BBQ Chicken Wraps

I've been trying a lot of new recipes lately and I would love to start sharing more of them with you, both sweet and savory. This recipe came about when I was trying to pair something with the honey BBQ sauce I had just purchased from Fresh&Easy (I'm not much of a BBQ person, but this sauce is amazing). It was also a warm day so heavy foods were out making a wrap was the perfect solution.

BBQ Chicken Wraps
serves 3 with some leftover chicken depending on size of the chicken breast
2 chicken breasts
1TBS olive oil
salt and pepper
BBQ sauce of your choice
3 flour tortillas
1/2 hot house cucumber
1 small tomato
1 small head iceberg lettuce

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place chicken into cooking dish (cutting in half if particularly thick) and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with the olive oil. Cook the chicken for about 25-30min. (or until it reaches an internal temp of at least 165°F). While the chicken is cooking julienne the cucumber and slice the lettuce and tomato into bite sized pieces. Set aside in the fridge to keep cool.

After the chicken is cool enough to handle cut into bite sized strips and toss with BBQ sauce until completely coated.

Warm the tortillas in the method of your choice (I like mine in the microwave for about 20 seconds). Layer the lettuce, chicken, and vegetables down the center in a thin line. Roll, cut, and enjoy!

As a side note, I prefer my BBQ sauce to go on after the chicken is cooked. It maintains more of the flavor and it doesn't acquire an acrid, burnt taste that it sometimes will in the oven. If you prefer your chicken to be cooked in the BBQ sauce then this still works, just skip the salt/pepper/oil and substitute with the sauce of your choice.

Remember to Breathe

"There was just enough heat to enhance the value of the breeze, and just enough wind to keep the whole sea in motion, to make the waves come bounding to the shore, foaming and sparkling, as if wild with glee." - Anne Brontë

Today I come with something a little different than I had anticipated writing. I was going to post about my holiday adventure, but to start off a day of setbacks my computer decided to be problematic (thankfully it has since started working properly again). Coupled with the headache I've had since yesterday I was prepared to be in a foul mood for the day. It was then that I took to the sofa with a few new magazines where I opened to the quote above. I was struck by the beautiful imagery, by memories of myself as a young girl playing in the sand and delighting in the salty seaside air. It was then I remembered to breathe. It is so easy to get caught up in everday annoyances when in reality I am so incredibly blessed. I am off to a movie night with my mom, but I couldn't resist sharing this beautiful quote with you. Here's wishing you an evening filled with bliss.

On the Right Foot

1. a few things, 2. pretty maids, 3. little bunnies, 4. weekend creative : punch collage

Happy Monday everyone! Welcome to my weekly post where I will be sharing some of the flickr photos that inspire me, things I loved about the previous week, things I'm looking forward to, and some of my favorite links. Please feel free to join me either in comments or via your own blog, I would love to see what's inspiring you ❤

★ Walking in the Rain | When I woke up Thursday morning it was looking a little stormy out and I was excited at the possibility of rain. While I was at the track it did just that about halfway through my first lap. By the time I was finished I was soaked and in an amazing mood.

☆ Night Swimming | The pool in my condo complex closes at 10PM and leaves a couple of hours open for night swimming. I love the feeling of floating serenely in the pool and gazing up at the moon. It was cloudy most of last week so the moon was peeking out from behind the clouds on and off, it was magical.

★ Breakfast Picnics | Mom had the day off on Friday so we decided to make the most of the morning by taking a picnic to the park for breakfast. I baked some fresh croissants (from the Trader Joe's freezer section, they are amazing) and scrambled some eggs and we were good to go. It was so relaxing and quiet with only the chirps of birds to keep us company. Bliss.

☆ Fresh Starts | As you can see I'm working on the design here. I have most of it set and I'll be tweaking things on and off through the week. I'm going for a cleaner aesthetic, something more reflective of a broader range of my style.I'm really excited about the change.

★ Holiday Weekends | I'll have a full post up tomorrow with pictures (and video!) after I get everything off of my camera, but I couldn't create a list of what I loved about last week without mentioning what an amazing time I had at the Star Spangled Spectacular this year. Even the weather cooperated. Definitely the best Independence Day of recent memory (even without fireworks).

☆ Things I'm Anticipating | finishing my redesign • seeing The Proposal • the International Drifting Championships at the speedway this coming weekend • ... and so much more!

drink parasols @ martha stewart • shrink plastic photo jewelry @ photojojo • this beautiful wedding @ green wedding shoes • a beautiful mobile @ pam garrison • enchanted felt cottage @ dream, create, inspire

Blogging for a Cause

Yesterday signups opened for this year's Blogathon. For those of you not familiar with it the Blogathon is an annual even towards the end of July where bloggers post once every half hour for a full 24-hours to benefit a charity of their choice. It's crazy fun and a great way to make a difference using a medium that we use every day.

This year I'm blogging for First Book and I couldn't be more excited. Books played a huge roll in my childhood. They were cherished friends who gave me comfort, joy, and adventure. Reading is still dear to my heart, fiction to non-fiction and everything in between. A good book can make all the difference on a tough day. Through books we can relate to people through time and space. Books can reassure us, they can guide us, they can give us inspiration. It breaks my heart that there are so many who don't know this simple pleasure, especially children.

This will be my third year of blogging for the blogathon and I'm looking forward to sharing that day with you. I have some post ideas taking shape so hopefully I'll be a little more prepared this year. I'm also looking forward to reading through your blogs so please link me if you'll be blogging this year (if you have July 25th free I highly recommend the experience). Here's the link to my donation page if you or anyone you know may be interested.

A Love of Necklaces

I've always been a fan of jewelry. When I was a little girl my mom would give me her old pieces to play dress-up with. I kept them in a small plastic box and I treasured those pieces as though they were diamonds instead of wooden beads and costume clip earrings (some of which I still own and wear). When I was old enough to start shoping for and making my own pieces it was a whole new world. While clothes were expensive I could find a pretty trinket or two for a couple of dollars. The rainbows of colors were breathtaking. I could express myself in so many different ways, perfect at the age when I was still figuring out who I was. Now I have several boxes filled with earrings, rings, and bracelets, but my favorite is by far my necklace wall in my closet (I'll be sure to take some photos soon). I love the spice a necklace can add to an outfit. One simple accessory can make everything come together.

In that vein I've been feeling drawn to necklaces lately. I've purchased a few new pieces from chain stores and artisans alike and I've seen dozens more that I love on Etsy. I would love to share a few of my favorites at the moment with you (and I would love it if you would share you favorites via comments):