Good Morning! & happy new week! I’ve been married for ONE month today 😀
Hopefully you’re office/ school is like mine & we get a 1/2 day on Friday & off on Monday for the 4th of July holiday! It is definitely something I am looking forward to. I love short weeks at work, and we have some fun plans for the 4th of July weekend!! 🙂
Sorry I didn’t post anything yesterday, we were just wanted to spend the day relaxing & I needed a break from technology! Sometimes it’s really nice to do that…and much needed. Also we slept in pretty late yesterday because we had a really fun night on Saturday.
Saturday morning we headed to the gym & got our workouts on. 🙂 Once we were done we headed home to take showers then head out for more errands. We did some more shopping- Craig needed a new tux, so he got one at Men’s Wearhouse. Then we ran to a few other stores before heading home for dinner.
Dinner was something that I had been looking forward to all day! I broke out the crock pot before we started our errands.
I had seen a recipe on Julie’s blog for Bud Light Lime chicken & it sounded like something that Craig & I would both like. Of course I had to try it! Julie has never steered me wrong with any of her crock pot recipes. Her blog is the first one that I check out if I’m in the mood to do some crock pot cooking!
I changed up her recipe just a bit, only because I was using frozen chicken tender, rather than fresh chicken breast.
I dropped the chicken tenders in the crock pot (frozen) & then covered them with 2 bottles of Miller Lite Chill. (That’s what we had, so that’s what I used. It’s pretty much the same thing anyways)
^bubbly chicken…mmmm 😉
After I added the beer, I set it on low & then let it cook for about 6 hours. The house smelled SO good when we got back from running our errands. I LOVE the smell of food in the crock pot, it just feels so comforting.
Once I pulled the cooked chicken out, I shredded it with two forks & then added the spice rub that Julie suggested. (She added hers in with the beer, but since I used frozen chicken I didn’t know if it would absorb the spices as well.)
After I mixed all of the spices together with the chicken I added a special sauce! Julie suggested that you serve the chicken with some kind of sauce, otherwise it might be a bit dry. She used honey mustard, which is what I was planning to use…but then I spotted our BANANA KETCHUP from St. Lucia. Oh ya, ketchup made out of bananas! Bestill my heart 😉
I added about 1/2 cup- 3/4 cup to the chicken & then served it on hamburger buns.
I served the chicken along with some pasta salad that I just kind of threw together. The pasta salad had whole wheat shells, LOTS of basil, chopped tomatos, reduced fat feta & a tiny bit of Italian dressing just to kind of mix it all together.
The chicken was so good! I loved that spice rub! I’m definitely going to use that in the future 🙂
After dinner Craig & I were sitting on the couch just kind of relaxing about to start watching a movie. But then he got a text from a friend that he went to college with (NC State) asking if we wanted to go grab a drink together. We figured why not?! We hadn’t been out that late in forever, so we thought it would be a good time! It was funny because as I was walking upstairs to go & was like this is what time I’m usually going to bed. (it was 9pm) Haha! 🙂
We had such a great time though! We went to some wine bars in Winter Park & just caught up with our friends. It was nice going out, felt like old times when we used to stay out late. It brought back good memories and we both enjoyed ourselves!
Since we didn’t get home until 2am, we slept in until 10am! That is a record! I don’t even remember the last time I slept until 10am. It was MUCH need though 😉
After just kind of sitting on the couch all day yesterday, around 5pm I decided I needed to get my butt in gear & get my workout in. I wasn’t totally feeling it, and was just kind of going to go with the flow…maybe something light. But once I stepeed on the treadmill my body had a mind of it’s own! I ended up knocking out 6 miles in 48 minutes! Not my fastest, but definitely not slow either. I was really happy with how my run turned out 🙂 Sometimes you just need a little motivation & your mind kind of takes over! 🙂
Well, anyways, I hope you are off to a great start as well!
Questions before I go:
-Do you get days off for the 4th of July?
-What is your favorite thing to cook in the crock pot?
-How do you motivate yourself to get your workout in?
Like I said, I just kind of play it by ear. I start my workout & then I usually just kind of get in the groove.
Greek Yogurt & Apple Slices 
Karen
/ June 27, 2011I love those crockpot liners – they make clean-up of the crockpot so easy!! Did the banana ketchup taste like bananas or ketchup? I’m really curious about that!
Amy @VitaminAmy
/ June 27, 2011Mmm that chicken looks amazing! I’m also curious about the banana ketchup – what does it taste like?!
Laura @ LauraLikesDesign
/ June 27, 2011I get Monday off for the 4th and I’m sure I’ll get to leave early on Friday.
I actually don’t have a crock pot yet but you better believe it will be on our wedding registry.
I motivate myself with a new playlist, a reminder of how good I’ll feel afterwards, or a new workout to look forward to.
In Sweetness and In Health
/ June 27, 2011I need to invest in a crock pot…that looks so yummy! If I’m not motivated to workout I just tell myself that I need to go to the gym and do something light- some activity is better than no activity. Usually I get a good workout in after that :). Love that you and Craig stayed up late! I’m such an old person at heart and love going to bed early, but late nights are sometimes just so much fun!
Heather (Where's the Beach)
/ June 27, 2011Banana ketchup???? Interesting. We get off on the 4th. Normally we get to leave a little early the Friday before a holiday weekend, but I’ve got a stinking late meeting that day 😦
Holly at Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices
/ June 27, 2011Ugh! That sucks 😦
The Sometimes Healthy Girl
/ June 27, 20116 miles in 48 minutes? You are one speedy little chica! Good for you 🙂
I don’t cook in the crockpot very often but I’m trying to eat more protein so was thinking that it might make sense to buy one for cooking chicken. This recipe sounds perfect for me!
When I REALLY don’t want to workout, I motivate myself with tv and gym eye candy!
Anne
/ June 27, 2011ahh does it actually taste like bananas?
your dinners always look SO good!
SquatLikeALady
/ June 27, 2011BANANA KETCHUP!? Oh my Lord.
Alllllso I slept in until 9:30 today! Which is a record for me lately, we NEVER go out! I feel so BEHIND haha!
Shanna, like Banana
/ June 27, 2011Oh I love Winter Park — it’s my fave city in all of FL!
I need to use my crockpot more. My hubby likes to make pulled pork in there, and it’s pretty darn good!
Holly at Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices
/ June 27, 2011I love winter park too!! So many fun things to do 🙂
Kelly
/ June 27, 2011WOW! It has already been a month?! Time flies!
Holly at Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices
/ June 27, 2011I know!! It really does!
withasideofhope
/ June 27, 2011I love those crockpot liners! They make clean up a breeze! That chicken looks really good! Banana ketchup?! That sounds amazing!
cardiopizza
/ June 27, 2011Nice job on the run!
I like the crock pot idea, that sounds good with the beer. I love cooking crock pot chicken, especially for tacos. I may make some this week! 🙂
I DO have the day off this 4th of July. I work for the government, so I get all the Federal holidays off…wohoo!
Jenny
/ June 27, 2011Damn I need to get me a crock pot 🙂 This looks so yummy. That chicken looks freaking delicious
yourdailygrace
/ June 28, 2011Banana ketchup…I am really unsure about that? Does it taste like bananas? My favorite thing to cook in a crock pot is chili because so far it’s the only thing I’ve cooked in my crock put! I’ve recently become really good at reading while on the elliptical so I look forward to it!
sugarcoatedsisters
/ June 28, 2011Wow I’ve never seen banana ketchup! That’s awesome. I love bananas and I throw banana extract into lots of my recipes. What did you think of the ketchup?