Chicken Braid Recipe (you can thank me later)

Since moving I have been so into cooking. When I'm not busy I love to try out new recipes, though this isn't a new one-it's definitely the best. What you are about to see is the recipe for the most delicious thing ever created. No, really, it is. I think how ever ate this at my house, still talks about it to this day! It's a HOLIDAY must have, and basically a must have for any other special occasion! It's the perfect combination of EVERYTHING, it just can't be explained! And don't be afraid of the braiding portion, it's EXTREMELY easy! :)



Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken* , chopped
1 cup broccoli , chopped
½ cup red bell pepper , chopped
1 garlic clove , pressed
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 egg white , lightly beaten


Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop chicken and broccoli using food chopper; place in 2 quart batter bowl. Chop bell pepper using 5" utility knife; add to batter bowl. Press garlic over vegetable mixture using garlic press (or finely chop the garlic and mix in). Shred cheese using cheese grater and add to vegetable mixture; mix gently. Add mayonnaise, dill mix, and salt; mix well using scraper. Unroll 1 package of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of 12" x 15" rectangle baking sheet. Repeat with remaining package of dough. Using roller, roll dough to seal perforations. On longest sides of baking stone, cut dough into strips 1 1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep using a pizza cutter (there will be 6 inches in the center for the filling). Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip on turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid. Brush egg white over dough using pastry brush. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown.

*I find baking the chicken in the oven a day ahead, or earlier in the day is easiest. Just gently season (if you prefer) the chicken breasts (Normally 2 medium sized chicken breasts= 2 cups) with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet in an oven pre-heated to 375°F. Bake 10-12 minutes on each side. A total or 20-24 minutes and the chicken should be cooked through. Refrigerate till ready to use/chop.

Recipe Courtesy The Pampered Chef.

Meet Noro!

Wow, honestly putting this together was a little harder to remember how to do than I thought.. I mean it IS is a simple blog post but just getting everything gathered... well I need to get more organized again!

Anyways- I want you all to meet the kitten Brian and I adopted right before we moved into our apartment!! This is Noro! A little tuxedo cat who was rescued from a hoarder's home by K.I.S.S. (Kitties in need of someone special :) ), after they heard 30 cats had already been put down. Noro and his 3 other siblings were at an adoption day when Noro reached out his paw to touch me and his cute big eyes stared at me and Bri and I knew we couldn't look at any other cats :)

And the story behind his name? Well if you are a fan of Brand New I'm pretty sure you can figure that one out :D











...and I couldn't help but pass up that last one. Look at those baby teeth!!! ahhhh (kills me everytime)

New beginnings

I've been thinking over this for a couple weeks now, coming back to blogging. I came to the realization though that when I went about this on my first run, I completely shut out all the different parts of me. Sure, I many have mentioned some of my interests here and there- but I focused solely on clothes and fashion, and left everything else hanging.

Don't get me wrong, I love me a good outfit, but that part of me is very small compared to the others. I would rather buy something new from the Disney store than buy a dress, and blogging made me do opposite.

So here I am saying I am ready for a new start here, and it may be slow coming before I get an actual groove back into blogging, but if you are ready for a bigger mix of things I love, then so am I.

I hope to start posting some things to get you back up to date soon, I just wanted to give you all a heads up that this blog is not going to be solely pictures of me in different outfits anymore!

Changes

I have RED hair.

P.S. The weather is finally nice. New Jersey literally DID NOT have a spring. It was just a rain filled season that kept me inside in comfy clothes. I'm ready to break out the dresses!

QUICK UPDATE

I'm still here! I promise, I've just been so busy with finishing up school stuff (5 art classes= a lot of work...) and work and such. I've been working on my Etsy endeavor, and Brian and I have been apartment/house hunting!

Just checking in, and I apologize for my lack on here in general- I really miss looking at all your blogs, but in a little more than a week I will be doneeee with school (yay!)

Suns out, shades out

It was finally nice out today! After class I called Brian to say "Outfit pictures!!!!!!!" I was so excited. I got to wear my romper and my awesome new sunglasses Brian bought me from Vans.




Romper: Charlotte Russe | Cardi: Mom's | Sunglasses: Vans | Mocassins: Minnetonka | Necklace: Betsey Johnson




























P.S. I've been super busy with school stuff lately and work, so I haven't been able to really check up on anyone's blog lately!
I would really love it if you left a link to your favorite post/outfit as of late in your comment so I can go check it out! I want to get back on track with my blogs!

In all seriousness

I've been having a really really off week/month/seems like forever. I don't know why but everything seems so lackluster.

I'm coming to the realization that I don't want to go to school to become an art teacher, and I don't know whether it's because my classes are so awful I find myself hardly going, or because I truly want to become an entrepreneur and open my shop of things I make. I feel like the norm is to go to college for 4 years, graduate, and get a normal job. But what if that's not what I want? Of course I love learning about art, but my classes are so dry, and the projects allow barely any creativity that I feel my love for art slipping away. I don't want to go to school for two more years and spend a lot of money on a degree for something I don't really want to do. I hope that I sound reasonable- and not like I have no idea what I'm saying.

I'm currently going to a county college and need to take two more summer classes to graduate. I know I can push myself to finish this and get my Associates degree, but I don't know if I can push myself to take out a student loan for a TON of money for the school I would go on to for a degree I am so unsure of.

I feel like all of this has been sucking the life out of me- though it shouldn't. I've always been a really good student with all A's and the occasional B. This semester I feel like I don't even care. It's just that awful. And I feel like it's affecting everything else in my life. Things just don't feel the same to me- and my hatred of my school has caused a couple fights with Brian, who loves his classes and his major and can't seem to understand how I am so uncaring about mine.

If you read all of this know how much I appreciate it. Seriously, thank you. I kind of just needed to get this off my chest. I feel like the only person in the world right now who feels this way, and everyone I talk to doesn't seem to understand. I've been too stressed to really update this blog with too many happy things, so now maybe you can see why. I didn't go back and correct this post or anything so sorry if there is a ton of errors, it all just came out like word vomit..