A Weekend of Me + Jeff

This weekend, it was all about relaxation and time with my beau and I now feel rested and so ready for this next week and a half to zip on by. Can you tell I am itching and trying to be patient over here?

To ease my worries {and nerves}, I did what any girl should do this weekend…I ate, drank, and shopped! Don’t worry, I took advantage of some fabulous Memorial Day sales, and then let myself go crazy in the makeup mega that is Sephora–and once I left, was literally covered in marks all over my hands of trying out eyeshadows, eyeliners, lip glosses, and blushes–heaven on earth!

I also did some fun cooking in the kitchen. Friday night, Jeff and I stayed home and I attempted Hot Chicken and Rice Salad for the first time…really good and perfect comfort food!! Here’s the recipe via Real Mom Kitchen:

Ingredients
2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 cup diced celery
2 cups cooked white rice
3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup corn flakes
1 (4 oz) pkg slice almonds

Directions

• In a bowl combine chicken, celery, rice, mayo, mushrooms, lemon juice, S&P, and cream of chicken soup. Mix ingredients until well combined.
• Pour mixture into sprayed 9 x 13 inch dish and spread out evenly.
• Combine corn flakes and butter until corn flakes are well coated with butter.
• Spoon corn flake mixture evenly over chicken/rice mixture.
• Place dish in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
• Remove dish from oven and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Place dish back into oven for 5 more minutes.

Then, I surprised him with my first homemade bundt cake that I pulled from one of my new cookbooks and it was AMAZING, yet oh so easy:

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup applesauce
3 eggs
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• Combine cake mix, applesauce, pudding, sour cream, and eggs together and beat for 3 minutes with an electric mixer
• Spoon 1/3 of mixture into greased and floured bundt pan
• Sprinkle with 1/2 of pecans and chocolate chips and then spoon in the rest of the cake batter mixture
• Top with remaining pecans and chocolate chips
• Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes and let cool completely before taking out of pan
• Serve with ice cream and enjoy!!

The rest of our long holiday weekend was spent wrapping up wedding items with Mom and Dad, cooking out with friends last night and indulging in some reality TV, hitting the pavement for much needed run time, finishing all my thank-you notes, and getting lots of sleep…couldn’t ask for more! Now I just have to remind myself I have 5.5 days of work before a 2 week-long vacation and it can’t come soon enough–woo hoo!! Happy Tuesday 😉