Friday {Brain} Dump

What I have on my mind:

• Sunday marks officially 5 months until our wedding and I have yet to start my skin care routine (which the knot has nicely reminded me of today)
• Sunday marks officially 5 months until our wedding and I have YET to get serious about my fitness/diet routine (which the knot nicely reminded me of today as well)
• I am thinking about doing the Master Cleanse, but I am not sure if it will be healthy and/or I could go 13 days without food.
• I do not know what to get my bridesmaids....I think I am trying to be too creative, which I am not
• I have no EARTHLY idea what I am going to get Z for his wedding day present, but I can think of 10 things he could get me....
• Major things I have left to do for the wedding are: save the dates, invites, table clothes, chair covers and find a videographer
• I am half way wishing we would have done a destination wedding like 3 weeks ago so I would officially be "Mrs. Gillean" since my work email already says I am a "Gillean".
• I have started this obsession with fingernail polish..worse than it was when I was 13. I would like to thank all of the blogs I follow for that
• I have thrown in the towel on this Texas heat and decided to boycott pants this summer....skirts, shorts, and dresses for this girl. (see pic of hotness below)

• I am getting my hair done next Thursday and until then I have decided to try new hairstyles courtesy of YouTube videos. See below for Messy Bun

• During the summer I am completely addicted to sno cones....I just found their replacement last night at Fuzzy's Taco Stand. Meet the Watermelon Margarita!

• I could care less about the Mavs playing as much as I do Anthony Wiener taking pics of his "wiener".

That's all my brain dump for now....

Xoxo,

"E"

Recipe Of The Week - {Tex Mex} Chicken & Rice Skillet

Tex Mex Chicken and Rice Skillet

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
1 can Mexican-style corn
1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp Southwestern seasoning mix or taco seasoning
2 cups Uncooked instant white rice
2 cups Chicken broth
1 1/2 cups Salsa verde
2 tbsp Snipped fresh cilantro
1 cup Shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preparation

Add 1 tsp oil to large skillet; heat over medium-high heat until shimmering (1 to 3 minutes). Meanwhile, drain corn; pat dry with paper towels. Add corn to skillet in a single layer. cook without stirring 5 minutes or until caramelized on one side. Remove corn from skillet; set aside. (Caramelizing the corn intensifies the sweetness and adds an interesting color and texture)

As corn cooks, cut chicken into 1-in pieces. Combine chicken and seasoning in a bowl and mix. Add chicken to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

Add 1 tbsp oil to skillet. Add rice; stir until well coated with oil. Add broth and salsa; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover skillet; reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, snip or chop cilantro.

To serve, spoon chicken over rice mixture in skillet. Sprinkle with cheese and corn. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro.

This recipe was Z and Joe approved!! The salsa verde adds such a good flavor to this dinner!! (sorry you can not really see the whole picture but it was difficult to get a good picture since it stays in the skillet) Also my Pampered Chef rep and good friend Shayna just started a blog all about yummy food and the amazing products by Pampered chef!! check her out and show her some love!!

Xoxo,


"E"

Wedding Wednesday - {Office} Wedding Shower Ideas

Since this year has been deemed "the year" of weddings, a lot of people are buying wedding gifts and running out of ideas if the couple already has all of their registry items.  This past week my office had a surprise potluck and wedding shower for one of our marketing reps. Our manager did the cutest money tree for Suzanne and Bill.  If you are planning a wedding shower at work, a money tree is a great gift to give and everyone can pitch in!

Have you given someone at work a wedding shower?? What gift did everyone give?

Xoxo,

"E"