Strikes my fancy

Have you read Skinnytaste One & Done yet?  What a great cookbook! Ingredients - 14 oz. carrots (5 medium or 3 to 4 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces  - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8oz each), cut in 1/2 crosswise  - 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt  - 1/4 tsp. garlic powder  - Freshly ground black pepper  - Olive oil spray  - 2 tsp. olive oil  - 1 cup chopped white onion  - 1 small fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, plus 1/2 jalapeño, thinly sliced  - 2 garlic cloves, minced  - 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen  - 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained  - 2 tbsp.  chopped fresh cilantro - Juice of 1/2 lime - 4 tbsp. jarred salsa - 4 slices pepper Jack cheese  For serving - 1/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes - 2 tablespoons chopped scallions - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro  - 1 small avocado, sliced I skipped the onion, jalapeno, cilantro - because 2/3 of our family are spice wimps and the other 1/3 thinks cilantro tastes

The best parts of summer involve fresh, juicy fruit and the grill.  Usually separate from each other, but this recipe combines both for a delicious outcome! Ingredients - 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar - 1 Tbs honey - 1 clove garlic, finely chopped - 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided - 8 Tbs olive oil, divided plus more for grill grates - 4 1/2" thick bone-in pork chops (about 2#) - 4 cups arugula - 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn - 4 ripe peaches, nectarines or apricots, pitted and sliced I used boneless pork chops, mixed greens instead of arugula and peaches.  Skipped the parsley. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F) and lightly oil grates. Whisk vinegar, honey, garlic, ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and 5 tablespoons oil. Pat pork chops dry and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season both sides with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Grill, uncovered, flipping

This recipe was another AllRecipes.com goodie.  You can find it here . Ingredients:  - 2 1/2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix  - 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces  - 2 tablespoons Zesty Italian Dressing  - 1 cup canned no-salt-added black beans, rinsed  - 1/2 cup frozen corn  - 2 green onions, chopped  - 1 cup Salsa  - 1/2 cup Finely Shredded Four Cheese  - 2 2/3 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice Surprise - I made this with everything on the list!! Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Add seasoning mix to chicken in medium bowl; toss to evenly coat. Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. or until evenly browned. Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; cover with layers of beans, corn, onions and salsa. Bake 20 min. Top with cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted. Serve over rice. We loved this!  My rarely-eats

This meal was one of those nights when I looked in the fridge and freezer and thought "Well, what can I make with what I have on hand?"  I LOVE AllRecipes.com for their search feature that uses ingredients that you enter.  Saves me many a night!  Here is a link to the recipe. Ingredients:  - 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage links  - 2 small zucchini, sliced  - 1 small yellow squash, sliced  - 1/2 cup chopped onion  - 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes with liquid I used kielbasa sausage instead of the links and skipped the onion. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage until the inside is no longer pink. Cut sausage into 1/4 inch slices, and continue cooking until browned. Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, and onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, with liquid. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. This was super easy to make.  I did think that it needed more seasoning - next time!

Oh man, where to start with the kitchen.  This is the listing photo: As soon as we had the keys, little girl and I changed all the knobs to silver.  We bought a black fridge because...that's what color everything else was!  After we had been in for a bit, I took down the wallpaper - that was zero fun - and painted.  I also put peel and stick wallpaper on the back splash area because a girl can only handle so much fake wood and I had it leftover from a different project. We've mulled over lots of ideas with what to do with this space, but they all involve $$ and so I've focused on smaller things I can do for lesser $$.  I've changed the light fixture out as well.  Recently I've been thinking about color on the cabinets.  It's kind of hard to tell, but they are a creamy color.  I don't hate the color...too much, but the cabinet space (specifically in the uppers) is horrible, so we'll probably go with a different cabinet when we remodel.  Which m