Pizza Bagels

Happy Friday!

I am so excited about this weekend.  It is Memorial Day weekend so that means no school on Monday AND I am going to Madison with my family.  I can't wait to see all my Madison friends and my bestie, Tamara, and I are running the Madison Half Marathon on Sunday.  This will be Tamara's first half and I could not be more excited to be sharing the experience with her.  This race was my first half three years ago!  It is a great race and I am super duper pumped about it.  The weather doesn't look so great, but that won't even matter because we are going to have so much fun together!

More exciting news: Brian is DONE with law school!  He has accomplished so much and I am so excited and proud.  I know he has worked so hard.  Now he has to study for the BAR exam, but at least he doesn't have any more finals!  We went to Hamburger Mary's in Andersonville last night to celebrate.  This was the place we went after his first day of law school orientation so it seemed appropriate to end here as well.  The food is great (Bri loves their veggie burger) and they brew their own beer.  It is an adorable restaurant and we always love it there.  Plus, Andersonville is a great place to just wander around to check out shops or other restaurants.

Now, I am just counting down the minutes until the end of the school day.  I can't wait to get on the road and head up to Wisconsin!  To celebrate even more, I am sharing this recipe for pizza bagels.  At my wedding shower, the hostesses gave me a cookbook with recipes from all of the people who were invited.  Bri's mom shared a recipe for pizza bagels and so I decided to make them for him! I had to adapt the recipe based on what I had in the kitchen, but they came up super yummy!  I kept thinking that this is the perfect recipe to make for my future children :)

Pizza Bagels

Ingredients:15-20 mini bagels, sliced
6 oz of tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3-4 egg whites, cooked and chopped
pepper and garlic powder, to taste
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Turn oven broiler on high and make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven.
2. In a bowl, combine the tomato paste with the chopped onion, red pepper, and egg whites.  Season with pepper and garlic powder and stir to combine.  Pour half of the shredded cheese in and stir to combine.
3. Place bagel halves on a greased baking sheet.  Spread a little tomato mixture over each half and then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.  Place in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly (about 4-5 minutes).

Enjoy :)

My Nashville Adventure

I went to Nashville for a Marathon recently and here is a photo reel of everything I ate...

The best donuts I've ever had from 5 Daughters Bakery. My favorite was the Maple one, but all of them were crazy delicious and the perfect treat to have the day after a marathon! 

A celebratory Bloody Mary from The Frothy Monkey.  This was our day-after-the-race brunch spot.  Breakfast was delicious and it is located on a super cute street to walk around.  

Jackalope Brewery had the cutest taproom...go there! 

A trip to Nashville wouldn't be complete without some Hattie B's Hot Chicken! I went for medium, it was delicious,  and it was the first thing I really ate after the run so it was life-saving as well.  We also got all the sides because Bri is a vegetarian and he loved them! 

Not that special, but we carb-loaded at Bucca de Beppo and I just couldn't believe the size of this dish and the tastiness of those meatballs! 

Country Music Hall of Fame! Do it! 

The Rock n' Roll Marathon Expo was super cute! 

This was a crazy good PB&J that I got at this amazing sandwich shop!  Clawson's Pub and Deli has great sandwiches and a ton of local beers.  This was the day before the race so I did not take part in the drinking, but I would love to go back and try some! 

On the way to Nashville we stopped at the Louisville Slugger Museum.  Bri had a blast and you get to see them making baseball bats! Plus, you get to take a miniature bat home with you! 

We also just walked around the city which is super adorable and we made a pit stop at Acme to check out some Honky Tonk and get a drink.  Overall, the weekend was fantastic and I can't wait to go back another time to check out more that this fabulous city has to offer!

My Dallas Adventure

This past weekend I was in Dallas hanging with some of Bri's Wash U besties.  Bri was roommates with Stephen and Amy and they are now engaged! We had a fabulous time exploring their neighborhood and eating tons of food.  It was a great weekend and here are some highlights:

We took a tour of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  This was super cool because you even get to go onto the field! I even did a cartwheel on the football field because...why not?

We had a couple amazing breakfasts as you can see below:  

We got breakfast tacos at Tacodeli.  This place was super great and even had a salsa bar where you could sample all of their salsas! They also do lunch and dinner. 

I did my usual Saturday morning run and then we went to Cafe Brazil.  I ordered the Vegetarian Migas and it was one of the greatest post-run breakfasts I have ever enjoyed.  They also have this amazing selection of coffee at their coffee bar and you are allowed to get as many cups as you want!  

Our final morning was spent at The Meddlesome Moth eating one of the best brunches I have ever had.  We had coffee from individual french presses, mimosas, and I ordered the omelet.  

We also went to some great places for Lunch/Dinner/Beer: 

This Bahn Mi Sandwich came from this amazing food truck that was parked alongside a bunch of food trucks in a park in downtown Dallas.  This was awesome and the park was adorable! 

This amazing BBQ came from the Lockhart Smokehouse.  When in Dallas, one must eat some BBQ! Get the brisket...do it.

Like Chipotle for Pizza lovers, Pizza Snob was a must try as Bri is a HUGE pizza fan! I got the Buffalo Chicken Pizza and it was so good I took a bite before remembering to take a photo! 

Go to Emporium Pies.  Eat all the pies....

The Highland Park Soda Fountain is a cute little dive that has amazing milkshakes and just plain good grilled cheese.  I got chocolate, but Bri got cherry and Stephen ended up with Strawberry.  We were all very happy. 

We went to a great bar called Luck and sampled a ton of good Texas beer.  Then, we walked over to the brewery next door, Four Corners, and tried some of their stuff as well! 

I swear we did more than eat!  We shopped, walked around cute areas, and spent a good amount of time at the Fort Worth Stockyards: 

Engaged Cowgirls :) 

It was a truly amazing trip!

Clean Out Your Pantry Quinoa Enchilada Bake

IT'S MOVING DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARGH! I am so excited!  I have this ginormous container of Quinoa Enchilada Bake because I literally put everything I could from our pantry into a giant mixture of cooked quinoa and baked it.  We have been eating it for a week, but it is delicious and it is all we have left in our fridge!  Why? BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING TODAY!

We close on our condo this afternoon.  That's right!  WE ARE GOING TO BE HOMEOWNERS IN 4 HOURS!

I couldn't be more excited and I can't believe I am at this stage of my life.  This is amazing!  I feel so proud to have a career and the ability to do this and I can't wait to make a home with Bri.  Also, it is exactly 4 months until our wedding from today and that also makes me smile from ear to ear.

Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked quinoa
6 cups water
salt
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 onion, sliced
olive oil
4 tbsp cilantro
4 tsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 cup (or so...) shredded cheddar cheese
extra cheese (your choice) to sprinkle on top

Directions:
1. Place quinoa and water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork when you are done.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, place the onion slices in a pan with 2 tbsp of oilve oil and cook over medium heat until nice and caramelized.
3. Pour some enchilada sauce in a 13 by 9 inch pan and preheat oven to 350.
4. In a large bowl, place the beans, chickpeas, corn, cooked onion, cilantro, adobo sauce, and all the spices.  Toss with the shredded cheddar.  Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the mixture and toss to combine.  5. Once the quinoa is done, stir in the rest of the ingredients and pour into your prepared pan.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and cover with tinfoil.  Cook for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Last night I made breakfast nachos for dinner.  Yep, it has been one of those kind of weeks...However, that means that you all will learn how to make amazing breakfast nachos in the near future!

This week have been really busy, but full of good things!  On Monday, I did not have school so, of course, I went for a 12 mile run.  It had snowed recently and so that 12 mile run left me feeling very sore.  This led to me not wanting to run indoors for the rest of the week.  Something about a treadmill just makes me so angry.  So, I decided to bundle up and run my 2 other runs outside.  I left early in the morning (5:30) and it was actually quite pleasant.  I sort of like being the only one out and about in Chicago.  It is peaceful and left me feeling calm and relaxed.

School has also been going pretty well this week.  We are graphing sine and cosine in the precalculus group and in AP Calc we are looking into applications of integration.  Volume is a tough one, but today one of the calc students took a quiz on it and killed it!!! I am so proud and excited for her.  Planning for both of these courses has been a lot of work, but the students are so great and I really love working with them.  It is totally worth the effort!

Otherwise, the condo stuff is still moving along.  We are signing a boat-load of forms, showing our apartment to potential subletters, and trying to work out and manage all of our funds.  It's stressful, but I am so excited to move towards closing on our place.  I LOVE it!

So, one thing that has helped me get through this week has been the fact that I had a mountain of leftovers from that time I made Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders.  This was one of the rare times that I made a non-vegetarian meal.  This means that I have a ton of leftovers and no one to help me eat them.  So, I have had some pretty delicious school lunches all this week.  The chicken came out great and super tasty.  Then, I mixed some Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing into some Broccoli Slaw and I used that to put on top of my phenomenal chicken.  YUM!  I am obsessed with this recipe and I can't wait to make it again for some sort of sporting event!  March Madness is quickly approaching and it would be perfect!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
2 bottles buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 1/2 packets of ranch seasoning
Broccoli Slaw, 1 bag
2-3 tbsp blue cheese dressing (I used a Yogurt/Light one)
whole wheat dinner rolls (24-36)

Directions:
1. Place chicken, buffalo sauce, and ranch seasoning in your crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  After chicken is done, shred the chicken using two forks and leave on warm until you are ready to serve.
2. Pour the broccoli slaw into a large bowl and toss with the blue cheese dressing.
3. Serve with your whole wheat dinner rolls!

Enjoy :)

Avocado Egg Salad

How are your new year's resolutions going?

I am not a huge fan of resolutions.  I like to think of them more like lifestyle choices.  I decided that since my wedding is in less than 200 days, I am going to work on being healthy, eating well, and getting in great shape.  So far, I have lost some weight and I've been doing more strength training.  I feel great!  I am also watching my students take their last final right now and so I am getting focused on starting fresh with them next semester!  I can't believe I am already entering second semester...before you know it, it will be the end of the school year and time for summer!

Today I am sharing a recipe that has helped me stay focused on my goal of eating well.  I saw a recipe for egg salad that used avocado instead of the typical mayo/egg combo.  I love avocado and I figured this would be amazing!

I also saw an idea for a smoked salmon sandwich that had avocado on it.  So, I got to thinking:  What if I used my avocado egg salad to build a yummy salmon sandwich.  This way, I would get some great nutrients, lots of good protein, and it would be delish.

Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients:
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 whole avocado
1 tbsp non-fat, plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp chopped chives
fresh ground pepper
dash of lime juice

Directions:1. Place chopped eggs in a container.  Then, add in the avocado and mash with a fork until well combined.  Then, mix in the rest of the ingredients.

My smoked salmon sandwich! Avocado Egg Salad,
Smoked Salmon, and Cucumbers :)

Enjoy :)

For more avocado ideas, check out this page: 13 Health Benefits of Avocado

Smokey Chicken Avocado Roll-Ups

I have one excellent lunch today.  I hosted book club this past weekend and I decided to make these cute chicken roll-ups for the ladies.  I also made a dip and a Caramel Apple Cake, but you will just have to wait on those recipes.

The Chicken Roll-Ups were super tasty, a huge hit, and I secretly made way too many with the plan of keeping some hidden away in the fridge for myself.  Now, I have an awesome school lunch!

Last night we had cheer practice and I just have to talk about it here.  It was an amazing practice.  The team members who were at practice did a phenomenal job learning three new cheers.  Plus, we reviewed a fairly complicated dance that I taught them and they looked great!  This team is getting better every day and it is so incredibly exciting to see and be a part of.  I am super proud of them.  With basketball season just getting started, I can't wait to see what these girl's can do and where they end up.  We're also working on planning bonding activities, team fundraisers, and a cheer clinic.  I just love how into it the team is and it is so much fun.  I was nervous about becoming a coach because it is so time consuming, but I know I made a good choice because it is so fun and I just love all the girls!

Smokey Chicken Avocado Roll-Ups

Ingredients:
4 Flat-Out wraps
1/2 lb smoked chicken breast, sliced thin
1 avocado
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp siracha
salt and pepper, to taste
1 container roasted red pepper pesto
8-12 slices light, sharp cheddar

Directions:
1. Place avocado pieces, lime juice, siracha, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste.
2. Start with one Flat-Out wrap and spread some avocado spread over the first 2/3 of the wrap.  Use 2-3 pieces of cheese and lay them over the avocado.  You may have to break up slices to get a nice layer.
3. Lay slices of chicken over the cheese.
4. Drizzle the roasted red pepper pesto over the chicken.  Then, start with the end of the wrap that is not empty and roll tightly towards the other end until the wrap is completely rolled.  Cut into about 6 slices. Repeat this process with the other wraps.

Enjoy :)

Salmon Burgers

I had a bit of a crazy weekend.  Friday night was nice since I got to hang with my co-workers at a bowling alley after school and then I went to Half Acre with some friends.  Then, Saturday morning I went for a lovely 8.5 mile run.  I got home, showered and then Bri and I packed our laundry into my car and headed out to do our laundry at my parent's house (I know we are so not adults).  Anyways, while we were on the highway, we were cut off by another driver who was changing into our lane.  His car clipped mine and we lost control.  The car spun and hit the median.  By some miracle, we were totally fine and my car was still drivable.  The other guy was also uninjured, but his car was totaled.  He was blamed for the accident so I thankfully don't have to pay for the repairs on my car.  Overall, I am incredibly grateful to be alive, healthy, and able to back to school tomorrow.  

I think the weirdest thing about our weekend was how normal everything else was.  Laundry, book club, cooking, and so on.  It was just a very simple weekend aside from our crazy car crash.  I made these Salmon Burgers recently and they are super tasty.  I'm going to celebrate being alive and normal by eating them :) Oh, and I made a crazy tasty Siracha Greek Yogurt Spread to put on my salmon burgers! 

Salmon Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 shallot, chopped

2 tbsp chopped Seafood Blend Herbs

1/4 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 egg

Directions: 

1. Cook the salmon: Place the salmon on a piece of tinfoil and preheat oven to 400.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the salmon and sprinkle salt and pepper on it.  Drizzle with a tsp or two of lemon juice.  Then, wrap in the foil and place on a baking tray.  Cook for 20-25 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.  Let cool.

2. Once salmon is cooled, use a fork to flake pieces of the salmon into a bowl.  Add in the breadcrumbs, herbs, greek yogurt, and mustard.  Stir to combine.  Then, add in the egg and stir to combine.

3. Lightly grease a pan and form a salmon patty.  I made 6 patties with this mixture.  Place in pan and cook over medium for about 4-5 minutes.  Then, flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  

4. Serve with a bun or over a bed of greens and if you want, spread some Siracha Greek Yogurt Spread on top! 

Enjoy :)

For the Siracha Greek Yogurt Spread: Use 1/4 cup of yogurt, 1-2 tsp of siracha, 1 tsp lemon juice, and 1 clove garlic (minced).  Stir everything together and you are good to go! 

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Remember that time I made Homemade Pretzel Rolls?  Well, then I made some seriously awesome sandwiches with said rolls.  This is their story:

Bri and I love food.  Bri is a vegetarian.  I am trying to eat a little healthier and I've been trying out all sorts of fun veggie-filled recipes.  Then, I came across this recipe and I was like "OMG I HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

So that's how these Veggie Sandwiches came to be.  I had one for lunch at school and made everyone a little jealous.  Now I am just drooling thinking about them.  

School has been pretty great lately.  My students did a fantastic job on their last quiz and I am excited by how well they are doing overall!  We are in the middle of a unit on solving systems of equations, inequalities, and matrices.  It's pretty fun.  My cheer-girls are also awesome.  They had their first pep rally on Friday and it was a total success.  They did this amazing cheer, dance, and stunt and it was so cool to see them looking so happy and doing such a great job.  I am coming up with a new dance for them and I am also working on incorporating some fun math activities for my students.  I'll keep you all posted! 

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Ingredients:

2 portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 red pepper, sliced

1 orange pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

1 avocado, sliced

Goat Cheese Spread:

8 oz goat cheese

1 bulb of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper

Red Pepper Sauce:

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:
1. You need to roast the whole bulb of garlic for the goat cheese spread.  Cut off the base of the bulb so that the cloves are visible.  Place this on a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap in the tinfoil and place in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.  Once done, you should be able to squeeze the roasted garlic cloves right out of the bulb.
2. Make the roasted red pepper sauce: In a food processor, place all the ingredients except for the olive oil and salt/pepper.  Process until you have a smooth sauce then continue to process as you add in the olive oil.  Stir in the salt and pepper to your taste.  Set aside.
3. Wrap the sliced portabellas in tinfoil with the 1 minced garlic clove for the sandwiches and 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Place foil packet in a small pan over the stove and heat over warm until the mushrooms are cooked, about 5-10 minutes.  
4. Wrap the sliced peppers and onion in a packet of tinfoil: Place all the veggies on the tinfoil and then sprinkle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper and paprika.  Wrap the veggies up and place in a pan over the stove.  Heat on warm until veggies become translucent, about 10-15 minutes.  

5.  Once veggies are done, remove from heat.
6. Make the goat cheese spread, once your garlic bulb is roasted, squeeze the cloves out into a food processor with the goat cheese, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  Process with adding in the 2 tbsp of olive oil until you have a nice spread.  Use a spatula to get the goat cheese into a bowl.  (I ended up with a lot of extra of this stuff so place it in a container so you can put it in the fridge when you are done.)
7.  Assemble the sandwiches!  Spread some goat cheese on one piece of bun and some red pepper sauce on the other piece.  Place some peppers and mushrooms over the goat cheese and then top with a slice of avocado.

Enjoy :)

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

I love meals that are super easy and super delicious.  This is definitely one of those.  All you do is throw a bunch of stuff into a pot, let it get warm, and then enjoy!  Now that the weather is getting colder, this is the perfect type of meal to come home to.  

In other news, I'm a cheer coach at my school and this is the first year we have a cheer team.  Almost none of the girls had any prior experience and we just had our first game!  It was so exciting to see them out there cheering and they did a really great job.  I love that I became involved in this and I can't wait for more games.  This Friday we have a pep rally and the girl's are performing a cheer and a dance.  They're pretty nervous, but they are looking so great!  They have worked really hard and it is exciting to see them become so invested in something.  Today we have a practice and then a dinner where we are going to hang out about make some cheer bows!  It's gonna be awesome.  

So, although tonight I am having pizza with my cheerleaders, I still wanted to share this great chili recipe that I made recently.  Then, I can't wait to share how the bow-making goes and how the pep rally goes tomorrow!  The chili recipe is totally relevant because now that cheer is taking over my afternoons, I ahve less time to cook when I get home!  This chili recipe is going to be making quite a few appearances in our apartment in the near future...

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

(adapted from Cait's Plate)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 red peppers, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup water

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp southwest chipotle powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

Toppings: Crumbled Goat Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, heat olive oil.  Add in the peppers and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add in the rest of the ingredients.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  

2. Serve with whatever toppings you want.

Enjoy :)

Homemade Pretzel Rolls

After you run a marathon, you get this special "eat whatever you want" pass.  This can be dangerous with me since I'll crave something weird and then I'll go an make it.  However, this year I didn't really crave anything that strange.  I have been super into pretzel things lately though.  I decided that I needed to make my own pretzel rolls and then I used them to make sandwiches for lunch or dinner.  They were pretty simple to make.  You just need a lot of time since you have to let the dough rise.  As a post-marathon snack.  These guys are great since they are filling and a little salty.  For a school lunch, they are also amazing since they are a little bigger than slider sized.  They made for the perfect sized sandwich when I don't have a ton of time to eat!  

Today I have to go back to school after a long weekend.  That is always a little tough.  However, I am excited to see my students and get back into a routine.  I am also trying to get myself moving again so that I can work through some of my soreness.  So, I am up early and I am going to walk on the treadmill in my building.  I'm hoping that once I start I'll feel better.  

I am also planning on heading over the LA Fitness sometime this week for a morning class.  I haven't been there in a really long time and I feel guilty about having this gym membership that I haven't been using.  So, I am going to pack a shower bag and try out a morning workout at the gym.  

Then, since I'm getting my workouts done in the morning, I will have more time to make these awesome rolls again in the afternoon! 

Homemade Pretzel Rolls

(adapted from Mel's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp active yeast

2 tbsp canola oil

2 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cups water

2 tsp kosher salt

6 1/2-8 cups unbleached, all purpose flour

3 quarts water

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup baking soda

salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Heat the milk and water in the microwave for about a minute.  They should be warm.  Then, in a large bowl, combine the yeast, canola oil, milk, water, and salt.

2. Using a mixer, a spoon, or your hands.  Start to add in 6 cups of flour.  Mix until you have a dough-like consistency.  Add flour as needed so that it is not too sticky.  Once your dough comes together, knead for about 5 minutes. The dough should form a ball and be slightly springy.

3. Grease a separate, large bowl and place the dough in.  Cover with a towel and pace in a draft-free area for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. 

4. Punch down the risen dough and start to peel off pieces to make small balls.  You should end up with 16 balls of dough.  Gently roll each ball and let sit on a baking tray or the counter for about 20 minutes.  

5. While the dough balls are resting, pour the 3 quarts of water, sugar and baking soda into a large pot.  Bring to a boil on the stove.  

6. Take 4 balls of dough at a time, pinch one side of the dough to gather it into a ball-like shape and place in the boiling water.  Let them boil on each side for 30 seconds - 1minute each.  Place each finished piece of dough on a lightly greased or parchment covered baking pan.  Repeat this process with all the dough pieces.

7. Preheat the oven to 425.

8.  Using  a very sharp knife, slice a few slits into each ball of dough.  Sprinkle some coarse salt over each one.

9.  Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy! 

Vegetarian Black Bean and Avocado Burritos

Today I am sharing some really big news! I got a new job!  I am still teaching high school math, but now I am at a school much closer to my home!  I used to commute for about 1 hour and 15 minutes each way to and from school.  Now, my commute is about 25 minutes.  It's amazing!  Plus, I am working at this amazing new school in Chicago and I am learning so much.  I have been there for a few weeks getting ready and now the first day for my students is right around the corner!  I can't wait! 

I have been really busy with all the changes so I have been a little bit behind on cooking and sharing what I'm cooking.  However, I am starting to adjust to this new life and a 25 minute commute means I get home much earlier than usual and therefore have more time to actually make dinner!  Here is one of my new dinners that I am really into.  It was really easy, vegetarian (so Bri's a big fan), and quick.  It is a great weeknight meal and you end up with leftovers for lunches! 

Vegetarian Black Bean and Avocado Burritos

(Adapted from The Kitchn)

Oven ready burritos!

Ingredients:

12 whole wheat tortillas

2 chiles in adobo sauce, minced

1 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt

2 15 oz cans of low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

2 avocados, peeled and diced

2 cups of your favorite salsa

1 cup shredded light Mexican cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch pan.

2. In a food processor, combine the chiles, a few tsp of adobo sauce, and greek yogurt.  Add in 1 can of the black beans and pulse to combine.  You should get a nice paste mixture.  

3. In a bowl, combine the black bean paste, the other can of black beans, and the chopped avocado.  

4. Spoon a few tbsp of the mixture into the center of a tortilla.  Roll to create your burrito and place seam down in the pan.  Repeat with the rest.  

5. Pour the salsa over the tops of the burritos and then top with the shredded cheese.  Wrap tinfoil over the top and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Enjoy :)

My California Trip: Davis, Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Sonoma

Cali was a great trip for me and Bri.  We have been there before, but we had never gone to these areas and so it was a blast!  We did a lot of sightseeing and a lot of eating!  I went for a couple runs and it was a really nice time!

Our trip started out in Davis where we visited Bri's brother, Kevin.  He showed us around campus, I went for a run through their beautiful arboretum and since he's a vet student, we got to play with kittens!  While staying in Davis, we decided to drive out to Lake Tahoe to see some gorgeous sites and eat some yummy burgers.  We went to Burger Me for lunch and then walked around the lake area.  Then, we went to Emerald Bay to get a good view of the lake as well as the scenic mountains.  

Back towards Davis, we went to Track 7 Brewing Company.  Bri and I love visiting tap rooms and drinking different kinds of beer.  At this place, we found a Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout!  It sounded pretty strange, but ended up being amazingly good!

We spent a night out for dinner and dessert in Sacramento.  For dinner, we headed to Pizza Rock for dinner and ate some amazing pies.  Kevin and I split a BBQ style pizza and Bri got a calzone.  Everything was delish.  Afterwards, we walked down the street to Rick's Dessert Diner.  This place was PACKED.  Obviously it is a place to be and it did not disappoint.  You can find every kind of dessert you can imaging in this cute diner.  I, of course, got a slice of the Red Velvet Cake.  

After all that eating, we felt like we needed to get moving.  We spent some time strolling through Muir Woods. I thought that fairies were going to fly out at me.  This place feels incredibly old and magical.  The redwood trees are simply stunning.  Pictures do not do them justice.

Following our Muir Woods excursion, we spent the day in San Francisco.  We started off with brunch at Sweet Maple's.  This place was also a hopping spot.  We stood outside and waited for our table for quite some time, but it was totally worth it.  I got a scramble that was out of this world and the "million dollar bacon" was also a huge hit at our table.  I am not a big bacon person (gasp!...I know), but it even tempted me.

San Francisco is a great place.  We just loved it.

We even found dessert as a middle of the day pick-me-up at Dandelion.  This place happens to be one of the best chocolate shops in the world.  Go there.  Get the Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar.  Trust me.

Then, because you just ate your brains out, go walk up a hill and check out this gorgeous city.

And then find beer...

Tasting at 21st Amendment Brewery

At this point, you're probably wondering: "So this girl went to California and drank beer the whole time?"  Bri is a huge beer fan and I enjoy it quite a bit.  However, the answer to that question is, nope.  We definitely got our wine fix in Sonoma:

Wine Tasting Tour

Wine Tasting Tour

and more beer :)