mix it!
7. Stir in the chocolate chips and toasted coconut last. Save some of the chocolate chips to the top of each muffin.
8. Fill the nine cavities with your batter. It will be a little thick.
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 12-14 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 ^^^Props to all you food bloggers out there...taking pretty food pictures is not easy!!^^^

  

My very favorite part of this recipe is that each muffin is only 150 calories!! So I don't feel quite as bad when I can't help having two :)

These have kept our brownie cravings at bay so far...but I may need another batch before the weekend is over!  Let me know if you try them too!!